Carly Clarke, assistant coach of the Toronto TempoIllustration by The Globe and Mail/iStock
Carly Clarke, the first Canadian member of the coaching staff of Canada’s first WNBA team, has lived in Toronto for more than a decade. The new assistant coach of the Toronto Tempo loves the hustle and bustle of big-city life – a pace that’s about to get even faster as the team kicks off its inaugural season.
But when the former head coach of the women’s basketball program at Toronto Metropolitan University wants to unwind, she heads back home to her native Nova Scotia. In this instalment of Joy Diaries, Clarke explains why visiting her parents’ farmhouse and taking in the awe-inspiring sunsets is downtime that can’t be beat.
I love Toronto, which has been my home since 2012. But I was raised in Nova Scotia, and my family’s still there, so I’m a Maritimer through and through. I was raised in Halifax, then about 12 years ago, my parents moved to Pugwash, a little town about 90 minutes from Moncton and right on the Northumberland Strait. You can look across and see PEI.
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They didn’t just buy a house though; they built it. Mom had been collecting ideas for her dream house for a long time and finally all the pieces came together. It’s about 100 metres off the road, not that the road is busy anyway, but it’s fairly secluded and we have a big lawn leading to a cliff.
The house is a gorgeous big farmhouse literally made for our family – my parents, my sister, her family, the dog – so we can all be there at the same time and still have lots of space.
Historically, I’ve gone out there for a week or so every summer, but because of coaching and this season’s schedule, it might be tough this year depending on how things play out. But I’m trying to prioritize finding – or making – the time because I know it’ll be so nice to get some downtime there with my family.
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Since I don’t get home that much, my parents will spoil me while I’m there, starting with picking me up at the airport. Plus I have my own room, and my mom’s a great cook. Our whole family likes to golf, so we’ll probably do that, but mostly I’ll just be relaxing.
The water’s pretty cold but I’ll occasionally head out on a kayak or walk Dotty, our Portuguese water dog, along the beach. I’ll play with my nephews and maybe see some highschool friends if they’re around. There’s so much room, we just invite them over too.
There’s a big homey fireplace and if it’s not the middle of summer my very favourite thing to do is sit there and watch the fire. I also love a campfire outside to roast some marshmallows. Maybe my favourite thing is the sunsets, actually, which are unbelievable. Every night I watch them and take pictures because I’m in awe. Every night is the same but also totally different.
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I feel like a different version of myself when I’m out there. Coaching is not a 9-to-5 thing – it’s truly a lifestyle and you don’t really get home at night and turn it off. I don’t think I ever fully turn off in Toronto, but I do in Nova Scotia. There’s something about the scenery, the speed, my friends and family – everything comes together for me there.
My parents created this great place: the house itself, obviously, but also a gathering spot for our whole family and extended family. Just getting to visit is a true joy for me.
As told to Rosemary Counter