OK - OK - I give ! ! ! .......... I apologize ! ! !
So many people, so many derogatory comments! I get it - you all love Moosonee!
My response to a few of your comments.
1. First off - I get it. Moosonee is an ideal place to live for some people. To be honest, I was looking forward to the trip. I really wanted to go back to see how the area had changed and how it hadn't since I was there as a kid. I did not come with the preconceived notion that I was not going to enjoy myself. I do understand and appreciate the beauty of nature. No, I'm not an urban person. I live and have lived for most of my life in the rural areas of this and other provinces. I appreciate and enjoy small town life.
2. Understand - PLEASE understand - that most of my comments were based on being a tourist in Moosonee for 3 days. Some of you suggested that I didn't leave the hotel or try to experience the area. You are wrong. I did take a trip up to James Bay - and it was lovely. I did go to Moose Factory to visit and I did enjoy my visit to the HBC house. But let's be honest - there was only one museum open on the entire island. The beautiful church that I remembered as a kid was closed. I really wanted to see the church. Why is it closed? (Response to Jim - I also wanted to see the wooden pegs that I remembered as a kid but the church is closed - shut down - falling down - and yes it is a shame). Why hasn't the town, or whom ever is in charge, recognized the value of the church as an historic monument and done something about it?
3. I wanted to visit other museums in Moosonee but most were closed. When I asked people (yes I did talk to residents of Moosonee including people who should have had a vested interest in the tourist trade such as the owner of the hotel in which we stayed) what else there was to do and see, the most common response was, "that's about it". It seems that once Two Bay closed down operation no one bothered to fill in the gap left by their departure. Seriously - why isn't there an up to date brochure listing the places to go and see in the area. For some of you who commented on my research skills (Corrine) - most of the information that I was able to obtain was outdated. I talked to one couple who had come expecting to book on Two Bay as there is an internet site promoting Two Bay that is still active - they were from the US.
4. While some of you who have visited Moosonee remember the train ride with fond memories (again Jim), all I can say is that it is now not that enjoyable. Yes, the train still leaves Cochrane at 9am but you don't get to Moosonee until 4pm. The train leaves again at 6pm so you can't do a day visit (nor should you, that is why I booked for 3 days). The return train leaves at 6pm and gets into Cochrane at 2am (on the day we travelled). By the way, Jim - the bar car you remember so well closed at 9:30!
5. I understand that the people of Moosonee can't control the ONR, however, I truly believe that a united front could get the train to offer a better, more enjoyable service. After all the ONR is a government sponsored company. From the bottom of my heart I am telling the people of Moosonee that if they don't do something about the situation soon, the word of mouth ( I'm not the only one who was annoyed by the lack of communication with respect to tourism) will kill or seriously harm the tourism industry in the area.
6. To Terri & Corrine - I would have loved to go fishing and enjoy a BBQ and go for a nature walk - but none of those activities were promoted! I did walk back from the old base - and that was enjoyable as well but it only took an hour or so. Where are the nature walks - where is a map showing same. Where are the brochures on who to contact regarding a BBQ or a fishing service? When I was dropped off at Moose Factory and asked the driver what I should do/see, he responded with, "walk up there for 15 minutes and you'll see the HBC house. That was the extent of promoting activities on the island! As an aside - we were told by a local resident that we should try and rely upon the map we had as best as possible and not ask for directions (the map was brutally inaccurate), since some people think it is great sport to give tourist wrong directions. Again I repeat - this was a comment from a local person - a resident of the area!
7. As for the comment on dogs being smarter than 85% of the residents (check the wording on the original blog), I acknowledge that that comment was over the top but I must tell you - that phrasing came from one of the local residents when we enquired as to what we should do about the dog that was following us all day. We were so worried that the dog might not find his way back that we actually flagged down a cab and tried to get him to drive the dog back to the base. The cab driver was amused by our ignorance and concern over the dog.
8. I have a sense of humour - so yes, my houseboat (or boathouse - or other descriptions of same) is (was) a shitboat. But I loved that boat - and can laugh about your comments - which, in all honesty, are not that far off the mark.
9. As for the comments attacking me personally as a womanizer, pervert, bigot, shithead, dickhead, etc. - well, what can I say but that you have the right to comment as you please - unlike some of you, I'm not going to get upset about comments based on ignorance.
10. For those of you that included a name or tag along with your comments - Thank You.
HBB
p.s. - I sometimes do respond to well founded critism so I have removed the link to the Male Fantasy Files as it seems to have upset some of you - though I note that most people who commented on same spent more time looking at that link than the original blog!
