TRIP RECAPS
DAY 2 - Thusday
Toronto – Day 2 – Thursday
Another outstanding day in Canada for us. Everyone has been great – the kids, the parents, the teachers!
Thursday started with our first performances. We went to York University and both the DHS Band and DHS Choir had clinics with the University’s Band and Choir directors. Both groups had more than an hour of work with the professors. Students also had a chance to go on a tour of the Music Department at York and go to explore some of a World Music Festival that was going on at the school this week.
After our clinics, we loaded all of our equipment back on the bus and headed back into downtown Toronto for lunch at their large downtown mall, the Eaton Center. Toronto is one of the most culturally diverse cities in North America, and the kids noticed that that is even reflected in the food court at the mall – lots of really different choices from around the world, even in the “fast food” setting of the mall! One of the thing that we have noticed in our walks through downtown Toronto is there is a lot of very neat architecture in this city!
We then headed to Casa Loma – a huge mansion built on top of one of the hills in Toronto. Built in the 1910s and only lived in for about 10 years (the family that built it lost all of their fortune in the stock market crash in the 1920s), it has been refurbished and restored to its original elegance. It was a lot of fun to explore, climb the towers, find the hidden passageways and underground tunnels, and learn about some of the big Hollywood movies that were filmed there.
Next, we were off to the Royal Alexandria Theater for a historical and behind-the-scenes tour. After dinner, we were back at the theater for a stunning performance of the musical Come From Away. A very uplifting and emotional show about the human spirit. Fair warning – this show is coming to the Overture Center in August and I’m sure that many students will be asking to see it again!
Friday we’re off to visit and perform at the Ontario Science Center, and then we’re headed to Montreal!
Mr. Petersen
DAY 1 - Wednesday
Day 1 Recap –
We made it to Canada!
After leaving school at 6:30 last night, we have a very uneventful and easy drive overnight. We made it across the border into Canada without any issues and “woke up” at Niagara Falls. We had a great breakfast on the 12th floor of a hotel overlooking the falls. It was a nice and big buffet and very welcome after the night on the bus. We then walked along the shore from Bridal Falls to Horseshoe falls (spending a little time talking through a rain storm of mist from the Falls!).
After another one-and-a-half hour bus ride, we arrived in Toronto. We had lunch at First Canadian Place with lots of options and some shopping. We then talked through downtown Toronto to get to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was a great exploration at Canada’s favorite pastime. There were interactive experiences for the kids to try (hockey goalie, slap shots), as well as famous artifacts from throughout Hockey’s history. Choir students also got to see things from the lyrics of “The Hockey Song” that they sang last week at their concert! Probably the neatest thing was seeing the actual Stanley Cup!
We then walked over to the CN Tower and took a ride up 1,100+ feet to the main observation deck. It gave us a great view of the entire Toronto area – the 4th largest metropolitan area in all of North America! Some kids were brave enough to walk on the glass floor or even go outside into the wind and walk around!
The day ended with a great dinner, and then we checked into the hotel for the first time. Many of us are looking forward to sleeping horizontally!
Tomorrow the Band and the Choir have our first performances – with Clinics with music professors at York University.
More updates tomorrow!
Mr. Petersen