Crossing, Before And After

In early December, I crossed the Alexandra Bridge to head over to the Museum of History for their Christmas artisan fair. I took some photos along the way, thinking of also coming this way when winter really set in. On that particular day, we were in between snowfalls- the snow that had come down in late November was largely gone, and the next snow after this occasion was soon to come.

The Macdonald-Cartier Bridge can be viewed to the east in this shot. While we have a number of bridges crossing the Ottawa River between Ottawa and Gatineau, the next one downstream from the Macdonald-Cartier is at Hawkesbury, which is a good drive away. The white buildings you see on the right side belong to the Ottawa Rowing Club, which I've shown during Doors Open posts.

The Museum was gleaming in the daylight, both the exhibition and curatorial wings. They are the design work of the architect Douglas Cardinal.

What a difference a few weeks makes. On the afternoon of the 29th of December, I crossed the Alexandra again during heavy snow, heading over to the Museum to take in a couple of exhibits. At points the views to either shore were obscured, and the river ice had been steadily building up over those weeks.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: My City's Skyline

The first day of the month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and for August, the theme is My City's Skyline, as chosen by Tamera of Colorado Springs Daily Photo. You can see how others are taking on this theme here.

I have several selections. This first one was taken from Nepean Point on one of those brooding days back in May, taking in the view to Parliament Hill looming over the Ottawa River.

This shot is also from May, but taken on a different day. The sculpture of an Anishinaabe scout is placed here at the north end of Major's Hill Park, one of a number of shots I took. I showed other takes on it in my post from yesterday.

This is a view I haven't shown before, looking towards the downtown core from the south. I came up to the Billings Bridge transit station one day back in June and photographed the view. The complex in the foreground is the Billings Bridge mall.

On the first weekend of June, we had Doors Open here in Ottawa, a tour of many buildings being opened to the public. One of my stops was on the Ottawa River, at the Ottawa Rowing Club. Taking leave of the place, I photographed this view of the river, with the skyline of Gatineau, Quebec on the other side.

This view is close to the Bayview transit station, looking east towards the downtown core one morning last month. Looking at the left side of the jumble of buildings, you might make out the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.

And I finish with these shots from Canada Day, when I stopped in at the Museum of Nature. The glass tower at its center is called the Queens' Lantern, and gives a good view north up Metcalfe Street. The second view looks west towards the Landscapes of Canada Gardens, which I featured a few days ago.

Upon The River

The Ottawa Rowing Club was founded in 1867, and is the oldest and second largest rowing club in the country. Nestled on the Ottawa River, it offers views of the Ottawa shore, Gatineau across the river, and the nearby bridges, the Alexandra and Macdonald-Cartier. Sir John A. Macdonald was its first patron, and one of the founders. The club was participating again in Doors Open, and I stopped by.

Coming down to the floating docks, you feel the movement of the river beneath you as you walk- perhaps a bit disconcerting if you're not fond of water. Staff members were working with visitors who wanted to go out on the river. Compare these shots to the  header image above, which is from my visit last year.

One of the two clubhouses has this space up above the boat bays, which appeared to be in the process of being set up for a wedding reception.

Taking In Views Of The River

I have another look at one of the boat bays at the Ottawa Rowing Club today. The club is the oldest of its kind in the country, and the second largest, with over a thousand members. There are other rowing and boating clubs here in Ottawa and Gatineau, including downstream in the New Edinburgh-Rockcliffe area, and along the Rideau River at Mooney's Bay.

Across the river in Gatineau there's a harbour along the shore, and the greenspace you see is Jacques Cartier Park.

The multipurpose room on the second floor of the first building was open. There were various boats up in the rafters, as well as plaques, and a look down at boats on the lawn between this and the second boathouse. One of the staff on hand mentioned the place was being prepared for a wedding reception that evening. It's quite a lovely spot for such a purpose, with a great view.

Doors Open At The Rowing Club

The floating dock here at the Rowing Club is a long one, and offers a nice outlook on the Ottawa River.

Turning around, we have a view of the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, which is the next bridge east of the Alexandria, taking King Edward Avenue into Gatineau.

And here we have a view of the club. There are two buildings here on the property, both which house long boats on the ground floor. The second floor in this building contains a multipurpose room, which I'll show you tomorrow, while the other building has gym facilities for members.

Here are two views of some of the boats in storage here. They're very slender. I'm much more used to canoes, but these are the sort of boats you see in the Olympics.

The Hound And The Ottawa River

One of my stops during Doors Open was at the Ottawa Rowing Club, nestled nicely along the Ottawa River. Gatineau can be seen on the other side, with the Alexandria Bridge spanning the river in the background. The club dates back to 1867, and was started by John A. Macdonald, yet another example of the way our first prime minister seemed to be following me around throughout the weekend.

As you can see, it was a very pleasant day on the water.

A number of people were out on the dock by the club, some in the water, others on the practice devices on the dock. The club has members and also has classes for those interested in learning to row, or upgrading their skills on the water. I have more from here over the next two days, but I thought I'd leave off today with this dog, who was here with his humans, but seemed to have more interest in his stick.