Читать книгу Let It Snow. Keeping Canada's Winter Sports Alive онлайн

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And of course these latter included the curious small boy who always found something interesting in anything new. Sometimes after a ridge of snow three or four feet high on either side of the track had been piled up by the scraper, a thaw and frost would follow, and open-air skating would be carried on, while these races were being run, which added to the enjoyment.

The names of the horses are not so easily remembered, but the popular favourite always was a little black horse that stood straight up on its hind feet and looked as if it would topple over on the driver each time it turned before starting — I think it was named Black Diamond, and it certainly could travel too though it was only half the size of the other racers.

Sledding in Manitoba, 1886.

One might ask if a time can be pinpointed when this winter experience of outdoor frivolity and lively socialization disappeared from the everyday, generally positive experience of Canadians and became simply a nuisance to overcome and an aggravation to endure? Or, despite our grumbling, do we not secretly relish the season as one distinctly our own, particularly in the ways we respond to its challenges and revel in its possibilities?