| It was a beautiful evening for a stroll
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| | commented that the harbours on the US
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| tonight, so I went down to one of my
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| | side of Lake Ontario are not as clean and
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| favourite places: Toronto's waterfront.
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| | unfortunately since 911, the American
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| Listening to the melee of languages,
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| | Coastguard has become overly protective,
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| observing the broad mixture of people, I
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| | he said even paranoid, and the minute
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| was thinking about upcoming travel plans,
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| | they see him, they figure he must be a
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| business issues, articles to write for
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| | drug smuggler and they put him through
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| the website, and many other things. I
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| | the third degree. So he prefers to cruise
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| liken this feeling to a hamster on a
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| | the Canadian side of the lake.Many of
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| wheel who's constantly spinning and
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| | Ron's friends actually live on a
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| moving. My brain was working overtime,
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| | houseboat full-time. They sail northern
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| which happens a lot when I think about
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| | waters in the summer and then connect
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| the website and all the ideas and topics
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| | through the Ohio River - Mississippi
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| I'd like to write about.So I am strolling
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| | waterway system down into Gulf of Mexico
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| by the sailboat harbour at Ashbridges
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| | from where they sail down to southern
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| Bay, a particularly serene place with a
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| | Florida. On the way back in the spring
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| quiet little inlet surrounded by willow
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| | they take the Intracoastal Waterway (the
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| trees on the east side, on the north side
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| | "Ditch") to come back up north for the
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| there is a private marina where hundreds
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| | summer.Ron also has a lot of friends who
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| of sailboats are docked, on the south
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| | have ocean-going sailboats who spend much
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| side there is a little peninsula with
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| | of their time in the Caribbean. As a
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| just a few places where a variety of
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| | matter of fact, one of his friends has a
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| boats can anchor at the municipal
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| | unique type of sailboat that was recently
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| docks.So I am walking, enjoying the
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| | commandeered by the producers of the
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| reflections of the evening sunshine
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| | sequel for "Pirates of the
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| playing on the water, listening to the
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| | Caribbean".Naturally I asked Ron about
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| joyful songs of the birds, observing
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| | the cost of houseboating. Apart from the
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| bikers, walkers, rollerbladers, watching
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| | purchase costs, which he estimated at
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| the boats......... and then I had an idea
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| | $150,000 to $200,000 for a new boat,
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| - I might as well interview on of these
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| | there are dockage costs, fuel, insurance,
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| boaters and find out a bit more about
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| | repairs. He said he spends about $1000 on
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| their lifestyle and travel adventures.I
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| | fuel, and about $5,000 a year for dockage
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| approached a houseboat and I saw that the
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| | and other operating costs. According to
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| captain was sitting on the bridge. I
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| | Ron, the people that do the
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| knocked on the glass door and asked if I
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| | Canada-Florida run usually spend anywhere
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| could do an interview with him. The man,
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| | from about $10,000 to $30,000 for the
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| a white-haired bearded man in his 60s,
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| | round-trip which could take a whole year.
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| was very welcoming and invited me in. He
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| | The cost at the lower end means that you
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| actually asked me to sit in the captain's
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| | are using the on-board kitchen (or
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| chair and I shyly accepted.He introduced
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| | rather, galley) facilities, you are
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| himself as Ron, "Captain Ron", a name by
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| | staying at town docks rather than private
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| which he is well known in the Lake
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| | marinas, using the boat's shower, rather
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| Ontario boating community. Ron is a
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| | than the marina's expensive facilities.
