Why I Love Whitby

I was born and raised here in Whitby, so it has a special place in my heart.

Where is Whitby you ask? Well, it's a small busy Town located about 30km east of Toronto on Lake Ontario. Another 3 hours east and you'll reach Kingston and 4 hours northeast to Ottawa. Anyways, Whitby was THE port town a hundred or so years ago. Even today you can tell by the elegant Victorian homes where the settlers lived back then. A few of our Heritage Homes have been moved for safe keeping while the community continues its urban sprawl.

Here's one of my favourites old homes- I actually have quite a few! This home happens to be located on the street I grew up on. It was one of the original Streets in the Town and the Whitby Centennial Building(Old Courthouse) is also located on this street. What I loved most about Centre Street was how the old trees formed a huge canopy over the road and there was nothing better than riding my bike down the middle of that road looking up into those leafy branches as I zoomed down the hill. I love that street!

I'll tell you the story of the Whitby Centennial building ghost another time.

Today I took my camera and went for a drive through my lovely (not so little) Town in this frigid cold Winter. The wind was howling and news reports claimed it was -25 with the wind-chill factor. It was so cold I opted to take pictures from my car window- Not something I suggest if you want any quality whatsoever- But IT WAS SO COLD!!!!

Well, I got sentimental and drove down the street my best friend grew up on. She lived in the North part of town, on Clear Springs Road where some prominent doctors and such lived in big mansions- well they seemed like mansions at the time anyway. Today they didn't look quite as imposing as they did to me as an 11 year old. One of my favourite memories at her house was the frozen pond that was located in the middle of the neighbourhood street. It was one of those mysterious little ponds that was surrounded by large petrified trees and stumps ,and in the summer it was a horrible mosquito infested bog that smelled horrible.

All the kids on the street would gather around for the big Hockey Game on the pond. We'd all be there, bundled up with 3 pairs of socks, sitting on stumps lacing up our skates and screaming out whose team we wanted to be on. Of course it was chaos and fights usually broke out even before a game could begin. Well, because I didn't own a hockey stick, I'd break off a branch from one of the petrified trees. It would be about 10 ft long with deadly branches itching to rip out some poor kids eye. After a few sweeps around the pond with my death stick, some kid would eventually run home and find me a spare hockey stick to play with. What great fun we had- we'd spend hours out there! The worst part of course was taking the skates off those frozen icicle feet and walking home with two concrete block clumping feet like Frankenstein. Then the pins and needles set in-Yeeeouccchhhh!

Today when I drove down the street, I was shocked to see that the pond was gone! Erased, just like that. In it's place stood a cleared lot with little flags on it ready for the builders. I was so sad. Whitby has grown so much, so fast that sometimes it's unbelievable! One day you drive and you're surrounded by farm fields and woods and then maybe 6 months later it's all gone and there's a subdivision and plaza in it's place. The small sleepy little Town has grown up into a busy little Metropolis.

Despite all its growing pains, Whitby still retains that Olde Fashioned feeling that brings a warm cozy feeling to my heart.

I Love my Whitby!