Sunset Park - Winter (3)

Looking out on the frozen waters of Lake Nipissing from Sunset Park.

Sunset Park - Winter (2)

Click on the photo for a larger image.

We are still in Sunset Park but now we are looking west & north. Click here to see a summer image from a similar vantage point.

Sunset Park - Winter (1)

Please click on the photo for a larger image.

This is a view of frozen Lake Nipissing looking south & west from Sunset Park. Click here for a similar view but taken during the summer.

King's Landing & Memorial Beach (Winter)

Please click on the photo for a larger image.

A different view of Memorial Beach then earlier this summer. Lake Nipissing is starting to freeze over (the ice is still not thick enough to venture upon).

Future Designs for the Waterfront

Please click on the photo for a more detailed image of the ambitious plan that the Community Waterfront Friends are attempting to achieve for North Bay's Lake Nipissing waterfront.

It's a large endeavour but certainly a worthwhile and beautiful project. This is something that will take quite a few years to achieve but most look forward to seeing this dream achieved.

North Bay Heritage Railway Car Shop

This is the car & locomotive shop for the Heritage Railway. Please click on the photo for a larger image.

The Heritage Railway is a miniature railway that operates during the summer and on weekends in late spring and early fall. Over 100,000 passengers per summer will ride on the little trains enjoying the Lake Nipissing waterfront. It is run by volunteers and attempts to preserve some of North Bay's railroading history.

ACT Playground (Memorial Beach) 2

Here's a wider shot of the ACT Children's playground on the shores of Lake Nipissing.

ACT Kid's Playground @ Memorial Beach

Located just a stone throw away from the Saturday's photo of the beach volleyball pitch is the Associated Canadian Travellers (ACT North Bay Club) playground at Memorial Beach on the shores of Lake Nipissing. Tomorrow I'll post a photo of the some of the equipment on the playground. Lots of sand and padding in case any of the little ones slip while pretending to be pirates or adventures!

Volleyball at Memorial Beach

Just a hop, skip and jump from the downtown core is where you will find this volleyball game on the shores of Lake Nipissing (Memorial Beach).

Disc Golf Course - Jack Pine Hill

Today's photo is at the start of the Disc Golf Course that is on the Jack Pine Hill (during the winter, this is the downhill ski hill that is right in the middle of town). The North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority is responsible for the Laurentian Escarpment Conservation Area of which the ski hill is well-used recreation facility.

This photo is taken near the top of the hill, while I had previously posted one of the ski-hill from the bottom.

I have not played disc golf but it does look like fun and the views from this course are fantastic! The Rotary Club of North Bay were one of the leading volunteers in creating the disc golf course.

Bomarc Missile in Veterans Park

Although controversial then and now, the Bomarc missile is nevertheless a part of North Bay's history. There were 28 missiles stationed at the Bomarc Missile Base north of the city. These missiles cared nuclear warheads and were intended to act as deterrents in the Cold War. They were decommissioned in the early 70s.

The Project Flanders group who has refurbished the CF100 plane in Lee Park has requested to repair this display but so far has not received authorization from the US Air Force. There has been recent speculation that US Air Force may be taking the missile back.

CF100 at dusk in Lee Park (third photo)

Here's a different angle of the same CF100 that has been the subject of the North Bay Photo daily blog for the last couple of days. It was taken at dusk and one can almost imagine how these planes would be scrambled during the 1950s at any time of day or night to meet the nation's needs.

CF100 in Lee Park (2nd photo)

Here's the CF100 "Canuck" plane that was the subject of the plaques from yesterday's photo. The "Canuck" was an all weather high altitude long range interceptor.

This plane was restored by Project Flanders, Robert D. Studholme, Gord Robinson. (To answer any questions, no this is not Ned Flanders but rather a reference to Flanders Fields in Belgium where many Canadian perished during the First World War) .

In this photo you can see the soccer pitch lights that were reflections in yesterday's photo.

CF100 "Canuck" in Lee Park

This series of plaques are on the base of the CF100 "Canuck" honouring our Canadian forces and the men and women who served.

I was just going to post photos of the CF100 itself (it's a plane) but then I saw the reflections that were in the plaques and thought you could see parts of North Bay and so I have included them.

From left to right the reflections are:

1) Holy Name of Jesus Christ Catholic Church (at 895 Memorial Drive) - this is on the west side of the plane

2) the series of lights are from the Veterans Field Soccer Pitch for evening games (this is facing the east side of the plane)

3) the reflection of the south, shows the corner of Judge Street and Lakeshore Drive (where you can play mini-golf and grab an ice-cream - I'll put a photo up sometime later this summer).

Boys and their Toys in Thomson Park

Okay so it's not really boys but rather young men at heart racing their radio controlled cars in Thomson Park. The hill in the background is actually used as a great sliding hill during the winter. The guys were racing their cars around and up the hill. The kids who had just finished their soccer game earlier were standing behind and watching all the great fun!!!

Gateway to the North

This original stone arched once graced the old Ferguson Highway (the former name of Hwy 11) entrance into North Bay. It is now the entrance to the parking lot for Lee Park.

The arch was erected by the North Bay Travellers in 1928 (group was later became the North Bay Club of the Associated Canadian Travellers [ACT]). The arch image became part of the city's logo.

The flags in the photo are (l to r):

1) Franco-Ontarian Flag
2) The National Flag of Canada - The Maple Leaf
3) Union Flag (or known more commonly as the Union Jack)
4) Ontario Provinical Flag

On the reverse side of the arch (or original entrance) it lists the mileage (in miles not km) to various towns and cities north of North Bay.

Amelia Ballfield on the shores of Lake Nipissing

Click on the photo for a large image of the Amelia Ballfield. Amelia Park actually has a softball diamond with lights along with a soccer pitch. The views at sunset of Lake Nipissing can be quite spectacular (although a little hard on the left fielders eyes if there is a pop fly!!). The park is located on Memorial Drive near Stanley St. The red roof on the left side of the photo is part of the Trans Canada Trail Pavilion on the Kate Pace Way.

Birchaven Cove Park (3rd)

Another view of Trout Lake, this time from the north end of Birchaven Cove Park. North Bay is blessed with lots of lakes and great swimming and fishing opportunities.

Birchaven Cove Park (2nd)

During the summer (July & August) there will be lifeguards on duty at this Trout Lake swimming hole. Since it is still early June, you have to swim at your risk. The water is quite clear and cool. Some of the teens like to swim across to the island (in the background), as well, to the right side of the photo, there are some rocks that the "kids" like to jump off and into the water.

I have tried to smudge the people's faces in the photos to protect their privacy - please let me know if there is still too much detail that might be used to identify people. I try not to include people in the photos but it's hard to take a snapshot of a public swimming beach without getting some people in the photo.

Birchaven Cove Park (1st)

Birchaven Cove is a beach located on Trout Lake. You can catch the North Bay Transit bus 4E Birchaven to get to the park which is at the corner of Found Ct & Camelot Dr.