Ontario
It was August of 1994 when Spud motored
his Tuberossa across the border from Manitoba into Ontario. Following
the Trans Canada highway North of Lake Superior, he was greeted with a
landscape clearly different than the home he left in Calgary, Alberta.
Gone were the oceans of prairie farmland and the majestic Rocky Mountains. Ontario was an endless jigsaw of scattered land mass within a labyrinth of water. The rock and water of the Canadian Shield wreaked havoc on the roads and (coupled with Spud's plastic tires) made for an extremely rough ride.
The
roads drastically improved when he finally reached the frequently mispronounced
hamlet of Sault Ste. Marie.
It was there that Spud was almost crushed by a 10 ton gravel truck who slammed on the brakes at the last second upon recognizing the famed potato. The rest of the trip was uneventful and on September 1st, Spud finally arrived in his new home; Toronto (pronounced "Teronno").
Toronto
is probably best known for having the world's tallest structure - the
CN Tower. Standing
at 553.33m (1,815 ft., 5 inches), the tower offers great views of the
city and Lake Ontario. Aside from being an important telecommunications
hub, the tower is also the mascot for a major international syringe manufacturer.
In
the few years that Spud has spent in Ontario, he has made only a few excursions
to explore his new surroundings. In July of 1996, Spud ventured north
to the Bruce Peninsula to visit with Canada's weather forecasting rodent;
the albino groundhog Wiarton Willie. Turns out that Willie has quite a
gig going for he had a harem of vermin with which to frolic. Spud was
envious of his new found friend's job. Where else can you go to work,
consistently make mistakes and still be assured of your job at the end
of the day?
Later
that year, Spud managed to travel northward to the famed nickel mine in
Sudbury to see the BIG NICKEL.
He found it ironic that when trying to pay the admission required to access the coin, the cashier didn't have enough change for Spud's bill.
Always
a fan of the wonders of Mother Nature's world, Spud could not pass
up the opportunity of visiting one of her greatest spectacles; the cascading
waters of Niagara Falls. The opportunity came in October of 1998, when
he was in the market for a heart-shaped bed. Knowing that Niagara Falls
was a mecca for the 'cheesiest' in romance, he thought he'd find the best
selection there. First though, he had to check out the Falls.
To get the full experience, he had to go right to the edge where the Niagara river plummets to the rocky surface hundreds of feet below. Looking down at the intense drop, the tuber wondered how stupid one would have to be to willingly throw themselves into this abyss inside a barrel. Peering ever-closer to the edge, a sudden gust of wind picked up the potato and whisked him into the raging torrent and over the Falls!
A
few miles down river, the waterlogged tuber washed up on the rocks. Appendages
and body parts littered the area in and around where the potato finally
came to rest. Battered and disfigured, Spud was rushed to a nearby hospital
to undergo emergency plastic surgery and reassembly. He never returned
for the bed.
Spud
continues to venture into the backcountry of
Ontario on his off weekends so that he can enjoy all of the joys the
outdoors bring: Running from black flies (which isn't easy if you're a
plastic orb), avoiding the risk of melting while roasting marshmallows
over a camp fire and sun tanning in order to retain his golden lustre.
On to the White Water Adventure!
Back
to Spud's Story
White
Water Rafting
Spud Potato Head:
Your Canadian Idol
The Molson Indy
Spud enlists to fight in the war on
terrorism
The Rolling Stones at SPUD STOCK
Blackout!
Spud visits Cottage Country
Spud
leaves the Great White North!