RAAI-RAAI Rides Again!

[digin 4]

RAAI-RAAI 109

The following building is the rather stately headquarters of a famous Canadian company. Where is it, and what product does this company make?

Clues:

1. The company has two production facilities: One in this building, and another in Winnipeg.

2. While this company supposedly has world-class facilities, it is notorious for some amazing slip-ups that you would not associate with a First World country like Canada.

3. The first was the fact that one of its newer products, when frozen to low temperatures, the two metal pieces of which it was made fell apart. You would think that since most Canadians live at sub-zero temperatures for at least part of the year, someone would have tested this.

4. In another gaffe, this company lost something important while transporting it from the facility above to Winnipeg. This loss caused the re-design of one its products, and the new design earned this product its unfortunate but now pervasive nickname.

[Cathy K 1,139]

Digin

Royal Mint - Ottawa.

Pierre K.

[Harry 52]

I agree with that one. I also eliminated Robertson Screw on the way.

We'll have to definitely do non-governmental stuff next somehow.

Pierre, you're on!...even without a picture!!

[digin 4]

Yes, indeed, it is the Royal Canadian Mint, which manufactures all the coins and banknotes for Canada. It operates as an independent Crown Corporation (what we would call a parastatal), with the Government of Canada being the sole shareholder.

The two interesting stories about the Mint's gaffes:

The first concerns the toonie ($2 coin): The coin is fairly unique in that it has two bits of metal making up the coin: an outer ring of nickel, and an inner of largely copper. When it was first minted, the design was so poor that when the coin was frozen, the centre popped out! This was quickly corrected, but that didn't stop thousands of teenagers popping the coins in Winter, in between the other pasttime of getting their tongues frozen to metal, no doubt. The irony of this whole saga is that the toonie contains a picture of a polar bear.

The other story concerns the loonie ($1 coin): When the Canadian Mint decided to reintroduce a $1 coin in 1987, it chose as its design two men in a fur-laden canoe, a depiction of the voyageurs who had dared the wilderness in that country's early days. A die for striking these coins was made in Ottawa, and it was promptly lost by a courier company on its way to Winnipeg! Worried that is was stolen by counterfeiters, the Mint changed the design to that of the common Canadian Loon, and the Loonie was born. Had this not happened, who knows what we would have called our coins: The Canoe-nie just doesn't sound right!

For more info, either visit the Mint when you are in Ottawa for a very informative tour, or look at these links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Dollar

http://www.snopes.com/business/money/loonie.asp

[Cathy K 1,139]

RAAI-RAAI 110

Where was this photo taken:

Clues:

* The saint for which this church was named, was not the first cardinal of Rome.

* The name of the town where this photo was taken reminds me of a yankee gas guzzler long gone.

* This town lies on a river. This river also has a namesake town in another province.

* A popular character in a children’s TV program is the town mascot.

* Aquatilavipes walked there in the past.

[Jos 0]

Hudson's Bay!

[Jos 0]

Jammer - Hudosn's Hope

[digin 4]

And more specifically, St Peter's Church in Hudson's Hope!

[Cathy K 1,139]

Jislaaik!

Julle is darem slim en vinnig!

* St Peter was the first bishop of Rome.

* Remember the Hudson Terraplane?

* There is a town named Peace River in Alberta.

* Dudley Dinosaur is the town mascot.

* Footprints of this prehistoric bird-like creature can still be seen there.

Pierre K.

[Charles 0]

RAAI-RAAI 111

OK Then. In light of the recent Raai Raai I have a picture here of a church that my daughter and I discovered recently.

It overlooks a city in Ontario that sounds like someone clearing their throat.

An Irishman was the architect

The city is connected with November 11th

and a shot of the other side for you

Edited January 1, 2005 by Charles

[Cathy K 1,139]

Church of Our Lady, downtown Guelph?

Pierre K.

[Charles 0]

Yes

That would be the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Guelph.

Actually it overlooks downtown Guelph being on a hill at the top end of the main street.

John Galt who wrote "In Flanders Fields" was born in Guelph and lived there most of his life.

Joseph Connely was the Irish architect who designed it in 1887.

Here is a shot taken from downtown

Edited January 2, 2005 by Charles

[Cathy K 1,139]

Where was this photograph taken?

1. Part of the places’ name will stop the yelling of certain South African children.

2. Mr. Makela was the co-founder of the place.

3. It had the dubious reputation as a grassroots communist centre that lasted well into the 1940’s.

4. If spelled incorrectly, the people who founded this place would be kaput.

Pierre K.

