Thursday February 23, 2012

Our Speaker for tonight will be

Ron Brown
Ron Brown will be speaking on his latest book

"In Search of the Grand Trunk,
and
Other Ghost Rail Lines in  Ontario"

Explore Ontario's forgotten rail lines and experience the legacy
and lore of this vital railway era of Ontario's history.
At its peak between 1880 and the 1920's, Ontario was crisscrossed
by more than 20,000 kilometres of rail trackage. Today,
only a fraction remains. Yet trains once hauled everything
from strawberries to grain, cans of milk and even eels.
Villagers depended on trains to visit friends, attend weddings,
shop, and go to school. They gathered on station platforms
to await their mail or greet a long-lost relative.
Holidayers packed their trunks and headed north for an extended
summer day at their favourite resorts. Today, these are but
a distant memory as most of Ontario's once essential transportation
links lie abandoned and largely forgotten. But perhaps not entirely -
many rights of way have become rail trails and now witness hikers,
cyclists, equestrians, and snowmobilers. Others sadly lie overgrown
and barely visible. Yet, regardless of how one follows these early routes,
one will find preserved stations, historic bridges, and railway era
buildings, all of which recall this bygone era.

About Ron Brown

Author, geographer and travel writer Ron Brown has long had a
love affair with the landscapes of Canada. He has published
numerous books on the subject, including:
In Search of the Grand Trunk:
Ghost Rail Lines in Ontario,
From Queenston to Kingston:
The Hidden Heritage of Lake Ontario's Shoreline,
The Lake Erie Shore: Ontario's Forgotten South Coast
and
 Behind Bars, Inside Ontario's Heritage Jails,
all published with Dundurn Press.

His travel pieces have been published in the:
Toronto Star,
the Globe and Mail,
Canadian Geographic Magazine
and
VIA Rail Magazine.

His 5000 image stock shot inventory includes views of Ontario's lesser-known landscapes, with a specialization in:
historic buildings,
main streets,
railway stations
and
ghost towns.

He has provided consulting services to advertisers and film makers, including a History Channel series, seeking unusual locations at which
to film. He has  participated on TVO's Studio Two panels to determine:
Ontario's "most historic town,"
Ontario's "prettiest town,"
and
Ontario's "best  main street.

Ron Brown now lectures on and leads tours to ghost towns
and heritage landscapes across Ontario.

Following a 27-year career as a writer and community planner,
including his  role as an advisor to BIA's, with the
Ontario government. Ron  is a member of the
Travel Media Association of Canada,  and is past chair
of The Writers' Union of Canada.

"To contact Ron Brown go to:
 www.ronbrown.ca
or
e-mail him at ron.brown8@sympatico.ca"