Projects in the Capitale as we prepare for 2017

Construction and renovations everywhere in Ottawa these days as we prepare for the 150th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017. Joanne Chianello had a article detailing all the projects in the Capital and she missed quite a few. Here are some of the numerous projects which will transform Ottawa completely by 2017 and beyond. She called it re-imagining the Capital and indeed she is right.

This year we have seen the re-furbishment of Lansdowne Park and the Stadium at a cost of $42 million dollars.

The New Arts Court building on Nicholas Street which will see the expansion of the Ottawa Art Gallery.

The new Arts Court which will complement the existing Heritage building.

The Innovative Centre at Bayview and the new City Library which is destined for that site.

The New bridge over the Rideau River at Stranheard and the new pedestrian walkway bridge on the Airport Parkway which serves as a gate to the Capital with its modern design.

New bridge over the Rideau River 

Foot bridge over the Queensway at the Train Station

Ottawa Airport Parkway pedestrian bridge

Then  the 2.1 Billion dollar Light Rail System under construction the largest project in the City since the building of the Rideau Canal in 1820.

The expansion of the Queensway which will continue this year, this highway crosses the City from East to West.

The total renovations of all the Parliament buildings and the creation of a Parliament precinct at a cost of 3.2 Billion dollars so far.

The 110 million dollar project to rejuvenate the National Arts Centre built in 1967 for the Centennial of Confederation.

The re-designed National Arts Centre of Canada on Elgin Street in Ottawa.

The refurbishment of the Science and Technology Museum at 88 Million dollars.

The Ceremonial Road (Confederation Blvd) on the Sussex drive area is also schedule to be completed after 2 years of total reconstruction and re-alignment.

Many other road projects, too many to name all are also in the works and then all the new condo towers being built on average 25 floors or more, which is a first for this City given that up to now 14 floors was the limit.

The Rideau Centre re-building and doubling in size should be mostly completed by March 2015.

The re-designed Rideau Centre (partial view) South-East corner

Chaudière Falls Windmill housing project and the LeBreton Flat area with a possible new large complex of National stature but details are sketchy on this one just yet. However it will connect the two city centres over the Ottawa River and the falls.

Finally 2 large monuments on Wellington Street, one to the victims of the Holocaust and the other to the victims of Communism. In both cases the Federal government is investing 3 million dollars each and the remainder must come from private donations.

The two monuments are somewhat controversial since the first one is not to all the victims of the Second World War but to just one group the Jews. Europe has had this debate where the war took place and being inclusive of all the victims appear to be the way to go. As for the monument to Communism and its victims it leaves out the victims of Fascism in Europe and it also appears to concentrate in its presentation only on the Polish victims of Communism.
Commemorative monuments should be for all involved and not create category of victims.

At any rate the Capital is changing very rapidly and becoming a great City no longer a town in Ontario. We have taken a long time to shake the small town mentality considering that changes have been happening since 1955, sometimes rapidly and sometimes at snail pace.

 Parliament in late Wintery afternoon seen from the West 

What a strange day in Ottawa

Today Wednesday 22 October 2014 is certainly a very unusual day for us all in Ottawa and in the country. Who knew that the incident of yesterday in a parking lot of a mall in Quebec where a crazed so called convert to Islam who drove his car into two soldiers, killing one would repeat itself today with even more violent consequences.

At around 10am at the Canadian National War Memorial in Ottawa an unmarked car with no licence plate stops and a man jumps out running towards the Memorial and opens fire on the Honour Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, killing Cpl Nathan Cirillo, 24 yrs old. of the Highland Regiment.

National War Memorial, Ottawa

The gunman then ran across Wellington Street unto Parliament Hill, he entered the Central block at the main entrance under the Peace Tower, which is only used for ceremonials. That is where he started to shoot up at the guards and from the video tape he ran down the Hall of Honour towards the Library of Parliament. Luckily for us all, he ran pass the two main committee rooms where the political caucuses were meeting, this being Wednesday which by tradition all Members of Parliament and the Prime Minister meet to talk about Parliamentary business. Had the gunman known more about the inside of the building, it could have had far more dire consequences. It was the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Commons who is responsible for security and order in Parliament who caught up with the gunman in this mad run through the corridors and shot him dead. You can clearly hear on the video the gun shots inside Parliament, many, some say up to 50 shots fired, I do not doubt it. One never thinks if you see the Sergeant at Arms walking down the corridor every day Parliament sits carrying the golden Mace which is the symbol of the Authority of Parliament in his formal uniform and bicorne hat that his role is anything but Ceremonial but Kevin Vickers today proved otherwise and is hailed as a hero for saving Parliament.

