Ottawa for a Few Days

We were in Ottawa a couple of weeks ago. Everything is decked out for Canada Day - this year celebrating 150 years since Confederation. After the study groups I have participated in lately, one about the residential schools and another on indigenous art, I have mixed feelings about the celebrations. While on the one hand I love to live in Canada and feel good about so much of the values of the country, I am also aware of the terrible things that the indigenous people have endured and continue to endure. There is much to reconcile and to fix so we can move on.

We spent time in the National Art Gallery. The exhibit space has been completely rearranged with aboriginal art sharing the same space as the art of those who came to live here. The exhibit space is divided by art until 1967 and art from 1968 to the present. It acknowledges that the creations by the people who lived here first is art not artifact.



On the walking bridge over the canal people have placed "love locks". So many now are rusty and I wondered if the relationships have also become rusty - as the elements of life took the shine off the hopes and dreams.



If you were looking for a symbol of your love, would you find a lock called Master Ex? It seems doomed for failure. This may be an ex-relationship long before the rust sets in.

Inukshuit were created by the Inuit as markers, often placed on higher ground so people in boats could use them for navigation. Now you can find many versions of inukshuit all across Canada. Near Remic Rapids there are several small inukshuks - a little more open than those normally built for practical purposes.



We weren't the only ones enjoying the park. Ducks, a large number of Canada geese and many other people were taking advantage of the weather. It has been a very rainy season, so clear days (or clear parts of a day) bring everyone outside.



I think cities built near water are so much more picturesque. There is something wonderful about being able to watch water, to see reflections that just calms the soul.

Spring in Ottawa

Photos: May 21, 2016

Each year Ottawa plants over a million tulips. Large beds can be seen in many parts of the city. These red and white tulips were bred for Canada's 150th birthday which will take place next year (July 1, 2017).



Last weekends colder than average temperatures have been followed by this weekend's above average temperatures. Spring is in overdrive with everything that can bloom racing to open.



I had to add a photo of the Peace Tower - to prove that these really are photos from Ottawa. Slightly camouflaged by the trees is a crane. Every building on Parliament Hill seems to be undergoing repairs and renovatiosn - cranes and scaffolding are ubiquitous.

A Bit of Ottawa

 Photos: September 25, 2015

We spent a few days in Ottawa, mainly to see people, but we walked and saw some sights, too. I like the openness of Parliament Hill. Despite the tragic shooting last fall, it is still a place where people can walk and enjoy.


 

New to me was this monument by Barbara Patterson (it was unveiled in 2000, but I guess I have never walked past it before):  "Women are Persons"  It commemorates  five Alberta women, the Famous Five (Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards)  who fought to have women recognized as persons.   You can learn more about it here.



This is a one of the figures in the monument. I think I would be toasting the victory with more than a cup of tea!

Beside the Canal

Beside the Canal, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Nature is displaying its last hurrah before the gloom of November really sets in.



There is still a fiery display, though many of the reds are gone. This swath of red dazzled in the sunshine.



Autumn has lingered longer this year. Even with the winds of Friday, there is still green to be seen. But we are moving to the greys of November.

The Peace Tower on the Canadian parliament buildings is peeking over this scene. As we approach Remembrance Day, it would be nice to think that all those soldiers did not die in vain - that this world can learn to live in peace.

Walking in Ottawa

Looking down the Canal, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Photos: November 1, 2013

We spent a few days in Ottawa. The weather co-operated enough that we were able to walk (though there were moments went the winds made me feel I would fly). The Rideau Canal cuts through the city; it was once an important link between Ottawa and Kingston, with barges plying the waters. Now it is pleasure craft that use the waterway in summer and skaters in winter.



On the pedestrian bridge there were many locks - the tradition of love locks has reached Canada. Some had names written on them in markers; others were engraved. There were strings of locks attached together, combination locks, key locks, bicycle locks - each representing relationships.



And then there were the other locks - the ones that raise and lower the height of the water so boats can pass between the Ottawa River and the canal.



After a stroll along the canal it was time to climb up to the city streets.

Gate to Chinatown

Gate to Chinatown, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Every city seems to have a Chinatown. Now many include businesses and restaurants from a number of east Asian countries. This arch, stretching over Somerset Street in Ottawa, pays homage to the many Chinese businesses in this area.

Good food is always part of Chinatown, with many Chinese restaurants located there. The food seems to differ from city to city as it caters as much to western tastes as to its origins. On a cold damp evening, there is nothing like hot and sour soup to take the chill away. This was followed by other delights. Well fortified, the temperature did not seem as cold as I returned to my car to drive home.

Rideau Canal

Rideau Canal, originally uploaded by susanvg.

A couple of very mild days have passed and winter has taken hold again. Not much snow for snowshoeing, but the Rideau Canal in Ottawa is full of skaters. Young and old enjoy the rink which stretches almost 8km through Ottawa. You can stop and buy refreshments, warm up by a fire and just enjoy the fresh air.



I'm not a skater, but a walk near the canal was most enjoyable. I was working on action shots - for my photography class homework. Using various shutter speeds to try and capture motion. Not as easy as it sounds to get all the camera settings right. Here's one of my better attempts.

