Happy Canada Day!

Trip Start Jan 20, 2004
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Saturday, July 1, 2006

Ottawa is a rather reserved city for most of the year - maybe something to do with the heavy burden of being Canada's capital, or perhaps the fact that it is just not Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver! However, on July 1st every year Ottawa lets its collective hair down and everyone comes out to celebrate Canada Day. Of course, a few people are still grumpy that it's not referred to as Dominion Day anymore (after a sneaky manoeuvre by the Liberals to push a Private Members Bill through Parliament with only five minutes debate late on a Friday afternoon back in 1982), but generally the mood is festive and everyone is out for a day of fun.

We haven't had the opportunity to get into the spirit of things for quite a few years now (we always seem to be off in some exotic spot or other somewhere else in the world), but this year we were fortunate enough to be able to mingle with the crowds during Canada's 139th birthday celebrations 01 Happy 139th
01 Happy 139th
 . The National Capital Commission arranges a very diverse program of activities to suit all tastes, and there are many other impromptu performances on the traffic-free streets. But perhaps the most enjoyable part is quietly people-watching throughout the day.

Here are just a few random thoughts and emotions from our twelve hours out and about on Parliament Hill and around the downtown core on La Fête du Canada:

· reflecting on the peacefulness of the nation's capital on an early morning walk up the canal as the sun was rising;
· marvelling at the enthusiastic participation of Canada's young people in the massed choir Unisong Concert at the National Arts Centre;
· listening in awe to eleven-year-old Jan Lisiecki - an extraordinarily gifted pianist from Calgary playing a Mozart Piano Concerto with the NAC Orchestra;
· enjoying the quiet sense of peace and freedom pervading the festivities;
· watching the clever strategy of the farmers' demonstration...handing out ice-cream and cheese curds;
· wondering how many trans-fats there might be in each portion of fries, hot dogs and poutine served by the multitudinous chip wagons;
· enjoying the many personal displays of multiculturalism that makes our country unique;
· revelling in the unquestionable beauty of "a sea of red and white";
· laughing at the reaction of kids in the crowd to the smell of the RCMP horses "pooh";
· getting bowled over by the sheer energy and rhythms of the Baobab Tree drumming and dancing;
· admiring the precision of the Snowbirds fly-over;
· smiling at the outlandish displays of 'maple leaf`patriotism' with painted faces, tattoos, weird hats and costumes;
· sensing the excitement permeating the air just prior to the stupendous climax of the fireworks display;
· appreciating the perfect timing of the rainstorm which held off until well after most scheduled activities were completed.

A day to remember. Thanks Canada!!
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