We visited one of Ottawa’s water filtration plants at a Doors Open event last summer. The Lemieux Island Water Purification Plant opened in 1932 and is a wonderful limestone structure with fine brass work and marble galleries. I’ve visited several times and can’t help but be impressed by the beauty of a building that houses a public utility.
The Chateau Laurier, an iconic hotel in Ottawa’s Parliament district was built in the Gothic Revival style between 1909 and 1912. It was commissioned by the Grand Trunk Railway and designated a national historic site in 1980. In the first photo you see it reflected in the window of the Senate of Canada (the former Union Station). The second photo provides a view of the hotel taken from a park just behind it.
Tall buildings and architectural features aren’t my usual photo subjects. But it’s nice to try new things with my photography which are as much a part of my environment as the woods I love to walk. The sky peering through the towers is still a nod to nature.
The powerful base of The Old Union Station, (now the Senate of Canada), a building I walk by often is impressive for its form and detail.
This building, an example of the Gothic Revival Style, was the former Ottawa Teachers’ College. It is now part of the Ottawa City Hall Complex. It’s an eclectic mix of styles that reminds us of our past.
I think the black and white photo complements the building’s style but I’ve included the colour version as well.
I’ve photographed this park before. I went back again, this time with a wider lens. I think the slightly off-balanced aspect, makes the photo a little unsettling and more interesting.
I didn’t have to travel far to see this Easter Island statue. In fact it was the first of several replicas I saw in this downtown neighbourhood. I had to smile when I saw it peering over the grass as I approached the house.
This building, The Aberdeen Pavilion, was the central hall of the Central Canada Exhibition, that took place in Ottawa, Canada every August between 1888-2010 with the exception of World War II. What began mainly as an agricultural fair expanded over the years to include a midway. The land around the Pavilion has been redeveloped in recent years and the fair no longer takes place but this beautiful building, designated a heritage site, is still enjoyed by the public and houses other events throughout the year. I took the photo on a sunny day this summer but I think it lends itself to black and white.