Sergeant at Arms carrying the Parliament Mace followed by the Speaker.

I am personally incensed at anyone thinking they can use violence against bystanders to make a statement what ever that might be. But in this case to attack our National War Memorial and kill a soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and then run to Parliament and do the same is a
direct attack on Canadians. To my way of thinking this is the same as running into my house and trying to kill me and my family. The gunman has been named as Michael Joseph Abdul Zehaf-Bibeau, 32 yrs old, it is known that his step-father was a Libyan Immigrant, his mother a senior government official, the parents had lost track of him 5 years ago. We will no doubt find out more about this idiot, who is also a drug addict and a convicted felon in the days to come.

This day has disturbed many of us living in Ottawa, our security has been shaken badly and it has offended our values and the image we have of our society as peaceful and law abiding.

Parliament of Canada

Update: The RCMP says that the gunman had no links to any Jihadist groups, he was mentally deranged, friends and family says he had a difficult childhood, a string of criminal convictions, petty theft, etc, he had no fixed address and was wandering around Canada for the last 2 years. He had tried to convert to Islam but had failed at this and was told to leave the Mosque because he was too disruptive, the Imam said that he had stolen items from the Mosque and disturbed many people with his incoherent rants.

Weekend Pleasures

A beautiful weekend it has been. Friday night we had a violent thunderstorm again with high winds and many trees felled, strangely enough the very old and very large tree, it is at least 90 meters high, at the front of our building on Cartier Street which is full of holes where the squirrels have established homes, stands impervious. I always expect it to come crashing down one fine day and given the size of it, I do not want to be around to see it.

Our summer balcony on the Rideau Canal were we have our meals.

So I walked to Lansdowne Park named after Lord Lansdowne who was Governor General of Canada at the time. I wanted to see this great piece of land return to its park like state. It was originally some 120 years ago well outside the City of Ottawa, a racetrack for thoroughbred horses and a great park for agricultural fairs held every year. Major cities in Canada had them, to help farmers with new implements and show off the best in animal husbandry and farm produce, this included a big flower show. Toronto had the Canadian National Exhibition and Ottawa had the Central Canadian Exhibition. In the last 50 years Landsdowne had become a tawdry place where a carny show was held, the main buildings had become ruined shells even the football stadium was in a ruinous state, no one cared it was mediocre and every year it was a grotesque show to all that a National Capital should not be. A few years ago the City Council finally closed the park down cancelling the Ex which was no longer attracting anyone. It promoted the revival of the whole area, which was now well in the centre of he City a terrible eyesore on the Rideau Canal. This new redevelopment was not achieved without major opposition by the navel gazing gang in the Glebe, privileged upper middle class entitled yuppies who opposed the re-development for the simple reason that it might bring people from other parts of the city to their neighbourhood. The judicial wrangling was carried out to extraordinary length, at one point the media and the police were called out to protect bird nests and squirrels. Committees set up to adopt a squirrel and the CBC even had a campaign on it. For anyone who lives in Ottawa it is well known that squirrels are so numerous that they are a pest we tolerate.

After a multi-year fight the re-development went ahead and the final result is pretty impressive. A new stadium for the new football team called the Red Black, the old Horticultural building has been moved on rails from one end of the park to the other and completely renovated, it is built in the Prairie style school of architecture. A new apple orchard has been planted, there is a new underground garage, the Aberdeen Pavilion known as the Cow Palace has been restored to its former glory, to think that 25 years ago when the current Mayor Jim Watson was just a young councillor, he spear headed the fight to avoid its demolition, good thing he did. Where use to be the old asphalt parking lot is now an immense field of green the size of the one on Parliament Hill, hundreds of trees planted everywhere. There is a large play structure for kids, an artificial skating ring and a new Water Park Sculpture which will be ready in the fall.
It is truly beautiful, it is a real urban park, there are also new shops and 2 condo towers facing Bank street.

