The Landmarks

 As I'd said, I knew that I wouldn't be able to see everything at this bicentennial party, but I wanted to make one more stop, seeing as how the establishment was very visibly taking part in the festivities. I crossed the Rideau Canal via the Mackenzie King Bridge, taking two shots looking north towards Plaza Bridge, where this series started. Landmarks include the National Arts Centre and Parliament Hill at left, and the Chateau Laurier and Government Conference Centre at right. It looked like an official party was departing the NAC.

I headed onto the terrace at the NAC, since that was my destination, and took this photo across the Canal of the Ottawa Convention Centre. Its architecture has always appealed to me.

A look to the left gives us the Chateau and the Conference Centre. Both date to 1912, and the latter started its life as a train station linked to the hotel. These days it hosts the Senate while work on Parliament Hill continues.

Another shot, looking at the NAC. Sections of glass-dominated additions were added on and opened up for 2017, creating more space and off-setting the Brutalist architecture.

I photographed a section of art when I entered the building. A Given Number Of Owls is a 1972 work by Jack Shadbolt.

This is a portion of a large door within the NAC. Beyond it is a large room used for multiple purposes. I once donated blood in that room. I've always liked this door. It feels like something out of science fiction, like Blade Runner.

The NAC hosts classical music, pop and jazz concerts, and theatre, and is a national institution. It's also very much part of the city, and was busy being part of the city's bicentennial party.

There was a display on the Canadian singer k.d. lang, who has become very much an icon over the years while remaining distinctly herself.

Several display cases included some of her clothing. This design is the Nudie Suit.

And this is her Honky Tonk Angels' Medley jacket, dating to a 1988 performance.

Music Beneath The Bridge

 September 26th was the date of a big party downtown, marking the bicentennial of Ottawa. What became the city dates back to 1826 and the beginning of the Rideau Canal project. The city put on multiple events in an area ranging from City Hall up through the Byward Market. I was able to get to some of it. My first stop was at Plaza Bridge, which spans the Rideau Canal as it begins its descent down to the Ottawa River. The space beneath the bridge, alongside the Canal, is wide and ideal for acoustics. A company called SoundScape put together music beneath the bridge for the occasion, with blues and purples projected within the space. When I arrived, Indigenous music was being played. When I later left the area, it was definitely East Coast Atlantic music.

The line was long, and I decided to go back up and photograph from above. I paused to take a shot of the nearby War Memorial, dramatic at night.

There is a wide central staircase leading down into the underside of Plaza Bridge. It turned out to be a good way to frame the coloured lighting down below. A careful eye might pick out busts and statues ringing this staircase at street level. They are The Valiants- Canadian military figures from across our history.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Purple

The first day of each month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo. This month, the theme is Purple. Take a look at how others are interpreting the theme right here. 

I start with these shots taken in Confederation Park during Winterlude. A large screen had been set up for watching Winter Olympics coverage, though this was a night or two before the opening ceremonies. Alongside the screen were LED lights in purple.

At one entrance of the park, shifting lights illuminated evergreen trees that had been placed there. I caught them as the light was shifting into purple.

Lights also shift gradually over the ice sculptures. Blue was turning into purple when I took this shot of a sculpture.

A few blocks away, and on my way home, I noticed a car that had been given an exterior design that looked like something from space. There was purple in the mix, and I concentrated on that.

One night during that month, I was coming back from a walk on the Rideau Canal and was passing by the Canadian Museum of Nature. Some of the streetlights had purple bulbs, which were lighting up the main entrance.

I took these two shots of ice sculptures on Plaza Bridge, part of a set of sculptures that had been set up for Winterlude. Blue coloured lights were gradually shifting into purple.

Later that same evening, I was back in Confederation Park. The place gets decorated for Christmas not with lights in the trees, but coloured shifting spotlights on the trees, and they left them on for Winterlude. 

An underpass beneath the 417 was painted for Canada 150 back in 2017. I'd never photographed it, but this section, with a purple triangle, fit the bill.

And I finish with this toque for the PWHL, the women's professional hockey league, with its lettering in purple.

Second Star To The Right

 Canadarm2 is the second generation version of the Canadarm, used aboard the ISS. Here we see Chris Hadfield working with it.

David Saint-Jacques set a record for the most time spent in space by a Canadian astronaut in 2019.

Jenni Gibbons served as Capcom for Artemis II.

Josh Kutryk has been assigned to NASA's Commercial Crew Program. 

Dextre is a more recent addition to Canadarm2. It is a two armed robot meant for specialized work outside the ISS.

Much of what is done in space applies to earth, with research being done that applies to medical cases here. Canadian research has been instrumental in that.

Steve Maclean went to space twice, aboard Columbia and Atlantis. 

Canada is one of the partners in the ISS, along with NASA, Europe, Japan, and Russia.

I took some perspective shots of the displays and the surroundings.