Changing Of The Guard

In yesterday's post, I showed you the march of the Ceremonial Guard to the grounds of Parliament Hill. I returned the following day to photograph the ceremony of the Changing Of The Guard. A portion of the Guards take up position first, awaiting the rest of the group as they come up Elgin Street and around the War Memorial. There is narration done, in alternating English and French, by guides posted near the main stairs up to the Centre Block. A couple of soldiers walk the grounds during the ceremony. The red cross armband they wear gives them away- they're medics, keeping an eye on the Guards just in case. Summer is hot here, after all, and those dress uniforms (especially the hats) can be a recipe for trouble on a humid day. They're also on hand if any of the audience have a problem with the heat. It must be a trick of the light or the angle of my shot, but there seems to be a ghostly echo of a building at a diagonal angle in this first shot. And have a look at this video I did for a taste of the music.

When the ceremony is over, the Guards all march off the Hill together, back towards the Cartier Square  drill hall. A smaller version of this ceremony takes place during the season each hour on the grounds at Rideau Hall, where it might be four or six guards involved at a time.