Canadian Civilisation Museum
This marks the last day i spent in Canada.
Unlike other days when i would rush out of my hotel rm by 8am, today i took my time to bathe, pack my stuff and watch some TV programmes. I'd be checking out of my hotel rm at 11:30am.
As i still had some time, i decide to go over to Ottawa side for some breakfast and some last min souvenir shopping.
Breakfast was at a 24-hr diner. This set was on promo, and costs only CAD$2.90 (~S$3.60):
h/e the orange juice was an additional CAD$3 (~S$3.80)!! I should have just drank iced water =( At least the orange juice was free flow.
After buying some souvenirs, i made my way back.
On the way, i passed by the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica, Ottawa. Previously i had tried to enter to visit, but a mass was held then and thus not opened for visiting. This time round, i was lucky.
Stained glass windows:
I'm not sure how the Notre Dame in Montreal and here in Ottawa are related, as they have the same name and have similar design. They're both amazing architecture to me nonetheless.
After checking out of our hotel rooms, i decide to make my way to the Canadian Civilisation Museum as we still had some time before our 10 pm flight.
The ticket cost me CAD$15, which includes movie screening of the "Grand Canyon" in their IMAX theatre.
On the ground floor of the civilisation museum. This is directly facing the Ottawa River:
Entrance to the Aboriginal area, or the "First People" of Canada:
Inside showcases the art and everyday life of the Aborigines since the older days till now.
The artifacts and information shows the diversity of Aboriginal cultural expression; how the Aboriginal presence manifests itself within present-day Canada; the adaptation of traditional lifestyles to different environments across Canada; and the impact of the arrival and settlement of Europeans over the last 500 years.
Woven cloth by the Aborigines:
Woven stitched cloth, with the Aboriginal "signs" on it:
A typical room during the 19th Century:
Wall art:
Aborigines in the outdoor. Canoe was an important transport then, esp to carry goods and people from coast to coast:
A sculpture depicting the Aborigines together with the Europeans who first stepped into Canada in the olden times:
The clothes and shoes worn by the Aborigines during winter time:
There are other exhibits about the Aborigines' way of life and livelihoods, such as those who whale for a living:
Also, the influence of the Europeans when they first stepped into Canadian shores 500 years ago, and how it influences Canadian Aborigines' lives through trade, culture and war:
I left the First Peoples Hall for the second floor, where the Canada Hall is. This showcases the last 1000-years' history of Canada, and is divided into various sections, looking at the lives of the new immigrants and how they shaped and influenced the Canadian culture.
Life-sized architecture, as well as real artifacts and sometimes "real people" (actors) were used to bring history alive~ I particularly enjoyed this section of the museum.
Besides the European immigrants, there were many immigrants from Asia such as the Chinese who settled down in Canada. Many Chinese then were in the laundry business, which was a tough, and rather lowly job then.
Inside one typical laundry shop owned by a Chinese boss:
The shop also serves as the boss' (and any workers') lodgings, which is usually located at the back of the shop.
The entire church from St. Onuphrius was moved to the museum after its last service in October 1993, donated by the congregation as tribute to the original pioneers. In 1995, the museum built a concrete altar and erected a commemorative plaque at the church's original site.
A typical printing room/shop in the olden times. This one was callled North Star Press Printers & Publishers:
A very antique cash register:
Behind the shop, there's typically a small office for the shop-owner:
Inside an European-style cottage. It looks very nice and authentic. Many of the items were originals/antiques:
Ontario town life:
Outside a "furniture shop":
The next part of the journey was on War and how it shaped and influenced the people in Canada.
Following the l763 conquest, the influential British military establishments occupied a prominent place in many Canadian urban centres. Britain sent thousands of soldiers and sailors to British North America to secure its frontiers and assist with its administration.
This section showcases the colonial life between 1760 and 1871, and the roles played by these British officers and servicemen.
Drum used by the 24th Regiment, ca.1830s:
The eighteenth-century Upper Great Lakes voyageur camp. It was in such a setting that Europeans and Native trappers exchanged furs for trade goods.
