Horror show
Buffalo, N.Y.
The people of Buffalo are known for civic pride, even as their city crumbled around them. The long-abandoned train station, built in the ambitious 1920s to serve a population that never materialized, was a symbol of the city's decline for decades. Today, the weather-beaten Buffalo Central Terminal is undergoing a renaissance, the art-deco treasure becoming a sort of cultural hub. This Friday night, there will be two screenings of Prison of the Psychotic Damned, a horror film loosely based on the legend that the station is haunted. Followed by a performance by local punk outfit the VooDoo Dollies, this could be the Buffalo you never knew existed.
Cost: $5 (U.S.) at door
When: Friday, June 23, doors open at 6 p.m.
Where: 495 Paderewski Dr., Buffalo, about 2½ hours from Toronto.
How: For more information, visit http://www.buffalocentralterminal.org.
Wilderness afternoon
Algonquin Park
This summer, get connected with all things Canadian by taking a float plane from Toronto to a lake just outside Algonquin Park for the day. Once you land, you board a 26-foot canoe, then paddle to a log cabin for a fireside lunch. The afternoon consists of your choice of an interpretive hike to a lookout high on a ridge, a swim and sauna, or guided fishing. As the afternoon winds down, climb back into the plane and return to Toronto in time for dinner. The flights can accommodate up to 10 people -- and it sure beats cramming into a minivan.
Cost: From $430 a person.
When: Ongoing this summer.
Where: Toronto island airport to Algonquin.
How: Visit voyageurquest.com.
Volunteer for nature
Various locations
If you have an interest in nature and a desire to make a difference this summer, check out the Federation of Ontario Naturalists' list of projects that could use volunteer help. Some are one-day wildlife surveys, others are weekends involving either a hotel stay or camping. For example, there will be a vegetation inventory and "bioblitz" on Pelee Island this weekend for the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Also this weekend, a photo clinic and butterfly count takes place on the tall-grass prairie and oak savannahs near Rice Lake, east of Toronto.
Cost: Varies by project.
When: Ongoing in summer.
Where: Various locations.
How: For more information, visit http://www.ontarionature.org/action.
