A Finale

 Curling is a sport common in many parts of the country.

The Hartland Covered Bridge is found in New Brunswick.

Inukshuks are a symbol of the Inuit and the Arctic that have made their presence known in other parts of the country.

The bush plane- an essential element in opening up the country, and still the mode of transport to remote settlements.

L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland and Labrador is the home of a confirmed Viking settlement from a thousand years ago.

The Mount Royal Cross is part of the cityscape of Montreal.

And powwow dancing is common in many First Nations tribes.

Emerging from the corridor, one sees this sculpture by the Haida artist Bill Reid. This is his plaster cast version of Chief Of The Undersea World.

A look down the escalators to the Grand Hall.

On the main floor, I took a photo of this totem.

And one more look at the Grand Hall. I plan on coming back at some point before summer ends- that temporary exhibit on Impressionist art in Quebec is still here.

Outside, a look across the frozen river to Ottawa, with the Chateau Laurier and Parliament Hill on the far shore.

I headed off, taking one more shot of the exhibition wing from below the curatorial wing.

And this final shot is taken from the Alexandra Bridge.

Canadian

 More today of the large scale photos of scenes from across the country.

It was time to get going. The path away from the Canadian History Hall features more of the light inlay over mirrors works of places and activities from around the country. This is the monument of Louis Riel, the Metis leader and founder of Manitoba.

Here we have a passenger train crossing the Rockies in British Columbia.

A statue of Terry Fox is found in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The license plate of the Northwest Territories is in the shape of a polar bear.

The Lions Gate Bridge is in British Columbia.

Here we see Province House in Prince Edward Island.

And this is the dramatic landscape of Cape Spear in Newfoundland and Labrador. Tomorrow we'll finish off this visit.

Who We Are

 These are the robes of a prosecutor in the war crimes tribunals held in the Hague in the aftermath of the Yugoslavian civil war.

In her role as chief prosecutor, Louise Arbour was relentless in her pursuit of justice, and in dealing with men who had chosen to commit atrocities.

Canada enjoys a good reputation in the world, from decades of being ourselves.

Displayed together is a backpack and passport belonging to one of us. Sean Mannion is one of many Canadians who have traveled the world, and encountered the well wishes of others. That maple leaf on a backpack speaks for itself.

It was time to get going. I always take a shot of the roof of St. Onuphrius.

The path is lined with large scale photographs of life across Canada. Some are location specific, but many are universal for Canadians. Put simply- this is who we are.

Humanitarian

 Humanitarian aid goes hand in hand with human rights. The World University Service of Canada established Girls Clubs in developing countries around the world to help girls along in life.

Christine Briand was an RCMP officer seconded to peacekeeper duty in Haiti in 2010 when that country was devastated by an earthquake. She took part in rebuilding an orphanage. People from her hometown raised money to help the country recover. This is part of being Canadian- lending a hand, particularly in a disaster, whether it's with money or with expertise.

Lester Pearson was one of our greatest prime ministers, but before his tenure in that role, he was the foreign minister. He and Dag Hammarskjold, the UN Secretary General, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the concept of using neutral soldiers as peacekeepers to resolve the Suez Crisis.

Mark Isfeld was a Canadian soldier serving as a peacekeeper in the former Yugoslavia, clearing mines. His mother knitted little dolls which he gave to children. He was killed while clearing mines in 1994, but the tradition of "Izzy" dolls continues today.

Robert Semeniuk is a photojournalist who has documented conflict around the world. Among other things, he has documented the damage caused by landmines. The Canadian government under Jean Chretien took the initiative in the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, or Ottawa Treaty, which aims to stop the use of landmines.

This is the uniform of Lt. Colonel Pat Stogran, who commanded soldiers in Afghanistan and later became the first veterans ombudsman.

Louise Arbour led the international prosecution team looking into war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. She would later serve as a Supreme Court judge, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.