Look Beyond Toronto: an Inquiry into The Effect of Landscape on Canadian Music Through The Work of Harlan Pepper

Canadian musicians are more likely to write about landscape, more specifically their connections with their own land, what their region’s focal points are, or simply tell a story. The reason being that Canada is very fortunate to have possessed many of the greatest views of nature and they only want to share it with others. I was keen on choosing Ontario as my region and we can’t deny the fact that this province is mainly known for its huge capital city, Toronto. The majority do not know about Ontario’s vast natural environment because their hate for Toronto keeps them from looking beyond. Harlan Pepper is a band I chose because of their song “Great Lakes”. The title itself is straightforward and if you don’t already know, the Great Lakes is one of Ontario’s notable artifacts. Canadian art, music in this case, is a form of expression influenced by the individual’s surroundings. It’s another simple and creative way to show appreciation for one’s country and its landscape geographically or locally. For the remainder of this paper, I want to share what I have found in terms of Ontario’s geography including other landmarks. Near the end, I will elaborate on how Harlan Pepper’s work was influenced by the landscape of Ontario by analyzing the lyrics to their song. To conclude, this paper will have the points connecting each other, leading us to the answer on how Canadian landscape influences Canadian music.

To connect the landscape to a certain piece of music, I first decided to learn about the landscape of my region. Starting out from the clichés and working my way beyond them. I used a variety of sources like articles, videos, encyclopedias, etc. to gather information. Then, I looked for an artist to connect to this landscape and ended up with a band called Harlan Pepper. I listened to their songs and came across one that was perfectly depicted by a huge landscape in that region. After connecting their lyrics to the landscape, I concluded that music can be heavily influenced by your view of your own region. In this case, Harlan Pepper was very influenced by a popular mainland that Ontario is known for. You're from Canada? Toronto isn’t it? – the landscape of Ontario Most people outside Canada are familiarized by the name Toronto due to its urban characteristics or because of the title it holds being ‘the most multicultural city in the world’. What those group of people don’t typically see is the province of Toronto as a whole, that is Ontario. Now, going into Canadian perspective, what are their thoughts on this region? What kind of landscape do they make up when they hear Ontario? I found that Canadians feel agitated hearing the word Ontario and automatically target Toronto. I wanted to know why they hate the city and came across the video ‘Why People Hate Toronto!’. The interviewer asked multiple people in Quebec what they thought of the city. One stated ‘The best view of Toronto is in the rear-view mirror of your car’.

Another saying, ‘it’s a disease’. One even made a pun, ‘It’s onterrible. . . ’ But the video also directed me to another leading stereotype, ‘Torontonians have an ego’ (narcity). They claim that Toronto thinks they are the center of the universe or in this case, center of Canada. They see it as an urbanized self-centered city but then again, these are just the thoughts of the Quebecois. In other parts of Canada, mainly the more rural areas, they know about Ontario’s Geography and that it doesn’t equal Toronto. Ontario is also best known for its vast mountains and great lakes. It isn’t all urbanized, in fact Ontario’s geography is just as diverse as the people who are living in Toronto. Ranging from rivers, forests, mountains, and lakes. I want to take some time and present Ontario as a province, exploring the nature it has and expose the beauty that is not just the Niagara Falls or the CN Tower.

Hamilton for example, is the fourth largest urban city but also has numerous attractions involving the natural environment. I came across an interesting fact that really caught me by surprise. Hamilton Mountain is dotted with more than 100 waterfalls, with the combination of the mountain’s height (330’ tall), rock erosion and water sources, hence earning the name ‘City of Waterfalls’ (multi-area). Personally speaking, I had no idea Hamilton had these many waterfalls. My favorite out of all of them is the Devil’s Punchbowl which is in Stoney Creek. It’s a waterfall that is 121 feet high and 10 feet wide. The colorful layers of rocks are dated all the way back to a million years. There’s a high steel cross 10 meters high standing close by, constructed by a local resident in 1966 to “bring light to the community”. Cootes Paradise is also a very well-known attraction with the land being 55% agricultural, 30% forested, 10% urban, and 5% undesignated. It’s located on the west end of Lake Ontario. The place has the largest concentration of plants in Canada and is a home to multiple different living things. Within the area there’s the Royal Botanical Gardens which consist of five garden areas for anyone to explore through. Out of the five, the Hendrie Park (Rose Garden) is my ultimate aesthetic. The flowers look so vibrant under the sunlight and feels very calming though I'm not actually physically there. There’s so much more to explore and these wonderful places are just the tiniest particles of Hamilton’s nature.

The Five Great Lakes make up 20% of the world’s freshwater and four out of the five are spread across Ontario. Each destination offers different features and you can pick based on your preference. Lake Huron is a place to enjoy a cottage life experience. It consists of relatively warm water, a long stretch of sandy beaches, and spectacular scenes both above and below water. Many people attend the lake to swim, boat, hike, and dive. In Lake Erie. you can experience skydiving, of course with an expert if you’re new to it. There are numerous places to eat where the beautiful lake is the background you can enjoy. It also has national parks for a place to relax and other great beaches to visit. Lake Superior are for those who enjoy the great outdoors. The area is typically known to be colder, but it can be a perfect place to camp, being surrounded by forests, waterfalls, stunning hiking trails, fishing, and vast wilderness. The main attractions include the Kakabeka Falls – the second largest waterfall by capacity.

Agawa Canyon Tour Train, which will take you to the most beautiful landscape. It is highly recommended to visit during autumn for a colorful adventure. Lake [image: ]Ontario has an interesting history. 50 people have had their turn to swim across the lake but the first to ever accomplish it was Marilyn Bell who was 16 at the time in 1954. So, if you’re ever feeling challenged, you could be the next one to cross the lake. There’s a place called Scarborough Bluffs. It’s an escarpment in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario. With such a scenic landscape, The Bluffs is very mesmerizing and climbing to the top can reward you with a panoramic view of Lake Ontario. If one ever needs a break from loud Toronto, Scarborough Bluffs is only a 30-minute drive away. The landscape and overall nature of these lakes are so underrated and overpowered by the mainstream attractions. These are the kind of places that will take your breath away for all the right reasons.

Harlan Pepper is a band formed in Hamilton, Ontario in 2008, with four members who wrote a song titled “Great Lakes” as a homage to the region. The band consists of Dan Edmonds, Jimmy Hayes, Marton Nicolle, and Thompson Wilson. Not long after graduating high school, this group decided to take their music on the go and promote their album, ‘Young and Old’, in various places. This album is the epitome of their love for raw roots, rock country, blues, and folk music. They won 3 Hamilton Music Awards, Folk/Roots Recording of the Year, New Artist/Group of the Year, and People’s Choice Music Event of the Year. “Great Lakes” is a heavily influenced song by the long strip of landscape that lays beside Ontario. Hamilton sits on the western tip of Lake Ontario, which is their hometown.