Travel Canada - Camp X is where Ian Fleming trained as a spy during WWII, then he went on to create James Bond 007

Camp X - It's where Ian Fleming trained as a spy during WWII
Then he went on to create James Bond - 007

Whitby, Ontario - Is there anyone cooler than Bond? ...that's James Bond. Take the 401 Hwy east from Toronto for 30 minutes to Whitby, and you can find street signs relating to the James Bond character, such as Ian Fleming Cres. During WWII there was a secret agent training camp here called 'Camp X'. It was located right on the shore of Lake Ontario where it could be reached discreetly at night by water from the USA. One of the spy trainees was Bond author Ian Fleming, who went on to create the famous James Bond '007' character using knowledge he aquired here. Fleming couldn't be accommodated at the camp the whole time during his stay, so part of the time he stayed at a military residence in Toronto at 1107 Avenue Rd, across the street from Saint James Bond United Church. This may be where Fleming picked the name. Whitby's Camp X was also influencial in the development of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); five future heads of the CIA were trained there. 'Inside Camp X' author Lynn Philip Hodgson leads occasional guided walks of the camp's site.

Where: The camp's former location is marked by a small memorial in the 17-acre, watefront Intrepid Park, on the Whitby/Oshawa border. From the 401 head south on Thickson Road to Wentworth Road. Go left (East) to Boundary Road, then right (south) about 600 ft. It's at the top of hill on the right. You can also reach Whitby by Go Train. This area just east of Toronto comes under Durham Region, which ranges from from the city outskirts to rolling hills, farms and small towns. Visitors can enjoy golf, restaurants & dinner theatre in Whitby/Oshawa area. Quick Tip: There's also a 'Camp X' exhibit at the Oshawa Municipal Airport. You can see real, original spy gagets (they may have influenced Fleming) such as a lipstick-container that becomes a dagger, and a posion gas pen. You should check ahead for the exhibits opening hours.

More about what makes Toronto Cool: How many cities can show you Napoleon's dirty socks? More than 140 office towers are cooled with water from the bottom of Lake Ontario. The existence of black holes was proven here in 1972. Two office towers are coated in gold. This is where the Rolling Stones like to rehearse their world tours. Toronto is the home of North America's oldest corporation and only urban castle. It's also city where the blockbuster movie Chicago was shot.

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Lucy Izon

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