#goldenmode

The Victoria Day long weekend is almost here, and Wells is already in full summer mode.

Out on the deck, the grill is hot, the steaks are sizzling, the Canadian flag is catching the breeze, and Wells is making sure everything is cooked just right. Golden tank stretched tight, tongs in hand, sun on his shoulders, he knows exactly how to handle good meat over high heat.

And once the BBQ is handled, Wells knows how to recover properly: stretched out on the deck lounger, soaking up the first real taste of Canadian summer, letting the May sunshine do its work. Victoria Day is the signal. The season shifts. The layers come off. The heat comes up. The Gold starts showing.

For anyone outside Canada, Victoria Day is a Canadian holiday tied to the birthday of Queen Victoria. Her birthday, May 24, was first declared a holiday in the Province of Canada in 1845, and Canada now marks Victoria Day on the Monday before May 25. It is also connected with the official birthday of Canada’s sovereign.

But for a lot of Canadians, Victoria Day is also known as the May long weekend or May Two-Four: the unofficial start of summer. May Two-Four in Ontario: calm water, hot sun, tight gold gear, and Wells proving that some catches are worth keeping. The long week-end meant BBQs, fireworks, cottages, cold drinks, open decks, bare arms, warm nights, and that first glorious feeling that summer has finally arrived.

Wells is ready for all of it.

Ready to grill. Ready to flex. Ready to lounge. Ready to let the sun hit every golden inch it can safely reach.

The steaks are hot. The deck is hotter. And Wells? Wells is just getting warmed up.