Scenes

 More looks today at Morning Star.

Looking back down at the staircase where I was at gives us a view outside.

Inscribed on a column nearby in three languages are the words of William Commanda, a highly respected chief, which are wisely said.

A look down from here really brings home the size of the Grand Hall.

The path to the Canadian History Hall is lined with images of places and activities across Canada. These are done with reflective glass with a light overlay. We start with Inuit drum dancers.

The Calgary Stampede in Alberta is a big part of that province's culture.

This is Our Lady of Victory Church in the Northwest Territories.

Maple syrup tapping is a long tradition in eastern Canada.

This is the First World War Memorial in Saskatchewan.

The Stratford Festival Theatre can be found in the town of Stratford in southern Ontario, where each summer a festival of plays by Shakespeare and others is put on, a long standing tradition.

The Star

 More looks to start things off today of The Spirit Of Haida Gwaii.

A short way beyond, and a look up. Morning Star is a huge mural by the Dene artist Alex Janvier, who died recently. The artist painted this on a dome high overhead in 1993, in his abstract style heavily influenced by his indigenous roots. It is bold, colourful, dynamic, and my favourite work of art in the national capital area; despite my general disregard for the abstract movement, Janvier is the exception. I love his work.

One can even use the escalators and staircases to frame the painting in a different way.

At the top level, up close and personal with the painting.

Haida Gwaii

 More today inside the Grand Hall in the Canadian Museum of History.

Outside is a sculpture, and at this time of year, the pool around it is filled with water, reflecting the river in the background. This is 'namaxsala (To Travel In A Boat Together), a 2013 sculpture by Mary Lynn Barkhouse, based on a story by her grandfather of his giving a wolf a ride across treacherous waters.

This panel explains the significance of totem poles.

More of a look around.

This huge canoe is nearby.

Here we have one of three versions of the same sculpture. The Spirit of Haida Gwaii is by the Haida artist Bill Reid. This is the plaster cast of the sculpture- bronze versions can be found at the Canadian embassy in Washington and at the airport in Vancouver.

A Grand Hall

The Grand Hall is a majestic space within the Canadian Museum of History. Totem poles are found here, and the facades of Pacific Coast tribal homes have been erected in this place. Behind the facades is exhibit space. 

I stepped inside.

The windows offer views out to the river and the Ottawa shoreline beyond.

 

Sport History

 There are times when sports becomes influenced by the world around it.

Never was that more obvious than in the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in Berlin as a showcase for the Nazis.

This is one of the Olympic torches of that era.

The Edmonton Grads were a women's basketball team. Items displayed include a jersey and a compact awarded to one of the players.

Also displayed at lower right is a buffalo necklace belonging to Irene Crowchild, a Dene golfer.

I wouldn't call UFC a sport, but this panel looks at Canadian Georges St-Pierre, who was a champion, and who has spoken openly about his own mental health. Displayed is his belt.

Here we have a reproduction version of the bobsled that took a Canadian team to winning gold in 1964- despite having had never competed in the sport before.