New Lansdowne Park 

 The green which use to be a massive parking lot

Modern light sculpture still under construction with the new Stadium behind it

Renovated and re-positioned Horticultural building at Lansdowne Park

The partial view of the apple orchard with the Aberdeen Pavilion in the background, the Farmer's market will be permanently relocated inside the Pavilion in a few weeks.

We also did a bit of cooking this weekend with squash, peaches and tomatoes, apparently Dr. Spo tells me that tomatoes do not grow in Arizona where he lives, poor things, living under the dictatorship of the Tea Party and bourgeois reactionaries. We went to Brewer Park which is located on the Rideau River next to Carleton University Campus, a very nice area of the city that I do not know well. There are lots of nice neighbourhoods in Ottawa, quiet and leafy and this is one of them.

 What would a Farmer's Market be without the bake goods including doughnuts freshly made

I thought of Dr. Spo who is a famous doughnut connaisseur from AZ. That picture is for him.
http://sporeflections.wordpress.com

The Farmer's Martket at Brewer Park is moving, it was only temporarily at this location while the whole of Landsdowne Park was being re-built and re-made into a green area.  In the coming weeks the Farmer's Market will return to Lansdowne Park and will be housed in the Aberdeen Pavilion, a giant place and much more convenient since it will be protected from the elements.

Will's creation an Ontario Peach Schnitz pie 

Some of the variety of tomatoes we bought at Brewer Park to be used in various recipes in the next few days, I think we have about 8 lbs or 4 Kilo in total. 

Aubergines and Patty Pan Squash which will be used in recipes also in the coming days.

A whole pot of fresh garlic about 2 lbs or 1 Kilo of it in total, very fragrant 

Will's famous roasted tomatoes a recipe by Marcella Hazan, wonderful with any meal.

 portion of BC Red Snapper and Rosemary accompanied by Yellow Spaghetti Squash dressed with tomatoes, parsley, Basil, yellow pepper and walnuts

More tomatoes for the spicy tomato soup

Dinner of Shrimp Tempura with roasted tomatoes

We also attended the last lecture of the Gustave Doré Exhibit at the National Gallery of Canada. The lecturer was Dr. Eric M. Zafran the Curator of the Susan Morse Hilles European Art collection at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford Connecticut,  a well known authority on art from Doré to Calder. His lecture was on Doré and the Bible, the artist Gustave Doré illustrated the stories of the Bible and it became a worldwide best-seller in the 19th century. The Bible Society of New York has a large library with many wonderful examples of those bibles which were translated in many languages.
The lecture was as well attended as my own Mercredis Culturels program at the NGC.

I also purchased a few other books on Doré and his illustrations, I also got a book of posters of the First World War 1914-1918, entitled the Art of selling War and a book of Charles Perrault (1628-1703) with comments and notes on his fairy tales with illustrations by Doré. The NGC shop also has a wonderful collection of calendars for 2015 and thinking of how Van Gogh was influenced by Japanese wood block paintings got a calendar on that topic.

War is heck, Prosit!

Canada is a Constitutional Democracy since 1982.

BY IRWIN COTLER, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE MAY 14, 2014

MONTREAL — Recent comments by the Harper government concerning the Supreme Court of Canada have garnered much criticism. The Council of Canadian Law Deans has decried the government's "impugning the integrity of the Chief Justice and the independence of the Supreme Court," while 11 former Canadian Bar Association presidents have denounced "disrespect by the executive branch for the judicial branch of our constitutional democracy."

While the specifics of l'affaire Nadon add up to a veritable judicial-appointments whodunit, perhaps it is worthwhile to appreciate the real issue in Harper vs. the Court.

The government has thus far maligned Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, casting aspersions that she made an "inappropriate and inadvisable" phone call. And it has openly criticized court rulings, even impugning the court's timing. The prime minister has called the Senate reference "a decision that the vast majority of Canadians will be very disappointed with," while Justice Minister Peter MacKay has charged that "it was not this government that decided to table (the Marc Nadon reference) in the middle of the Quebec election."