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| former corporate sales manager, now
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| | Since Ron is a good cook, he practically
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| comfortably retired, with an active
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| | always uses his boat's kitchen to make
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| lifestyle. Ron still has a house in
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| | his meals, a huge savings.Captain Ron has
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| Whitby, just outside of Toronto, but he
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| | really figured out a perfect retirement
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| spends a lot of his time on the
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| | lifestyle for himself. He houseboats in
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| houseboat, and many of his friends live
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| | the summer, goes deer hunting in the
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| full-time on a houseboat.His particular
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| | fall, heads out of Ontario to Florida or
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| boat is an Intracoastal houseboat,
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| | British Columbia in the winter, where he
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| meaning it has a hull and is more
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| | either stays with friends and family, or
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| seaworthy than pontoon houseboats. It was
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| | rents a reasonably priced apartment
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| made in 1970, and cost $17,000 when it
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| | inland from the coast. Or, if he sees a
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| was new. Ron has had it for 18 years and
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| | good offer in the newspaper, he might
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| he regularly gets offers from people who
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| | just hop on a plane to Mexico for a quick
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| want to buy it. Recently someone offered
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| | getaway. And he loves to spend the
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| him $50,000 in cash for the houseboat.
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| | summers in Ontario, where he cruises Lake
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| But since Ron loves the lifestyle, and a
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| | Ontario and spends some time on beautiful
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| new boat would probably cost $150,000 to
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| | Georgian Bay where his brothers
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| $200,000, it makes no sense for him to
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| | live.According to Ron, the key thing in
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| sell his beloved house on the water. He
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| | retirement is health, and he works hard
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| politely declined the offer.The boat has
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| | to stay healthy. He plays tennis, rides
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| an elevated bridge which not only houses
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| | his bike, he loves to swim and he works
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| the "steering wheel" (is that proper
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| | out. He said, particularly if you want to
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| marine terminology?), but also
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| | travel to the US as a retiree, being
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| accommodates a fold-out double bed. A few
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| | healthy is critical. His brother had a
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| steps down is the galley on the left, and
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| | heart attack in Florida, and his health
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| a bathroom with a combined toilet, sink
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| | insurance wouldn't cover his treatment
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| and shower on the right. Beside the
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| | costs, and he ended up a with a $150,000
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| bathroom is a small door leading down to
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| | bill at the end. No wonder Captain Ron
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| the cabin that has 4 bunk beds. Behind
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| | considers good health a key factor for
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| the kitchen is the living room area with
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| | travelling....Captain Ron gave me a
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| an eating nook and another double fold
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| | glimpse into his unique lifestyle, and I
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| out bed.In theory the houseboat can sleep
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| | couldn't help but envy him a little. He
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| 8 people, but Ron said that you would not
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| | seemed so peaceful, so relaxed, enjoying
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| want to cram that many people on board
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| | the evening sun looking out over the
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| with just one small bathroom. Makes a lot
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| | water. I realized that he's figured it
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| of sense... Ron seems to be travelling
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| | all out, and he's created his perfect
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| mostly by himself, judging by the lone
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| | little niche for himself...Susanne Pacher
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| deck chair that was located on the boat's
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| | is the publisher of a website called
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| top deck from where I had a perfect view
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| | Travel and Transitions( Travel and
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| of the serene harbour setting. Ron says
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| | Transitions deals with unconventional
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| Ashbridges Bay is one of his favourite
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| | travel and is chock full of advice, tips,
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| spots and he was sitting there quietly,
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| | real life travel experiences, interviews
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| enjoying the evening, when I approached
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| | with travellers and travel experts,
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| him for the interview.Ron uses the boat
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| | insights and reflections, cross-cultural
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| about 6 months of the year, he puts it in
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| | issues, contests and many other features.
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| the water in mid April and takes it out
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| | You will also find stories about life and
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| in mid October and he mostly cruises Lake
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| | the transitions that we face as we go
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| Ontario with it. From the 1000 Islands in
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| | through our own personal life-long
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| the east near Kingston, a city that he
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| | journeys.Submit your own travel stories
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| loves (me too...), to Toronto with its
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| | in our first travel story contest( and
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| islands, and St. Catharines with its Port
| |
| | have a chance to win an amazing adventure
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| Dalhousie harbour, he actively cruises
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| | cruise on the Amazon River.
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| the north shore of Lake Ontario.He
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| |
|
