| When I was making my travel plans to
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| | provider.
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| Ottawa I had a look at all the events
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| | The event was emceed by Max Keeping, a
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| that are part of Winterlude, Ottawa's
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| | true Ottawa celebrity and respected
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| Winter Festival, and there was one event
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| | community leader. Max is the evening
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| that caught my attention right away: the
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| | anchor of the 6 pm Ottawa News on CTV and
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| 26th Annual Bed Race at Dows lake.After a
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| | I had a chance to talk to him a little.
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| nourishing breakfast at the Lord Elgin
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| | Max is originally from Newfoundland and
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| Hotel, Theresa and I laced up our skates
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| | has lived in the Ottawa area for many
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| and made our way on the longest skating
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| | years and is very proud to promote his
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| rink in the world, the 7.8 km long Rideau
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| | chosen home town. He welcomed the large
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| Canal Skateway, to Dows Lake, where the
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| | group of onlookers to the Bedzz Races by
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| Bed Race was going to be held.A stage and
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| | referring to Ottawa as "Every Canadian's
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| comfortable resting place for the judges
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| | second home town".We also had a chat
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| of the 26th Annual Bed RaceI looked for
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| | about Winterlude and that it is an
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| the organizers to get a bit more
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| | amazing festival. Rather than allowing
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| information about this event and I was
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| | people to gripe about the long tough
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| able to connect with Steve Georgopoulos,
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| | winter, it gets everybody out on the
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| one of the main organizers from the
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| | streets and on the canal to party to
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| Kiwanis Club of Ottawa, the organization
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| | celebrate the great things that winter
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| that has been organizing the Bed Race for
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| | has to offer.After the introductory
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| the last few years. Steve is also the
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| | remarks, the races got underway, with
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| General Manager of the Les Suites Hotel
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| | many rounds of elimination to narrow down
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| in Ottawa and has been instrumental in
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| | the field to the eventual winners. There
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| getting this special event off the
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| | is no doubt that some of the beds weren't
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| ground.The motto of the Kiwanis
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| | constructed for aerodynamics, as a matter
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| International is "Serving the Children of
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| | of fact, some of the contraptions seemed
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| the World", and they do this in a number
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| | to somewhat disintegrate out on the
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| of ways, from providing hands-on service
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| | racetrack.The teams made a valiant effort
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| to organizing fundraising events. Steve
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| | to push the beds down the icy raceway,
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| talked about the great sense of
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| | and depending on the design of the
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| camaraderie that develops when people
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| | wheels, some teams just flew down to the
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| come together and donate their time to
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| | finish line, while others, particularly
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| help others.Steve explained that the race
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| | the ones with very small wheels, took
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| has been part of the Winterlude Festival
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| | their sweet time to reach the
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| for the past 28 years. It was originally
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| | finish.Steerability was another issue:
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| run by the Ottawa Hospital Foundation,
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| | some of the beds had a hard time staying
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| and revived in 2003 by the Kiwanis Club
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| | on track and it was very prudent for the
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| of Ottawa after the Ice Storm nixed the
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| | photographers to get out of the way when
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| race in 2001, and a short hiatus in
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| | these out-of-control vehicles came
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| 2002.This year the race will raise
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| | careening toward the finish area. Some of
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| approximately $50,000 and the 2006
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| | the racers pushing the beds lost traction
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| proceeds will go to the Kiwanis
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| | and were sliding all over the frozen lake
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| Read-A-Thon. The Precious Minds
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| | on their rear ends. At certain points I
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| Read-a-thon is an event that is designed
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| | had a hard time taking pictures because I
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| to encourage children to become better
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| | was actually laughing so hard. This
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| readers. And it does so by inspiring them
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| | wasn't helped by the fact that I was the
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| to read more often, try out new books and
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| | only reporter on skates documenting this
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| have fun while they are doing it.
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| | event. But skating is part of the true
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| The Read-A-Thon is in its third year and
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| | Winterlude experience and I was
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| the Kiwanis Club provides new books for
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| | definitely experiencing the real
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| libraries in various schools. So far 47
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| | thing.....
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| schools have been included with a total
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| | Well, a travel writer's job is never
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| of 17,000 students. An estimated 100,000
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| | over: I had another event on my schedule
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| books are to be read.40 teams entered
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| | - the Fire and Ice Culinary
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| this year, and they came from a wide
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| | demonstrations at Confederation Park. So
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| variety of organizations, including the
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| | much to my chagrin I had to leave the bed
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| Ottawa Police, the Fire Fighters, 5 teams
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| | race behind and make my way back about 7
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| from the local Algonquin College, a
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| | km on the Rideau Canal. I found out later
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| number of teams from local hotels such as
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| | that the team from Apollo Property
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| the Lord Elgin Hotels, Les Suites and
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| | Management had won the fundraising
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| teams from other local companies. Steve
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| | competition, while the International
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| mentioned that there even is a family
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| | Union of Elevator Constructors - Local 96
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| that has entered the bed racing
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| | was the fastest bed. The best decorated
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| competition, 5 cousins whose mothers are
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| | bed was won by the Gordon Group, with Les
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| sisters with a common grandfather. They
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| | Suites Hotel a close second.All in all
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| entered for the first time last year to
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| | the bed race was a great event, the teams
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| celebrate a family member's 80th
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| | had fun, the audience saw a great
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| birthday, just something special to
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| | hilarious spectacle, and a good chunk of
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| do....
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| | money was raised for a great
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| Of course there are very specific rules
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| | cause.Susanne Pacher is the publisher of
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| for this event: the beds entered in the
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| | a website called Travel and Transitions (
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| competition have to be no smaller than
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| | Travel and Transitions deals with
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| 1.8 m by 0.9 m (6 by 3 feet), and they
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| | unconventional travel and is chock full
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| have to have a frame, head board and foot
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| | of advice, tips, real life travel
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| board. The frame must be made of metal
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| | experiences, interviews with travellers
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| for safety reasons. Mattresses are not
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| | and travel experts, insights and
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| required, although the springs must be
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| | reflections, cross-cultural issues,
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| covered. And the bed must be on wheels,
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| | contests and many other features. You
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| skis or skates are not acceptable.The
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| | will also find stories about life and the
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| teams can win in one of three categories:
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| | transitions that we face as we go through
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| speed, decor and fundraising. Of course
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| | our own personal life-long
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| everybody wins since the proceeds of this
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| | journeys.Submit your own travel stories
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| event go to a great cause. The title
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| | in our first travel story contest ( and
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| sponsor of the 2006 event is a company
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| | have a chance to win an amazing adventure
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| called Bedzzz, and the presenting sponsor
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| | cruise on the Amazon River."Life is a
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| is Allstream, a network solutions
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| | Journey Explore New Horizons".
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