City Daily Photo Theme Day: The Road

The first day of each day is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and for June that theme is The Road. Take a look at how others are interpreting the theme right here.

I had pondered using Sparks Street, a pedestrian mall one block south of this street, but decided that Wellington Street as it passes through the Parliamentary district would be a better fit for the theme. I start down at the west end, at the headquarters of Library and Archives Canada, where a few days ago I walked through. This bench with two statues stands outside. The organization is the Canadian equivalent of the Library of Congress, for my American readers. In the background: tulips, in keeping with my current series on the Tulip Festival.

Tulips can also be found in large planters along the street. Coming off the Library property and looking east, the view of the street includes two of the Parliament blocks- Justice and Confederation- on the left, and St. Andrew's and the East Memorial Building on the right.

Between Library and Archives and Parliament is the Supreme Court, seen in the background here, with a bed of tulips in the foreground.

Continuing eastward: St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, which stands across from the Court.

And the Court itself.

This view across the street takes in the original Bank of Canada building, partially submerged in the modern Bank of Canada headquarters. Beyond it in the background to left is the Wellington Building, a government office building. And the pyramid structure between them is part of the rooftop terrace of the Bank of Canada Museum. Some of you may remember my taking you on a tour there before. 

Carrying on past the aforementioned Justice and Confederation Blocks takes us to an entry point for the three main Parliament Blocks. The West Block dominates this shot.

Turning across the street from this point gives us the north facade of the Wellington Building.

Close by that is the Sir John A. Macdonald Building, a government reception centre that makes use of the grandeur of the former main branch of the Bank of Montreal, along with a modern annex.

A little further east along Wellington. The building in the distance at left is the only Parliamentary block on the south side of the street, housing the offices of the Prime Minister. The building at centre is the former American embassy, now a work in progress. It is the future home of a national indigenous centre, with flags on top including First Nations, Inuit, and Metis colours.

Directly across from it: Centre Block, currently under rehabilitation work.

And my last shot, from the south side of the street, includes East Block and the Chateau Laurier hotel in the distance, with tulips in the foreground. 

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Streetscape

The first day of each month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and for February, that theme is Streetscape. Check out how others are interpreting this theme right here.

I chose Bank Street for my take on this theme. The street is one of the major streets in the city, starting at Wellington Street across from Parliament Hill. The street departs city limits and becomes the former Ontario Highway 31, which proceeds all the way down to Morrisburg on the St. Lawrence River. I chose to go from one end to a fixed point for this theme, as I'm not going all the way down to the St. Lawrence. All of these shots were taken at various points in January.

Here at the intersection of Wellington and Bank, a look to the right gives us the West Block of Parliament Hill, where the House of Commons is presently meeting.

A look to the left gives us the Confederation Block, one of the two Parliamentary blocks west of the West Block.

Turning around gives a view of Bank Street itself. The building at left is the Wellington Building, also a government building.

A look to the right shows the Bank of Canada headquarters at right, with the Bank of Canada Museum at its base on the plaza, beneath the triangular structures. I've taken you into that museum before.

A few blocks south on Bank, this utility box is covered with historical images of a photo studio that was based on Bank Street in the late 19th century.

A ghost sign for that studio is still on the building today, with a contemporary mural below it.

Across from the ghost sign is another mural.

Another few blocks south at Bank and Somerset, we have an eyesore. Somerset House was once a pub. Years ago the present owner, a developer, was having work done. There was a partial collapse within thanks to a construction vehicle colliding with a beam, and for all the years since there has been nothing of note done with the building. And the owner? Silence, half assed excuses, and shrugs out of that bloody waste of oxygen idiot. I still think that the city should just expropriate the site on principle alone, and that every citizen of this city should have the right to punch that developer in the face.

For the purposes of this theme day, I chose to end at the Bank Street Bridge, where the street crosses over the Rideau Canal and where the Glebe gives way to Old Ottawa South. Here we have a look heading up the bridge.

A short walk up, I turned and photographed looking back into the Glebe.

Here we have a view taken earlier in the month from the top of the Bank Street Bridge, looking east over the skating surface of the Rideau Canal. This was before skating was opened up on the Canal.

