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.

Into The Final Frontier

 Each summer, the government puts on a series of display panels on Plaza Bridge near the Government Conference Centre. This year, the theme is Canada In Space. Canadians started working with NASA in the 70s, particularly on the development of the Canadarm. 

In 1983, the first Canadian astronauts were selected.

The first Canadian in space was Marc Garneau, who flew three shuttle missions in 1984, 1996, and 2000. He later went into politics, and recently passed away.

Jeremy Hansen is a much more recent example of a Canadian in space, having had been part of the Artemis II team going to the Moon.

Roberta Bondar was the first Canadian woman in space, and the first neurologist.

Chris Hadfield went to space three times, including a stint as a station commander for the International Space Station.

Robert Thirsk went up with Columbia in 1996, and in 2009 spent a half year aboard the ISS.

Dave Williams went to space twice aboard Columbia.

Canadarm marked the beginning of the collaboration between the Canadian Space Agency and NASA. 

Here we have the full crew of the recent Artemis II mission.

Julie Payette was the first Canadian astronaut to board the ISS during her trip aboard Discovery, and later returned to space on Endeavour.

Bjarni Tryggvason went to space aboard Discovery.

Finale

 The Laurier Avenue Bridge nicely frames the final stretch of the Rideau Canal.

I've always liked a spiral staircase. This one descends down to the path along the Canal from the bridge above.

I took this shot from beneath the last bridge before the skateway ends- or begins, depending on your perspective- the Mackenzie King Bridge.

The Ottawa Convention Centre looms on the east side. Branding rights being what they are, these days it goes by the Rogers Centre. It is a marvelous, modern building.

On the west side, the National Arts Centre.

A look again to the east side, where the Government Conference Centre stands. These days, it temporarily houses the Senate.

The end of the line, kilometre 0.0. Beyond is Plaza Bridge, and in the distance, Parliament Hill.

I turned back again.

And then once more where I'd been walking to.

I headed off the Canal and up the slope alongside the National Arts Centre, taking this final shot. A fitting ending for another year for Winterlude.