The silvery falls

We hadn't been to the Rideau Falls for a while but walked there with friends after supper last Friday. The falls seen from the side had a beautiful silvery sheen to them in the evening light. A solitary duck standing on the lip looked as if it might get washed over at any moment, but the flow is relatively gentle at this time of year; I think it liked the view from there. A sunset cruise boat approached slowly to the nearest point it could reach at the bottom of the falls. Why do the boat companies feel obliged to broadcast loud music on their cruises, ruining the peace of the evening? I don't understand it, and nor do I understand why the NCC and other interested parties (that should read "uninterested," probably) have still done nothing about restoring the viewing platform at the falls and the derelict building there that used to house the Canada and the World Pavilion? A runner came by, found he couldn't get through the fences blocking off the terrace, and had to turn round and run back the way he'd come.

A new name for the Parkway

The Ottawa River Parkway is no more––since last week it has become the Sir John A. MacDonald Parkway, in honour of Canada's first prime minister. The Ottawa Citizen article about this includes 10 photos and a video clip of the renaming ceremony at which Sir John A's ghost turned up in a top hat, accompanied by his wife, Agnes.

A very pleasant walk

We covered about 16 kilometres on foot today, starting out this morning with the intention of walking about half the distance my husband rides on his bike to work, up the Ottawa River trail towards Kanata. His whole journey, one way, is about 25 km and he usually manages that distance in just over an hour, pedalling hard.

To reach his half-way-to-work point in a more leisurely manner (he's on holiday at present) took us about three hours, and then we deviated to Lincoln Fields for a pub lunch before catching the bus back to town (we also had to walk home through town). We enjoyed it so much that we'll probably do it again before long, either in the other direction from Lincoln Fields back to our house, or from the Kanata end to Lincoln Fields which would take us through the Britannia Beach district.

Anyhow it made a super walk for a summer morning. The route we took today led us below Parliament Hill and up the hill by the Chaudière Falls to the War Museum, then along the river bank past Remic Rapids and a couple of beaches. Plenty of benches tempted us to take a rest on the way; after 6km or so we sat for 20 minutes on one near the stone sculptures talking to another couple who regularly cycle along this trail.

The river level is still very low, exposing large extents of bed rock and gravelly sand, but the shore is not quite as dry as it was before the recent heavy showers which have turned the grass by the parkway green again. Water lilies and globe flowers were in bloom in the shallows and families of geese (practising their circuits) and herons were much in evidence all the way along.

On some short sections there's a chance to walk beside the bank away from the cyclists and speed skaters along the remains of a former trail. Less well maintained than the main trail, these deviations are only suitable for walkers––plenty of benches on those stretches too, though, under shady trees.

Ferry me over!

I cannot get to my love if I would dee 

The waters of Tyne run between him and me 

And here I must stand with a tear in my ee 

Both sighing and sickly, my true love to see 

Oh where is the boatman, my bonny hinney? 

Oh where is the boatman? Bring him to me! 

To ferry me over the Tyne to my honey 

Or skull him across that rough river to me.  

Oh bring me a boatman, I'll give any money

And you for your trouble rewarded shall be

To carry me over the Tyne to my honey

And I will remember the boatman and thee.

The Ottawa River is not the Tyne, but there's probably just as much need for a ferryman here between Ottawa and Gatineau to carry the lovers or the tourists across to one side of the river or the other. Today we finally saw proof that such a service has begun to exist and I'm very glad to advertise it here on my blog. The skipper (who comes from Worthing, in England) told us that he and his associates at Au Feel de L'Eau had been lobbying the National Capital Commission for several years to allow their Aqua Taxi service and that this year permission was finally granted, especially because the boat being used is an electricity powered vessel which doesn't pollute the river. Every evening after a longer than normal journey via Lac Leamy its batteries are recharged at the Gatineau Casino and for $20 you can take that ride. Normally, however, the water taxi simply operates between the dock next to the Rideau Canal locks below Parliament Hill and the Museum of Civilisation on the opposite bank. That short ride that costs just $5 will save you a couple of kilometres' walk across the Alexandra Bridge. Up to 10 people can come on board at once.

Here is some more information about the service.