Black Light Painting

Nuit Blanche is our annual one night arts festival, now in its fourth year in Ottawa and Gatineau. I got to many of the events this year, though not over to those in Gatineau. Today I'm starting my series on the festivities in an unusual location. Living Colour Tattoo was participating, illuminating most of their shop with black lighting. Tattoo artists turned to the use of ultra violet body paint on the public and on a canvas like this. I watched one of them paint vampire fangs on a woman's arm, and liked the effect of the lighting in the shop- it had a very dreamlike mood.

Notre-Dame Basilica

I am finishing this series on churches today with this one. Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica is the most prominent Catholic church in the city. A small church, St. Jacques, was on this site already in 1832. The construction of this church started in the 1840s, with work continuing on the exterior and interior in the years afterwards. It is a mix of Neo-Gothic and Neo-Classical styles, and its spires are visible from many places on both sides of the Ottawa River. 

The Scottish Church

Every once in awhile I like to pay a visit to St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, which has a prime location in the city- it's right across the street from the Supreme Court. The church is the oldest Presbyterian church in the city, with its origins dating back to 1828, initially for the Scottish and Irish workers who were working on building the Rideau Canal at the time. The current structure dates back to 1872.

The Old Stone Church

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church is one I've photographed before. The parish dates back to the 19th century, while the current church dates from the early 1950s, according to what I found (it certainly looks more old fashioned on the outside than the sanctuary itself). It's on the edge of Little Italy, and I was in the area early one morning when I noticed the front doors were open. I took a quick look inside. 

A Sanctuary Of Lightness

St. Clement is a bilingual Catholic parish that makes its home in the St. Anne Catholic church in the Lowertown area, a heritage designated sanctuary dating back to 1873, one of the few surviving examples of the Quebecois style. The parish has taken up its residence here in recent years, after the local archbishop suggested the use of the previously closed church. It's an exquisitely beautiful church, particularly inside, where the interior feels light and airy, with gorgeous stained glass. I was passing by one Sunday in August, looking for a nearby location that features into children's literature. I noticed the service was over, and I popped in for a quick opportunity to take some photos. I have linked this one up over at Inspired Sunday.

A Parish For Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (Paroisse St. Thomas D'Aquin) is a French speaking parish in the Alta Vista area here in Ottawa. It has a more modern look, from its architecture, than the many Gothic churches of Catholic or Protestant denominations that we see typically in Ottawa. I passed by late one afternoon in August when I was running errands close by. The parish was founded in 1886, and the current church dates back to 1957.

A Modern Church With History

I am starting off a series today on a number of churches in Ottawa. Sacre-Coeur is a French speaking Roman Catholic church set on the campus at the University of Ottawa. The parish is partnered with St. Joseph's Roman Catholic church, an English speaking church across the street, and they have common roots. St. Joseph's was founded by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1856, and in 1889, the French speaking families started Sacre-Coeur. The current building dates from the 1970s, a replacement for the previous church, which burned in a fire. The architecture is interesting, with the sanctuary being a multi-sided shape instead of the usual rectangle, creating a more intimate feel. Check out this link for a look at what the church looked like before the fire, and what's now in its original location.

There's a small chapel accessible, even when the rest of the church is closed, for passing students. The stained glass in here really caught my attention. It's very different from what one might expect.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Shelter

As always, the first day of each month is a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and so for the first of October, the theme is Shelter. This theme comes from Linda and Forrest at Austin, Texas Daily Photo. You can find other interpretations of the theme right here.

Back in June we had Doors Open here in Ottawa, and one of my first stops was at the Embassy of Algeria in Sandy Hill. You can see what the place looks like here and here. This gazebo in the garden caught my eye, and I knew it was ideal for the theme.

This tunnel comes in handy as a shelter during a sudden rainfall; it travels beneath a road down at Mooney's Bay, a wide stretch of the Rideau River, glimpsed at the far end. Mooney's Bay is where the Rideau River and the Rideau Canal separate for the last time as the two waterways head through the city towards the Ottawa River.

The vaulted space beneath Plaza Bridge downtown, along the Rideau Canal, also makes for good shelter in a storm.

On Parliament Hill is the Summer Pavilion, a beautiful structure with a commanding view of Ottawa, Gatineau, and the Ottawa River. This is a replica of the original, dating back to the 1990s. It stands alongside a memorial wall for police officers, which I'll be posting at sometime in the (hopefully) not so distant future- I took these shots this past Sunday after an annual national memorial service for police and peace officers.