Kitchener Photographer Don Drews captures
stunning images of Grand River valley waterways, flora and fauna. He
then transforms the images to video using soft pans and transitions
along with what he refers to as 'intelligent music'.
Canoeing the Grand is very proud to share these beautiful videos with
our visitors. Several trip access points have a Don Drews video
associated with its adjacent trail. We encourage paddlers to take time
before launching on their paddling trip, to experience those trails.
More information may be found at
TrekkingtheGrand.ca.
Don Drews Grand
River Watershed Videos
Photography, Descriptive
Text and Music Selections Courtesy Fine Art Photographer Don
Drews
Economical
Trailway -
Walter Bean Grand River Trail
The Walter Bean
Trail stretches
78 km along the
scenic Grand
River from Blair
to Orton,
Ontario. The
Economical trailway,
located in
northeast
Kitchener,
follows the
river near
several old
bridge supports
opposite
Bridgeport. "Ask
the Mountains"
composed by
Vangelis,
provides a
gently
rhythmical
accompaniment.
to this
slideshow
featuring
riverine,
foliage, and
fauna close-ups
through the
seasons.
Autumn's Path Along Grand River Dubrick Trailway
The Walter Bean
Trail follows
the valley of
Ontario's
historic Grand
River for 74
kilometres. The
Dubrick Trailway,
located on a
river meander
known in
Kitchener as
"Kaufman's
Flats" because
of its situation
on the former
grounds of
footware
industrialist
A.R. Kaufman,
provides a
scenic autumnal
setting for this
slide show of
sky, riverine,
wildflower and
landscape images
accompanied by
pianist Fank
Mills's lilting
composition,
'The Poet and
I'. Quotes by
Carl Jung and
Cyril Connolly
provide
philosophical
bookends.
Conestogo River
Reflections
The Conestogo
River is a major
tributary of
Ontario's
historic Grand
River. Its
valley was
settled in the
nineteenth
century by
Pennsylvania-German
Mennonites who
migrated north
using the famous
Conestoga
horse-drawn
wagon. This
slide show of
riverscapes and
pastoral
landscapes is
photographed
from an old
bridge near
Conestogo. The
bucolic images
are accompanied
by a quote by
Confucius and
John Denver
singing his
inspirational
composition,
'The Flower That
Shattered the
Stone'.
Freeport Bridge at Schneider Park, Walter Bean Grand River
Trail
The historic 1926 Freeport
Bridge spans the Grand River at Schneider Park in Kitchener,
Ontario. Its distinctive white concrete bowstring arch
design creates a picturesque gateway to the city. This
slideshow features scenic and close-up images of the bridge,
surrounding foliage, and river reflections. 'Improvisation'
by South Korean pianist Yiruma (I Ru-ma) creates a
contemplative mood. Spiritual quotes by Vincent van Gogh and
Cyril Connolly.
Sunset Silhouettes at Grand River's
Woolner Flats.
Begun in
1997, the 74 kilometre Walter Bean Trail traces the Grand
River from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, past
Kitchener-Waterloo, and may eventually reach West Montrose.
The Woerner trailway follows the scenic Woolner Flats
meander along the eastern margin of Kitchener, as this
February slideshow depicts. "Begin Sweet World" by composer
Bill Douglas, provides a lovely musical accompaniment.
Laurel Creek
Located on the edge of Waterloo,
Ontario, Canada, the Laurel Creek Conservation Area (1971),
intially developed by the Grand River Conservation Authority
to control periodic flooding in Waterloo, also provides
important functions as a wildlife habitat, recreation, and
nature education. This slide show, presenting the Nature
Centre in a late-December afternoon approaching dusk,
features Laurel Creek and foliage close-ups. The trail taken
passes through mature hardwoods, a coniferous plantation,
and a tall grass meadow. Pianist-composer David Lanz's "Cristofori's
Dream" evokes a mood of gently falling snow. Quotes by the
Dalai Lama and Jim Rohn provide philosophical bookends for
the theme of happiness.
Clarica Trail
Eventually, the 78 km Walter
Bean - Grand River Trail will stretch from Cambridge
(Ontario, Canada) to West Montrose. The trail includes
Kitchener's Clarica trailway, which follows a meander of
Ontario's heritage Grand River near Freeport (now
incorporated into Kitchener). Accompanied by composer David
Modica's ethereal 'White Bird', this slide show presents
seasonal landscape and riverscape images, featuring Canada
geese and spectacular autumn foliage.
West Montrose
First built in 1881 to span the Grand River in Waterloo
Region, Ontario Canada, West Montrose's famous 'Kissing
Bridge' is the last of its type in Ontario. This slideshow
presents summer and winter views of the bridge and the Grand
River. 'Butterflown' by Justin Bianco creates a nostalgic,
bittersweet ambiance of times past.
Kaufman's Flats
The Walter Bean Trail follows
the valley of Ontario's historic Grand River for 74
kilometres. The Dubrick Trailway, located on a river meander
known in Kitchener as "Kaufman's Flats" because of its
situation on the former grounds of footware industrialist
A.R. Kaufman, provides a scenic autumnal setting for this
slide show of sky, riverine, wildflower and landscape images
accompanied by pianist Frank Mills' lilting composition,
'The Poet and I'. Quotes by Carl Jung and Cyril Connolly
provide philosophical bookends.
Devil's Creek
Children's tales about smoke
rising from limestone caves gave rise to the name "Devil's"
Creek. From its pond source, it flows 3 km until plunging 12
metres over limestone bluffs into the historic Grand River.
These bluffs are the limey remnant of ancient reefs that
lived in the shallow Michigan Sea 345-500 million years ago.
This slide show features summertime images of the creek and
associated flora, accompanied by Tracy Silverman's
interpretation of composer Antonio Vivaldi's 'lyrical
Summer' from his 'Four Seasons'. Julia Carney's poem,
'Little Things' concludes the presentation.
Rail Trail
The Cambridge-Paris Rail Trail,
opened in 1994, follows the route of the former Lake Erie
and Northern electric interurban railway (1915-1955). The
trail is located within the Grand River valley's Carolinian
deciduous forest. Vigorous forest regrowth shades the
pathway from the summer's heat to enhance the hiking
experience. This slideshow of forest and riverscape images
features the abandoned stone piers of a rail bridge south of
Glen Morris. Quotes by the Dalai Lama and Zuo Qiuming,
together with 'Laika', performed by Ira Stein & Russel
Walder, present the theme of contrasts.
Dickson Trail
The F.W.R. Dickson Wilderness
Area offers a diversity of natural environments in just 30
hectares. Managed by the Grand River Conservation Authority
(GRCA), it is a popular site with naturalists from nearby
Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Brantford Ontario, Canada.
This slide show, of late summer and midwinter foliage
landscapes and close-ups, presents several facets of this
ecological treasure. Accompanied by Wayne Gratz performing
his composition, 'The Green Room', the images are bookended
with quotes by Don Drews and Albert Schweitzer.
Blair Trail
Since the 1830's, 3 bridges have
crossed the Grand River at Blair village, including today's
1957 Fountain Street bridge. Blair Creek is a significant
cold water stream and waterfowl wintering area. The 0.8 km
(0.5 mile) trail passes through a Carolinian forest and
features a 1993 scenic lookout built with the 1913 rail
bridge pier support stones. Accompanied by Doyle Dykes
performing "The Road Back Home" and Pete Huttlinger
performing "The Flowers of Edinburgh," the riverscapes,
waterfowl (mallard ducks, Canada geese), landscape and
foliage images are bookended with quotes by Frederico
Fellini and Rabbi Harold Kushner.
