The Canal In Two Seasons

Today I have another set of winter to spring transitions, and am focusing on the Rideau Canal. We have views west and east taken late on a fairly gloomy day in early March. I took this from the Bank Street Bridge.

Here we have the same views on the first day of April. Open water had started to show itself at this part of the Canal.

And these were taken last weekend.

Further west along the Canal's course, walking alongside Dow's Lake on an early March day one or two days after my first shots, I decided I'd do the same from here. This looks across the lake to the wooded area of the Arboretum.

Here we have a view of it last Sunday morning. I came down to have a look at the tulip beds down here, and took this shot. There's a mix of ice and open water on the lake, but that's typical- this portion of the Rideau Canal always loses its ice last. The Arboretum looked clear of snow, at least at a distance, but odds are there was still some snow in shady spots.

And I finish with two views from the Corktown Bridge looking north to the final stretch of the Canal, with the Chateau Laurier in the distance. This first shot was taken in mid-March. There was no sign yet of the ice breaking up.

Here we have the view from the bridge this past Sunday. Aside from the shaded west side, the snow and ice were gone from this final stretch of the Canal.