Views From The High Ground

Here on Parliament Hill is the Summer Pavilion, a lovely structure for a break and taking in the views.

Nearby, a series of panels, and room for more. This is the Canadian Police And Peace Officers Memorial. Names are inscribed of officers who have fallen in the line of duty. Each September, there is a national service of remembrance here.

Here we see West Block. At present, the House of Commons is meeting inside.

There is a rise of land overlooking both Centre and West Block, the highest ground on the Hill. Queen Victoria has a statue here.

Nearby, another of our great prime ministers, Lester Pearson.

To the west, the Confederation and Justice Blocks, and the Supreme Court. 

And we finish with a statue of Prime Minister Robert Borden.

The Fathers Of Confederation

The views from Parliament Hill are delightful to take in. On the far shore of the Ottawa River is Gatineau, with the rise of the Gatineau Hills in the distance. 

Another of our sterling prime ministers. With the current work going on, most of the statues are behind the fence, but at least somewhat accessible to the photographer. This is John Diefenbaker.

One part of Centre Block is not having work done on it- because restoration work was done at the turn of the century. Nonetheless, it's cut off from access. This is the Library of Parliament.

Before it in this shot is George-Etienne Cartier, a Father of Confederation and co-premier of the United Canadas.

The barge down on the river had to do with a fireworks display going on at the time.

The Library of Parliament is a visual delight.

This next statue is of another Father of Confederation, Thomas D'Arcy McGee.

Here we have a remnant of the former Centre Block. This bell fell from the tower overnight February 3rd, 1916, during the fire that destroyed the original Centre Block. It is now displayed here, with signage in English and French.

Nearby, another statue, recently moved here. John A. Macdonald was co-premier of the United Canadas with Cartier, the strongest voice of the Fathers of Confederation, and the first Prime Minister of Canada.

Perspectives

 I start today with a view across the Rideau Canal from the east, looking up at Parliament Hill.

Here where the Canal meets the Ottawa River in what is still called Entrance Bay, the view across the river takes in Gatineau, with the Museum of History on the far shore, and the Alexandra Bridge linking the cities and the provinces.

I decided to head up to Major's Hill Park. Along the way, something new. A swimming area, seemingly bound in the water, has been built here, with a large deck. I would not personally swim in the river- it's deep here, and the currents can be treacherous.

Taken from the park above, with a view of the Bytown Museum below. Re-enactors could be seen with visitors outside.

I paid my respects at the statue of Colonel By himself. Surrounding him are flowers, planted to last into October, when the tulip bulbs will be replanted.

A final shot, taken a short distance away. The Mackenzie King Bridge crosses the Canal south of the Ottawa locks, and with the landmarks around this final stretch of the Canal, it always makes for a splendid view.

The Museum

 The first Monday in August is the Civic Holiday in Ontario, and it goes by different names regionally. In Ottawa it is Colonel By Day, a very appropriate time to come down to the Bytown Museum, which is on the shore of the Rideau Canal where the Ottawa Locks descend towards the Ottawa River.

It is also called the Commissariat, the oldest stone building in the city, dating to 1827 when it was meant as a storehouse for the building of the Canal.

On the far shore, a statue stands in the gap between trees up at the top. It is Colonel John By himself, the British military engineer who oversaw the building of the Rideau Canal.

For decades, the building has housed the Bytown Museum, which tells the story of the building of the Rideau Canal and the first century of what went from Bytown to Ottawa.

The Rideau Canal runs from Ottawa to Kingston, with a series of locks along the route enabling a full water route in places where the Rideau and Cataraqui Rivers need a bit of help in doing so. It was built between 1826-32.

It was meant as a military route, motivated by the aftermath of the War of 1812.

It was a monumental undertaking by the Colonel, who arrived to take charge, authorized to run things as he needed. Some six thousand men worked on the project. A thousand of them died in those years, some from accidents, others from disease.

Here are some of the tools of the tradesmen, labourers, and surveyors.

As mentioned, disease was a big problem, particularly malaria. The route went through swamps in some areas. Swamps were home to mosquitoes.