MosaiCanada 150/Gatineau 2017
This free event took place all summer in Parc Jacques-Cartier in Gatineau, Quebec for Canada's 150th. It stretched about a kilometre in total to take visitors on a tour of Canada through sculpture, paint, and topiary. It included the themes of 'Ticket To Canada', 'A Journey Across Canada', 'An Excursion In China', 'A Journey Through Time', and 'A Journey Through the Imaginary of the First Nations'. It was a blazing hot day--the hottest of the year--and the cloudless skies gave no respite from the sun so we had to keep it a little short but it was still stunning even as a brief stop. If you missed it, there is a petition to bring it back next year!
"Mother Earth: The Legend if Aataentsic" (A Journey Through the Imagination of the First Nations)
"The Muskoxen" (Northwest Territories). These were my favourite! So well done.
"The Niagara Gateway" (Ontario). This one was weird, okay? I don't get it. Granted, it was too hot and we simply didn't have the time to read through each display.
"Three Ships from France/Trois navires venus de France" (Quebec).
The eastern half of "Mother Earth: The Legend if Aataentsic" (A Journey Through the Imagination of the First Nations). These are the prairies represented by bison and wild horses.
"Blessing of the Good Omen Dragons" (Beijing, China). This was basically a gift from China for Canada150. No other country contributed.
"The Drum Dancer" (Nunavut). I have to say, the northern territories had the best displays.
"The Puffins" (Newfoundland & Labrador).
"Chief of the Undersea World -- Bill Reid's Killer Whale" (British Columbia).
"Born With The Sun" (A Journey Through the Imaginary of the First Nations).
"A Story of the Northern Lights -- Howling Wolf" (Arctic region).
"Joyful Celebration of the Nine Lions" (Shanghai, China).
This is the centrepiece of the exhibit. My grandfather gave me this promotional Canada150 booklet for Ottawa and I flipped through absently until I saw this. I decided I had to go. When we were there, I waited patiently for a group taking a photo in front of this, and instead of saying "Cheese!", they called out, "Moana!" Which, I have to say, was one my first thoughts as well. Doesn't she remind you a little of a Canadian Te Fiti? The rest of the First Nations region was great, but unfortunately a bit difficult to photograph in a short amount of time in full sun, even with my CPL!
Back on the more anglo side of the Ottawa River, we made a quick stop at Remic Rapids to see the balancing rocks.
John Felicè Ceprano has been hired by Ottawa to balance rocks daily in the river!
"The Art of Balance" is a piece of perfomance art that has been on-going since 1986.