London park hits the mark

The city's Victoria Park truly is a park for all seasons.

During the springtime, the downtown park becomes a hub of activity as Londoners emerge from hibernation to rediscover the great outdoors. Then in the summer people picnic and throw Frisbees in the abundant green space, while the less athletically inclined individuals read books under the shade of the century-old trees. By autumn, the park becomes a great destination to take in the fall foliage, boasting a wide array of oranges, reds and yellows. On Nov. 26, the downtown park transformed into a winter wonderland as thousands of Christmas lights turned on and space was made for the ice rink once the weather realizes it's December.

Established as a social hub in 1874 after years of military use, Victoria Park is the Canadian equivalent of the United State's Central Park, albeit much smaller, spanning only 15 acres compared to the big apple's 770-acre green space.

Londoners make use of the park all year round. During the fall, Remembrance Day is observed at the cenotaph in the park's southeast corner. Revelers pack the park to ring in the New Year in the winter (real Canadians don't party indoors on Dec. 31). In the spring, protesters descend upon the bandshell and make some noise about one issue or another – probably hoping the bandshell's good acoustics will help get their message heard. And I don't even have enough space in this column to list the many festivals happening at the park throughout the summer. From Ribfest and Sunfest to the International Food Festival and LOLA, the City of London estimates that one million visitors pass through the park for numerous special events.

There's no off-season for the downtown park. And although the grass isn't fit to putt on, it looks pretty good for all the trampling it takes.

If James Brown is considered the hardest working man in show business, then Vic Park is the hardest working venue in the … park business?

Sadly, with the onset of winter, the park loses its beloved mascot: the squirrel.

Nowhere in the world are squirrels as friendly – or as fat – as they are in the downtown park, where it's not uncommon for one of the furry rodents to eat directly from people's hands.

I doubt the wildlife at Central Park would eat a peanut out of anyone's hand. But, then again, New Yorkers aren't renowned for their friendliness.

A man for all seasons

It's official: summer is over and autumn has arrived.
Days are getting shorter, mornings growing colder, and the leaves are falling from the trees as animals prepare for hibernation.
I personally love fall. What's not to like about the season that offers Thanksgiving, new television programs, Ontario apples, great scenery, Halloween and the start of the NHL and NBA season?
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But some people complain about this sweet season. And it isn't only autumn that falls victim to season bashing. I'm constantly hearing friends, family and co-workers complain about winter being too cold, spring bringing allergies, summer humidity too much to handle, fall being too depressing and the list of grievances goes on.
In fact, the season slandering has got so out of control that I've come up with a new term for this type of prejudice: seasonalism.
Closed-minded seasonalists lurk in every corner of society, spreading their season-hating propaganda at workplace water coolers, coffee shops, sporting events – anywhere there's a pair of listening ears.
It's impossible to spot a seasonalist based on appearance, but they are easy to identify by their comments, casually suggesting we should do away with winter or saying spring is a far superior season fall. Many dream of a one-season state, much like California, where the weather is constantly warm during the day, but not hot, and cool at night, yet not cold.
One climate all year long? I think that would be boring.
Canada is such a great country because of its smorgasbord of seasons – we get a little taste of everything. Yes, there are downsides to each season: scraping your car in the winter morning is no picnic, seeing the sun set at 5 p.m. can be depressing and hay fever can be hell, but the negatives are minor in comparison to the great pluses each of the four seasons offer.
From the great beach weather in the summer and skiing in the winter to seeing flowers and trees bloom in the spring and then watching them graciously wither in the autumn, each season is unique in its own special way.
Like any prejudice, seasonalism is spawned from ignorance.
Poets, for example, are far too enlightened to stoop to petty seasonalism.
George Elliot described autumn as delicious, saying, "If I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
And Percy Shelley, the 19th century poet, declared, "There is a harmony in autumn."
I believe we as a nation must resist seasonalism and its narrow-minded attitude. Instead, we should embrace season patriotism, celebrating each of the four cycles with pride. Only then can we live in a society where all seasons are seen as being created equal.
And with experts calling for an especially harsh winter this year, we have a long way to go.
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.