Canadian War Museum

We had planned two museums today but almost 5 hours in the Canadian War Museum determined that one a day is enough! We have very few pictures as it didn't really lend itself to photos. It is an absolutely huge museum and really should be spread out to a five day visit. For a young nation, Canada has been involved in a lot of wars!

We started in the LeBreton Gallery which houses the military technology collection - tanks and such armoured vehicles. In my opinion, once you've seen one tank you've seen them all. But not so for Jim!

On the way down to the LeBreton Gallery there were lots of panels from war aircraft that had been decorated with slogans and cartoons etc. by their aircrew. I've put this one up for Nan. What was she up to?






The special exhibition was on the 1812 war which is being celebrated this year. We had already learned a good bit in Fort George but this gave a lot more information and looked at the different perspectives of the war from each of the parties involved - the British, the Americans, the Canadians and the First Nation Canadians and American Indians. The display was very well done and we spent a lot of time there.

Theere were 4 other galleries which focused on different wars. Gallery 1 was called Battleground - Wars on our Soil, earliest times to 1885. It was interesting to see the conflicts between the First Nation and the early settlers and how the French integrated themselves etc. etc. Gallery 2 was called For Crown and Country - the South African and First World Wars, 1885-1931. The most poignant exhibit for me is the one below.

Gallery 3 was called Forged in Fire - The Second World War, 1031 - 1945. I'm afraid I did not give this the attention it probably deserves as I was tired and my head was full of facts. The reintegrations of soldiers etc. into ordinary life was interesting though.

Gallery 4 was called A Violent Peace - The Cold War, Peacekeeping and Recent Conflicts, 1945 to the present. Sorry, totally switched off by then!

Because another museum was totally out of the question, we headed on for Wakefield, a lovely little village on the western shore of the Gatineau River in the Outaouais region of Quebec. The town was founded in 1830 by Irish, Scottish and English immigrants. By sheer chance we had lunch facing the river in a nice bistro/pub and when we went to find the washrooms discovered an Irish flag at the bar and the washrooms named fir and mna!

The Gatineau River from where we lunched.

Wakefield Covered Bridge  

The Wakefield covered bridge was built in 1915 at the entrance of the village and was one of the first bridges to link the two shores of the Gatineau River. Sadly, the bridge was completely destroyed by fire in 1984. The population of the village decided to collect money to rebuild the bridge. Ten years later, in 1998, the new Gendron covered bridge was inaugurated. The new bridge can only be used by pedestrians, but it kept a few original pieces, among which the pillars that support it.

Light at the end of the covered bridge!

Since 2011 the village has hosted the Wakefield Covered Bridge Run. The Marathon of Health along with the Wakefield community have created this running event to raise money for organizations that promote healthy and active lifestyles through sports.

Wakefield also had a mill which is now run as a fancy hotel and spa. There is quite a waterfall that must have driven the mill but it was impossible to get a proper picture as the grounds are closed off to casual tourists like ourselves.

Between wars and walks and covered bridges and mills we had a long day!

Upper Canada Village

The weather forecast was not very promising this morning so we opted for Upper Canada Village, a heritage park in the town of Riverside near Morrisburg. It depicts a 19th century village in Upper Canada. We reckoned if it rained there would be plenty of houses for shelter. Construction of Upper Canada Village began in 1958 as part of the St. Lawrence Seaway project, which required the permanent flooding of 10 communities in the area, known as The Lost Villages. Upper Canada Village was a part of the project's heritage preservation plan. Many of the buildings in Upper Canada Village were transported directly from the villages to be flooded. 

It was quite a vast area to explore and we were congratulating ourselves on coming on a Monday when we heard the first screams that heralded myriad school groups on their school outing! They dogged our steps for all of the time we were there and never was I as close to thinking that there should be mass extermination of screaming children! We had a nice visit to the cheese-making house - just ourselves - and then a short while alone in the Tenant's house before we had to beat a hasty retreat as a school group tumbled into the kitchen where I had been anticipating a sample of a cake that the woman of the house had just baked. In the cheese-making house, the cheesemaker was effusive in her praise of cheese curds which I are part of the dish poutine. I left with the intention of trying them (not in poutine as I had already tried them in it).

Is that an iceberg I see?

Grinding grain to make the flour that is used in the bakery to make the bread .

This is the horse that drives the saw below - just going round in circles!

Women at women's work!

Mammy pig!

And baby piggies!

The man is leading this horse on the tow path

and this is the Tow Scow being towed. It was full of those screaming children so we had no desire to get aboard.

Strange looking duck!

Should I just run?

