City Daily Photo Theme Day: Best Of The Year

 The theme for the first of January with members of City Daily Photo is Best of the Year, and you can see how others are interpreting that theme right here.

I am doing this over three days, beginning with Ottawa itself. At the end of 2024 and into the first days of 2025, the city hosted the World Juniors hockey tournament, held at TD Place and the Canadian Tire Centre. I attended some of the games at the former.

This particular game was between Finland and Slovakia.

February brings Winterlude to the area, and this year was very good for skaters on the Rideau Canal skateway. I do not skate, but I walked it a number of times, and this particular time was on Dow's Lake itself, close to the end.

Winterlude also includes ice sculptures downtown. This one featured the great Canadian jazz legend Oscar Peterson.

As spring unfolded, one day I took a photograph of this very cooperative Canada goose.

The Chaudiere Falls is a large, sprawling waterfall on the Ottawa River, and during the spring, it rages.

May brings the Tulip Festival to the national capital region, with the biggest area of them at Commissioners Park at Dow's Lake.

Parliament Hill is a frequent photo subject for me. I took this shot of Robert Borden, one of our prime ministers, with West Block beyond the statue.

Doors Open takes place here in early June, with the opening of various sites for public visits. One place I went to this year was a familiar site- the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat. The Aga Khan stays here from time to time, but it also houses the Canadian chapter of his foundation, which does philanthropic work around the world. The architecture inside is a wonder.

This sweet cat lives near my place, and is seen outside her home in warmer weather.

I went up to Kiweki Point, which commands an impressive view of the Ottawa River.

Another visit this year was to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, where this Lancaster bomber dominates the World War Two area.

These fall colours were found by the Canadian War Museum.

And my last shot is taken in the National Arts Centre, some nights before Hallowe'en, where the orchestra was in costume. The concert was a mix of classical music and film score selections, very appropriate for the occasion.