Snow Carvings In The Park

 Another of the bas relief carvings into the snow- this having the look of a Jay.

Another look at that moose.

I saw the Ice Hogs walking around- the mascots of Winterlude. Based on the groundhog, there are four of them that can be found at Winterlude sites. Three of them are in this photo.

Also around this site, several ice benches are built into hollows for photo ops.

A hockey player was carved into the wall nearby.

This is Alexander Graham Bell, the Canadian inventor.

The day I came over was Flag Day. This carving includes a flag, and depicts a Mountie.

I started heading out.

A tug of war was set up, and two groups were having a go at it.

Lots of people make use of this park during Winterlude.

This wall included colourful paint on carved snow.

And lastly, as I headed to board a shuttle bus back to the other side of the river, I photographed this map, specifically for Red, who made inquiries earlier in the series. Nearly all of the Rideau Canal skateway is included in this map, along with multiple sites on both sides of the Ottawa River.

Advancing Across The West

 A reminder to those in the area that Winterlude begins this weekend and goes through to February 16th.

This is an elk skin, an artifact of the Blackfoot people. It was their habit to do a winter count, painting onto the elkskin what had been most significant for the tribe that past year, and done in a circle spiraling out.

French-Canadian fur traders went out ahead of anyone else, long before the country itself moved west. Called voyageurs, they pushed deep into the continent, adapting to life among indigenous peoples, establishing relationships, usually marrying into the tribe. This painting from 1869 is by Frances Anne Hopkins. It is titled Canoe Manned By Voyageurs Passing A Waterfall.

The voyageurs that had gone out and established families among indigenous peoples eventually gave rise to a culture distinct by itself- the Metis, a blending of the two influences. These are clothing items made by Metis women. The Metis would become a big part of the story of the Canadian West, looking to assert their own right to exist.

The Canadian government looked west to expand the Dominion of Canada, to make it a sea-to-sea country. Metis and other indigenous peoples would be in the way.

These are art pieces by the Haida, an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, originally called the North-west Mounted Police, would go out ahead of the country as a form of law enforcement in the West.

Here in a display case is a ceremonial last spike, and a pocket watch presented to Prime Minister Macdonald.

On The March

 I attended the national service at the War Memorial on Remembrance Day. Two days prior, a snowstorm had left snow around the city, and it was of course still here. My preferred spot for these days is a spot on the northwest corner of Confederation Square. During the vigil beforehand, while people gather, a member of each service- Army, Navy, Air Force, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police- stand at post at the corners of the War Memorial.

The pipes and drums lead the flag bearers and veterans in from Wellington Street, while the bulk of other marchers come in from their mustering point in the Cartier Square Drill Hall to the south.

Flag bearers are a mix of veterans and cadets.

The ceremony is deeply meaningful, with traditions like the 21 gun salute, the moment of silence, the laying of wreaths, music, recitation of appropriate verse from veterans in three languages, and remarks by military chaplains, including a benediction. Among those wreaths that are placed is one by the Silver Cross Mother- a tradition dating back a century, and this year with a mother whose son died in active duty in the Afghan War. The pipes and drums lead the way out for the veterans afterwards. Around eleven, what had started as an overcast day started to see some breakup in the clouds, with blue sky showing itself here and there.

Behind the veterans march active duty servicemen and women, both specific units and from each branch of the service locally, given that the capital is a headquarters city. It even includes the RCMP.

The Country In The World

 The second referendum on Quebec separation in 1995 is the closest the country ever came to breaking up.

Bilingualism is a way of life here, especially in the Ottawa area. Across the country, one province is officially bilingual- New Brunswick. But French-speaking populations can be found everywhere.

I love that t-shirt.

The next thematic area is about human rights and Canada's place in the world. Multiculturalism is a big thing here, especially starting in the second half of the 20th century when immigration from around the world became the norm.

Mirror Mirror is the title of this installation by artist Laila Binbrek, reflecting her dual nature- growing up in western society with Yemeni roots. Items on the two makeup tables facing each other reflect the two contrasts.

Race and religion have had their own influences in Canada- from the uproar over the idea of a Mountie wearing a turban (which seems to us today to be a meaningless issue) to civil rights pioneers like Viola Desmond, at lower right. The Nova Scotia businesswoman refused to sit in a segregated portion of a theatre, and was arrested for it. Today she graces the ten dollar bill.

Hockey sticks for paralympic athletes and a model of an accessible playground equipment are seen here, along with an odd item- a single worn glove. This was a glove worn by Rick Hansen on his Man In Motion journey around the world to raise awareness of spinal cord injuries.

The Canadian focus on human rights includes the struggle against South African apartheid. It was both a common feeling among the population and a standard policy of multiple governments for decades that the institution was wrong.

The Diefenbaker government opposed South Africa's place in the Commonwealth because of apartheid. This continued to be Canadian policy for decades. In the 1980s, Brian Mulroney took things up a notch by urging economic sanctions against South Africa by the Commonwealth- which had him at odds with his allies, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, who didn't want to go quite that far. Despite his many flaws as a leader, for that stand on a point of principle, I can respect that about Mulroney.

South Africa abandoned apartheid, freeing Nelson Mandela, who never forgot the support of Canadians. He was named an honourary citizen of the country in a ceremony held in the Museum's Grand Hall.

Another form of service: RCMP officer Christine Briand was part of a UN mission in Haiti at the time of the 2010 earthquake and worked to rebuild an orphanage there.