Earth Hour is a way for the people of the world to fight climate change and was started in Australia by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). This is the second year and Canada has jumped on board and many participated in "turn you lights off for an hour" during the hour from 8 to 9 pm. Ontario reduced the energy demand by over 5 % this year during this period - which is a good start (and something to continue beyond Earth Hour). Joe joins the girls packed into the large crowd in front of the stage.

Toronto had a large celebration of the event with many great singing stars including Fefe Dobson, the Philosopher Kings and headliner Nelly Furtado (pictured below). Nathan Phillips Square at Toronto's City Hall was packed with over 9 000 people (including Joe, Ann, Erin and myself) and the crowd watching the entertainment helped to keep us warm in the below freezing temperatures. We arrived at a little after 6 pm at the square and were immediately given red reusable shopping bags which included a free tee shirt which said "Global Warming Ain't Cool" and a free Saturday issue of the Toronto Star.

During one recent sunny weekend I walked along a nature path that many in Acton use everyday and has been one of the places that I best remember taking my young children for walks just a few years ago. I have put together the above autocad map with the route and some points of interest along with pictures and descriptions and you can find the information on this page.

For some reason the weekend spring weather has brought beautiful sun and warming temperatures to Ontario and while Ann is at work and then at a wedding shower I join Joe on a trip around Toronto.

We find Guildwood Park in Scarborough an interesting place to visit as many architectural details from Toronto's history have been preserved in this location. You can wander about the grounds and view the arches and columns and read plaques with details of where they are from. It is a great way to preserve the past and from what I understand this sculpture park is a hit for wedding photos.

Bluffers Park is very close to Guildwood Park so we take the opportunity to see the cliffs again. I am standing right at the base of the cliffs while the vertical walls rise above the shores of Lake Ontario. The erosion and cracking continue - it looks like that top piece is pretty close to falling any time soon. You can see more pictures of our visit (and from an earlier trip) on this page.

Returning towards home we pass by Ashbridges Bay in Toronto and the strong winds have brought out daring kite surfers and many people enjoying the sun along the boardwalk. We find a parking spot and head down to the waters edge to catch the surfers. You can watch a Youtube video of the surfers here.

The wind across the waters of Lake Ontario drive down the temperatures along the waterfront. As we have just rolled into Spring the water is very cold. This smart kite surfer is wearing a dry suit.

Our final stop of the day is at Cherry Beach where a kite surfer and a windsurfer (above) play on the water late into the afternoon. You can watch a Youtube video of the action here.