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.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Ontario
A visit to the Library of Parliament, Ottawa
When you stand on the bank of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, (especially by the Canadian Museum of History), and look across the river you see the Canadian Parliamentary buildings. This is the view captured in the above image. The rounded building with flying buttresses in this complex, which is the one in the foreground and closest to the river, is the Parliamentary Library. Before we step inside, let’s take a look at the history of the Library.
A Brief History of the Library of Parliament
Canada’s Library of Parliament began in the late 18th century with the legislative libraries of Upper and Lower Canada. These two libraries were amalgamated in 1841 when Upper and Lower Canada united. It was not …
Tagged capital, Library, Ottawa, Parliament, Parliamentary Library
“Pic of the Week”, August 11, 2017: Niagara Floral Clock
The Ontario Hydro/Niagara Parks Commission Floral Clock is situated on the Niagara River Parkway not far from Niagara Falls. It’s a popular and quick stop for people visiting the area.
The floral clock was inspired by the famous clock in Princess Street Gardens in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Niagara clock is the largest of its kind in the world and is three times larger than the Edinburgh clock. The planted face is maintained by Niagara Parks horticulture staff, while the mechanism is kept in working order by Ontario Hydro. Designs for the face of this clock are changed seasonally.
Here are some of …
Aug 10, 2017
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.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Nova Scotia
Burntcoat Head Park, Nova Scotia. World-Record Tide
The highest tides in the world occur in Canada’s Bay of Fundy, which separates New Brunswick from Nova Scotia. Twice each day the Bay of Fundy fills and empties about 160 billion tons of water. In 1975 The Guinness Book of World Records listed Burntcoat Head Park in Nova Scotia as the site of the greatest average tide of 47.5 feet. with an extreme range of 53.6 feet. That’s about as tall as a four story building!
When I visited Nova Scotia last fall, one of the top things on my “to do” list was to see the sight of this great tidal surge. Ideally you want to be there at both low and high tide to see …
Tagged Bay of Fundy, Burntcoat Head, Park, tide
Eastern Canada / North America / Ontario
“Pic of the Week”, April 7, 2017: Lake of the Woods Discovery Center, Kenora
Situated on the shore of beautiful Lake of the Woods is a fairly new “Discovery Center”, which my father and I stopped at during our road trip to Thunder Bay last summer. A tourist information stop, with a boat dock, picnic areas and places to walk your dogs and for kids to run and play, it also has some interesting exhibits. In the summer, the famous “Ye Olde Chip Truck” — a Kenora icon — is open for business in its parking lot
I found the display of vintage outdoor boat motors fascinating, the oldest dating back more than 100 years (1914 Evinrude). It was interesting to see how the design of outboard motors has changed over the decades. There is also a display of …
Tagged Kenora, Lake of the Woods, Outboard Motors
.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Nova Scotia
Signs of Halifax, Nova Scotia
I’d never visited Halifax before this past summer and was not quite sure what I’d find when I visited. As it is a provincial capital, I expected a lot of government and corporate offices and was not to be disappointed in that regard. I didn’t expect the city’s natural harbor to be as lovely as it was, nor did I expect the downtown construction boom we encountered as the area is one of the poorest in Canada. It is also one of the dirtiest cities I’ve seen in a country known for its cleanliness, so this revitalization offers promises of a better tomorrow.
Halifax has a number of interesting attractions, none overwhelming, but with an engaging Maritime Museum and a unique …
.All Trips / Eastern Canada / Food / North America / Ontario
Ottawa’s Fabulous Byward Market
As many of you know, I am great fans of visiting markets during my travels. Besides the beautiful assortment of food and goods, markets are a wonderful place to watch people and relax with coffee and a tasty fresh snack. On a cold winter’s day, it’s often good to see the fresh bounty of summer (or in the case of our visit, fall).
Byward Market is a well known and long established market in Canada’s national capital, Ottawa. The market was begun in 1826 by John By, who gained fame as builder of the Rideau Canal. Mr. By laid out the street plan of the market, creating extra wide streets to facilitate the market as a gathering place for the area’s …
Tagged Byward Market, food, Market, Ottawa
“Pic of the Week”, January 27, 2017: A Visit to Toronto’s Victoria University
Strolling about the neighborhood of the Ontario Legislative Building, Toronto, I came across a pretty college campus. This is Victoria University (known as Victoria College), a beautiful and historic school.
Not a large campus, it’s a pleasant place to explore on foot — to enjoy the architecture and some of its interesting art.
It wasn’t until later than I learned a little more about the place. Victoria University was founded in 1836 by royal charter from King William IV. Victoria became part of the University of Toronto in 1890. It consists of Victoria College, an arts and science college, and Emmanuel College, a theological school associated with the United Church of Canada.
Victoria is one of the …
Jan 26, 2017
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.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Ontario
Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory
The Niagara peninsula is one of my favorite places in Canada. Not just because of majestic thunderous Niagara Falls, but because of the many parks and gardens, the beautiful vineyards, lovely small towns, and that marvel of engineering that is the Welland Canal. And it’s home to my favorite cousin, Liz, who has shown me the highlights of the peninsula during a number of visits, including my last stop there when we made a point of going to the Butterfly Conservatory. The Butterfly Conservatory opened in 1996 and is a special place, home to over 2,000 tropical butterflies.
The Butterfly Conservatory is situated on the grounds of beautiful Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, about a 10 minute drive north of Niagara Falls. …
