Thursday, February 13, 2020

Founding Father

Here we have a larger view of Sparks Street as I continued this walk.


Here we have some views of the sculpture of Louis Riel. He was a leader of the Metis people, a leader of the Manitoba provisional government, and part of the uprising against the federal government on two occasions, which he would be hung for. Today he is considered a founding father of the country.


The placement of the sculpture, seen from behind, is ironic or deliberate. The building in the background that it faces is the Sir John A. Macdonald Building. Riel's uprisings were against Macdonald's government.


Here we have another of the ice sculptures that's good for photo ops. The federal government owns a good deal of the buildings along Sparks Street, and some of the retail space at the present is not being used for retail given the work going on up on Parliament Hill. Some of the windows are decorated with reproductions on the glass of the stained glass from the House of Commons.


The CBC has broadcast facilities here on Sparks Street, and an ice sculpture is outside their quarters.


Today I finish off with this view, looking west.

40 comments:

  1. ...William these are beautiful frozen delights, thanks for sharing.

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  2. William - sublime works of art from any angle. In this day and age, we may need a few revolutionaries that are willing to give their lives for the greater good. Sad to say.

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  3. Beautiful! All I can look at is the white, frozen roof to my left. Or your art presented here, thank you!

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  4. I wonder how long it takes to carve something like that?

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  5. Beautiful made, sad it can't last forever.

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  6. You winder how Louis Riel would view the pipeline protests going on today. I think we can guess whose side he would be on!

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  7. I like the ice sculpture of the CBC and the above that.

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  8. We are going through some interesting times now. Wonder what Riel would think?

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  9. Hello, the ice cravings are amazing. My favorite, the wings with the stained glass. Wishing you a happy day!

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  10. Such A Wonderful Series Here Brother W - Many Thanx For Sharing

    Cheers

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  11. Those are really stunning sculptures. I love the beautiful wings.

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  12. The stained glass makes a great backdrop!

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  13. Once again I'm marveling at the talent of these people.

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  14. Beautifully shown William, the wings are gorgeous, bet lots of pics get taken there 😊

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  15. The ice sculptures are wonderful, William !

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  16. @Tom: you're welcome.

    @Angie: that's true.

    @Iris: thank you.

    @Janey: a few days, anyway.

    @Marianne: it is short lived.

    @David: that would be a safe guess.

    @Jan: so do I.

    @Marie: he wouldn't like it.

    @Sandi: at least in that light.

    @Eileen: thank you!

    @Padre: you're welcome.

    @DJan: so do I.

    @RedPat: it does.

    @Sharon: me too.

    @Grace: definitely.

    @Karl: they are!

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  17. The ice sculptures are beautiful. I love the lighting. The sculpture of the wings is my favorite here.

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  18. The beautiful art in Ottawa is heart warming. I wish I could see such art in the streets in America.

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  19. Enjoyable, edifying, educational!

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  20. The background light makes it into an "Oh Wow!" exhibit. Tweeted.

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  21. Magnificent ice sculptures and wonderful night photos ^_^ So festive !

    Happy Moments to You,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  22. @Tamago: thank you!

    @Maywyn: it is a treat.

    @Cloudia: definitely.

    @Mari: thanks!

    @Bill: indeed.

    @Carol: thank you!

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  23. i would call that magenta pink. very cool!! hope u r well this week. so cold it is going to be tomorrow ... we will see. i can not get over this weather, always changing. never a dull moment, lol!! what a great time to have your camera, thanks for sharing!! ( ;

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  24. As lovely as they are, I'm glad I'm not living in that much cold.

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  25. I am always in awe of someone who can create these sculptures in ice. Thank you for the history lesson also. Great photos!

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  26. You're right -- that stained glass behind the sculpture makes it super photo-worthy!

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  27. Beautiful sculptures. Lots of irony in the Riel sculpture.

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  28. The angel wings look wonderful against the stained glass:)

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  29. @Jennifer: they are indeed.

    @Beth: it's very cold here at present.

    @Joanne: the cold is a good thing!

    @Denise: you're welcome.

    @Jeanie: it does, yes.

    @Kay: that's true.

    @Rosie: very much so.

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  30. How long will the sculptures last? After all the work, it will be sad to see them melt away.

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    1. They're broken down after the festival ends. It's a liability issue.

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  31. Looking good! The father ... I mean ;)

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  32. Absolutely stunning sculptures, your photographs are excellent.

    All the best Jan

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  33. The wings are the winner in my book.

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