Rideau Canal - Downtown Ottawa, Canada

[Manfred M]

Clicking on the image will provide a better view. The native display does not show panos well!

I was out updating my images used in the Panos I posted earlier this week to correct a focus issue, so I shot a 4 section nightime Pano of the Rideau Canal as it runs through downtown Ottawa. The shots were taken from the Mackenzie King Bridge.

In the winter, it is turned into the world's longest skating rink - it's not quite there yet, but the ice is getting thicker and the huts have been set up.




As a bit of an aside; the sites of recent panos that I posted (and will be reposting) can be seen in this image. The blue-lit Christmas trees are the site of the National War Memorial and the touch of red on the Peace Tower is where Parliament Hill is located.

A quick geography lesson - The building on the left is the National Arts Centre (the main classical concert and theatre venue in Ottawa), the Parliament Buildings and the Chateau Laurier Hotel can be seen in the background. The dark "mass" in front of the Chateau is the Government Conference Centre; which is the former train station (the current one opened in 1966) with the tracks running along side the canal.

The bridge the canal flows under is the Plaza Bridge; the eight Ottawa locks of the Rideau Canal start right behind it and connect the canal with the Ottawa River.

[Donald]

Wonderful. And even the bridge has a wonderful name!

[Kaye Leggett]

It's a good shot - looking forward to seeing one with the skaters too !

[Mike Buckley]

I have seen many images of seemingly thousands of skaters on the canal and do hope you'll provide us with some of your own this season.

[Manfred M]

The reports are that the canal might be open in around a week or so; they have started to plow the snow and flood the skateway. The ice needs to have a minimum required thickness (they do drill test holes) before they open it up; they do it by sections most of the time. The cold weather bodes will for an earlier opening than usual; last year they opened it in the middle of January.

I expect to be there with still and video camera this year. The best photography is during the annual Winterlude festival, which in 2014 runs between Jan 31 and Feb 17.

[Manfred M]

Wonderful. And even the bridge has a wonderful name!

The bridge was named after the wartime (WW II) Prime Minister; Willian Lyon Mackenzie King. It turns out he was a bit crazier than most as he was a firm believer in the occult and consulted the dead when making his decisions; he mostly communed with his dead mother and a number of his dead dogs. He had a strange hobby of collecting ruins, which he had transferred to his estate; Kingsmere at nearby Gatineau Park (quite photogenic, so I plan to get out there again).

[FrankMi]

I love night photography, panoramas are even better, and the three night panos you've recently posted are among the best I've seen, (even with the focus issue). I'm looking forward to seeing your re-shoots Manfred!

[Shadowman]

Very nice.

[Digital]

Manfred, your photography is amazing.


Bruce