Crysler Hall was once the home of a prosperous landowner and the building houses many 19th century displays including this stained glass window that once adorned St. John's Anglican Church of Crysler, Ontario.  Seemingly two eight year old boys vandalised the church leaving only this window intact. The congregation could not afford to get the church renovated so it eventually closed. They gave the window to Upper Canada Village.

Willard's Hotel where we had lunch in the old-fashioned way, waited on by comely maidens. It was the only way to escape those children!

Christ Church - Church of England

Christ Church inside.

Masonic Lodge

The only Masonic Lodge I am likely to see the inside of!

St. Lawrence River.

A 19th century mode of transport.

We were very fortunate that the rain didn't arrive until we were on our way home. The day was very cool and necessitated wearing coats - a big change from the weather we have had for quite a while.

Brewer Park Farmers' Market and the Gatineau Park.

Today began with a visit to Brewer Park Farmers' Market where there was the most wonderful fruit and vegetables. There were tomatoes and beetroot of all shapes, sizes and colours. The strawberries tasted really strawberryish and I couldn't pass  the garlic scapes which I had seen for the first time at Grimsby Market. Garlic scapes are the flower stalks of hardneck garlic plants. They are usually cut off because leaving them on only diverts the plant's strength away from forming a plump bulb. They are both edible and delicious. The stall holder had a pesto made with raw garlic scapes and it was delicious. So I now have a pound of garlic scapes plus recipes explaining how to use them! I also bought fava (broad) beans and fresh peas. Jim bought Apple Cider which, contrary to our understanding of cider, is not alcoholic but is delicious particularly when really cold. It was hard to drag ourselves away but we had planned a visit to the Province of Quebec by doing a tour of the Gatineau Park. Before we left we watched a group of Asians doing Tai Chi, I think. It was very graceful and soothing - Evy would be good at it!

Gatineau Park is Ottawa's Conservation Park and is in Quebec's Outaouais Region. It covers 36,100 hectares and visitors can enjoy a whole range of outdoor activities. There were lots of hikers, cyclists, bikers and cars. It would be a fantastic place in Ottawa for the colours of the trees. At the moment it is very green. We stopped in Old Chelsea to go to the ? Centre and to admire the houses and shops.

A nice log cabin.

We had lunch in the Old Chelsea Pub and I had Poutine! We first came across Poutine in British Columbia but I did not try it because it is a French Canadian dish so I wanted to wait until I was in French Canada. It consists of French fries topped with brown gravy and cheese curds. It is quite nice but on the stodgy side.

There is an escarpment in Gatineau park called the Eardley Escarpment and there were several look out points that have great views of the escarpment and of the Ottawa River Valley. The pictures don't do the views justice.

Views from the Huron Lookout.

An insect at the Huron Lookout - it was named in the ? Centre but I've forgotten the name.

Views from the Etienne-Brule Lookout.

Up here we were standing at an altitude of 335 metres on the edge of the Eardley Escarpment, a formation that marks the boundary of Gatineau Park. Here two important geological formations meet: the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands (which include the Ottawa Valley).






Our next stop was at King Mountain which, after you have climbed it, has a spectacular view of the Eardley Escarpment and the Ottawa River Valley. We went part of the way but the terrain was too Fionnuala Falls friendly for me to continue.

The trail to King Mountain.

A small lake near King Mountain.

Hide and seek with a chipmunk!

We continued on our way to visit the Mackenzie King Estate. This estate was bought by Mackenzie King, a former Prime Minister of Canada, who had fallen in love with the wild landscape on his first visit to the Gatineau Hills. We toured the grounds which are quite vast.

The Tea Rooms.

Formal English Garden.

Rock Garden.

The Window on the Forest.

On the Waterfall Trail.

There is light at the end of the tunnel on the Waterfall Trail!

Still on the Waterfall Trail.

We walked almost 2 km along the Waterfall Trail (and along some rather Fionnuala falls friendly terrain, but I managed to keep upright) to find the Bridal Veil Falls that, in King's time, was so strong that he could hear its roar all the way from the Abbey Ruins.

This is what we found! The stream has been dammed and so the waterfall is rather lacklustre. And I endangered my life for this!

Part of the Abbey Ruins which are not ruins at all just built to look like ruins.

Condos for birds!

On the road again we stopped for a look at Pink Lake which we thought might be pink or might have pink rocks. It was a bit if a disappointment that it was named after the Pink family who once owned the land!

Pink Lake.

We only did a fraction of Gatineau Park today. Hopefully we will get a chance to return and visit some of the lakes and go farther north.