We believe, you and I, in real strength.
Real strength carries great burdens. Real strength pushes the heavy plow. Given a long enough lever, as the saying goes, real strength can move the world.
In a City built with skinned knuckles, work is our heritage. 'Labour' isn't the description of our political leanings; it's our birthright. Steel, timber, and fast water – these are our bones, skin, and blood. We've been made in the image of the Voyageur; of the lumberjack; of the steelworker, and the farmer.
There is a place, almost hidden, where these things still live. There are ghosts here. On December 4th, we'll take up their stride. We'll place our hands where theirs once lay, unresting, on giant machinery that was built to lift ocean liners from one Great Lake to another.
This is not a new event. This is the continuation of a tradition: the closing of the Locks, by hand. This is the grit, and gristle…and it's perfect for CrossFitters. Last Spring, ten Parks Canada staff rotated in two-minute intervals; it took them six hours of walking in circles to move the giant gears that open the six-foot-diameter pipes.
We're going to do it in three. Teams of six. Ten minutes to complete the most revolutions. Get in early, and you'll get a chance (maybe two attempts!) But since we don't know how many revolutions will be required, later entries may lose out. Make your first attempt your best.
Signups open tomorrow. Choose your team of workhorses. Spike your shoes. Grit your teeth. Push.