Spending a Saturday Going to Hamilton and the 1st Tim Horton's in Canada

Our day started with a return visit to Gordo's Diner in Vaughan.

There aren't many good breakfast joints around here,and even this one is about a half an hour away.  But it's worth the drive.

50's decor

After breakfast we drove past a closed Wonderland amusement park.

No roller coaster today.

We were headed to Vaughan City Hall for Seedy Saturday.

Inside City Hall were about 20 vendors selling seeds, either from their own gardens, or they were in the seed business, or they had local garden products, including jams, sauces, garden ornaments and such. I recalled being at several events like this with my friendly plastic, knowing I was just the sideline thing. People like me were really only there for the seeds... although I did hear that a vendor who attends Aurora Farmers' Market sold out in 1 1/2 hrs.

Seedy Saturday vendors

a great price for some local seeds--got several packs here

Bonus art exhibit in the hallway: the Vaughan Juried Exhibition

And then we were on our way to Hamilton  and Canada's 1st Tim Horton's.

Having never driven here before I was surprised at how industrial the landscape is. I felt surprisingly at home due to growing up in Sudbury, Ontario. All those chimneys spewing smoke.... ah the memories.

The Tim Horton's is on Ottawa Street. This doesn't look promising for what is billed as one of the most interesting streets in Canada.

heading down Ottawa Street

We're Here!  Tim Horton's Way.

Original sign upper right. Commemorative bronze plaque below. Roll Up the Rim sign in the window.

I read that this Tim's has a museum inside. Here's a man looking at one half of the "museum": 2 glass cases flanking the entryway. The shelves mostly held coffee cups, coffee beans, packaging and promotions. Kind of ho-hum.

Then I saw this shelf. I forgot Tim's had a mascot at one time. Must have been the 70's?? 80's?

Tim's claims to have invented the Dutchie and the Apple Fritter (which I seriously doubt). maybe invented the mass producing of these things-maybe. Anyway, I had to get one of each for my photo-op. It seems to be a perfect trifecta with the roll up the rim cup.

Sadly on the way home what I hoped would be a winning cup, didn't pan out.

BUT, dear reader, Ottawa Street really was all that. 

This was just the start of a really good day and many finds.

More in tomorrow's posts.

Book #23 Cashiers in Training

This book was created while I sat at the Cobourg Waterfront Festival on July 1st, 2006. I had a great view, overlooking the harbour. It was a great day too, sunny and breezy. Nice. A real summer day. The sales were poor though. There's no Special Cobourg Edition for 2007.

As for the subject matter, I've been a cashier in training many times. I've felt all the things in this little book. I think we may have gone into the Tim's that morning and seen some poor soul struggling to keep pace with the customers, the co-workers, and the bosses. It looks easy but only once you know what you're doing.

Why am I choosing to post this book? I think it's a way to wrap up my summer selling season. The Kingston show was the last of my summer shows on the road. It's all local farmers' markets now and school starts in a few weeks and, well, I'm just reflecting. Last year Cobourg was one of the big road shows I was looking forward to that, while enjoyable, was not worth a return visit. We did spend three great nights at a local campsite for about $30.00 or so and we camped right near a stream, or was it a creek? The water was really loud when we first got there but by the end of our visit we hardly noticed it. But I digress.

This is another of my one page books, #23 in the series. Print it onto a sheet of paper, fold, cut and re-fold, and enjoy this word snack. If you don't know how to do this see making one page books.