7: Roadtrippin' to Rochester (2)

Plus free hotel breakfasts, heroic banners, blackouts, newspaper histories, etc.

In the previous installment, I headed down to the Rochester, NY to get away for a night. Here’s what happened the next day…

Free breakfasts at mid-range hotel chains are hit and miss. The spreads are similar: cereals, breads, yogurt, fruit, waffles, and a few hot items. I’m increasingly leaning towards avoiding them as I do most airplane food, as the declining quality of the selections don’t agree with my stomach. Despite the billing, this spread wasn’t a happy breakfast, with a smaller-than-usual variety of items. The ham may or may not have once been part of a pig, while a crock of cheesy grits (which initially seemed like a nice change of pace) didn’t sit well. I had packed my own yogurt, so I didn’t check if they carried the gross artificially sweetened stuff my tastebuds revolted over within the last year.

The juice machine offered both thirst-quenching beverages and a design fail. The “touchless dispensing” meant that most of the time both the juice I wanted and the spout next to it activated. This probably wastes money that would be better used upgrading other items.

I calmed my tummy down by walking around a nearby Walmart, where I found cans of Canadian-made chili from Belleville’s Sprague Cannery.

Also spotted: cereal promoted as a sleep aid. Aren’t you supposed to avoid eating before bedtime?

Next stop was my first visit to the Eastman Museum, which combines exhibits on cinema and photography, a rep house theatre, and the home of Kodak’s founder. The main gallery exhibition was Southern Rites, where photographer Gillian Laub chronicled a Georgia county where the school prom remained segregated until 2010. The project evolved after an unarmed black man who had attended one of the last segregated proms was shot and killed an older white man. Laub continued to document the area over the next decade. As the gallery notes, “Laub uncovered a complex story about adolescence, race, the legacy of slavery, and the deeply rooted practice of segregation in the American South.” The result is a powerful, thought-provoking work, where the placement of the killing within the gallery lands a punch. The exhibit runs through the end of 2023.

The porcupines needed a breather in the museum portion of the building, which included work areas and home library spaces I would love to have.

The rest of the trip was spent meandering back toward Buffalo along back roads south of the New York Thruway. I stumbled upon a large library book sale in Lima, where you could fill a paper grocery bag for $3. I drove off with one bag full of giant hardcovers, avoiding the large selection of Trump-era titles that I suspect will be a staple of fundraising book sales for years to come.

Took a pass on this title, which I’m guessing Elon Musk did not read.

Driving through Mount Morris, I noticed that the banners along the main streets honoured high school graduates. This stood out from other towns in the region, where the only people deemed worthy to deserve banners are ”hometown heroes” who served in the military. It’s a fetishization which occurs on both sides of the border, where it seems the only people who can officially be recognized with banners and roadside signage as “heroes” are either soldiers or law enforcement officials. I respect those who have fought and sacrificed themselves on official duty, but believe that other walks of life should also be recognized for heroism. The Mount Morris banners felt like a more inclusive community celebration of the grads and their future potential.

Mount Morris, which is my father-in-law’s hometown, also wants you to feel the love this summer.

I also stopped to take in the view at the Abbey of the Genessee near Piffard, where my wife occasionally tagged along with her grandmother to buy bread. Though you can buy loaves of Monk’s Bread at supermarkets across western New York, it’s fun to go the monastery to pick up their delicious sunflower (which, when toasted, makes your home smell amazing) or Genessee rye breads, along with a bag or two of biscotti.

As I drove through downtown East Aurora, a pickup truck covered in flags pulled up in front of me. Among its banners was a flag with the same font and colour scheme as the “F**k Trudeau” flags popular among some Canadians---except this one cursed the current American president. After a block, the truck roared down a side street at high speed, once again proving that most people who fly these flags on either side of the border live their lives with a stereotypical style of decorum and classiness.

Recent Work

The Telegram, November 10, 1965.

Some of my old Torontoist work has found a new home, as Spacing begins a regular series spotlighting stories related to urbanism. First up is a look back at how Toronto coped with the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965.

Ottawa Citizen, August 16, 2013.

Speaking of blackouts, for TVO I looked at the 20^th anniversary of the massive 2003 power outage through the lens of my own experience. Spoiler: winding down a cross-continent roadtrip, I generally stayed one step ahead of it…

As of this writing, TVO workers belonging to the Canadian Media Guild are on strike. Please show your support – they truly deserve it. The work I have done for TVO over the past few years (shoutout to my primary editor Sarah Sweet!) has often resulted from the suggestions of its editorial staff, leading to work that has had impacts, including at least one case of a piece being used in a museum exhibit. High quality educational material is worth proper funding.

Over at the Canadian Encyclopedia, I wrote an entry about Dorothy Dworkin, one of the founders of Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital.

Toronto World, December 10, 1909.

The Toronto Newspaper Histories series rolls along on Tales of Toronto, with posts about the Toronto World and the meteoric rise and fall of mid-20^th century newspaper mogul George McCullagh. At least one more installment is in the works, which will jump ahead to modern times.

In the Works

Just submitted work about these two scientific pioneers this week…

Help Wanted!

It’s been months since I’ve done a full update of my guide to online Toronto historical newspaper resources. Other than the disappearance of the Now archive, I haven’t seen any major changes to what’s out there. But if you know of any major additions or changes that I’ve missed, send a message and I’ll include it in the next revision.

Speaking of archival news and historic newspapers, CBC recently updated the status of the Toronto Star Newspaper Room collection at the Toronto Reference Library. I wish them the best of luck on fixing the situation—the news sounds good as they sort through the microfilms.

Hire Me

Looking for a writer/researcher/editor for your latest project? I am always taking on new work. Beyond my historical niche, which often leads in surprising directions, I’m looking to expand my horizons and explore new ways to utilize my skills for contract, part-time, or full-time opportunities. I am interested in working on general projects in the corporate, educational, and non-profit sectors where clear communication is a must. Privately message me at jamiebradburnwriting[AT]gmail.com if I can assist you.

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That’s it for this time - enjoy the rest of your summer, take some time for an adventure or two, and see you in September!