Question for Non-Hamiltonians

Did you ever play "Ledgies?"

Googling, the only references I can find to the word as a game seem to be from Blogs written by Hamiltonians, and more specifically, East Enders.

I never played Ledgies because I was afraid / too superior to ask how it was played.

Pyat is outraged! Or something.

So, when I was in high school, I'd go to Model Parliament in Toronto, at Queen's Park. This is the gloriously Victorian tract of land that houses the Ontario Legislature, the provincial parliament. At that time, the legislature building was entirely open, and indeed entire rooms were dedicated to public edification.

There were leather wingback chairs in the main lobby, and you could sit amongst all that dark carved wood, under the towering potrait of Sir Isaac Brock, Yankee-Smasher-in-Chief and Friend to Children. You could use the same urinal as the premier. You could strut about the hushed and carpeted halls under the painted gaze of dead monarchs, premiers, and vice-regents. Heck, you could pretend to be the Assistant Undersecretary to the Minister of Information, or even MPP for the riding of Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. I know I did.

My first year there, we were received at a formal reception by no less a person than Her Majesty's own representative in Ontario, Lieutenant-Governor Lincoln M. Alexander. Announced upon entrance, even, by a middle-aged army officer in full dress uniform and white gloves, and escorted into the (vice)regal presence, who expressed interest in the fact that I lived in Hamilton, and wished that I would please enjoy the hors d'oeuvres. They had cheesy pastries, if I recall correctly.

Today, ol' Linc has a freeway named after him, and about ten million elementary schools.

Later, in university, I'd be sent to Queen's Park on journalistic errands, generally to get sound-bites or talk to protesters. The buildings were still largely free and open, though anyone carrying a placard had trouble getting inside without an escort. I recall one protest I covered, wherein a gang of folks protesting the closure of "TCAT," "The Creative Centre for Art Therapy," actually got violent.

So, today it was a gloriously sunny day, and several degrees warmer than it has been. So commanderteddog and I directed ourselves to Queen's Park, in the hopes of getting to explore. However, it seems post 9/11 security concerns have made the legislature all but inaccessible to anyone save guided tour groups. Even the public cafeteria requires sign-ins and ID and a rather pushy guard kept wanting to know our reason for wanting to eat there, particularly. So we left.

I'm actually mildly angered by this. While I would not expect to be allowed to tromp around in offices and look through filing cabinets, the legislature building was designed as a public space. I sort of resent the idea that I would not be allowed to visit on my own recognizance.


Happily, the area around the building offered us some other amusements. The cannon she's sticking her arm in was taken from a burned French warship in the 1760s.


We also saw some cannons captured from the Tsar's army during the Siege of Sevastopol.


Plus, I was able to demonstrate to Teddog that the front steps of the legislature building were used for the cover of Rush's "Moving Pictures" album.


And that was my day.


Also, I worked.