Saturday, April 30, 2016

Readying The Canal For The Spring

These shots date from the morning of April 16th. I was crossing the Mackenzie King Bridge and saw this crane. It was removing one of the skate shelters from the Rideau Canal to be placed onto a flatbed trailer. The shelters are removed over a few days so that the water levels on the Canal can be raised, which is apparently being done this weekend. This location, with the Convention Centre as a backdrop- as well as Parliament Hill, the Chateau Laurier, and the Government Conference Centre- made for an ideal photo opportunity. If you're wondering about the line of people down below, they were waiting to get into a trade show inside.

39 comments:

  1. You had good luck when the scene just happened at the right time (and you had the camera with you :)
    Great series.

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  2. The works are annoying, but ... are necessary.
    Have a good one, William!

    Tomás.

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  3. A lot of work to do here, ha?

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  4. Always impressing to look at how those heavy works are done.

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  5. This is the kind of work, that never bores to look at!

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  6. Interesting that the shelters are moved every spring. The Convention Centre is an interesting looking architecture. Enjoy the weekend.

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  7. Nice photos William. I never realized that all that work went into preparing for that seasons.

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  8. Such an interesting thought, readying a canal and moving a shelter. Can't wait to see what you do for "smell" tomorrow!

    Janis
    GDP

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  9. I really like the design of the Convention Centre.

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  10. @Orvokki: it was very good timing.

    @Tomas: thanks!

    @Karl: they do seem well organized.

    @Marianne: I find it interesting!

    @Peter: definitely!

    @Pamela: if they didn't these would get flooded!

    @Andy: I wonder where they stash them.

    @Furry Gnome: it is quite a job.

    @Janis: it involves flowers!

    @Norma: I do too.

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  11. Busy! It reminds me of what people say about Montreal, that we have two seasons here. Winter and construction. :)

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  12. You captured some interesting seasonal goings on here William. The trade show was popular :)

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  13. That's a major operation! I didn't realize the convention center was so ornate.

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  14. Skating shelters! Never thought about them since I've never lived up north! Looks like a lot of work.

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  15. @MB: indeed!

    @Linda: it's much the same here.

    @Grace: yes, it seems it was, whatever the show was. The Centre is busy throughout the year.

    @Cloudia: the crews seemed quite capable of the task.

    @Red: I love the building. I don't think I've photographed inside for awhile... I can't recall offhand if I photographed during December when they had Christmas decorations inside.

    @Cheryl: I like these shelters. They're quite photogenic.

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  16. It involves quite a lot of work preparing for the different seasons.

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  17. that looks like a big job
    so many of us are busy with spring chores

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  18. That is very interesting. I would never have thought that those structures were only there in the winter.

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  19. love all the windows ... neat design. ( ;

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  20. @Nancy: it is a lot of work.

    @Tammie: it's a big job for them to do.

    @Sharon: they rest at the base of the Canal in winter, so they have to be out.

    @Beth: it is a neat design.

    @RedPat: yes, they purchased them some years ago.

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  21. I'm glad you used the opportunity to make some photos, always interesting to see this kind of cranes at work.
    And I like the idea of special shelters for skaters along the canal as well.

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  22. Even though I have seen your photos of the canal skaters for a couple of seasons now, I didn't know that the shelters were only temporary. Wondering where they are stored in the off season as they are quite large.

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  23. Well, oh-kay! Kind of complicated.

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  24. Amazing. Our big cities can't even haul off the garbage that people dump in the alleys. My little town does just fine, but then the ones that don't pay to have the garbage picked up haul it out to the desert. Someone would report them if they saw them doing it in town.

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  25. @Jan: the shelters do come in handy.

    @Beatrice: they do have to be removed, as during the winter they rest at the base of the Canal, and would otherwise be flooded. I imagine they spend the rest of the year in a government warehouse somewhere in the area.

    @Revrunner: it is quite a task.

    @Mari: they have this task well handled.

    @Tex: I certainly think it is.

    @Jennifer: thank you!

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  26. That is a complicated process. I guess they are used to doing it.

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    Replies
    1. It has to be done each year before they can get ready to raise the water levels on the Canal. I think this year it was done this past weekend.

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  27. The things we take for granted can be quite a lot of work, can't they?

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  28. You were certainly in the right place at the right time! That is so nice that the city provides those shelters. Very nice photos!

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