Sundridge, Ontario. This small
town is located in northern Ontario, and only a 3 hour drive away from Toronto.
Living in the city, there is very little to do in the winter months. Everything
and everyone just seems to be as frigid as the air itself. That completely
changes when you travel to a place like Sundridge, where the snow and intensely
cold temperatures are actually embraced. Even on days where the snow is 4 feet
high and it is -20C outside, everyone there is still happy to be outside an
active. The people have an appreciation for life that is simply not found in
the city.
The
area in which Sundridge is located would be deemed as “cottage country” to
most. However, when talking to the locals about their lives, it is literally as
if they are living a cottage getaway every single day of their lives. They make
enough money to live comfortably, and most of all, simply. They take advantage
of the nature that surrounds them, no matter what the season. Even though they
are constantly surrounded by it, they do not for one second take it for
granted.
The
photos within my series capture this deep appreciation for the environment, and
how the people of Sundridge interact with nature in a season that most people
would rather stay indoors – the winter. Even though the lake, located in the
heart of the town, is frozen over, the townspeople still make use of it through
ice-fishing and ice skating. It becomes just another way for the community to
get together and embrace everything they have. One fellow, who has been
ice-fishing on the lake every winter for over 25 years, said that he really
only does so every year to socialize and experience the comradory that happens
in the “ice-hut villages”, the groupings of ice-huts that build on the lake.
Another activity that happens is dog-sledding. Races and events are organized
so people can come together and watch. The
townspeople really do make a strong effort to emphasise the importance of
community by coming together and participating in these activities.
I have
included landscapes of the town to show why these people love living so far
from any major city. There is a very romantic sense to having these beautiful
natural scenes in your own backyard.
When the snow has freshly fallen on the pine trees there, it looks like
something out of a fairy tale.
This
way of life really is dwindling when it comes to our mindset in modern day
society. Many people think the only way to be successful in life is to make a
huge amount of money just so they can buy a gigantic house and other useless
things to measure their wealth with. There is now something admirable about
people who choose to live modestly, in a smaller house, with simply the
necessities. And instead of gadgets and objects to keep them busy, they have
their family and friends to spend their time with, and need nothing more than
that to be happy with their lives.