In disparaging the high court, the Conservatives ignore three inconvenient truths. First, the prime minister appointed the majority of current Supreme Court justices. Secondly, the Conservative government itself asked the court to pronounce in the Senate and Nadon references. Thirdly, and most importantly, Canadian law and policy — and the roles of the courts and Parliament — have changed in the last 30 years, and dramatically so, with the advent of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Under the Charter, Canada has moved from being a parliamentary democracy to being a constitutional democracy. Courts have moved from being the arbiters of legal federalism — whether the matter is federal or provincial — to being guardians of our constitutional rights, not because the courts usurped Parliament's authority but because Parliament, on behalf of the Canadian people, gave them that power in 1982. Individuals, meanwhile, have moved from being the objects of rights to being subjects of rights, with rights and remedies that were unavailable in pre-Charter law.

This is not to suggest there were no rights in Canada prior to the Charter's enactment. Indeed, the rule of law, common law, statutory protections and the like did exist. Yet, pre-Charter life and law often tell a disturbing narrative of discrimination against, and marginalization of, vulnerable groups, including discrimination against women, aboriginal people, the disabled, immigrants and refugees, racial and religious minorities, gays and lesbians and others.

Enshrining our rights in the Charter provided an additional check on the authority of Parliament, thereby limiting its actions. Our courts ensure that acts of Parliament respect these fundamental rights and freedoms.

A healthy democracy has disagreement; and indeed freedom of speech is guaranteed by the Charter. Yet, critique of the court as an institution — or maligning its members — not only runs the risk of bringing the court into disrepute, which may in fact be the objective, but ends up bringing critics into disrepute as well, and harming us all.

When I asked the minister of justice, "Why malign the chief justice?" and "Why consult the nation's highest jurist if the government did not value her counsel and advice?", the response was: "Mr. Speaker, I would not be surprised at all if there were times on occasion when the member, as a former justice minister himself, did not agree with what a judgment might have been."

There is a difference between disagreeing with and disparaging the judiciary — between seeing one's role as minister of justice as having responsibility for the promotion and protection of the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court and the judiciary, and being injurious to its role and reputation.

Regrettably, attacking unfavourable court decisions and those who make them is becoming modus operandi for the Conservative government. Instead of focusing on who or what made a decision, the government should look to why these decisions are being made. Invariably, the answer is found in the Constitution or Charter.

The solution, simply enough, is to accept and welcome these legal instruments — and accordingly respect and defend them to the fullest extent.

Irwin Cotler is the Liberal member of Parliament for Mount Royal riding, and a former federal justice minister and attorney general. He is an emeritus professor of law at McGill University.

National Day of Honour 9 May 2014

Today on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, we mark the end of the 12 year campaign in Afghanistan. An impressive military display and 700 men and women of the Armed Forces have gathered for this ceremony. We remember our 158 dead and thousands of injured and the 40,000 who participated in this long war.

Greetings and thanks where sent by our Sovereign Queen Elizabeth II and a Royal Proclamation was made by the Commander in Chief and Governor General the Right Honourable David Johnstone to mark this day.

H.E. The Governor General David Johnston in the Hall of Honour of Parliament.

Though we were told this mission was one of Peace Keeping it quickly became a war, the longest one fought by Canadians in a foreign land. We may well ask for what?  No one knowns what the future holds for Afghanistan and what benefit if any will come of this war. We can only hope for the best.

We can be proud of our soldiers who did their very best in often very difficult circumstances and thank them.

Afghanistan Service Medal worn by Canadian Soldiers

Canadian Soldier in Afghanistan saluting our Flag.

The last Canadian flag to have flown at Canadian HQ in Kabul, Afghanistan was brought back to Canada and a special baton was designed for it. A relay was organized from Canadian Forces Base Trenton to Ottawa. The team of runners were injured and handicap Canadian Armed Forces personnel. There was some political controversy as to whom would be receiving the baton on Parliament Hill. By right the Commander in Chief and Governor General should receive this flag from the veteran runners however the Prime Minister had managed to present himself as the recipient. At the last moment, with mounting protests from various Canadians, protocol was respected and the GG as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces received the flag which will now be displayed in the Hall of Honour of the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.   

Handicap and injured Canadian Forces Veterans carrying the Baton containing the last Canadian Flag 

25 April 1849 the Parliament of the United Province of Canada burns in Montreal

Today marks a very sad day in Canadian democracy, the burning by a mob in Montreal of the Parliament of the United Province of Canada.

