All good things come to an end.

Sadly, the first of September came around very quickly that year. Three weeks of being in place that I loved and discovering more about it was over. Coming back to England was sad, I missed the summer a lot. Of course, this time round I had made friends which gave me an even stronger emotional attachment to Canada. Thanks to the internet however, I was able to keep in contact with a few of the people I met. Talking on MSN almost daily to one person. Facebook showed me pictures of the changing seasons, the first snowfall of the year and even, as if to spite me, trips to timmies! This made me want to return even more. My friends at school enjoyed quoting me "CANADA, CANADA, CANADA". I think the internet had a huge part to play in my undying love for the place: I was able to skype my friends and family and hear their voices, go on webcam to them and see the snow out their windows. As great as that was, it wasn't as good as being there. There was something which I appreciated far more than the joys of the internet: receiving a letter was far more exiting. It had made a journey, from the house of the person who wrote it, across Canada, across the Atlantic, through my letter box and into my hands. It was far more personal and real to receive post from across the world.

It was another two years before I traveled to the true north strong and free again.

On and on.

So, on and on we drove through the Ontarian wilderness of Algonquin park until our final destination of Lions head on the Bruce Peninsula. The cottage we stayed in was right on the shore of Georgian bay. Part, of lake Huron, Georgian bay is separated from the rest of the lake by the Bruce peninsula. This, somehow makes the freshwater in Georgian bay crystal clear. I remember swimming out with my friend Liam, whom I met there, and looking down over 50ft into the lake. It was amazing. Perfect for canoeing kayaking, biking and exploring. Just look at it!

Signs - Jonas Lewis-Anthony

Signs. From my EP. Hope you like it.

Take Me Home - Jonas Lewis-Anthony

Another song from my EP. About where I feel at home.

Autumn Leaves (Belleville) - Jonas Lewis-Anthony

A song from my new EP: Signs

This song is very much based about Ontario and some experiences I had. The picture was taken of me in a traffic jam on the Highway 15 outside Kingston, Ontario.

Back to the point.

Flying Over Niagara Falls, Canada (September 2010)

Amazing.

Around Toronto in 3 Minutes: A Drive on Highways 401, 427, Gardiner, and...

Its a bit off topic but really really neat.

The Big Idea. Continued.

Downtown Toronto

The next time I traveled to Canada was two and a half years later in the summer of 2007. The extremes of winter and summer were pretty obvious. The previous time I had been in Guelph, it was about minus twenty degrees and snowing. This time it was around thirty plus. I couldn't believe it. What struck me about Canada was how much bigger everything was compared to the UK. The cars, the roads, the scenery, the stores. It was on this trip I discovered one of the most amazing elements about Canada: Tim Horton's. The coffee got me hooked. Double double all the way. The longer I stayed in Canada, the more I loved it. It also became more apparent to me how just exactly how underrated it is.
                                                                                  

With every day I discovered more about Canada and its culture. It was so great, and my love for the country increased. While talking to some friends while I was there who were from America on Facebook I was informed that Canada was nothing but "a big plot of land full of igloos, polar bears and log cabins". Ignorant twat. I'm sure all of you who have been or live in Canada know that there is so, so much more to it then that.

The Big Idea

So, you may be wondering what this is all about. I know, it makes no sense whatsoever. But, please, bear with me. My name is Jonas Lewis-Anthony. I was born in England but I've been fascinated with Canada for as long as I can remember. I remember going to get my Canadian citizenship when I was eight years old, my mother was born in Toronto which made me eligible for dual nationality. From then on my fascination about Canada increased. I had always been interested since my mum used to tell me stories of her childhood growing up in Toronto and I also loved it when she baked chocolate chip cookies with "Presidents Choice" chocolate chips which were rationed in my household as they were only ever brought over by my Canadian aunt. In retrospect, I have always considered myself Canadian.

I first went to Canada in early 2005 when I was ten years old. In short, I loved it. I declared it "better than England" I think on the first morning I was there. I woke up, pulled on my snow gear and went ice skating on a frozen irrigation channel in the middle of a snow storm. I tried beaver tails, went skating on the Rideau Canal, Tim Bits at Tim Horton's (I didn't discover the double double for another two years). It was truly amazing, and as a ten year old, the snow, the cold, the beaver tails and the big cars made it all seem like a wonderland. I spent the final few days of my stay that winter in Toronto, somehow, in the Royal York Hotel right by the CN Tower. Being ten years old and being so close to the worlds tallest building (at the time) was just too good to be true. 

                                                                                                                                                                 

Canada 2010 HQ