The colors of Niagara-on-the-lake are so crisp and the picturesque beauty of the town is extremely enchanting. The chilly wind followed us even into an antique shop where we stopped before entering the town. The musty smell emanated from the old collectibles and faces looked at us from black-and-white portraits. The lady behind the desk sat with her hands clenched with cold and an old heater was making a feeble attempt to warm the interior. Rubbing her hands together she informed us the store will be closing down because it could not sustain the ferocious winter ahead. “Not even that heater can save this place”, she said looking outside the window.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region. Within a day’s drive of New York City, Detroit, and Pittsburgh, and only one and a half hours from Toronto, this town has preserved its quaintness and beauty. A fifteen mile scenic route from the town took us to Niagara Falls and one instantly feels disconnected from history as contemporary shopping centers and food outlets dominate the horizon.
Endless acres of vineyards passed us with thousands of perfectly shaped grape-bearing vines standing like soldiers in the fields. For wine aficionados, the Niagara winery tour is highly popular. Niagara region produces 80% of Canada’s wine (and also the very popular ice-wine) so it was no wonder that after every few miles we saw a wine shop with “taste our wine” signs glaring at every passerby. Soon the roads diverged and I entered the town that is home to the much celebrated George Bernard Shaw.
The Shaw festival, a series of theatrical productions features the works of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries, or plays about his era (1856-1950). I remember reading out the arms and the man for my english class back in school. Had I known I would be walking around a town dedicated to the memory of Bernard Shaw, I would have definitely revisited the commercial success written in 1894. When I clear the fog in my mind all I can recall is the term that had seemed so exquisite back in those teenage years: the chocolate-cream soldier. The feel of the glossy page in my hands is still so vivid.
The narrow road that was tucked between rows of shops is visited by tourists and locals alike. Many flock to the town for fine wine, shopping sprees or just to enjoy theatre during the seasonal Shaw festival that runs from April to November every year. Each color of every flower stood out joyously as I walked about in this town. I was trying hard to ignore the wind that was turning chilly despite the deceptive presence of the sun. Various cafe’s, bakeries, galleries and antique shops were waiting to be visited and the constant sound of wind chimes could be heard from the antique shops nearby. Art was visible in so many forms and the past was lending its charm to the atmosphere as horse drawn carriages went by rhythmically on the road.
From afar I could see him but not clearly so I walked closer to Shaw who stood towering in the middle of the lane as people passed him by. Steps away from the immaculate statue was a sprawling cafe named after the prominent playwright. I read the plaque that rested at his feet and crossed the road again as my eyes rested on the Shaw Festival Shop. The door glided open at Bernard’s and I was greeted by him yet again as he stood in one corner of the shop, but domineering in his presence nevertheless. His figure stood between two bookshelves that were stacked with fresh hard-cover copies of Shaw’s work. I picked up some wooden bookmarks made of oak and cherry (yes, I am a book worm), and checked the memorabilia. Shirts, pens, diaries, scripts, books, there was so much to choose from.
I wondered how the Shaw festival gained so much popularity in Canada and I found out that the Shaw Festival was started in 1962 by Niagara-area lawyer and playwright Brian Doherty. The following year, the Shaw Festival Theatre Foundation was established as a non-profit organization, and in its first decade, the Shaw Festival enjoyed immense popularity and the audience grew. The company toured extensively in the United States and Canada and then on June 20, 1973, in Niagra-on-the-lake in Ontario, the Festival Theatre was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This beautiful new building enabled the Shaw Festival to gain national and international acclaim.
But with the onslaught of recession dampening the ticket sales, the director have not given up as they try to deal with the problems creatively. Sticking to comedy for the upcoming festival in 2010, two of Shaw’s works are being used to kick of the next season: A Doctor’s Dilemma and John Bull’s Other Island.
Walking along I stopped at the Ten Thousand Villages (a fair-trade organization) and couldn’t help but grin out of joy when I saw items from Pakistan on display as soon as I entered the shop. A beautiful sheesham table was on sale along with the items made of stone such as Onyx. The shelves were stacked with beautifully crafted products, and my personal favorite were the multicolored paper coiled products from Vietnam and Philippines.
The same vineyards that had greeted us on our way into the town, bid farewell as we drove away the quaint town for a more commercialized Niagara Falls. But not before plucking a few grapes from the sprawling acres. Shaw’s character world was being left behind.
