Bytown Museum Exhibits

The Bytown Museum started out as a storehouse and treasury during the period of the building of the Rideau Canal, erected in 1827. The museum, which was started in 1917 by the Women's Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa, moved its collection into the three story stone building in 1951. The museum was the centrepiece of activities on Colonel By Day.

Among its features are this stone vault from Colonel By's time. The museum is both a local history museum, as well as sharing in the national story, since this is a capital city. Its exhibits range from the pre-European era, the early lumber and Canal days, and the choosing of the capital era onwards. There are also ghost stories associated with the place.

This fellow was sitting down on the ground floor. I liked the contrast between his period clothing and the fact that he was checking his messages.

Among the collection, I wanted another shot of this table, overlaid with glass, and the wood carved into a three dimensional map of the city as it once was.

Nearby, we have a photo of J.R. Booth, the timber baron who had a big influence in the city and beyond in the later 19th century, as well as a uniform, and displayed artifacts typical of lumbermen.

The Union Jack is a good spot to leave off- this particular flag was flying above Parliament Hill on the day of the big fire in February 1916 that destroyed the original Centre Block. The flag itself was taken down before the fire consumed the structure, and is one of the proudly displayed parts of the museum's collection.

Beavers And Blacksmiths

I know, I couldn't resist the double entendre. I'm starting off my posts for Colonel By Day today, with the busker festival to follow that. Much more pleasant material than my rant from yesterday.

Much of the focus here in the city for Colonel By Day is down by the Ottawa Locks of the Rideau Canal, down between Parliament Hill on one side and the Chateau Laurier on the other. 

This blacksmith was demonstrating techniques.

While people could be found throughout this area around the Bytown Museum in traditional period clothing.

This view at the locks and the Chateau is a view I always like to photograph.

Looking east from this side, we have the wall and cliffside leading up to Major's Hill Park. A close eye can pick out the statue of Colonel By there in the gap at the top, looking over his Canal. The foundations of a building can be seen below; it was flush against the cliff, and removed a century ago when rendered unstable due to the presence of train tracks up above.

Here at the entrance to the Bytown Museum is a good place to leave off. I'll take you inside tomorrow.

Vengeance Of The Dark Lord

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies." ~ Groucho Marx

"A fool and his money are soon elected." ~ Will Rogers

"Release the Kraken! Um, I mean... unleash the election!" ~ Stephen Harper

"And a great wail rose up through the land as the people learned the election would be twice its normal length. Lo, there would be weeks on end of attack ads, posters and billboards, politicians kissing infants, and no respite, and the people of the North were in anguish and dismay and given to rolling their eyes in exasperation. And it was said in those days that at least this time, the prospect of the Dark Lord falling from his throne might be in the offing, and lo, did they say that was at least some compensation..." ~ From The Book Of Kendall, Chapter 56 Verse 14

Today I'm in a bit of a ranting mood. I just thought you should know in advance, and I'll be starting with Colonel By Day photos tomorrow. Incidentally, I'm planning on continuing to rant (if I can get the thing written) over at my writer's blog for tomorrow. Now then these are shots of the Langevin Block, the only Parliament building that is not actually part of the Parliamentary precinct, as it sits across the street. It also houses the offices of the Prime Minister and his staff, often termed derisively as the Short Pants Brigade. One would not think from looking at it that it's the Canadian equivalent to Mount Doom, nor that the Eye of Sauron can be found inside.

Yes, the Prime Minister, otherwise known as the Dark Lord, Darth Harper, or Stevie. Last Sunday the Dark Lord dropped the writ and set off an election campaign. Instead of the customary five or six week campaign,  we have eleven endless weeks of this nonsense. I can hear my American readers ask themselves how eleven weeks could be endless when they're used to pundits already speculating on who'll be running in four years the day after a Presidential election.

Well, let's just say that in the nine years he's been in power, Darth Harper has essentially been in campaign mode 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, unleashing attack ads against his opponents and sending out endless amounts of propaganda stroking his own ego. So it already seems endless. We will be dealing with this until the 19th of October, when I deeply hope the reign of terror of the Harper Cabal is brought to an end once and for all.

What we in Canada have had to deal with for nine years is a man who, frankly, is a sociopath by any definition, a prime minister totally lacking in humanity or empathy, driven only by pettiness, vindictiveness, and the desire to wipe out political opposition and demonize anyone who disagrees with him.

He has muzzled government scientists, attacked the public service, treated the National Capital with contempt repeatedly, picked fights with the Supreme Court, treated veterans like garbage, is driving our economy into the ground, and has ended up being the most secretive, unaccountable prime minister this country has ever seen (after campaigning on promises of accountability, among other things). This man is so driven by vindictive hatred that he has long since outdone Nixon in terms of being bent on revenge.

