Subjects: Geography

A carefree Sid and Cat fly kites on a bright, windy day. Just as Cat is praising the beauty of the day and the wonderful birds, she gets an unexpected surprise. A flock has decided to poop on her! Even though it’s a little gross Palmer tells Cat not to worry since there’s an old legend that says getting pooped on by a bird is good luck! Legend or no legend, Cat doesn’t have any hard feelings towards the birds – she still loves them. Palmer suggests since Cat likes birds so much, they should go visit Point Pelee National Park in southern Ontario. It’s one of the best places in Canada to see lots of birds. Leaving their kites behind, Sid and Cat head off to do a little bird watching.

On a bright, winter day, Sid and Cat are racing beside the Ottawa River. Cat is in the lead with Sid close behind. Coming around a sharp bend, the path suddenly stops and they both almost tumble into the freezing river! Lucky for them they manage not to fall in, but there’s another problem. They have to get across the river. Palmer interrupts to give them some good news. There’s a bridge down river and if they follow his directions, he’ll get them across. As they walk towards the bridge, Palmer tells them how important rivers were to the survival of the early First Nations and settlers. In the Ottawa area, many archaeological First Nation sites have been discovered along these waterways. Cat and Sid ask if they could visit them, but Palmer has a better idea. He says in Ottawa, there’s a place where they can find tons of First Nation artifacts and if they go there, they’ll get a chance to explore the lives of the First Nations. It sounds like a great idea to Sid and Cat, who have now reached the bridge and are about to cross. But the bridge has reminded Palmer of something else. Not only do rivers need bridges, but other things, like canals, can help too and it just so happens that Ottawa has an amazing one. The Rideau. With another great thing added to their “to do” list while in Ottawa, Sid and Cat cross over the bridge.

Sid and Cat are out hiking on a beautiful winter day. With its clean air, blue sky and white snow, Sid says winter is his favourite time of year. They’re both enjoying the wonders of nature when suddenly they fall into a deep snow bank. Maybe winter isn’t as perfect as Sid thought? But traveling in the snow has always been a part of winter and Palmer interrupts their snow struggles to ask them what people did long ago to get around in snow? They really can’t give him a good answer, so he suggests that if they visit La Mauricie National Park in Quebec, they might find out what people did before inventions like snowmobiles. And they’ll also get the chance to see up close the fantastic conservation projects the park is doing.

Sid and Cat are having a wonderful time exploring beautiful Quebec City. It’s just the kind of place that makes them want to stay put for a while. Palmer agrees it’s brilliant, but points out that cities, like Quebec, just didn’t appear out of nowhere. It took the Europeans a long time to make it what it is today. And it wasn’t just the early settlers who struggled in finding a new place to live. Many First Nations, like the Huron, also went through a lot. Palmer tells them they’re very close to a place called Wendake, where the Huron-Wendat Nation lives. If they go there, they’ll be able to learn exactly what this First Nation group experienced to reach a final homeland.

With waves crashing against the western shore of Vancouver Island, Sid and Cat put their surfing skills to the test. Everything is going great until Sid hits something and has a major wipe out. But what did he hit? There didn’t seem to be anything in the water. Palmer says just because something is hidden, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Life is full of mysteries just waiting to be solved and in places like Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada on Vancouver Island, they can find all kinds of buried treasures. Palmer asks Sid and Cat if they want to be CSIers for the day and help unravel some of nature’s mysteries. They quickly agree and with Palmer giving them clues, head off on their investigation.

Cold and tired Sid and Cat are in need of a break after hiking a pretty long distance. They come across a fire pit where they can safely make a fire to roast some hot dogs. After they’ve found their kindling and roasted their weenies, Cat has a great surprise for Sid, she’s brought Marshmallows. As she heads to grab them from her knapsack the fire start’s to die down, Sid finds a huge piece of wood but to the horror of Cat throws it on the fire. Sid was unaware that Cat was saving that piece of wood to make a carving. A disappointed Cat answers Palmer’s ring, Palmer thought it would have made a great carving but it just shows Sid and Cat how destructive fire really is. Palmer sends Sid and Cat to Kootenay National Park of Canada to see how nature has a way of overcoming such disasters and how the Bighorn Sheep are making a comeback as well as the unique First Nations culture that’s been in B.C. for more than 10,000 years.