Montreal was the Capital of the United Province of Canada from 1844-1849. We had achieved in 1848 the stage of Ministerial Responsibility in Government meaning that the Governor General appointed by London was no longer the Head of Government. We now had an elected Parliament and  Prime Minister in the person of Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine. However the Assembly of the United Province of Canada was bitterly divided between French and English population.

The Parliament voted a controversial law in April 1849, this law gave compensation to anyone who had lost property during the Rebellion of 1837-1838. Compensation would be given for loss of property due to the British army or Rebel action. The Montreal Gazette then and now a prominent newspaper incited the English population to revolt, claiming that since the Rebels were French no compensation should be given to criminals who defied Royal Authority for any damage they caused to property.

On April 25, 1849 Lord Elgin, then Governor General of Canada came to the Parliament on the Carré D'Youville to sign the new Law and give it Royal Assent. Within minutes a dangerous crowd gathered outside the Parliament and forced its way into the building. Setting it ablaze, the great loss of that day was the library of 25,000 books and archives which dated back to 1608 containing all the Official documents and Acts of New France up to the time of this incident, many fine paintings were also destroyed. The building was a complete loss. In November of that year, the Capital was transferred to Toronto.

Here is a short video in French about this terrible incident and how the site is now being restored so that this page of Canadian history can be remembered.





  

Ottawa in Winter

This is the second weekend of our Annual Winter Carnivale ''Winterlude''

The ice on the canal is said to be like a mirror, perfect for skating, a friend came to dinner last night and skated from Dow's lake to our home a distance of 5 Km. He said that the ice was the best he had ever seen in many years.

People commute in winter to work using the Canal as in this photo and the same at night going home.
Its free so why not enjoy it while it last.

Morning commute to work taken from the Corktown bridge looking East and South.

A dramatic photo of the Parliament buildings and the Locks of the Canal near the Chateau Laurier and the Ottawa river. Afternoon photo around 2:45pm.

This is why Rome is a great Capital.

I blogged often on Rome and Italy because I had the very good fortune of living there for several years. You often think you know something only to discover that you missed a fact or you did not quite understand what you were looking at. Italy and Rome is a complex place, contrary to popular belief Rome is not just a unique one sided place, it is and has been for 2700+ years a very cosmopolitan Capital. Once the Capital of the World, everyone came to it and it shone back unto the world its influence. Though the Vatican is located within the City as a separate country and has undue influence in the affairs of Italy, Italians on the whole have their own views and at times fought against and died by the hundreds to liberate themselves from Papal Authority, think of Garibaldi.

The recently elected Mayor of Rome, Iganzio Marino has brought much desired changed to the City and new direction after a few years of a far-right rule at City Hall.

For Christmas this year, a novelty and a surprise in a gesture of public recognition for 3 gay youths who committed suicide because of bullying.
The rainbow lights are part of the Christmas lights in the Capital and run from 2 strategic points in the City, Piazza Venezia and Piazza del Popolo down Via del Corso. In antiquity this consular road was the Western thoroughfare to Rimini on the Adriatic, known then as Via Flaminia.

Today Via del Corso is a great shopping street lined with beautiful monuments like the Column to Marcus Aurelius, the Prime Minister's Office (Palazzo Chigi), the Palace of Prince Doria Pamphilij and many other sites. The lights cover about a 2 Km length quite the sight.

This project comes from the Mayor Ignazio Marino and Councillor Imma Battaglia who heads the LGBT group at City Hall. The idea is to send a message of acceptance following the outcry over the suicides of 3 gay Italian youths this year.

The Far-Right (Fascist) parties are of course against this display, they use to be part of the former coalition of Sylvio Berlusconi the now disgraced Senator.

 

Une bien triste nouvelle, libera me domine de morte aeterna

This morning I got a phone call from my sister who is in Montreal at this time. She informed me that our Mom had died in her sleep. Mom had been ill with Alzheimer for 14 long years. We saw her decline and it was painful to see such a wonderful, intelligent women disappear before our eyes.

She really was a great Mom and she took her duties as a mother seriously. She had been raised by the nuns in Ville Saint-Laurent, then a separate city from Montreal. She went to l'Ecole Normale run by les Dames de la Congrégation and became a teacher. In time got married and had 3 kids, me being the eldest, my brother and my little sister. Education, Culture, speaking French correctly and being polite and courteous even when people could be rude was something she taught us. She use to say that you have to get along with everyone because it takes all kinds to make a world.

