| We first noticed it as a small town off Highway 401. A sign at its border said | It did turn out to be a very friendly town. However, after we later moved our home to Woodstock, rather than repaint the population count as '30,002', someone just took the sign down. There is another sign up now, but it no longer says that the town is 'friendly'. Did we say something wrong? |
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| A little further into Woodstock is a statue to the Springbank Snow Countess, a prized cow of the 1920s, in a small park off to the right. Next to the cow is a Visitor Information kiosk, only open during a few summer months. Its attendant is perfectly trilingual: American, Canadian and English are all understood. One bright, summer's day I did drop in and browse some of the kiosk's many free and colourful brochures. Each expounded on the varied delights that Woodstock and its area hold for the innocent traveller. There's some beautiful countryside around: for once, I agreed with the photographer. |
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While it may be cold outside, however, we have found a genuine welcome for the traveller inside any of the cafés or shops on the shopping streets. This has been a real pleasure for us: I guess we have lived too long in a big city, where everyone is an island and no one his brother's keeper. |
| Canadian Christmas Not only do all of us friendly folks take on our own shine, but also our homes and stores and businesses. Sometimes a local store has not had what I wanted. To my surprise, an assistant has more than once re-directed me to a competitor that may have it. It took me a while to realise that this is courtesy common to many shops and businesses in the little towns of south-west Ontario. For a wider range of items or prices, or just for a change of scene, the much bigger towns of London or Kitchener/Waterloo are only a half hour drive away. In most seasons, the drive through the rolling farmlands all around us is always worth it: especially if you have lived and worked most of your life in big, dirty, anonymous cities. |  |
 | So far, in early 2002, we've only had a little snow here. However, once you drive a mere 40 miles north of Woodstock, you're into the snow belt - and serious winter equipment becomes a good idea. At least, make sure your car is equipped with a snow shovel, blanket, candle, matches, cell-phone (+ spare battery) and a good book to read while you wait for the snow-plough to reach you. Then again, if you drive west towards London in early or late winter, you may hit freezing rain. As I said above, Woodstock's a good place to live, and now even has a 7-screen cinema. Maybe you should just stay here over winter (and save the 'Snow Bird' air fare to Florida). |