BetterMost Community Blogs > My "Great White North"
My "Great White North"
Sheriff Roland:
Hey Tru
sounds like the story of this man I met in Detroit. Told me "Yea, I've been ta Canada. Went taTilbury"! (I didn't know WHAT he was talkin about) "You sure grow a lot a tobacco in Canada" he said.
He'd seen just a very small (not at all typical) part a the country - had travelled less than an hour in southern Ontario - and had assumed that the entire country was like that! (I know a lot about my country, and I wasn't even sure where Tilbury was, or where tobacco was grown in this country!!!)
What yer seein in this thread is typical of more than 3/4 of Ontario and Quebec and is aso very similar to about 85% of the maritimes (including Newfoundland and Labrador) an a good chunk a Manitoba too.
As the song said "I've been everywhere boy" (in North America, anyways) - even been ta prob'ly mor'n 20 American States
Really hard ta qualify the second largest country in the world with only a 35 minutes trip over the border (or even an hour!)
Toast:
Roland, Roland, Roland
Your "Tilbury" friend in Detroit was probably following the words of a good Canadian.
Not my favourite music man, but he is(was) better than ok
He's still around.
The tobacco town he sang about was Tilsonburg
and I guess the guy in Detroit knew it - almost.
MMM did he visit or just hear the song, I wonder.
==================================
(Stompin') TOM CONNORS - Tilsonburg
Hey Tom, You ever been to Tilsonburg?
Tilsonburg? My back still aches when I hear that word
While, a way down Southern Ontario
I never had a nickle or a dime to show
A fella beeped up in an automobile
He said "You'll want to work in the Tobacco field's of
Tilsonburg [Tilsonburg] x2
My back still aches when I hear that word
He said I'll only give ya seven bucks a day
But if you're any good you'll get a raise in pay
Your beds already on the bunkhouse floor
If it gets a little chilly ya can close the door
Tilsonburg [Tilsonburg] x2
My back still aches when I hear that word
I was feelin' in the morning anything but fine
The farmer said I'm gonna teach ya how to brame
He said ya gotta dawn a pair of oil skin pants
If ya want to work in the Tobacco plants of
Tilsonburg [Tilsonburg] x2
My back still aches when I hear that word
We landed in a field that was long and wide
With one ol' horse and five more guys
I asked them where to find the cigarette trees
When he said bend over I was ready to leave
Tilsonburg [Tilsonburg] x2
My back still aches when I hear that word
He said just to pick the bottom leaves
And don't start crawling on your hands and knees
Prime your load cause you'll get no pay
For standin' there pickin' at your nose all day 'round
Tilsonburg [Tilsonburg] x2
My back still aches when I hear that word
With a broken back bendin' over there
I was wet right through to the underwear
And it was stuck to my skin like glue
From the nicotine tar on the morning dew of
Tilsonburg [Tilsonburg] x2
My back still aches when I hear that word
Now the nearest river was two miles from
The place where they was waitin' for the boat to come
When I heard some talk of makin' the kill
I was down the highway and over the hill from
Tilsonburg [Tilsonburg] x2
My back still aches when I hear that word
Now there is one thing you can always bet
If I never smoke another cigarette
I might get taken in alot of deals
But I won't go workin' the tobacco fields of
Tilsonburg [Tilsonburg] x2
My back still aches when I hear that word=============================
I enjoy the Americans who wander all over Newfoundland and Labrador, but they seem to have become rarer, and the braver types. Too bad that more and more Americans are staying at home now. I like them.
Love your photos.
And yes Roland, your photos do resemble many parts of Newfoundland and Labrador,
but not all parts of our province.
ps we do have the Atlantic Ocean.
Shakesthecoffecan:
Since my initial visit I have spent several days in Montreal, visited Waterton Park in Alberta, and took a long rambling ride from Alaska thru Yukon, staying in Yellowknife, and back to Skagway. The Canadian Rockies are a breathtakingly beautiful place.
One of my favorite memories from that road trip was the Raven in Dawson City, walking down the middle of the street talking to him or herself.
Sheriff Roland:
Sounds awsome Tru!
The west coast; been there on a couple a occasions, the last of which was over 20 years ago. (*As it really been that long? - yea 1986*)
I did my one and only cross country (american side) trip ta San Francisco (God was Utah beeyouteefull) on a motorcycle, and then up the Pacific coast ta British Columbia. For some reason, it rained somethin fierce drivin through Oregon and Washington - and the temperatures never climbed over 70 F so by the time I got ta Abbotsford, in BC, I just wanted ta get home! Didn't bother visitin Vancouver (they had the expo that year!) Drove through the (Canadian) Rockies and Prairies at a pace that didn't allow fer much sight seein ...
Am planin a trip ta the Alberta reunion this July though - haven't finalized - drivin, takin the train, or flyin yet - but I'm definitively goin!
Sheriff Roland:
Hey Toast,
Been lookin at a map online.
Tilbury's (pop 4 500) only 'bout 50 km(30m) from the Canadian/American boarder (south a lake St. Clair), while Tillsonburg (pop 14 000) is east a London, near Guelph. Been ta Paris Ontario pretty frequently in the past 5 years (only 40km/25 m north east aTillsonburg), and didn't see any tobacco growin out there. Maybe there useta be some, 30 years ago when Tom was writin most a his songs, or possibly Tom used the similar soundin name a town, to suit his rhymes.
Tilbury area farm - notice how flat it is!
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