January 27, 1940

Just arrived in Ottawa and a long route march. The train is stopped at the round-house beside the Rideau Canal. The city must be very beautiful in summer, as there are many beautiful trees lining the residential section. The temperature was zero but felt like five or ten below.

All day yesterday we saw nothing but fir trees and more fir trees which got very tiresome.

I was a little disappointed with the Ontario country-side, I expected to see many well-kept farms, but these are few and far between. It seems funny to see all the small fields and cross fences, they must make awful farming. We were allowed to leave the train at several points and it was funny to see the boys tearing over the hill to the vendors. About noon yesterday we stopped at a large mining and lumber town known as Hornpayne. The boys galloped over the hill as usual and when they were gone about ten minutes the train gave the warning signal and began to move; the boys thought they were being left and came back on the dead run, only to find the train was merely moving up a few yards to take on water. Well, we are underway again and should be in Montreal before noon, so will close for now.