Silhouettes And Fall Colours

Continuing on with this series, here we have other views of the War Memorial, with surrounding landmarks.

The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier contains the remains of a Canadian soldier, never identified, who fell at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, a pivotal moment of the First World War and Canadian history.

The perimeter of the property has flowerbeds.

And for today I finish off with this view from the west side, with fall colours. My path took me on from here to another destination, which we'll look at tomorrow.

Autumn At The War Memorial

I wanted shots of fall colours around the National War Memorial, which lies in the heart of Confederation Square. The Memorial was first meant to memorialize the dead of the First World War, dedicated in 1939. It has since been dedicated to those of the Second World War, the Korean War, the Afghan War, the South African War, and all who have given their lives in military service. From early April to the day before Remembrance Day, military sentries stand guard before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Here we have a view of it with the Chateau Laurier in the background.

I looked over towards Parliament Hill. The East Block, seen here, has some scaffolding around it, as this building is part of the ongoing rehabilitation work. Here on the grounds of the Memorial, some areas of the pavement are being worked on, hence the fencing.

The Memorial features allegorical figures standing high over a gate. Larger than life figures from each branch of the military, circa the First World War, are represented moving through the gate. As is so often the case with Canadian memorials, the emphasis of this war memorial is commemoration and mourning.

Off to either side are sitting areas, with plaques about the memorial. On this side, the plaques focus on the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. I have more from here tomorrow.

Perspectives Of The Fall Season

Fall colours just around the twilight hour; I was passing through the Glebe neighbourhood.

The bright red of these leaves caught my eye in Little Italy.

My path on this particular day took me further along in Little Italy.

I carried on into the Hintonburg neighbourhood for these two shots.

While this was in Westboro.

On yet another day I was in Centretown and that flash of red caught my attention.

Earlier in the series I've shown you shots from the Bank Street Bridge overlooking the Rideau Canal. After I took those shots, I took this one. The water levels in the Canal are lowered for the winter after the Thanksgiving weekend.

On another day, I was out around the Lebreton Flats area. Fall colours can be seen around the Canadian War Museum. Beyond, the familiar rise of the Gatineau Hills is seen in the distance. I didn't get a chance this year to get out there to see fall colours.

Close by is the national Canadian Firefighters Memorial. A large statue of a firefighter stands across from a wall inscribed with names of firefighters who have given their lives in the lines of duty from each part of the country. Each September a service of commemoration is held here. The trees and bushes are part of the memorial, deliberately chosen by the landscape architect for their fall colours, mostly reds and oranges, a reminder of fire itself.

Seasonal Colours And Monuments

Returning in full to the autumn colours series, I'm starting today with seasonal displays in the Byward Market, which always has these set up in October. This one is outside The Grand, a restaurant here.

This view is taken descending into Confederation Park. City Hall can be seen on the far side of the park.

This park has several military monuments. The oldest and newest of them are side by side. A cenotaph commemorating Ottawa dead of the South African War is accompanied by the newer Animals In War Memorial, with its life sized German Shepherd present and accounted for.

Another monument in the park is the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument.

I found fall colours around St. Barnabas Apostle and Martyr's, an Anglican parish in Centretown.

These are elsewhere in Centretown.

Here is a different perspective of a tree I've already shown you. A few days ago you saw closeups of the leaves on the one at the heart of this shot, with red and yellow leaves.

And for today I finish off with the last formal fall shot I took. Louis St. Laurent was the Liberal leader and Prime Minister who succeeded Mackenzie King when he retired. A statue of him stands on the grounds at the Supreme Court of Canada. It is a fitting spot for him, as he'd been a lawyer and might well have been on the Court had King not asked him to go into politics as part of his cabinet. Fall colours were behind him.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Brown

The first day of each month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo. For November, that theme is Brown. You can see how others are interpreting this one right here.

I was passing alongside the National Arts Centre one evening in late April. The recessed lighting caught my eye, as did the exterior colour- appropriately brown.

Taken in July during a road trip into southern Ontario, this is a bas-relief, one of several in a subway station in downtown Toronto.

The rest of these were taken a few days ago in the same place, Major's Hill Park, while I was down here photographing fall colours. This sculpture is called Twist 1.5, dating to 1978. Alex Wyse and Ken Guild built this wooden spiral of British Columbia fir. I've shown it before, but decided it would be ideal to do so again, particularly with fall colours forming a backdrop. Buildings in the background of these shots include the Chateau Laurier, Parliament Hill, and the American embassy.