Street Scene

Street Scene, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Pavement, slick from the gentle snow, shines with the night time lights. It's hard to think what cities were like before cars, before electricity. No office towers - without the invention of elevators. Now almost every window glows in the evening. City lights...

Museum of Nature

Museum of Nature, originally uploaded by susanvg.

A trip to the Canadian Museum of Nature which was recently renovated. This new glass addition shines in the light, quite a contrast to the stone exterior. It appears, almost as an illusion - there but not quite there. You can learn more about it here. I discovered that there was originally a tower built but it had to be dismantled in the early 1900s as the soil underneath could not support the weight. I'm not sure how I feel about this addition. It certainly makes moving between sections of the museum easier.

June 4/10: Maman

June 4/10: Maman, originally uploaded by susanvg.

This enormous spider stands outside the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. In reading an article about the death of its sculptor, Louise Bourgeois, I discovered that Maman has twin in a number of cities around the world. The original work stands at the Tate Modern in London and is made of steel and marble. The siblings are bronze casts.

At 9 metres, she towers over anyone walking near her. According to the artist:

The Spider is an ode to my mother. She was my best friend. Like a spider, my mother was a weaver. My family was in the business of tapestry restoration, and my mother was in charge of the workshop. Like spiders, my mother was very clever. Spiders are friendly presences that eat mosquitoes. We know that mosquitoes spread diseases and are therefore unwanted. So, spiders are helpful and protective, just like my mother.

(See the press release from the Tate Modern)

I initially did not like this mammoth piece, but she has grown on me. And now, I smile when I pass by her.

May 14/10 Shadows

May 14/10 Shadows, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Daily Shoot: Find an interesting shadow--any shadow--and make a photograph of it. Consider your framing as you shoot.

The sun came out at the end of a very grey day, casting long shadows. Some were crisp and clear, others blurred. The long images, distortions of the original, show us aspects we may not have noticed.

I love the play of light and shadow, the way the shadows are drawn on the pavement, transitory, illusory - there to be appreciated for a short time and then they are changed and finally disappear. It is a reminder that we have to stop and cherish moments, take those images into our minds, to play with them later.

Jan 22/10: Byward Market

Jan 22/10: Byward Market, originally uploaded by susanvg.

An evening in Ottawa with dinner in the market area. In summer this building would be surrounded by stalls with fresh produce. In winter activity is only inside. There are no people lingering over meals on terraces, just fast-paced walkers heading for a destination. The talk, the socializing, takes place in the myriad of restaurants on the surrounding streets.

Day 240: Wood Trim

Day 240: Wood Trim, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I was driving in Ottawa to meet up with family for dinner when I spotted this house. Stopped at a light, I snatched my camera and took a picture. I like to live with clean lines and little in the way of frills and scallops. But I do enjoy looking at the architecture of another time.

It's interesting to me that for each of the arts, I pick and choose the eras that speak to me the most. I love to listen to and play baroque music, but find the architecture of that time too ornate. Baroque art, when based on religious themes, does not speak to me. I may appreciate the technique, but I am not moved. Yet Bach's cantatas reach into my core. I love art from the late 1800s and early 1900s - that period when artists went outdoors to try to capture the essence of nature, not just try to reproduce it exactly. I like some of the music from that time, but have little interest in more modern composers.

So as I photograph, I am often drawn to the architectural details of structures built in another era. Yet this is as an observer, I prefer to live in a building where my Danish furniture doesn't feel out of place.

Day 228: Ottawa Greek Fest

Day 228: Ottawa Greek Fest, originally uploaded by susanvg.

We went to the Ottawa Greek Fest. Just as everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Greek at this festival. There were people from many nationalities enjoying the music, the food and the fun. This photo was taken during the Zorba Show, in which the men demonstrated their vigour with high kicks and the women showed off their fancy footwork. The music (provided by the band, Melodia, from Greece) is infective, causing everyone to move, whether tapping their feet, nodding their heads, clapping along or letting any part of their body move to the music. Young children would start to dance spontaneously. One woman, a 90 year old Romanian, was pointed out to the crowd. She is a regular and despite her age and her walker, she could not hold back, swaying to the music and dancing with great joy. When it was the turn of the public to dance, lines snaked along with people of all ages joining in; the younger participants danced energetically in the 30°C (86°F) heat, while the older dancers, moved more sedately.

Day 170: Repertory Theatre

Day 170: Repertory Theatre, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I went to a film at the repertory theatre in Ottawa. Every city needs at least on repertory theatre which shows a variety of movies, often not found in the mainstream theatres. The Bytowne runs a combination of mainstream films, foreign films and independent films. It is the antidote to the blockbusters playing in the cineplexes.

In my experience, and the Bytowne is no exception, repertory theatres are often housed in old, somewhat rundown theatres which were once the neighbourhood theatres. The seats have long ago lost their resilience, causing you to sink into them. The theatre is a faded copy of its former glory. But that is all part of the experience. Thanks to repertory theatres we have the opportunity to see a film that makes us think, instead of just entertaining us.