When Eldon sends Sid and Idee to look for wild Prairie Bison in Saskatchewan, our adventurers soon discover more than they bargained for. Saskatchewan has tens of millions of years of continuous creature history! First, they visit Old Man on His Back, Saskatchewan, where a young herd of wild bison has been released to roam in their native grassland habitat for the first time in over 100 years! Then it’s over to Grasslands National Park of Canada to witness the delicate balance of land and animals in action. Our adventurers check out an authentic Prairie Dog town with the help of 13-year-old Ben and Colin Schmidt, Grasslands National Park of Canada’s Head of Client Services. Next, Sid and Idee head over to the Eastend, where they join a dinosaur dig with young dinosaur enthusiasts Crystal and Chantal and palaeontologist Tim Tokaryk, one of the team that discovered Saskatchewan’s most famous and fearsome dinosaur, Scotty the T-Rex! Then they go back to the lab and see how fossils are prepared for the museum. Idee and Sid have their hands full with critters young and old, big and small, fierce and friendly, and endangered and extinct on this episode of CG Kids.

In this episode of CG Kids, Sid and Idee check out the wetlands of Canada when Eldon sends them on a search for the elusive “Marsh Monster”. First, our brave explorers head to Southern Ontario and the Sifton Bog, where Joanna John, the Community Education Specialist for Upper Thames River Conservation demonstrates the importance of wetland areas to protect and conserve the environment with the help of our kid correspondents Ben and Patrick. Then, they head by helicopter to Wapusk National Park of Canada in Northern Manitoba and, along with Heritage Communicator, Kelsey Eliasson, trail blaze through one of Canada’s youngest land areas and the seasonal refuge for hundreds of polar bears. Lastly, Sid and Idee go to the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, where they’re just in time for breakfast! With the help of Renee Moran, the Stewardship and Wildlife Manager, our intrepid hosts feed some Trumpeter Swans, North America’s largest native waterfowl species. Join Sid and Idee on a cross-Canada adventure and learn all about this vital and often neglected part of our ecosystem on this episode of CG Kids.

After Eldon blows the CG Kids travel budget on a top-of-the-line, voice activated cell phone, Idee and Sid are forced to make their way to the Gaspe Peninsula using the most inexpensive mode of transportation they have – rollerblades. Always up for a challenge, our dynamic duo perseveres, rolling all the way to Roche Perce, on the Atlantic tip of Quebec, where they hitch a boat ride to l’Ile-Bonaventure. Natalie Lacasse of Parks Quebec introduces them to 54,000 of her favourite feathery friends in one of the largest Northern Gannet colonies in the world. Back on land, Idee and Sid head to Gaspesie Provincial Park and home to two mountain ranges, the Chic Chocs and the Appalachians. There, they meet Patrick, a Gaspesie Provincial Park Nature Interpreter, and hike to the top of Mount Ernest Laforce. Next they go scuba diving with harbour seals with the help of 10-year-old Christophe and his father George Mamelonet. Meanwhile, Eldon tries to supplement the CG Kids travel budget by starring in a series of exercise videos. Will Eldon start up the next big fitness craze, or will Sid and Idee be rollerblading across Canada from now on? It’s all on this episode of CG Kids.

Many of us wonder where Eldon came from. As it turns out, so does Eldon. While Sid and Idee are in New Brunswick, discovering the unique culture and geography of the Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick, Eldon thinks he’s finally found the answer. Meanwhile, at the Shippigan Aquarium and Marine Centre, our travelling twosome feed a baby seal and get up close to some the of strangest looking creatures of the deep – including a blue lobster! Next, they head to Caraquet, the unofficial capital of Acadia, and home to the Acadian Historical Village. There, Sid and Idee learn about the history and culture of the Acadian people and try their hand at life in the days of settlement. Then it’s over to Miscou Island and Lameque to discover one of the main exports in New Brunswick – peat moss. Dr. Jean-Yves Daigle, Executive Director of the Peat Research and Development Centre, introduces them to a tree that is 2500 years old! His daughter Marianne gives Sid and Idee a lesson in the carnivorous plants that call peat bogs home. Has Eldon really discovered his roots, or is that just peat moss on the soles of his shoes? Find out on this episode of CG Kids.