Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The Mighty Ottawa River During Winter

When I went for the tour of Centre Block in December, the view from the Peace Tower was not possible, as the elevator was undergoing maintenance. I wanted to come up and show the surroundings in winter, as a contrast to showing you the view before, here and here. It was a pleasant day when I recently came up to the observation deck. Major's Hill Park and the National Gallery are below.


Taken from another vantage point on the deck, Nepean Point juts out into the Ottawa River.


While on the Quebec side of the river, the city of Gatineau stands out, with the Gatineau Hills to the north. The Museum of Civilization is there along the shore of the river, and I'll be taking you inside there in the coming days.


Looking west, we see the grounds of Parliament Hill below, with the Supreme Court beyond, and the river dividing the two provinces. It doesn't completely ice over here- the swift water coming down from the Chaudiere Falls just upstream here stays open, but much of it does freeze over as the river winds between the cities.


And so we come to the end of this tour of Parliament Hill. I have on several times during this series made mention of my disdain for the Prime Minister, calling him Darth Harper. One of my favourite editorial cartoonists, Michael de Adder, does a regular feature casting him as a Dark Lord of the Sith. I'll leave you with one of his more recent in the series.



38 comments:

  1. These photos are captivating, William!

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  2. Great images, but too cold for me!:)

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  3. Looks spectacular! PS - I reckon your cartoon could apply to 99% of politicians? Though I'm sure some of them start as genuine.

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  4. You are presenting a wonderful view over the Ottawa River during winter, William, thanks for sharing!

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  5. Comic strip reminds me of our own Chris Christie. ;-)

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  6. Thanks for these photos. Not having been to Ottawa, I'm impressed by the river. And your pictures are beautiful. Darth sounds an awful lot like our Republican politicians.

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  7. Rivers seem to take on a life of their own in Winter. Lovely.

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  8. Cold, cold, and impressive river.

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  9. Fantastic shots . I guess the rivers ice is thin now that the temps are warming up ! Thanks for sharing ! Have a good day !

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  10. Linda: thank you!

    Gunn: just right for me!

    Ciel: I usually do.

    Cloudia: I do too.

    Mike: I am certain that series keeps de Adder off the Christmas card list.

    Stuart: I agree!

    Jan: you're welcome.

    Tamera: thanks!

    Revrunner: I can see that.

    Lowell: oh he is.

    Greensboro: I love this one in any season.

    Bibik: thanks!

    Country Gal: I know I wouldn't walk on that surface right now...

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  11. Magnificent views William. The political cartoon is very interesting.

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  12. Ottawa is really a very beautiful city...despite the Government.
    Jane x

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  13. i love the spires in the foreground and the snowy expanses aft. :)

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  14. Truly a mighty river, gorgeous views!

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  15. Lovely photos! Makes me want to come up your way even more!

    And I get the impression your PM enjoys the game of petty politics?

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  16. @Denise: Michael de Adder gets a lot of exposure on this side of the border in a number of papers.

    @Jane and Chris: yes, it'd be such a nicer place if we could get rid of them.

    @Tex: I'm lucky to live in such a snowy place!

    @Merisi: it's a river I feel connected to. I'll have to walk along the shore during the spring.

    @Cheryl: he specializes in nothing but petty politics!

    @Luis: thanks!

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  17. What a beautiful view, it is great to have vantage points available!

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  18. Love the shots and the cartoon!

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  19. These are gorgeous views - and, in a way, more dramatic than during more temperate weather. What beautiful cities these are!
    As Lowell says, your Darth Harper sounds a lot like our partisans. What troubles me is that so many people mistake all that partisanship bickering for some kind of meaningful action.
    (Thanks for visiting and commenting on Sequim Daily Photo!)

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  20. Ottawa is truly beautiful in the winter. But I hope you'll get out to the tulip fest and show us some spring shots when it comes around!

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  21. It reminds me of our Mississippi, only cleaner. At least it looks cleaner in the photos!

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  22. That little comic could work down here too!

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  23. @VP: it definitely is, and it has such a commanding position.

    @RedPat: thanks!

    @Kay: I've gone up there in all sorts of weather, but I like winter the most.

    @Halcyon: May's going to be full of tulips in this blog!

    @Inna: thanks!

    @Norma: it's relatively clean.... most of the time!

    @Sharon: it's quite versatile!

    @Krisztina: thank you!

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  24. Great vantage spots for overall views and it certainky did give a wintry aooearance with the ice and snow.

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    Replies
    1. I already miss being able to get up there. It's going to be a long few years.

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  25. All that does is convince me I made the right move by going back to the desert. I'm happy for those that enjoy that type of cold, but it isn't for me. Great pictures though.

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  26. Ah, what would we do without Darth Vader?

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    1. Fortunately he's now in retirement, though that doesn't keep him from opening his big fat self righteous mouth.

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  27. Brilliant vantage spot William, the Ottawa River does indeed look mighty from up there. I really must try and find similar spot here in Perth.

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