Doors Open 2012

I have been travelling yet again around Sothern Ontario. Me and the family have taken the opportunity to view Trenton and Oshawa through Doors Open events. Quinte West brought us to the Trenton region. Though I did get some great photos of the history of the area, my discovery came through the conversation I had with a gentleman I met while taking a picture one of the Catholic Church. He approached me and said that it wasn't everyday you see someone taking the time to take a series pictures of the outside of a church. I explained that I take and document scenes of Sothern Ontario. He like that idea and stated that more people should do the same. He talked to me about the changes that have been occurring in this small town. I had asked him about the abandoned church that was located down the street. He informed me that that use to be the Orthodox Church. The parishioners had move to another location and now the building was at the mercy of vandals. It was very difficult to see something that was made by the hands of the past subjected to such disrespect. This man mentioned how many of the churches in the area have fallen to financial troubles. It's not just the churches. The historical Clock Tower was sold by the city to private owners. When you go to these Doors Open events, you are usually allowed inside to buildings to get a true feel of the architecture; but not in this case. What greeted guests was a table of information and two people dressed in period attire. This man felt sadden by the fact that historical buildings in this town are being sold off. These private owners are not necessarily respecting the importance of the history that comes with the buildings. They are not preserving but depleting the beauty. On a better note, we discovered a casting plant located just outside the downtown district. What an amazing discovery! This plant creates the cast of prehistoric creatures. It houses state of the art laser machine that meticulously blasts forms of missing bones to complete a dinosaur structure. This plant services museums as well as movie sets. Did you know that over 80% of the dinosaurs structures you see in museums are made up of casting materials? I got the chance to touch an actually femur bone of a T-Rex. Right beside it was the cast of the same bone. The likeness was uncanny. They show the guests how they repair and replicate different types of prehistoric bones and structures. Can you believe this is happening right here in Southern Ontario! The next weekend we travelled to Oshawa. Our first stop was to the Automotive Museum. What a treasure! To look from the outside, one would think that there is not much to see. Talk about looks being deceiving! This building houses a vast collection of cars from the past. The upper floor is dedicated to the cars that were made in Canada. The one that caught my attention was the Aquacar. This Canadian car was made to not only to ride on the road but move along water. Talk about 007 materials. We ended the Doors Open event by attending the Community Church. This religious organization does so much for the community especially the youth. As one guest mentions during the tour, this church is doing so much to involve people in religion and community when a lot the congregations in churches across the land are decreasing. This church gives people (especially youth) a place to go not just for religion but for guidance and support. It was a refreshing look at how a church can mean so much and do so much for a community. We took a side trip to see a battleship that was temporarily docked at the harbour. This ship was recently used to fight pirates of the African coast. After this port, it was heading to another port in Ontario. This ship is a part of the celebrations of 1812. There were information stations that gave the guests a history of the naval forces including what was used during the War of 1812. Guests were welcomed to come aboard and view this great vessel. My father got a kick out of sitting in the Captains seat and looking out over the harbour. Just the size of the ship was impressive. I am so glad I got the opportunity to embark on an adventure in stepping foot on future history. Again I have to say that Ontarians should take pride in all that it houses for the history, the present and the future.

Melissa Richardson-Contributor