Topiary Wonders In The Park

More from MosaiCanada today. Two sculptures feature here.

The Polar Bear represents Manitoba.

Looking back gives us a different perspective of The Three Ships From France.

The Puffins represent the province of Newfoundland & Labrador, and were getting a bath by one of the groundskeepers while I was here.

This sculpture is one that doesn't represent a province or territory, but does evoke the far north with the combination of aurora borealis, inukshuk, and wolf. It is titled A Story Of The Northern Lights: Howling Wolf.

The Prospector is the title of this topiary for the Yukon, bringing back to life the vivid days of the Klondike gold rush.

The Muskoxen is the title for this set, done for the Northwest Territories.

Here we have a view looking back over several. The one on the left represents Nunavut, and is titled The Drum Dancer.

Moving out of the first theme, we have two sculptures thematically paired as An Excursion In China. Representing Beijing is Blessing Of The Good Omen Dragons.

While Shanghai is represented by this work, titled Joyful Celebration Of The Nine Lions.

Journeying Through The Country

The Lobster Fisherman is the title of the Nova Scotia sculpture at MosaiCanada.

New Brunswick is represented by The Canadian Horse, featuring a trio of horses emerging from the flowerbed as if coming out of the water.

Three Ships From France represents the province of Quebec.

The Niagara Gateway is the title of this work for Ontario.

Here we have the view from the back of that sculpture over the park. Ottawa's skyline can be sighted in the distance at the far shore of the river.

Nearby, this view looks up towards the stylized maple leaf that is titled Canada 150: A Powerful Symbol.

A view looking down from the terrace at where we've been and where we're going.

That view includes a topiary version of a famous sculpture: Chief Of The Undersea World is based on First Nations artist Bill Reid's sculpture. It represents British Columbia.

Another view of those horses and the lobster fisherman can be found here.

Canadian Personality In Living Form

I made several visits to MosaiCanada during the time the topiary exhibition was going on in Jacques Cartier Park over in Gatineau, photographing on most of those trips. Organizers anticipated 800 000 visitors over the course of the exhibition; the preliminary numbers once it was over indicated 1.3 million visits were made. Today we're going to start another series on the event, taken during a visit back in September, with the exception of one shot late in the series, which was done during an October visit. During subsequent visits after my first excursion, I noticed that among some of the sculptures, music or sounds were being incorporated- the speakers were very well hidden among the flowers.

A Ticket To Canada depicts a train station house, with the sculpture of the building completely overlaid by plants. A large scale photograph of times gone by can be seen as one walks through the passageway.

Engine CPR 374 can be viewed on the far side of the building. This is both the beginning and the ending of the exhibit, which follows a looping route through a series of themes.

Lying across the track in this shot is a hose. Work crews were often seen among the sculptures, giving them a shower or pruning as needed.

Also at the station is Anne of Green Gables in a sculpture titled More Scope For The Imagination.

A Journey Across Canada begins the first of the thematic elements, with the provinces and territories represented in turn, along with extra sculptures. The Wild Rose represents Alberta.

The Royal Canadian Mint is behind this one, titled Proudly Canadian.

Saskatchewan is represented by Royal Canadian Mounted Police Horse And Rider.

Red Foxes depicts a mother and cub pair of foxes, and represents Prince Edward Island.

The Chaudiere Falls In Sparkling Colour

Here we have more from Miwate today, with the Chaudiere Falls lit up over a ten minute light and music show. The border between the provinces passes through this main channel of the Ottawa River, which makes its way through several channels among a series of islands at this location. The light show itself is dazzling to watch; check out this video I did. I will have more posts from here in December, and no doubt will be attending once or twice more.

Miwate: Getting Dazzled By A Light Or Fire

Miwate is an event currently in its final days here in Ottawa, so if you're in the area and haven't seen it yet, consider yourself on notice to get up there by Sunday night. It is a production by Moment Factory in collaboration with the Algonquin Anishinaabe First Nation, illuminating the Chaudiere Falls in the heart of the Ottawa River with lights, accompanied by music, during the evenings for the last month. This is part of the Canada 150 events, and starts with a series of panels about First Nations history in general and the Anishinaabe in particular. The word itself means 'dazzled by a light or fire', which turns out to be quite appropriate when you see the light show.

The path leads out to a long viewing platform facing the falls, which has been installed for this event and for the long term. Check out a video of the approach here. The falls have been largely cut off from both Ottawa and Gatineau for a century, with industry occupying the islands here and keeping the population at a distance. The viewing platform has been the first chance for most people to get a proper look at the waterfalls.

The light show is about ten minutes long, and waiting for a chance to take it in still gives the photographer some opportunities, with those on the front platform in silhouette against the lights.

The lights themselves are mounted on the dam behind the falls, which spread out over quite a wide area, the water tumbling over the rocks. The show begins, more of which we'll see tomorrow, with lights flashing out over the cascades.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Rock 'N Roll

The first day of each month is a theme day for City Daily Photo, and this month, the theme happens to be Rock 'N Roll. Check out how other members are taking on this theme at this link.

These first shots all date to Good Friday this past April. I was in the Vanier area visiting two large cemeteries. In between them was Richelieu Park, formerly home to a priest's order, now a heavily wooded property belonging to the city and housing a local museum, community centre, and library branch. There were some large boulders and flat stones that stood out in in the spring woods.

This rock wall was a short distance away from the park. Above this spot is the driveway into Beechwood National Cemetery, which is a neighbour to Richelieu Park.

These I took in late April in the Glebe, where in Central Park, these small blue flowers were blossoming among the rocks on the slope.

This one was taken during the Tulip Festival in May, when I visited Rideau Hall. I took a shot of these tulips from one perspective, and chose another for this theme because of the nearby rock, which carries a plaque commemorating a former Governor General, Lord Monck.

For the other kind of rock, I have this view from the Glowfair event in June, where a stage had been set up on Bank Street for the annual street fair, with a DJ playing electronic house music for the crowd.