[digin 4]

This is in Sointula, on Malcolm Island near Vancouver Island:

1. Tula stops the yelling of South African children.

2 + 3. You can read about him and the other communists here.

4. They were Finn - sounds like Kaput!

[Cathy K 1,139]

Digin

You should be banned from RAAI-RAAI!

Pierre K.

[digin 4]

Come now, Pierre. This was one that already came up - Harry inflicted the communists on us already. But it gives me a chance to come up with one...

RAAI-RAAI 113

The following service station has an interesting history. Where is it located, and what does it have to to with a popular Canadian sport?

1. If you look closely at the big sign, there is a clue to what the sport is.

2. If you rearrange the letter's of the town's name, it says BAD MEN CURL!

3. The sport is not curling though!

Edited January 15, 2005 by digin

[Cathy 25]

The town is Cumberland and the picture is of Watson's garage one of the first gas stations in Eastern Ontario.

This building was built in 1926. It is the oldest serving example of an Imperial Oil gas station. It was relocated in 1990 from Cumberland Village, on the corner of Dunning and Queen Street. This building was owned by John Watson. Watson first used this building as a bike repair shop. During the 1920s many people went back to using horses, due to the depression and inflation of gas prices. Therefore, John Watson had to open his trade to expand his business. Found within the garage there is a 1920s Model T Ford, a 1930s Durrant luxury car, a large steam engine, old style gas pumps, Dr. Fergusson's safe, and the first ever engine diagnostic tester

So is the sport cycling?

Edited January 15, 2005 by Cathy

[Cathy K 1,139]

The sport is hockey.

Back in the early 1950s, Imperial Oil was the big advertiser on televised games not long after Hockey Night in Canada began airing them in Montreal and Toronto in 1952.

Imperial was pushing Three Star gasoline and the connection was a neat way to link fuel with athletic performance.

Pierre K.

[Cathy 25]

Which all goes to prove Pierre that you can do research for the Raai, Raai but local knowledge wins hands down

[shaun 36]

RAAI-RAAI 114

A war was remembered with this monument. (Some people are still fighting the war today).

When you are in Toronto and want to get a USA visa, is quite possible that you have walked right past this monument without even seeing it.

Eish!!! I'm sorry about the quality, It was taken before my days of digital.

Edited January 27, 2005 by shaun

[Rochelle 0]

This is the South African War Memorial, a 90-foot granite column overlooking University Avenue in Toronto.

It was erected in 1910, in memory of those who lost their lives in the Boer War. The bronze and granite Memorial was designed by Walter Seymour Allward.

The inscription on the Memorial reads.

TO THE

MEMORY AND IN HONOUR OF

THE CANADIANS WHO DIED

DEFENDING THE EMPIRE IN

THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR

1899-1902

There is a bronze peace figure perched on the top with the three lower figures representing "Mother Canada" and the Canadian infantry and cavalry contingents in the South African War.

[shaun 36]

Well done Rochelle!!!

All the way from Vancouver and you got it right. Did you Google it, or have you been there.

[Rochelle 0]

Thanks Shaun, no I haven't been there - just some crafty research skills! Always famed myself for being to find anything on the Net!

I've followed the Canadian involvement in the Boer war discussed on the forum with great interest (who knew - I never enjoyed history... ), so I had an idea of where to start looking.

[Harry 52]

RAAI-RAAI 115

So let's see if I can fire up Raai-Raai again....

Where was this picture taken? I want the name of the river

Clues:

1. The river is right at the border of the USA and has rather strange name

2. The river either has a "permanent fear of 'British soldiers' " or a "permanent fear of the central character in a 'rock opera' ". Given the local history, I suspect it is the former. The word "Opera" is also a clue here in yet another way. Actually the name of the river is an Abenaki word of obscure origin.

3. It runs through a border town that has featured TWICE before on Raai-Raai

.....this is to test your powers of observation and your attention to detail

4. There is a little town nearby of the same name as the river, and there is a road of the same name leading to the town. This picture was NOT taken there.

5. You'll have to get out your best map for this one and not be misled by the fact that I live in BC....bonne chance!

Those are the five obligatory clues. Digin already knows the answer ...he could let us know when he has it pegged, but preferably should not reveal the answer...at least not just yet.

[digin 4]

I do have it - largely due to the Rock Opera clue - though I haven't figured how it relates to a "fear of British soldiers" ?