Monday, March 5, 2018

Alternative Transportation

The Byward Market hosts Winterlude activities as well. Snow sculptures are found here during the festival, and this year had a transportation in Ottawa theme to them. There were four of them in total, but on the final weekend when I took these shots, a warm up had wrecked havoc on one, while another I couldn't locate. These two, in shade most of the day, were in fine shape. The first one depicts the LRT train, while the city's buses are represented in the second sculpture.


For a very different form of transportation, I take you down to Dow's Lake, where a long standing tradition was happening that weekend out on the ice. I took this view of the lake from Commissioners Park.


The event was the bed races, part of Winterlude for many years. When I arrived, the bed frames on wheels were just starting to be prepared for afternoon races down the course. This is where it would all start.


Tents were set up for crews to decorate their beds. Teams of four (plus one person on top of the whole thing) run down the ice in races with these. Some were just getting started, while other bed carts were decorated and rather elaborate. I approve of the score on the bed cart kitted out like a hockey rink.

35 comments:

  1. ...and the winter fun continues!

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  2. I can't help but draw the comparison that you sculpt in snow in Ottowa and we sculpt in sand in Melbourne. Have a happy week William.

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  3. Interesting alternative transportation!

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  4. That train and bus sculptures are pretty amazing for their size! And that last shot featuring the Canadian train is just beautiful!

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  5. I like these snow sculptures, William ! Something new...

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  6. That train and bus of snow are amazing.

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  7. cool snow designs. love the shot of the seats looking out over the view. nice! ( ;

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  8. The sun is so much stronger now and the light is no longer gray mid-day. Yay!

    Great photos of fun in winter!

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  9. @Tom: it does indeed.

    @Joe: I've only seen sand sculpting in photos. I imagine some of the techniques are similar, though I wonder if chainsaws are involved.

    @Nancy: very different. I've watched the bed races before- they can move quite quickly.

    @Lowell: they're built quite big. The LRT one is comparable in size to the sculptures out in Jacques Cartier Park.

    @Karl: it was a good choice in theme. I just wish I'd have come down to photograph them some days earlier when the other one was still in decent shape.

    @Marianne: they are indeed.

    @Beth: so do I.

    @Francisco: thanks!

    @Marie: spring shall eventually come, though this morning we have light snow.

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  10. I like that last bed structure!

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  11. Taking that LRT train in the top photo would make for a very cold ride.

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  12. I really like the snow sculptures and the ed racing units are a hoot to go along with the craziness of bed racing.

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  13. You northern gnomes go to great lengths to convince we who prefer warmer climes that winter is the finest month! :^D

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  14. I can see why you like winter so much William.. so many fun things going on 😀 I must say after a 36C day I aplappreci seeing you photos very much!

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  15. @Red: yes, it was well done!

    @Sharon: exceedingly cold!

    @Red: it's such a zany thing to take part in. I photographed the races themselves last year, and I seem to recall someone in a tiger suit.

    @Janis: they certainly are.

    @Catalyst: winter is the best possible of all seasons.

    @Grace: I have enjoyed being able to attend Winterlude events every year I've lived here.

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  16. The last bed train looks like a winner to me. Great train & bus ice sculptures!

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  17. Good on you for getting out and getting these pics to share with us!

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  18. Really like the bus sculpture. It's a shame that the sculptures slowly deteriorate with the sun, but makes them all special too. Great looking train bed! I wonder if the hockey rink had a player in full gear?
    Wendy

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  19. More wonderful snow sculptures, very original shapes too.

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  20. Bed races! Well that's something new! Looks fun, some of them went all out with the decorations!

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  21. Nice snow sculptures, but that last train is great.

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  22. I especially love the last three!

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  23. The snow/ice carvings are amazing. I would have guessed that Winterlude might have included those, but never in my life would I have thought of the bed race on the ice. How funny -- and how fun!

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  24. You sure know how to enjoy Winter!

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  25. That bus is really incredible. What a great set of photos, William.

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  26. @Christine: they are!

    @Cloudia: it's a pleasure to do so.

    @Wendy: I expect that whoever was riding inside the hockey rink one would have been wearing a Sens shirt!

    @Marleen: and more to come.

    @Jenn: it's a lot of fun to watch. If I'd come in the afternoon, I would have ended up photographing the races themselves.

    @Jan: it certainly is.

    @Norma: they were all good.

    @Sallie: it's very funny.

    @Stefan: it's a great way to get through winter.

    @Bill: thanks!

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  27. Wow! Love train snow sculptures ~ great photos of this wonderful event ~

    Happy Week to you ~
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  28. I love the view with the chairs!
    And great sculptures!

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  29. That really looks like a fun race. Of course, we have the outhouse race at our Pioneer Days.

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  30. I think this is a funny first for me: Adirondack chairs set up on the shore of a frozen lake. This looks like such fun.

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  31. Some of these are hilarious! Thankfully all the snow has melted here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this is the end of winter for the year!

    xo
    eden

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  32. Ha,ha. I like the title. Cool shots.

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  33. @Carol: thanks!

    @Tamago: thank you.

    @Mari: it's a blast to watch.

    @Kay: they've kept the chairs there. I first noticed them last year.

    @Eden: winter seems still in place here.

    @Klara: thanks!

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