Let the games begin, as they say. This hyper-partisan right wing ideologue double dealing miserable bastard has shredded the country's reputation and wrecked incalculable havoc to our institutions. It'll take years to fix the damage he's done. And despite what his supporters might say, not everyone opposed to him is a left winger or a liberal. I'm a conservative, a Red Tory, absolutely disgusted by the Conservatives in their neo-con status quo, and unable to vote that way. At this rate, I'll be voting for other parties for the rest of my days. 

I love my country. I hate what this miserable, vengeful, inadequate excuse for a man is doing to it.

Is it obvious I don't like Stevie?

I leave off with this. If the Dark Lord or his Short Pants Brigade should happen to see this, well boys (and let's face it, you're all boys, because we already know Stevie's view of women would have them all in the kitchen), from the bottom of my heart, a middle finger extended at you. Wait, I'll make it two middle fingers.

Distinctiveness In Pure Simplicity

St. Joseph's is an Anglophone congregation here in Ottawa, one that is partnered with a neighbouring Francophone Catholic church, the Eglise Sacre-Coeur, which was also founded by the Missionaries Oblate. I photographed there before the weekend, and should be posting those shots later in the month. There is a video of the fire that burned the second church, as well as archive photos at the church's website featuring the original and the second churches, among other items.

The Silence Inside The Sanctuary

The sanctuary inside St. Joseph's doesn't have the over-the-top feeling that can often happen in a Catholic church. Not every surface needs to be covered with mosaics and finery, and it gives the church more of a comfortable sense. Interestingly enough, the church has a reputation for being quite liberal as Catholic churches go. I've stood in here during times when construction was going on nearby on the campus, and yet the sound didn't seem to intrude here, let alone the noise of life at a busy university.

Peace And Quiet Within A Church

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church can be found among the buildings on the University of Ottawa campus. It dates back to 1856, having had been founded by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The present church dates back to the early 1930s, replacing one lost to fire. It is built in the Neo-Gothic style. It's quite a peaceful sanctuary- any time I visit, I'm struck by the sense of quiet inside. I'll be showing you more from here over the next two days.

Music And The Fountain In A Park

On Friday afternoon I was going through downtown. Coming towards Confederation Park, I could hear the sounds of bagpipes and drums being played. Several groups were spread out in locations in the park, playing in coordination with each other, no doubt rehearsing for Colonel By Day festivities this weekend.

Today is Colonel By Day in Ottawa, the local name for the Civic Holiday. It honours the British army engineer who led the effort to build the Rideau Canal and founded the city which at first had his name, Bytown, and later was renamed Ottawa.

This fountain in the park is in his honour. I'll be downtown today, where there are a lot of activities going on, plus the busker's festival is wrapping up today as well. Have a great day!

Brace Yourselves, Winter Is Coming

Or going, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere. I can think of the odd person who might want to strangle me for mentioning winter. If it doesn't quite ring a bell, click here.

Inside the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park, a number of panel displays were put up on a wall last winter about my very favourite season (did I mention I love winter?). The photos are drawn from the past; the first two show Billings Estate and Fairfields, properties which are now local history museums. The third features an 1870 visit from Prince Arthur, one of Queen Victoria's children, while the fourth features dog-sledding on Elgin Street near Parliament back in the 1930s.

These shots were taken on a brutally hot day last week- probably the worst we've had this summer. I also went with shots of the Pavilion itself. This is the east entrance, with the big doors open.

I also wanted interior shots of the ceiling and the main space. It is enormous inside.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Bicycle

The first day of each month is always a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and for the first day of August, that theme has to do with bicycles. The theme comes this time out from VP (aka Giacomo and Gianna) at Livorno Daily Photo in Italy. You can find out what other bloggers are doing with the theme by clicking here.

I went with several choices. This first one is at a sporting goods store in the Glebe, where bikes are secured to a wall outside.

This penny-farthing bike on Plaza Bridge across from the Chateau Laurier advertises a bike rental location nearby. Another one is across the street, but I wanted the Chateau in this shot. These are the only two bikes I know of in the city in this style. I wouldn't want to try to ride one.

These green bikes are part of a membership bike share program called Velogo, available both in Ottawa and Gatineau. They can be found at locations all over both cities, including this spot very close to the bike above, at the National Arts Centre.

Another set can be found here at the headquarters for Library and Archives Canada.

And this last one was taken around sundown a couple of days ago on the Bank Street Bridge, with a cyclist on the road opposite. Bike markings are also painted onto the road surface, cautioning drivers that they are sharing the road with bicyclists. Ottawa and Gatineau have hundreds of kilometres of bike paths and routes throughout both cities.