The Other Ottawa
© 2007 Carlton McEachern all text and photographs - click any pic to buy
Published by Travel Lady Magazine, February 2007.
Ottawa
is known for national icons such as the Gothic Revival
architectural style of its Parliament Buildings, the annual
Canadian Tulip Festival and winter skating on the Rideau Canal -
but there is another aspect to the City of Ottawa that may just
be every bit as interesting and certainly less crowded.
For starters, I toured the Inukashuk built in the Ottawa River near downtown Ottawa at Remic Rapids Park, east of the Champlain Bridge, off Ottawa River Parkway. One dedicated artist, John Felice Ceprano, rebuilds these amazing objects each spring after the ice leaves the river.
Continuing
along the Ottawa River Parkway to the downtown area, I next
visited Nepean Point, on Saint Patrick Street behind the
National Gallery of Canada. This park offers a magnificent
panoramic view of Parliament Hill and the core of Canada’s
Capital Region. This monument of Samuel de Champlain dominates
the point. Another feature on the site is the Astrolabe
Theater, which seats approximately 700 people, and offers the
beautiful backdrop of Parliament Hill. The theater has been host
to various events and productions including the Carnival
of Cultures.
Parked
in front of the National Gallery of Canada at 380 Sussex Drive,
sits one big egg carrying spider. This sculpture is the work of
Louise Bourgeois and was acquired by the National Gallery in
2005. The work is titled Maman.
(Louise Bourgeois,
MAMAN, 1999, Bronze, Stainless Steel and Marble, 365 x 351 x
403"; 927.1 x 891.5 x 1023.6 cm., Collection National Gallery of
Canada, Ottawa, © Louise Bourgeois.)
Across Wellington Street, opposite Parliament Hill, sits a magnificent memorial to Canadian hero Terry Fox. The Marathon of Hope, which he founded in 1980, has helped to raise millions for cancer research. This statue is the work of John Hooper.
Not
to be missed is a view of our Prime Minister's back yard. No
wash hanging out here and for that matter no bikini clad
sunbathers either. Maybe I was just here on the wrong day.
The house at 24 Sussex Drive appears deceptively small from the front but just go around back and the view is a whole new story. Built in 1866, the house became the official residence of Canada's Prime Minister in just 1951.
The
last stop on our brief tour of The Other Ottawa takes us to
Green Island, just up the street from the official residence.
Leave your car at home for this one, as parking is almost
nonexistent. Here you will find The Commonwealth Air Force
Memorial, dedicated to the 800 airmen who died in WW2.
Last but not least, cool off beside Rideau Falls, right next door.
All photos and text copyright 2007 by Carlton McEachern - click any pic to buy.
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