Canada - Ottawa

The following pictures will represent a small number of the many pictures being taken enroute to Maine and Canada.  Pictures will be added over a period of the next several months so please check back.  Up-dates will occur about every three or four days.

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June 23rd, 2004

After leaving the wonderful area of Haliburton we pointed ourselves towards Ottawa.  While driving I stopped to take the following two pictures.  I took these to show the beauty along the roadways.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada and very much like our Washington DC.  When Queen Victoria chose this small settlement as the capital in 1857, the decision was met with outrage.  But the queen, bored with the petty debates between Toronto, Kingston and Montreal, and inspired by romantic watercolor sketches of the area, insisted that the distinction go to Ottawa.  Canadians, with a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek, dubbed their new capital "Westminster of the Wilderness."

Right:  After arriving in Ottawa and finding a place to park this was our first view.

This is the main entrance to the Royal Canadian Mint.

Pictures were not allowed in the Mint.  When Joan was given the opportunity to pick up a gold bar valued at $235,000, I asked if I could photograph her holding it.  Our tour guide said she was sorry but it was not permitted.  The heavily armed guard who was standing nearby leaned over and whispered to our guide that it would be ok but I had to be quick.

Joan said it was like holding a powerful magnet trying to pull itself back down.  Me, well I just wanted to take it home!

After we left the Mint we were walking through a garden and this little woodchuck popped out from under the bushes.

Lt. Col. John By, accompanied by the Royal Engineers, arrived in 1826 to carve the Rideau Canal out of the rugged north.  Originally intended as a safe passageway for British gunboats facing possible American bombardments along the St. Lawrence River, the canal instead became one of the city's most successful commercial ventures.

Looking across the canal at the Ottawa skyline with the Ottawa City Hall being prominent.

This is the Rideau Canal showing the step-up and one of the locks opening to allow two small boats to enter the next step.

Below:  One of the three buildings on Parliament Hill, this is the back side.

Below:  Looking back towards the canal.

In the court yard of Capital Hill looking east.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier

Right: Senate entrance to Parliament.

Main entrance to Parliament.  We could only enter as part of a tour.  The next two pictures are of figures on either side of the entrance.

Below:  At he peak is a beaver above the main entrance

More samples of detail at he entrance to Parliament.

Looking west from the entrance to Parliament.

Once inside Parliament I found it to be very dark.  It is 7 PM.

I must point out the you will notice a great deal of noise (graininess) in the following pictures.  This is due to my increasing my film speed to ISO 3200 allowing me to take this and the next series of pictures.

These two figures are on either side of the entrance to the Parliament Library.

An over head view of the ceiling in one room

This is the entrance to the House of Commons.

Inside the House of Commons.  At the end of the room are two royal chairs reserved for the Queen of England and the Prince.

This is where the members sit.  The wire on the desk is an ear piece so they may listen in English or French

Right:  Some detail of the wall in the House of Commons.

Below:  I poked my camera through a small opening on an upper lever to get this shot of the rotunda.

The following eight pictures were taken from the top of the Peace Tower providing a birds eye view of Ottawa.

Right:  The center Parliament building showing the Peace Tower on the left.

Below:  Looking straight up the front of the Peace Tower.

The 302.5 ft. high Peace Tower  is dedicated to the 66,650 Canadians killed in World War I.

A statue of the Queen

This is a common sight throughout Canada.  Their flag is everywhere.

Next:  Montréal

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