Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Day 2014
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Day 2014
Happy belated Canada and Independence Day to my Canadian and American friends! Canada’s been my home for the past 40 years; it’s hard to believe the time’s gone by so quickly. On our first Canada Day here, I remember my parents being so excited that they secured a spot early in the afternoon on the lawn of the Parliament Buildings to see the fireworks– one of the best views in town. Unfortunately, the moment they began, my sister Anna, just 3 then, began crying her head off! She was terrified by them so we had to move a couple of blocks away to calm her down. A most memorable Canada Day was in 1977 when my parents brought my brother home from the hospital; he was born a few days before the holiday weekend. For my sisters and me, it was a thrill not only to see the fireworks but also to welcome a new member into our family.
This year, wanting to commemorate the day through images, I decided, for the first time ever, to capture the festivities on camera*. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, I didn’t take any of the fireworks because I was too busy fending off mosquitoes with both hands! And wouldn’t you know, as though it was some unofficial yearly ritual, it started raining a few minutes before the fireworks began (don’t you just hate it when that happens). Anyway, the holiday was a great excuse to continue to experiment with my Samsung S5 cell camera as well as practice my electronic collaging. I’m a great people-watcher, so I was in my element snapping up photos of interesting people in the crowds as discretely as possible. Later, as I reflected on my stash of photos, I realized how much things had changed over the decades. The event has gotten bigger and better over the years; the crowds are larger and it’s now timed perfectly with our city’s Jazz festival. We have such an eclectic group of citizens here, it’s wonderful to see everyone come together to celebrate the day wearing splashes of red and waving mini flags to mark their pride of being Canadian. It’s a day when I’m reminded how grateful I am to live in a country where we can more or less follow our dreams and shape our own unique identities. If you’d like to share your favourite national holiday photos or stories with me, I’d love to hear them. Below are a few fabulous links of some our Canada Day events.
*Note: It’s funny how sometimes when you live in a place you can take these yearly rituals for granted. I’ve been in Canada for over 40 years and never taken a single photo of Canada Day.
PS I’ll be taking a break to work on a project for the next week or so. Will be back blogging on the week of July 28, 2014. Hope your all enjoying the summer!
Other Related Links:
Ottawa Jazz Festival Website
Canada Day Fireworks 2014, Kelowna, BC (YouTube)
CBC Canada Day 2014: July 1 celebrated across the country
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