And this is more recent. The west side of the bridge is bathed in afternoon light.

Pyramids And Blocks At Night

These shots are from September, when I was coming home from an event one night. The Bank of Canada stands across from Parliament Hill, and includes a currency museum. Extensive work has been done inside and outside in recent years, including a reworking of the east side terrace, with pyramid triangles jutting up out of the main surface, well lit at night. It caught my eye, and I started photographing.

This view features one of the Parliamentary blocks looming like a ghost; this is the Confederation Block.

Also present in the background in these two shots is the Wellington Building, which houses government offices.

This final shot looks into the building itself. The original Bank of Canada building is partially enclosed in a larger, more modern glass tower that looms over it. This is as close as I'll be able to photograph it- the only time the public is allowed into that area is for Doors Open, and even then, no photography permitted. Oh well, it does look good in the night.

Buskers

A reminder to members of City Daily Photo: the theme day for September is Photographing the Photographer.

Buskerfest is our annual event featuring a collection of buskers throughout the first weekend of August. It takes place on Sparks Street, a block south of Parliament Hill, and always features a variety of performers. Today I have several buskers for you at once. The first busker I'm showing is one who was here last year. Pancho Libre is a gymnast busker whose final part of the act has him perched high on a pole above the crowd. Here, he's up against the reflective surface of the CD Howe Building, with the Wellington Building and the Confederation Block of Parliament Hill reflected in its glass.

Up the street, a busker by the name of Mat Ricardo was in the midst of his act when I came through, having had wrangled one of the onlooking kids into the show.

Another act present this year was the escape artist Rob Collins. I caught him briefly entertaining quite a crowd.

An aerialist trio, Hercinia Arts, was just getting their act started here on the last morning of the festival.

And I came across another act on the last day of the festival. Zap Circus (there were a lot of circus named acts this year) had roped in a couple of onlookers into their act.

Canada Day In The Nation's Capital

Today is Canada Day, and particularly the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians! If you haven't already seen it, check out my City Daily Photo theme day post for July, and have a look at my writer's blog for my other Canada Day tribute.

I thought I'd take you for a stroll around the Parliamentary precinct. I took most of these shots on a single day earlier in June. A stage was being erected on the front lawn before Centre Block at the time, one that will be a focal point for today's activities.

It had been awhile since I had last taken in this perspective, photographing the Peace Tower from an arched entrance at the East Block.

Another arched entry features here. This one is on the east side of Centre Block, and is used by senators.

Walking along the path behind Centre Block, this view looks across to Major's Hill Park, the National Gallery, and Notre Dame.

This one offers views of the Ottawa River, Gatineau, and Nepean Point where the Alexandra Bridge crosses. I'll be going over that bridge today to pay a visit to the Museum of History, one of several stops today.

The path behind Centre Block was open further this time than the last time I visited up here. As part of the work around Parliament Hill in terms of renovation and restoration, this area has been closed off for awhile. Public access presently ends here at the summer pavilion. You can see some of the work site infrastructure on the other side of it.

This bell rests close by. It was taken from the ruins of the original Centre Block when that building was destroyed by fire in 1916. The Library of Parliament, visible in the background of this shot, was the only part of that block to survive the fire, thanks to the timely closing of a heavy door by a clerk.

Coming back around, I paused by the main entrance at the base of the Peace Tower.

This gives another perspective of the stage.

This building, across the street from Parliament Hill, once housed the American Embassy. 

This shot from June 21st shows the same building soon after an announcement was made. On what is National Aboriginal Day, Prime Minister Trudeau announced here that the building is going to become an national indigenous centre, set to open by 2023. It will be quite a challenge to convert the building to such a new use while retaining its look, but an interesting idea. It stands in the heart of the Parliamentary precinct, in a place that promises, over time and careful work, to continue the path of reconciliation.

Heading down Wellington Street, I paused by the Wellington Building, another government building. The seal of the country is engraved in its side.

We Canadians have a reputation for being humble and self deprecating. This sign outside a shop in the Byward Market reflects that.

And I finish for the day with flags, hanging in two office complexes downtown, taken in the last few days. I shall be exceedingly busy here, so have a wonderful Canada Day!