Splendid Farm Offerings at the St. Lawrence Market

September 6, 2014 By Brett in Art, Food / Drinks, Ontario Tags: Canada, Farm, Food, Ontario, Photography, Shops, St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Urban 24 Comments

Since the early 1800s, the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto has been a traditional marketplace for fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses and all manner of other agricultural products. It’s a colorful and happily bustling scene that has the distinction of being named by National Geographic in 2012 as the world’s best market. Even if a matter of opinion, that’s high praise! Snapping these shots between bites of a warm croissant graced with some local honey provided a relaxing hour’s idyll.

St. Lawrence Market, Toronto

Farm Market Cheese, City Market, St. John, N.B.

Espresso Cup Charm at The Flying Fox

December 8, 2013 By Brett in Art, Food / Drinks, Nova Scotia Tags: Bakery, Canada, Coffee, Food, Nova Scotia, Photography, Retro, Shelburne, Shops, Vintage 9 Comments

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These bright little espresso cups caught my eye at the very cozy The Flying Fox Bake Shop in historic Shelburne, Nova Scotia. The shop’s tasty fresh-baked treats and piping hot coffee brightened the cold November day considerably, as did the ready conversation of the shop’s cheerful owner, Julie Shand. Julie shared with me that in light of her having lived way up near Yellowknife, Yukon Territory, shortly before opening the Flying Fox, Shelburne’s windy temperatures of 33°F / 0°C on that day seemed nearly tropical to her! For my part, I kept my gloves near at hand.

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Abundance at the Saint John City Market

November 23, 2013 By Brett in Food / Drinks, New Brunswick Tags: Baked Goods, Canada, City Market, Food, Fruits, Local Market, New Brunswick, Photography, Saint John, Thanksgiving, Travel, Urban, Vegetables 32 Comments

St. John, N.B. City Market

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Americans celebrate Thanksgiving later this week, about a month and a half after Canadians mark their own similar holiday. A trip last week to the picturesque City Market in the heart of downtown Saint John, New Brunswick — filled as it is with vibrant colors, numerous tastes and smells, all manner of local and regional food offerings and friendly vendors — brought to mind both country’s annual Fall celebrations. These images taken during that trip provide a small sampling of this wonderful local marketplace.

Canada Dry’s Cross-Cultural Appeal

September 18, 2013 By Brett in Art, Food / Drinks, Ontario, Society Tags: Americana, Art, Canada, Canada Dry, Canadiana, Cocoa Cola, Food, John J. McLaughlin, John Pemberton, Retro Ads, Vintage Ads 17 Comments

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I remember as a child that we would drink Canada Dry Ginger Ale about as often as we drank Coca Cola. Originated in Canada and adopted by America, the Canada Dry brand serves as a cultural bridge between our two countries. Canada Dry Ginger Ale was created in 1890 by John J. McLaughlin, an Ontario pharmacist, and for a few decades thereafter this effervescent beverage was mainly a Canadian regional drink. (Coincidentally, Coca Cola was also concocted a few years before in 1886 by a pharmacist, John Pemberton.) Once its popularity spread to the U.S. around the 1920s, it eventually became a major American brand as attested by this assortment of vintage advertisements.