The Changing Of The Guard is a ceremony held through the summer, from late June to late August, commencing precisely at ten in the morning on Parliament Hill. The Ceremonial Guard, consisting of two units, participates each day. One half starts out on the Hill itself, while the other half marches out from the Cartier Square Drill Hall on Laurier, starting around twenty to ten. I caught them one morning in the final days of the season. You can see them coming down Laurier Avenue, passing between Confederation Park on the left and the City Hall complex on the right. This is all done with a police motorbike escort each day to manage traffic.
Turning north onto Elgin Street, the Guards pass First Baptist Church and the Lord Elgin Hotel.
This last shot has them on their way up Elgin. You can see the scaffolding around the National War Memorial in the distance, and the work going on around the National Arts Centre to the right. Drawing your attention to the left side of the street, the newer building is a recent construction, named after a deceased cabinet minister (aka crony) of the not at all missed former prime minister Harper (it's bad manners naming a building after someone who's been dead a month, I'm just saying). The building to its right is the High Commission for the United Kingdom.
In Canada parades are very wonderful.
ReplyDeleteTomás.
An impressive ceremony!
ReplyDeleteA lot of pomp and ceremony, even with music.
ReplyDeleteGoodness I didn't realise you had all that pomp and ceremony over there
ReplyDeleteI love the way LORD ELGIN looms over the heads in a couple of the photos.
ReplyDeleteJanis
GDP
They do this every day in summer William? I bet this is a huge tourist drawcard, everyone loves a brass band!
ReplyDeleteThat looks grand ceremony. I love your photos of them with sun shining through!
ReplyDeletelooks like fun! good tunes I bet. ( :
ReplyDeleteThat looks like quite the ceremony and comes with a playing band. People, I'm sure enjoy it.
ReplyDeletei would have liked to hear them!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed that. What smart looking outfits.
ReplyDeleteI love parades! Very bright and striking uniforms!
ReplyDeleteI think I might see something very similar when I head to London in just a few days.
ReplyDeleteThey are an impressive sight and when you actually see them it's all the more impressive.
ReplyDelete@Tomas: they are.
ReplyDelete@Marleen: it is, especially when you're on the Hill and the real ceremony gets underway.
@Marianne: the full ceremony takes about a half hour or so.
@Mo: it is a good deal of pomp!
@Janis: I imagine the hotel doesn't mind being in the background of many a shot when people photograph this!
@Grace: every day of the season, barring bad weather, and it really does bring tourists up to the Hill. They're quartered in one of the residences at Carleton for the duration, and by late August, that's it for the year.
@Tamago: thanks!
@Beth: it is fun to watch.
@Bill: they do, yes.
@Tanya: I'll have to attend the ceremony on the Hill sometime next summer and record some music.
@Carolann: I wouldn't want to be wearing those uniforms on hot days!
@Nancy: they look well presented.
@Sharon: you probably will, assuming their changing of the guard goes on longer than ours.
@Red: it is, yes.
This would be something to see! I agree with Grace--I can see this being a big draw for tourists.
ReplyDeleteNice photos of this event!
ReplyDeleteI must have missed the naming of that building. Flaherty?
ReplyDeleteDang! I wished I could play a brass instrument. :-)
ReplyDeleteThese ceremonial guards ceratinly add a splash of colour to the streetscape as they march.
ReplyDelete@Norma: it really draws them to the Hill.
ReplyDelete@Linda: thanks!
@RedPat: Flaherty indeed. It replaced an older building, and was still under construction when he died. Harper pretty much steamrolled through naming it for him.
@Revrunner: I know I can't!
@Gemma: they really do.
nice looking troupe.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the ancient traditions of some last longer than in certain countries than in others.
ReplyDeleteDeve ser emocionante este evento tão grandioso e tradicional tal a pompa que ostenta essa guarda
ReplyDeleteUm abraço William
A very pretty day for such a wonderful tradition.
ReplyDeleteQuite an impressive event, William. And, glad the weather fully cooperated too.
ReplyDeleteA changing of the guard is a fun event to find and photograph. We don't have them down here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a colorful and well orchestrated event! As Jack says, we don't have anything quite so grand in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteMust have been very special to be there.
ReplyDeletePerfect day for it!
@Theresa: definitely.
ReplyDelete@Mari: they carry on here.
@Gracita: thank you!
@Denise: it was.
@Beatrice: indeed!
@Jack: I like seeing it here in the summer.
@Kay: it is a wonderful tradition.
@Gunn: definitely!