Beaver skin was popular in the olden days. As beaver pelts became difficult to find in eastern regions, traders were forced to go farther north and west. Contact between cultures, and the intermarriage of Native people and traders, brought significant changes to the economic and social fabric of the land, including the birth of a unique Metis culture on the plains of southern Manitoba.
One sector of the Metis population depended primarily on the bison hunt for its livelihood.
Maritime was also an important activity then (and now) for Canada.
Map of Canada, with important features located at various parts of the country:
I went for a quick lunch at the museum cafe before rushing off for the IMAX show at 2pm. We can see spectacular views of Grand Canyon through a river-rafting trip down the river in Colarado, and also learn about the importance of water conservation. It was a good catch.
I had wanted to buy tickets for another IMAX show on the marine world, but i decide to spend the remaining time in the Postal museum. It was a rather poor decision tho, as i found the Postal museum a tad boring. It was no wonder i hardly saw any other visitors, unlike when i was in the Canada Hall, which was clearly very popular.
At the entrance to the Postal museum, you can see all sorts of cute postal boxes:
On the right side once you enter, there's a dark room with stamps from the olden days (think 19th century) till today which represent the important events and/or persons in Canada, as well as interesting features such as the flora. The stamps were kept in a dark room, and no photography was allowed so as to protect some of these stamps which were very ancient.
Stamps from all over the world (i think; didnt look in details):
A typical post office in the past:
A mail box that was used in 1900-1910:
A prototype of a community mailbox used in 1974:
There was also a section where visitors can see short clips of movies related to postage and stamps, such as "You've got mail" and "The Lake House".
I left the postal museum after a short while as i find it a tad too boring.
Wondered over to the special exhibition section. On exhibition was a look at Glenn Gould, a world-acclaimed musician and pianist. There was a small section here where you could sit down and listen to audio clips of his performances. I sat here, engrossed in the music before i realize that the museum is closing soon.
Before i left, i popped over to the souvenir shop and bought some souvenirs for my parents.
There was still some time left before we have to make our way to the airport. I went to say goodbye to my Chinese friends, and we exchanged addresses and contact numbers.
We took a taxi to Ottawa Airport. On the way, the friendly taxi-driver told us about Winter in Ottawa, and the Gatineau Canal which would freeze over, and people would ice skate and play ice hockey on it.
We had a couple of hours before the flight took off. Had dinner at Tim Burton's, which turned out to be a disappointment despite it looking promising, as the chicken patty in the burger was too dry, and no amount of sauce could savage it.
Feeling bored, i went to look around at the shops, and bought the Twilight book from the bookstore. A good thing actually, cos it helped me to spend many endless and excruciating hours of waiting for the flights.
It was a total nightmare when we alighted at London Heathrow Airport. As Air Canada had not helped us to transit (us and) our luggage, we had to check out AND check in at the British Airway counter for the connecting flight. As there was only slightly more than an hour's gap in between the flights, and we had to rush from one terminal to another terminal with our heavy luggage(s), naturally we missed the connecting flight.
We booked the next flight for 1pm, and thus we had a 3 hour wait at the London airport. We would be flying to Amsterdam airport, and transiting to Singapore from there. The flight to Amsterdam was short, only about 1 hour plus.
Again, at Amsterdam airport, we had to wait about 3 hours for the final flight. By then, i was really exhausted as i didnt sleep much on the flight from Canada to London, and the fatigue from the entire trip plus the mad rush at London airport finally caught up with me, and i slept at the Amsterdam airport while waiting.
Finally, our final flight was due, and we flew back to S'pore, reaching at 4 plus in the afternoon on 6th Nov, more than half a day late from our previous scheduled arrival time.
Lesson learnt: Always allow at least 2 hours in between connecting flights. Best would be 3 hours, as it would allow you sufficient time to travel between terminals if necessary, and also to refresh and buy souvenirs you wish at the transiting airport.
