Blogs

There has been a lot of talk over the last couple of years about getting serious about Regional Transit, a unified transit system in Niagara. Unfortunately it has become a bloated mess and the original goals have been confounded by differing opinions about direction. I know many graduates of Brock University like myself were hoping for one thing - an affordable Region-wide pass.

An affordable region-wide transit pass. This could be a very easy goal that doesn't involve changing any of the organizations, in fact it also means that the legal conundrum about the region getting involved in transit (a service that was delegated to the cities when the region was founded). Of course it would be grand to get a Coach Canada Subsidy for Grimsby from the region, and it would be nice to service NOTL and Wainfleet - but these are currently the complications that are getting in the way of maintaining ridership.

There is a tax credit, the rates are already pretty low compared to other transit systems, but it is not competing well with the two biggest sources of competition - personal automobiles and walking/cycling. It is great when people are able to travel by their own power - but for the people with visual impairments that limit their ability to drive, and the unemployed who need to go farther to work when they cannot afford a vehicle on low wages and few hours this system is failing. With a stable pass for inter-municipal travel these people could access funds from local charities or Ontario Works which will not buy multiple passes so that the people can work in St. Catharine (More jobs) and live in Welland (lower cost of living).

I was a student, I was unemployed, and I am a cyclist in the warmer months. I have personally felt the successes and failures of an indifferent transit reform. And before any politician tries to use the successes as a scapegoat for tighter municipal budgets or cutting services I want people in Niagara to know that they could have made it possible for transit to make more money and chose not to for another year.

Trail cycling can be a common route choice, or a one time ride and the Greater Niagara Circle Route is among my favourites. It is a well maintained trail with a potential place to stop nearly every 5 kilometers for lunch or a break, meaning if you're not tired yet just roll on to the next stop. It is also separated from urban disturbances along most of the trail, so you can listen to a small portable radio without headphones. I know, most of the cyclists aren't interested in the stop and go or radio when I see them racing down the paved trail - but there are some leisure riders among the people.

What works best for me is to go clockwise around the trails and enjoy the leisurely full kilometer downhill in Thorold/St.Catharines while slowly marching uphill while enjoying the beauty of the Niagara river in the City of Niagara Falls.

Most bike shops in and around the Niagara Region should have all the information that you need about the Niagara Trails system, which routes are universal and which routes are for mountain bikes. This includes Goods Cycle and Sports in Welland, Niagara Cycle Works in Niagara Falls, and Liberty Cycle in St. Catharines.

One of the most controversial things about the circle route is the "Wheels Yield to Heels" Movement, which vandalizes the trail and has some pedestrians blocking the path on occasion. The truth is that they have a right to be angry about some of the "spandex" cyclists that go too fast, and the e-bikes that probably do not belong on the trail. What they need to remember though is that the Region of Niagara built the trail for cyclists. Of course pedestrians and equestrians are welcome, but the funding was really a part of public interest from cyclists for a safe beautiful space, and from motorists that now see a significant reduction in sport cyclists ("spandex") on public roads. If the pedestrians would like a speed limit enforced, I can get behind that. If the pedestrians want to ban bikes from the Niagara cycling trail, I think they need to do their homework.

It can be hard to find relevant information about the trail since the Regional Website and Attractions websites change the information and the URLs so frequently that individuals are the only ones with steady information for travelers. It's no big deal, with every rename comes another revamp.

Hope to see you on the trail this summer.

Big news from Southern Ontario's oldest renewable energy and wind power installer - they are restructuring. To deal with increasing demands and maintain a top level quality of service the company will be moving toward a more centralized transaction processing system.

Some ask why, when they have survived past all of the other startups that came and went. The reason is simple, the amount of time it takes for oversight and quality control is starting to become a hassle for customers. Long waits while equipment is tested by the install team when they are not out installing. So the quality assurance will be separated from the installation team. Long waits for specialized components to be shipped in - which the sales team has been doing. So the sales team will be separated from shipping/receiving.

These ideas are not new, but they are new to Niagara Windpower Inc. where a small-scale "Mom and Pop Shop" feeling has been maintained. This restructuring reflects efficiency strategies used in big business. Big business is what some customers are expecting when they walk in the door, but rather than a retail experience they receive a personal experience not unlike buying a home or a car. That personal experience will still exist alongside the simplified sales system for people that cannot make it into the office or arrange a meeting with an associate in their region.

It'll be an improved experience at Niagara Windpower Inc. in 2010, with more grants, incentives, and tax breaks.

This is THE quick fix for using your MIDI files in Ubuntu. It had frustrated me that all of the bug-reports about Totem not playing MIDI were ignored and shut down in Launchpad without much explanation other than installing Timidity. This is because the error is in Nautilus for Ubuntu presuming that MIDI is supported by default. It is not.

To get it working for now in Totem you have to install the Timidity package along with its extras and daemon. There is another recommended package in Synaptic, it is a good choice to install it too.

Hopefully those still having trouble reliving their 90s midi memories can be served by this brief explanation that covers what Launchpad ignored. Also, go file another bug report about nautilus opening totem for incompatible files, for fun.

Depending on your skill level it can be camping season year round. These packing tips will not help you to survive the colds of the arctic or the jungles of Africa, but they will enlighten you. With some easy steps:

1) Multifunction Everything - you have limited space in your backpack, so everything needs to work all day and all night.

Pillowcase - The first big tip is to count your clothes, blanket and sack (blanket bag, not backpack) as one. The sack protects your blanket during the day, but at night can seem useless - but it is actually your pillow now. Stuff your used clothing into the sack and enjoy.

Towel/Blanket - This next tip is not for everyone - replace a summer blanket with a large towel. Some other campers argue that large towels take too long to dry, and that smaller towels are best for being exclusively towels. This isn't about the towel, it is about space. In the summer you could pack two large towels in the same space as the blanket and reduce the load. All the while making Douglas Adams jokes to other campers.

Glasses Cases - Glasses cases are good for keeping sensitive tools inside of, like toothpaste and soap. But I've used them for keeping batteries organized, holding usb/sd tools for photography, or even holding my sunglasses at night so
I can keep them from breaking. The inside isn't the only relevant place - by attaching 3M reflective tape to the outside you can use them as snap markers in a pinch. Another cool hack is adding a mirror finish tape to them for when you really need one.

GPS and Radio - Your car GPS may not be adequate. Your old iPhone cannot always find three towers to triangulate from. But you have a radio to call for help. Technology has seen more convergence than your blanket, and with it we can remove a couple more items from your pack. I had hoped that the Nokia N900 Computer would have included FRS/GMRS along with the satellite GPS, but for now offerings from Magellan and Garmin rank higher. Consider simple multi-mode devices, but don't break the bank trying to save 15 cubic centimeters.

Storing Mirrors - Like rope, a small mirror is the thing that people typically ask "Why?" and then which they had it once you are gone. The mirror is useful for signalling, inspecting bridges on trails, or for most vanity. Ok, ignoring the use of the mirror on yourself there are ways to bring it into your pack as a useful element. Use it as a rollboard for your rope, or attach one to a glasses case.

Rope Pegs or Rollboard - Never forget rope. It is always useful. How you pack it can change how frequently you use it. It is easy to loop and tie it to two or three hard pegs on the outside of your backpack to save space on the inside, but if you feel that keeping things inside the pack is important get a rollboard. Find a flat hard surface, nick a slot in it, wedge the rope and roll. This would be much better with a picture, but is very simple once you know it.

Those are the quick tips off th top of my head, hopefully they help you to pack lighter. Don't forget food.