My adoptive Mother, Joan Morgan came from a Dutch family in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. My Grandfather had passed away a few years before I was born so I never met him. But my Nana,... Elizabeth VanderGraaf was my favourite person in the whole world. She was born in Holland and was of strict Dutch reform religion. She came from a large family where most of them landed on the praries of Manitoba. Infact her brothers owned a large family farm of agriculture and cows. In the 1980's after the last of the farming brothers passed away,... the province bought the land and now the Henderson highway goes right through it. The three lone farm houses still stood the last visit I had there but now,... in 2025 I am sure they are long gone.
But it was here in Manitoba that I spent many holidays with my Mothers family. We drove there in the summers and spent hours and hours with my cousins Natalie, Sharon, Kerry and Randy. Back in those days of no phones, once we left my Nana's home we explored everywhere. Her home was almost on the Red river and we spent a lot of time exploring the parks and paths. Infact the one thing that I remember so well is the Witch’s Hut in Kildonan Park.
The prairies were much different than Ontario where I grew up. manitoba was flatter and in the winter much colder. We spent many Christmases there as well. We would fly out of Toronto a day or two before Christmas day and spend the holidays with my Moms family. I loved those Christmases. All of my Aunts and Uncles and cousins would get together and just party and have a great time. I can remember flying over Winnipeg in the plane and my father teasing us kids that he hopes that there are no Buffalo on the runway or we won't be able to land. Us kids (or atleast myself) believed him and would worriedly look out the window of the plane scouring the prairie for buffalo. There never were any,... But back in the 1970's we would embark off of the DC8 or DC9mplane directly onto the runway. We would have to brave the winter cold and snow that hit us when we descended down the steps onto the tarmac. In them days you walked to the terminal. Flying was fun back then. Pre 9-11. We would get visits to the cockpit to talk to the pilot of the plane. We got coulouring books and treats. The weather was always frigid in Winnipeg. I remember my Uncles having to plug their cars into block heaters or they wouldn't start the next morning.
Everything about our vacations to Winnipeg were awesome. The picture below is (back row) my two brothers David and Glen. My cousin Kerry (turning away) in my cousin Natalie's arms. I'm in the green with the big ears! And my cousin Sharon in the long black hair and white top. My cousin Randy in the red strips. I actually dont' know who the other 4 kids are (???) too long ago to remember,...
I think this is where I got my love of a big family. We clebrated with parties at every house. Us cousins, although we lived so far apart, were actually very close as we travelled to see them so often. My two cousins, Natalie and Sharon were my best friends.
I will always appreciate these times. My parents were not rich but instead great budget'ers and somehow found the money to allow us these trips. We also did a lot of camping. Three week trips away with not only the five of us but our collie dog Brandy as well. We would camp at Rattlesnake Point, Bon Echo Park, Arrowhead, Algonquin,... Ontario has the most beautiful parks in the world. And my family were campers. We spent a lot of time in our pop-up trailer and dining tent.
I was blessed as a child. We travelled so much. I have been from Quebec all the way to British Columbia. (I never managed the maritimes which I will always regret). In 1972 my parents put us 3 kids and a collie dog in the family station wagon and we drove from ontario to BC in 5 days. I loved that trip and saw so much. Banff ended up being my favourite place. We would drive high up in the mountains. Back then the water running off the mountains was crystal clear and freezing cold. My dad would stop and just put the water jug right under the falls. You couldn't do that now as it would be too polluted. But back then,... things were still so unpopulated and untouched leaving just the raw beauty.
I loved travelling with my family. It is one of the memories I cherish. Now,... in the present, being stuck inside as a recluse, I armchair travel on Youtube. It's not the same but does remind me of beautiful this planet is. And especially Canada. Which I have been blessed to see.
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