“Pic of the Week”, August 23, 2019: The Spirit of Haidi Gwaii

02 Spirit of Haida Gwaii

British Columbia native artist, Bill Reid (1920–1998), may well be the best and best known Haida artist in the world.  I think his finest work is this piece entitled “Spirit of Haidi Gwaii”. 

Haidi Gwaii is a chain of islands off the coast of northern British Columbia which were formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.  The native culture features a rich history of totem pole carvings.

This white plaster model can be found in the main hall inside the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa.  The piece was subsequently cast in bronze and two copies are available, one outside the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the other at the International Terminal at Vancouver International Airport.  I prefer this version because …

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.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Quebec

Quebec — A Walled European Fortress In America

Quebec — A Walled European Fortress In America

Quebec, like New York, is both a city and a state (or rather, a province).  It’s an island of French heritage and culture within our Anglo-North American continent.  I had wanted to visit this city for years so when Untours began offering apartment rental trips to Quebec, it seemed an opportune time to spend a week exploring and enjoying the city.  We combined this visit with stops in Montreal and Ottawa, which I’ll talk about in separate postings on this blog.

Quebec is one of the oldest and most historic cities in North America.  Founded as a small French outpost by famed explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1608, it is now a city of 500,000 (and recently celebrated a huge 400th birthday bash on the Plains …

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.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Quebec

Saguenay Fjord — Deep and Long but not very Tall

Saguenay Fjord — Deep and Long but not very Tall

I’d heard as a schoolboy that the Saguenay Fjord was one of the longest in the world.  Years later someone told me the area around Tadoussac was pretty, sparsely developed and inviting.  Given a spare day or two that’s all the reason I need to explore a new place.  Plus it would give my kids a chance to see a fjord in North America and an opportunity to do some whale watching.  So we made the drive downriver on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, about 3 1/2 hours past Quebec City to Les Escoumins.  We chose to stay in Les Escoumins because it offered attractive fairly priced condo rentals situated right on the banks of the St. Lawrence River — a chance to watch the river and …

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.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Quebec

Montreal: Je Me Souviens

Montreal —  Je Me Souviens

Canada is the land of my birth and I will always have a special place in my heart for this beautiful country and its warm, friendly people.  There are many great cities in Canada, two of my favorites (for different reasons) being Vancouver and Montreal.  Vancouver is one of the most breath-takingly beautiful cities in the world, which I’ll be discussing at another time.  Montreal is a truly world-class city of history, youthful energy, and a rich cultural and culinary tradition.

Montreal (named after the hill that dominates it, Mont Royal) is built on an island and is the second largest city in Canada.  Founded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain, it is also one of Canada’s oldest cities.  Montreal has something to offer almost everyone.  The …

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