Sunday, March 9, 2014

Winter Randomness

The frozen Rideau River at Billings Bridge offers a nice vantage point for a sunset.


At City Hall, an ice rink has been set up for the last couple of years, allowing skaters to take part in skating even before the Rideau Canal opens for the season.


Ice rinks are a common sight through many city parks. This one is in the Glebe.


Most of these small rinks are maintained by area volunteers.


Such is the case down in Brewer Park, a minute's walk from my front door. Not only do they have hockey rinks set up for play, they also have a regulation sized long track skating oval here. It's the only outdoor oval of that size in the province; most speed skaters practice on indoor ovals.


The building below used to be an Orthodox church, across from Dundonald Park. I've shown glimpses of it here during an autumn post, and took this back in December- either early in the morning or late in the day. Winter allows for a better frontal view, with all of the leaves off the trees. When the congregation moved on to larger quarters, the church got converted into studio apartments.


I'm finishing up with a shot from yesterday afternoon, on the Bank Street Bridge. The Canal is still open for skaters, and with March Break starting this week, it might well be open all week.



29 comments:

  1. Great series. My favourites are the sunset and #4!!!

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  2. I am so jealous of all your skating ops. We have one tiny (and I mean tiny), temporary rink here that closes after next week. Of course, it has turned so warm here that it's covered in water by afternoon. Oh well. Anyway, nice shots !

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  3. Studio apartments. Fascinating! I'd love to know how that conversion was done.

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  4. How cool for the residents of the converted church to say they live there!

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  5. really neat! the converted church is very cool, too. the sky scene is wonderful.

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  6. Beautiful series of random shots.. Wonder what the apartments are like ? Is the canal still frozen over William?

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  7. We made hockey goals and played on a local swamp. We weren't picky... it was ice.

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  8. Linda: thanks!

    Stuart: rinks like this are a way of life in Canada.

    Revrunner: so would I!

    EG: the architecture inside must be amazing.

    Tex: thanks!

    Grace: I will make note of it when they do close it down for the season

    Birdman: just as long as the ice holds!

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  9. Love how the snow turned out pink!

    After weeks, nay months of grey, we've finally got blue sky and an amazing 19°C...

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  10. Very nice series of shots William.

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  11. A beautiful series, William, still cold there..

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  12. I've enjoyed all the river scenes very much. And love that sunset!

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  13. Studio apartments? Interesting idea!

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  14. Our winter was too short for ice skating this year. Maybe next year!

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  15. @Ciel: it'll be awhile before we see that temp!

    @Luis: thanks!

    @Karl: yes it is.

    @Lowell: I can never get enough of sunsets.

    @Norma: I thought so!

    @Halcyon: one hopes!

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  16. Lovely photos ! Our temps have been mild and sun has been shining strong down here so the ice and snow is becoming puddly lol . Sun sets are later now WOOHOO ! Thanks for sharing . Have a good day !

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  17. Wouldn't it be fun to live in an apartment building converted from a cathedral? Especially one as lovely as this one!

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  18. I think the rinks may last for a long time this winter!

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  19. Lovely sunset, but, oh, it looks so cold and uninviting to this desert rat. It always saddens me when I see churches turned into something else, yet, I'm glad that that congregation needed larger quarters.

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  20. @Country Gal: we're still at the freezing mark, but the sidewalks are getting bare. I'd say that's the influence of the sun being higher in the sky.

    @Inna: thank you!

    @Cheryl: it is an unusual design, but I like it.

    @RedPat: there doesn't seem to be any sign of a real warm up.

    @Mari: there's a church nearby that needed the same thing, to move into larger quarters. I'll have to photograph the current building and the original.

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  21. I do love these glimpses of the canal and those happy skaters, perhaps they'll be able to keep skating a while yet! (And love that capture of the church too)

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  22. The church looks like the apartments would be interesting.

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  23. This looks like a wonderful area and I have enjoyed seeing all the skaters. The church is real pretty too. It will be interesting to see it all when the snow melts.

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  24. Cool apartment building! Re-purposed churches are interesting. Looks might cold up your way!

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