Visiting The Museum

This view over to the east side of the Canal shows the rock wall leading up to Major's Hill Park. You might make out the outlines of a building on the grass and the wall- there was a building there in the 19th century that has long since been removed. A close look above that, at the top, might make out the location of Colonel By's statue.

This is the slope on the west side, which happens to be part of Parliament Hill.

People in period clothing were walking around the area through the day, including this trio- the fellow in uniform is taking on the part of Colonel By, and I've seen him before. The woman has also been around in previous years, as has the priest- who I think is an actual priest, just wearing a period cassock. 

The Bytown Museum itself is one of the oldest buildings in the city, built as the Commissariat for the Canal project. It served as a headquarters, treasury, and storehouse during that time, spent time in various government capacities afterwards, and has for decades served as headquarters for the museum, which focuses on local history while also blending the story of the nation into its mandate, something apparent by its many exhibits. It also has a few ghost stories in its time.

This map inside shows the complete system of the Canal, from here in Ottawa down to Kingston and its fortifications, which are included in the UNESCO designation as a Heritage Site. Built as a military measure and transport route in case the Americans ever invaded again, the Canal's full route retains most of its original form. It ascends from Kingston, over the high ground that leads to the Rideau watershed, and comes all the way up here to Ottawa. This masterpiece of 19th century engineering more than deserves its current celebrated status.

The old vault, surrounded by thick stone walls, is still here, as the visitor can see.

Upstairs among the exhibits, I wanted to photograph this table again. Covered in glass, it's carved wood, with a map of what was called Hull at the time, and is now Gatineau, across the river.

This model of Colonel By's home is on display. The home was up in Major's Hill Park during his day, and its foundations are still visible.

This display case deals with the troubled early days of what was Bytown, renamed in the 1850s. In its early decades, it was a rough lumber town, with little in the way of police, law, and order, and a good deal of violence and conflict.

Today I'm finishing with this rather formidable chair, which back in the 19th century was a mayor's chair.