During this holiday, maple leaf flags are normally hoisted everywhere in the city and on balconies. It is usually a day of serene atmosphere and shared joy but these past two years things have been different and, because of the pandemic, no major celebrations have taken place anywhere unfortunately.
Normally there would be parades, fireworks displays and food fairs across the thirteen provinces that comprise Canada today from British Columbia to Labrador.
July 1st was formerly known as Dominion Day. It is an important holiday because the Canadian provinces were founded on this day, on July 1st 1867.
I couldn’t do much on Canada Day this year but I had a day off the day before too so I decided to explore more of the city on foot now that the weather is better (even too hot as Canada is suffering from a big heat wave) so I started walking around Ottawa and I found out that there is much more to discover than the classic itineraries.
To pay a special tribute to this national holiday I chose to visit the burning flame we have here: right in front of the parliament buildings, the Centennial Flame was placed there to celebrate the centennial of the Canadian Confederation founded in 1867.
It is a fountain with a central flame fuelled by methane that does not go out never.
It is found at the beginning of the avenue leading to the Parliament building and history tells us that this monument should have been on display for just a year but it was so well received by the Canadian population that the government decided to leave the flame burning there indefinitely.
The meaning of the flame is full of pride: the Canadian government, in unifying the different peoples that make it up, has shown that it is possible to mix water and fire, overcoming the diversity of culture and traditions to build a single great country.
Parliament Hill is the hub of the administrative and political life of the nation.
The hill rises on the Ottawa River and houses the Parliament building and other government offices, all in magnificent Victorian style. There is also a beautiful green area all around it where it is quite common to spot squirrels and beavers, to the delight of children and not only.
If one desires to do so, it is normally possible to participate in guided tours of the East Block and the House of Common, although I think tours might have been suspended due to the pandemic.
I walked from Parliament Hill to Major’s Hill Park, a beautiful green area located right next to the ByWard Market and the National Gallery. It is the first park built in the capital of Canada, dating back to 1875 other than being the ideal place to take a little rest during a busy day in the city.
From here one can also enjoy one of the best views of the Rideau Canal and inside the Header House you can also admire a collection of works by local artists. The Park is equipped with several picnic areas, making it the ideal place to enjoy one of the many regional specialties that you will find at the ByWard Market.
I ended my walk at the Nepean Viewpoint which is marked by a statue of Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer who scouted the river in the 17th century.
The viewpoint is located on a small hill that overlooks the Ottawa River and it grants an amazing panoramic view of the Canadian Parliament.
From here you can see all of downtown Ottawa and there is a beautiful 360-degree view.
At the viewpoint there used to be a native Anishinabe scout statue too with the native at the bottom of the French explorer’s statue but it was moved to Major’s Hill Park to give it more visibility.