Rollande Gougeon-Beaulieu, Mars 1931- Septembre 2013

She was a successful Realtor in Montreal, she organized cultural events in Montreal at the time of Expo 67 and became friends with the Mayor Jean Drapeau, she worked at organizing events and raising funds for Pierre E. Trudeau, our then Prime Minister, she was also the Secretary of the Speaker of the House of Commons in Ottawa, a job she loved, she was comfortable in high society and was not phased with meeting Heads of State. She treated everyone with courtesy and kept a cool head.  With my father they travelled and lived around the world, Paris, London, New-York, Washington DC, St-Paul, Toronto, Quebec City.

I remember in 1969 she won a radio contest, the prize was a trip to Ireland. She decided that she would take us to Europe and so we travelled from Ireland to France to England.  We were kids but will never forget that first trip. We got so many wonderful things from her, her common sense, her love of beautiful things, of things well done, hard work, being responsible, of always taking the high road in life and raising above any situation, never lowering your personal standards.

She was also a good cook, I remember watching her cook, always from scratch, she never used any processed, frozen or package goods. Being a teacher by profession, she was good at explaining how to proceed and what you had to watch for. I think I got my love of cooking from her and to this day, go to the Farmer's market to get fresh farm produce.

So many wonderful memories of a beautiful life, I know that I can say without false sentimentality that
my Mom was a great lady, able to combine home and work at a time when women were just starting to enter the work place. How she did it, always having lots of time for us and being able to work and have so many commitments outside the home, amazes me.

She knew from the beginning that she was suffering from Alzheimer, she was afraid of what was going to happen, but she nonetheless remained dignified.

I feel very grateful and lucky to have had such a Mom. I am thankful for her life.

Her favourite song was Yellow Bird, whenever we would go out where they had a band or a singer, she would request it.

Summer Season and the National Holidays in Canada

Depending on your point of view or decrees of Parliament in Ottawa, we have 2 National Holidays, one is on 24 June know as La Saint-Jean or La Fête Nationale, the other is July 1 Canada Day also known as Dominion Day. Of course we all know now that Ottawa is actually built on Algonquin land, meaning that we are squatters? Parliament has not addressed that one yet, but I am sure it is coming.

Lucky us the weather since 21 June finally turned warm but not hot. So as tradition decrees the Governor General's Foot Guard, he also has a Horse Guard but they are stationed in Toronto,
are at Rideau Hall for the Annual Inspection Ceremony.

The Governor General, His Excellency, the Right Honorable David Johnston, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M. inspects the Guards.
You can also see them every morning at 10 am sharp on Parliament Hill and at Rideau Hall.

Gate at Rideau Hall

Rideau Hall Residence of the Governor General of Canada since 1867. The other Residence is at the Citadelle of Quebec City where the GG spends part of the Summer months. Rideau Hall is open to the public and can be visited.

Also with summer, you can see the Musical Ride of the RCMP which is quite the exciting show with lots of dressage and horsemanship.

Finally as we enter into Canada Week, I unfurled my old Canadian flag, the one which has travelled with me all over the world for the last 33 years and has been on display every Dominion or Canada Day. This year it hangs from our balcony, the neighbours have already complimented us.

Parliament Hill, Ottawa

This week I was driving down Wellington Street passing in front of Parliament and noticed some progress on the renovation of the various buildings. A comprehensive program of renovation of all buildings in the Parliamentary precinct started about 5 years ago and will continue until 2017. This means that plumbing, electricity, roofs and windows and cleaning of the stones on the buildings is painstakingly done to ensure historical accuracy. Asbestos also has to be removed and so far tons of it have been taken out of the West block. The roofs are also a complicated task, it is all copper and much of it has intricate ornamental facets. You need special craftsmen to work on the copper and reproduce all the detailing.

