Today we toured the Senate and House of Commons Parliament buildings which were originally built in 1867 and are undergoing extensive renovations over multiple years. Our tour guide explained how the Senate and House of Commons function within the Canadian system. Was interesting to learn that Canada started with a confederation of four provinces- Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Bill and I decided that the Canadian government differs from our US government in three ways.
1. The Prime Minister is not elected by the people but is chosen by the party that has the most seats in the House of Commons. He is a voting member of the House.
2. The Senate members are appointed for life, two from each provincial district. Those chosen must represent those from their district in ethnicity and religion.
3. The Governor General is appointed by the Queen of England to represent her in all matters. Therefor the Governor General signs off on all legislation and sits in all Senate sessions, as well as, represents Canada at home and abroad, bestows honors and is the Commander in Chief.
Was fascinating to get a close up look at the architecture of these magnificent buildings.
We also walked through the Hotel Laurier which was built at the same time as the Parliament buildings.
On our way to look at the ByWard Market, a series of streets with little shops and cafes and restaurants, it began to rain so we ducked into a nearby Irish pub for lunch and returned to the boat with a borrowed umbrella. We then took a nap while it rained.
After our nap we started back out to try our luck again at the ByWard Market area and then walked to the Elgin Diner for dinner. Good food, so much we could not finish and they had WiFi!
Along the walk we came upon some really old churches and buildings in downtown.
Day 114. August 8. In Ottawa
Awoke to a misty rain and headed to the post office to get Canadian stamps, and then boarded the Grayline On-Off Bus that took us around the city to see the sites. We had visited those close to our boat the previous day so we were interested in the parks and museums further out of the city.
We got a chance to view the Rideau Canal and Dow Lake from land as the bus route followed the canal for part of the trip.
We got off in Rockcliffe to visit Rideau Hall- the residence of Her Excellency the Right Honorable Marie Simon who is serving as the Governor General of Canada. This limestone mansion had its beginnings in 1832 as a home of the main engineer of the Rideau Canal, Thomas MacKay. Rideau has been expanded by adding two large wings to accommodate the duties of the Governor General. There are 79 acres of grounds which has gardens and is forested to resemble an English country estate.
Near Rideau Hall are some beautiful homes and around the corner at 1 Sussex is the residence of the Prime Minister. As it was undergoing major renovations, we could not see the residence. Further up the bluff are the huge estates of the foreign ambassadors. We caught a glimpse of the US, Swedish, French and United Arab Emirates estates.
The next stop we got off the bus was the Canadian War Museum. The museum was an interesting display of how Canada was forged by conflict- tribal wars over hunting grounds; French and Indian War (1754-1763),the war that the British vs French for control of North America; War of 1812, British defeating the Native Americans to colonize British Columbia; internal conflict on the plains of Canada over land rights; and the need to defend themselves led the provinces to unite into a confederation in 1867.
The museum did a nice job of highlighting Canadian participation in WWI, WWII, Korea, UN peacekeeping missions, as well as Kuwait and Afghanistan. The museum displayed, uniforms, weaponry medals earned and pictures with quotes and personal effects of officers and soldiers.We hopped back on the bus and came back to the boat.
PS As it rained off and on most of the day, was a great day for museums!
August 9. Day 115 on to Boathouse Marina in Rockcliffe Ont. 2.7 Nm Total. 2213
Woke to cloudy skies and misty rain and we prepared to move the boat to the blue line for the final 8 locks in the Rideau system. These eight locks are called the Ottawa flight. The locks are in sequence - as you enter a lock and are lowered the gate opens and you immediately enter the next lock. The trip down can take up to 2 hours, we will descend 79 feet to the Ottawa River.
The above picture was taken from the bridge before the flight locks showing all 8 locks.
We entered the lock with two other boats and spent the next hour and a half descending down the lock sequence.
Preparing to lock through the first of the series of eight locks.
As we exited the locks we looked back to take our last pictures of Ottawa. Was remiss in not telling you earlier, Ottawa means trading place in Algonquin. The Indians used this spot as a major meeting place to trade between the tribes in the area.
As we leave one the Rideau Canal leg of our trip we reflect on the great memories and have a bit of trepidation as we take on the next leg, the Ottawa River.
As we turn east up the river, we see the Rideau Falls. If you remember, we left the river and traveled in a cut channel thru the city to avoid the rapids and these falls.
We traveled up river for another two miles with Ontario to the south and Quebec province on the north shore. We then docked at a marina to get the boat pumped out and to tie up for the night. Once we connected with electric and water, we began our chores. For me, laundry, downloading maps for the next legs of our trip, defrosting the refrigerator and catch up on the blog. Bill gets to change the oil in the engines. What Fun!!
You are looking down into the engine room where Bill is changing the oil.
That is our boat at the end of the dock.
After chores are done we will walk up the cliff behind the marina to check out the view.
Rockcliffe park was in walking distance. It is a forested park area with pavilions and picnic tables and some great views of the Ottawa River and the outskirts of Gatineau, Quebec.
