S e p t e m b e r   5 ,   2 0 0 6   -   C a n a d i a n   N a t i o n a l   E x h i b i t i o n

Last day of 'summer' in any meaningful sense, although it's still rather cool (the weather should be summery yet, if nothing else), and also the last chance to go the the Canadian National Exhibition, the big end of summer fair, on the Exhibition Grounds, just north of Ontario Place. I decided to GO Train in, as it has its own train station, and i got there just around noon.

The most important building, and conveniently near the station, although this is the 'front' - the station is to the right, and behind. Whenever i go i look forward to having different stuff. Usually i have perogies, but they looked awful (especially compared to the Polish food place not too far from here). So, i started off with a Montreal smoked meat sandwich (similar to pastrami on rye), with fries. I ate on the grass to the left (place was full inside, and so were all the picnic tables), while the airshow roared around me (as it would the whole time i was there).

It was very hard to get good photos of these, as they moved far too fast to get a good bead on them. I believe these are f16s, which means they're likely American, as i don't think Canada has any. Possibly British. No, i checked the airshow's website - they're USAF.

As they fly, they circle quite a distance - this was behind the CN Tower, to the east, which meant it buzzed downtown. Also, if you looked for the engine roar, you missed them, because they were well ahead of the sound.

Here's a crowd shot, after i'd been through the Arts and Crafts building (pretty lame stuff - people must fill their houses with trinkets). Anyway, to the right is the new Toronto FC soccer stadium being built on the grounds, to the left, the south side/front of the Food Building, and the midway buried way in front.

Looking south, at the stands-to-be. Oddly, the Toronto FC have a very English name, but it'll be in an American soccer league.

The beginning of the midway, mostly games of chance - same stuff facing from across, and down another row to the right.

I was trying to take a shot holding my hands in the air, and pointing down at the crowd, but never quite got it.

The midway games are organized like a T, so this is looking down the bottom part of the T, from the crossbar, so to speak.

I was looking for a couple of shows inside the building complex (is it called the World Trade Centre?), but one was done, and the other was kind of lame (and my photos didn't turn out inside, so it doesn't matter anyway). Mostly it was more places selling more shite inside. Inside is also the Ricoh Coliseum, which oftyen has bands playing.

Here's the front/southside of the trade complex, which is kind of interesting.

The front exterior, looking west - the rides are barely visible.

This is looking east towards what's considered the main entrance, the Princes' Gate (although i bet more people come in the north entrance, with the train and streetcars), which is strangely quiet.

More midway.

I did catch an acrobatic trampoline/skiing act. That's a light standard far in the distance.

You can't see how far and high the ski jump is.

This guy is using a skateboard on the trampoline.

Whee!

The light was so grey, i had to colour enhance some of these, which is why it looks a bit electric.

Okay, it's because of rides like these i don't do rides anymore. Instant motion sickness. Also, i hate the line-ups.

Occasionally we got a bit of sun.

The lighting is not colour-enhanced with these.

The sun with the grey crowds really lights these up. I wish the rides had had all their lights on, but i guess that's costly and reserved for night time.

You can see the windmill way in the background that was also visible in my Chinese Lantern Festival photos. If you look midground, you can see a row of people going right across the shot. That was the line-up for Cirque Envol, and this only shows a fraction of the line. Crazy. I'd thought i'd check the show out, but that line-up was too much.

These are the Snowbirds, the Canadian air force demonstration team. They kept zooming by, and i kept missing them, then by chance, i had my camera ready when i wasn't loooking for them, and they zoomed overhead - this is virtually straight up.

I had to turn around and take this one quickly.

A close up of their trail dissipating.

Some weird emu guy on stilts. I hope he didn't come this way by transit.

Arts and Crafts builfding to the left/north, Better Living Centre to the right/south, FC stadium and CN Tower centre/east. After this i had supper, which was a mess of chicken wings - mild, of course. Then beaver tail, which is oh, so yummy (some asked me if they actually came from beavers, hee). Then i looked for soft ice cream, but i didn't find any before i found corn on the cob, so i thought i'd take a shot. I'd had some at the Bjork concert a few years ago, and it was awful, but this stuff was pretty good.

I needed to sit somewhere to eat my corn, so i sat by a fence, on the pavement. A worker open the fence to get a vehicle out. When he closed the fence, its foot got my in my ass, and ripped a hole in the back of my shorts. Fuuuuucckkkk. I really liked these shorts, too. So, i had to make my way home, with a hole in my ass (well, in my shorts, that is). Fan-tastic.

Standing on the platform, waiting for the eastbound train. This is looking east, so the train may hit me in the back of my head. I hadn't found any soft ice cream, but i did get some shaved ice with pineapple syrup that was giving me brain freezez.

A composite (13 shots) of the crowd waiting for the westbound train, probably a 150 degree pan. A lot of people. On the train ride back, i ate my dozen Tiny Tom donuts (you get to see them made fresh!) - another CNE tradition. Woo!