What I did notice was that the wall along the street has been renovated as well as the gates. In the late 1950's when the car was king of the road, the wall along Wellington street was opened to allow car traffic to enter directly, one entrance was at Metcalfe street and another one near O'Connor street, the Gates at the East block was considerably widened. Now some 55 years later these modern entrances have been closed off again and the wall re-built as it would have looked around 1860.  This means using the same stone and carving the various motifs into it, there is also some wrought iron work involved since the gates have to be recreated as they were then. The original work was done by Scottish and French-Canadian tradesmen. The same people who had worked previously on the building of the Rideau Canal which starts in Ottawa. The only restricted car entrance to the Hill is now located at Bank street and Wellington street, basically only members of Parliament and Senators can drive unto the Hill with a special permit pass after they have gone through a car screening process.

 Parliament Hill, original fence of stone and wrought iron along Wellington street, the stone work is black with 150 year old soot.

 Re-built wall at O'Connor street, the stone is new but carved in the original setting of 1860.

 Here you see the blackened original pillar standing next to the new re-built one. Closing once again what was a car entrance installed in late 1950's.

 Leaf detail carved like original pillar.

 Re-built wall at Metcalfe street work still in progress

 East Block Gate re-built and now waiting for the Wrought Iron Gates to be installed.

 Another view of the East Block Gate from Wellington street.

Sovereign's Gate, Main Gate of Parliament Hill only opened for the Sovereign or the Governor General.

Other work is also going on with the various buildings. The old Bank of Montreal Building at O'Connor street and Wellington street is being completely transformed to be used by Parliamentarians and the Government for Official functions and State occasions. The building is in the Art Deco style and has beautiful black marble and other coloured marbles inside.

The Bank of Montreal Building on Wellington Street being transformed into the Official function room of Parliament, next to it will be other rooms and kitchens.

The Old Metropolitan Life Insurance Company is also being totally re-furbished to be used by the Senate as a library, research centre and Offices for junior Senators. The more senior Senators will have their offices in the main Central block of Parliament.

 The West Block (1857) all the stone work has to be re-done, copper roof replaced

 This portion is partially completed with new copper roof on one tower.

 The blue paper structure here is in fact the roof of one of the towers, which was detached and brought down waiting for its new copper cladding, before being re-installed.

This picture show the back or North side of the West Block renovated only the new windows are missing.

The West Block is probably the one building which is being completely re-built from the ground up. It had been badly modernized in 1959 and currently only the outside walls have been preserved everything else has been demolished. This building originally built in 1859 will be used once again for Parliament Committee meetings and Offices for Members of Parliament. The famous Room 200 which was the party room for Parliament has been demolished and the old Bank of Montreal Building across the street will replace it.

The East Block is also undergoing major renovation to its roof and it is partially completed.

 New copper roof on the East block with wrought iron detailing

Governor General's entrance to the East block on Parliament Hill.
Prior to 1939 most Government departments, the Cabinet room, the Governor General's Office were all located in this building. Difficult to imagine by today's standard. All have moved out except for the Cabinet room.

The Langevin Building, across the street from Parliament Hill houses the Privy Council of Her Majesty in Canada and the Prime Minister's Office which is a government department by itself. The building is not big enough for all the staff and many are working in buildings on Sparks Street behind.

 The Library of Parliament directly behind the Central Block, original building of 1876, survived intact the great fire of 1916 which destroyed the central block because the Librarian had closed the Bronze doors connecting it to the central block of Parliament.

Architectural detail of the Library of Parliament in Canadian Revival Gothic Style. The interior in Canadian woods and the marble statue of a young Queen Victoria appearing in her late 20's is quite beautiful.

Here below are some pictures of the view from Parliament Hill

 The Museum of Civilizations designed by Douglas Cardinal located across the Ottawa River in Quebec.

 The Great hall of the National Gallery of Canada during renovation to the glass panels of the structure it has been recovered by an art installation to make it look like a gigantic iceberg.

 Major Hill Park and the spires of the RC Cathedral of Ottawa c.1848

 The Supreme Court Building in Art Deco style high above the Ottawa River

The Ottawa River looking West towards the Chaudiere Waterfall which are bigger than Niagara and called the Great Thunder by the Algonquin people.

 On Parliament Hill you will find many statues of former Prime Ministers of Canada and of important figures in Canadian History. Here the statue of Lester B. Pearson, Foreign Minister, Prime Minister, Nobel Peace Prize winner 1956, he gave Canada our National Flag 1965 and he is the one who propose the creation of the United Nations Peace Keepers.

The Peace Tower of Parliament and its clock and famous carillon