The Humanics Institute

A walk in the woods in October, just east of Cumberland, took six of us by surprise. It had been my idea to come here. We knew that sculptures had been installed, but we hadn't anticipated how many of them there would be and of what good quality. 

The installation is seasonal (i.e. not viewable in the winter months) and is a project of the Humanics Institute that aims to teach people, without being too dogmatic about it, that the religions of this world have striking similarities. I agree with the implication that one of the things we should all be searching for, in this life, is the vision we have in common:

• [W]hile acknowledging that differences exist, we believe that the commonalities in our religious beliefs, spirituality, race, ethnicity, culture and nationality ultimately unite us. 

• [W]hile celebrating diversity, we strive to advance the awareness that we are not fundamentally different from one another.

The elderly gentleman who created this "Sanctuary and Sculpture Park", is Ranjit Perera, President of the Humanics Institute, who's originally from Sri Lanka where some of the sculpture comes from. I assume his upbringing was Hindu. Many of the other pieces are modern imports from Zimbabwe. The site is still under construction with more to come, so the owners hope. The walk around the site, up and down slopes and crossing a stream in a steep valley a couple of times, which we did in the rain with our umbrellas up, encourages a pause at each station where sculptures are placed, and meditation on the three principles common to all religions:

1. The Oneness of Reality ... interpreted [variously] as Brahma, or Yahweh, or Buddha the Enlightened One, or God or Allah, or the Great Spirit 
2. Equality -- All humans are responsible beings, born free and equal in dignity and rights
3. Interconnection -- There is an intrinsic relationship between human beings individually and collectively, and the natural and the cosmic environment around them

The phrase I underlined above is frequently repeated on the explanatory boards. 

Some of the three-dimensional artworks appear in groups, like the animals (horse, giraffe, elephant, etc.) made from pieces of metal near the driveway, and there are areas where people can gather for a wedding or to learn about the institute under a canvas awning. They had some fruit juice to hand out but to Elva's chagrin on that damp and chilly morning, no coffee. That would have been a touch too secular, perhaps.

We all came away thinking deep thoughts, but also hungry for lunch, so we stopped at a restaurant of good repute in the village of Cumberland with the peculiar name of Maker Feed Co. (it's a former farming supplies store) and were lucky to be seated on very fancy chairs at the only table available, for a posher-than-average brunch. 

That place, too, was a worthwhile discovery, rather pricey, but special, in an old stone house with white-painted verandas and balconies. The chef uses locally farmed products in his dishes.

Melting ice

Philip Porter, son of a friend of mine from the 1980s, has 30 years’ experience of studying why and how glaciers melt. He is shocked by the recent acceleration of this phenomenon, leading to a rise in sea levels and increased sediment in rivers, lakes and oceans. Nutrient delivery to nearby ecosystems is also affected by changing levels of salinity in the water. Around the globe, currents and energy systems are changing, as rainfall and warmer summers in the Arctic melt more ice. 

 This summer Phil was at a research station on Spitzbergen island in the Barentz Sea, at a latitude of >78° North, where the early 20th century Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen once stopped on his expedition to the North Pole in the ship called Fram (which I saw at its resting place in Oslo). 

On October 18th I hosted a meeting for my Environment Action group and guests at which Phil as the invited speaker told us how hydrologists monitor the flow of water through the Spitzbergen glaciers. 

 A fluorometer is used to detect the channels through which (purposely dyed) water flows underground and disperses overground. He described abseiling down a 60 metre deep “moulin” through a crevasse in the ice, a laser scanner helping his team to observe the formation of these underground channels — a terrifying but awe-inspiring experience! 

Phil has observed glaciers in the Arctic, the Hindu Kush, the Andes and the Alps. He explained how the phenomenon of glaciers surging forward is linked to the passage of water at their base. It does not mean that they are growing; many are drying up. It is sobering to think that, in the far east, a fifth of the world’s population directly relies on the water from ice-melt being predictable. Our imports of food and energy also depend on the reliability of these water sources. 

Rapidly melting glaciers are an indicator of “the biggest crisis humanity has ever had to face.” However, we should not be fatalistic and despairing. Education is essential; the best means of education is word of mouth. And the “first and quickest solution” to global warming is for each of us to reduce our consumption of unnecessary things. Phil said we should lobby our elected representatives more vigorously, as well. He finished his presentation by reminding us of the Serenity Prayer, adding a phrase of his own: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage and the energy to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” This is a message we could all relate to.

An escape to Kingston

We contrived to spend the Thanksgiving weekend with our friends Elva and Laurie. We had told them we'd be flying to Kingston on the Holiday Weekend in the hope they'd come along, and they did. We took the plane through IFR conditions; and they came by car, setting off before breakfast so that they could meet us when we landed and drive us into the town.

Setting off from Rockcliffe we climbed above the lower cloud layer over a "solid undercast" of white cloud, Chris flying on the instruments. Once we had reached our designated altitude, we could see that the sky looked brighter to the south and after about 20 minutes' flying the clouds became thinner and more broken; we started to see the landscape through holes in the thin cloud. On our descent to Kingston, we penetrated some misty, wispy cloud, below which the wind was gusty. 

 

As soon as we were outside the airport we all walked across the field to the shore of Lake Ontario, where waves were breaking in bright sunshine. On the horizon we could see the windfarm on Amherst Island, and there's another on Wolfe Island. 

 

In the afternoon we sailed to the island, having watched the ferry coming and going. At the docks new infrastructure is being installed in anticipation of the larger, all-electric ferries that will replace the old ones next Spring. They come from Romania (arrived in pieces on board a freighter ship) and are being stored for the winter in Picton while their future crews learn how to steer them. On this weekend all kinds of vehicles, carrying canoes, bikes, ladders, took the old Wolfe Island ferry, free of charge to everyone. It must have been particularly low in the water for the return trip, people returning in their vehicles to the mainland after a drive round the island. 

 

To avoid the challenge of finding a restaurant with tables available for a traditional Thanksgiving supper, the four of us ate an Indian meal at Namaste on Ontario Street before wandering back to our respective hotels via the central harbour, under the moon. 

Next morning, another waterside walk and more sitting on benches. We walked past St. George's Cathedral, a fine old building next to a fine old maple tree in its autumn glory. 

On our return flight to Ottawa we had a favourable tailwind of 25 knots, and the views of the coloured landscape were splendid.