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The Urban Country Is Back… 5

The Urban Country Is Back…
Toronto Islands Cargo Biking – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country  Well, we’re back. It wasn’t intentional, but I ended up taking a month-long break from blogging. I wish I could say that I took a month off to volunteer in a developing country and change the world, but my excuse is much ...

Bikes & Kayaks 6

Bikes & Kayaks
Bob with his home-made kayak – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country Despite the fact that Canada’s economy is largely built on debt, Canada is still no doubt a rich country. In rich countries where most people don’t need to worry about feeding themselves or putting  a roof over their heads, they look ...

2009 Urban Country Mash-up Video 4

2009 Urban Country Mash-up by James Schwartz on Vimeo. A tradition that began in 2005 on The Urban Country is an annual mash-up of video clips that I took with my digital camera throughout the year. The central theme of the video is to promote living a healthy, active, lifestyle and to cherish the outdoors. ...

Toronto to Montreal Kayak Adventure 41

Yesterday I arrived in Montreal after 11 consecutive days alone on the water. At times I had a feeling of freedom and saw some amazing scenery, and other times it was challenging and repetitive. But overall I really enjoyed the experience and I’ve definitely become a better kayaker as a result of the range of ...

Toronto to Montreal Solo Kayak Journey 2

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country – Lake Ontario – 4 July 2009 In about 9 hours, I’ll be departing on a solo kayak journey from Toronto to Montreal to raise money for Noah’s Ark home for children in the Philippines. Noah’s Ark provides a temporary home for malnourished children; providing food, ...

Kayak Trip: T-Minus 14 days 4

It’s now official. During the wee hours of 13 July 2009, I will set forth on a solo 560KM kayak journey from Toronto to Montreal to raise money for Noah’s Ark home for children in the Philippines. If you would like to support this cause, please pledge an amount of your choosing by either e-mailing ...

Adventures of the Past, Present and Future

It’s 30 degrees Celsius – the wind is blowing in my face, and bugs are splattered across my goggles as I cruise along the Trans Canada Highway. It’s September 2004 and I’m on a solo motorcycle epic adventure that took me 4,712.5KM on my Yamaha XT 225cc enduro motorcycle to explore 5 provinces in just ...

2009 Adventure: 560K for Kids 1

For approximately $270, you could purchase a return flight from Toronto to Montreal, arriving in 1 hour and 14 minutes. Alternatively, for $140 you could take a VIA train and arrive in about 5 hours, while driving takes about the same. Rather than using these “typical” methods of transportation, I’m planning to paddle the entire ...

Survived my 107KM Solo kayak trip 3

At 3:30PM today I returned from my 2-day solo kayak trip from Toronto to Oshawa and back to raise money for Noah’s Ark children’s home in the Philippines. Every muscle in my upper body is aching right now, but it was a great trip and totally worth the effort. On the way there I had ...

100KM KAYAK TRIP IS ON!

This weekend I’m planning on doing my kayak fundraiser by paddling 100KM in two days from downtown Toronto to Oshawa, Ontario. I will then be setting up camp along the shores of Lake Ontario before returning to Toronto the following day. Barring any unforeseen extreme weather conditions, I’ll be departing on Saturday morning at 6AM. ...