Moving

Tags

Canada., House of Commons, Ottawa, Parliament, renovations, Senate

Just before the Christmas break, Parliament and the Senate in Ottawa closed down for the last time in the Central block. For the next 15 years they will sit in temporary locations. The House of Commons will sit in what was the Courtyard of the West Bloc, a building that dates back to 1864 when Ottawa was still a mud town and the Senate will move to the old Railway Station across the street.

Since 2000 what are the 3 main buildings of the Parliament in Canada have been undergoing major renovation and retrofitting. Both the West and East blocs are original to 1864 and only minor cleaning and repair had taken place in the last 136 years. The West bloc was designed to house offices for members of Parliament and some Federal government departments. The East bloc was designed to house the Office of the Governor General, the Cabinet and the Department of Foreign Affairs. With the years and the growth of the Canadian Government after 1918, all that changed. The original Central bloc burnt to the ground in a spectacular fire in 1917 caused by a cigar butt left in a reading room. Only the Library of Parliament survived the massive fire because the Librarian seeing the smoke at the end of the corridor had to good sense of closing the steel doors thus protecting the Library from the flames. So in 1919  new Central bloc was inaugurated, the new building had an entire steel skeleton, a novelty then and a very tall clock tower now called the Peace Tower. However since then again little renovations had been done. The building though magnificent was having more and more mechanical system failures in the last few years.

The renovated West Bloc re-opened last week with the House now sitting in a very modern room for the next 15 years, the cost of this one building $863 million dollars CDN. It is a smaller building than the Central bloc and most Members have their offices in other buildings in the Parliament district, but that did not stop the media and some members of complaining about the small building. I worked in that building in 1979-81 and I do not remember it being that small, it is very grand inside with marble floors and grand staircases.

The Senate which in Canada and according to our Constitution is an un-elected body now sits in the Old Union Station, which was closed in 1965, converted into a government conference centre but mostly unused for years. It was a very badly neglected building with water infiltration etc. It too was completely renovated at great cost.

But that is not all, other buildings around the area, like the Confederation Building, the Justice Building, the Old Metropolitan Life building at Wellington and Bank street, the Bank of Canada, the Supreme Court all have been renovated or are about to be renovated. The total cost is estimated at around $3.1 billion dollars, but the Central bloc alone will probably cost $1.2 billion to renovate. The reason for such high cost is that the buidings are full of sculptures, stained glass windows, chandeliers and artifacts, so the work has to take place around it all without damaging or displacing any of it.

The photo above shows the great Lion clutching in his paws the Coat of arms of Canada, he stands at the main door of the Central bloc under the Peace Tower, you can see how the stone is intricately carved with flora and fauna of Canada, well the inside is just the same, it all means something. In the distance on the photo is a part view of the West bloc.

Computerized rendition of the West Bloc with the big blue roof covering the old Courtyard.

The new visitor entrance located between the West Bloc and the Central Bloc on Parliament Hill.

The temporary House of Commons built inside the Courtyard of the West Bloc, 20 steel columns hold up the glass roof. The public galleries are far larger and there is also many more seats for the Members of Parliament, in the next 15 years to population of Canada will increase so the architects thought of adding extra space to the existing 338 member seats.

The Senate building

This is the old waiting room of the railway station transformed. The permanent furniture has not been installed yet, this is just a mock up of plain wood desk.

This bronze wall was installed with images of the rockies, the door leads into the Senate Chamber. The employees of the Senate negotiated the return of one of the old waiting room seat with tiffany lamps from the museum where it was sent in 1966. A nice touch to the old railway station.

 

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Big adventures

Tags

AVC, Bundnie, Cairo, dogs, Nicky, Nora, Ottawa, Reese, UPEI, Vet

Having two dogs is like having two kids, same thing really, they have their little personalities and ways of doing things. Having lived with dogs in the house since 1990 we are use to them and how they are the presence in our lives. Our first two dachshunds, one short hair from Cairo and one long hair Chicago were family members and they travelled around the world with us. To this day we have fond memories of Bundnie and Reese and how they were more than just dogs.

Bundnie and Me on the terrace of my apartment in Cairo 1990.

Reesie and Bundnie on the deck at our home in Ottawa, 1993

Bundnie died at home of old age at 18 and Reese died in Rome at 17. A year later we were visiting a colleague of mine outside the City in Capena and her husband use to walk around the countryside and came upon the farm of Dr. Massimo Buzzanca and his wife Tiziana, both are well known in breeder of Wirehair Dachshund circles in Italy and their dogs are bred with other champion dogs in the EU.

Nicky and Nora are now 10 years old, yes it has been a decade since our time in Italy. Nora is older than Nicky by a week, they also have travelled with us not as much as Bundnie and Reese though.

Last week Nora had symptoms of what is very common in any aging Dachshund back weakness which can lead to paralysis. Unfortunately we know all too well what that means, we went through several back operations with Bundnie and Reese.

Nora always seem to get sick on a weekend which means that only the Animal Veterinary Clinic at the University of PEI is open, but since we are outside normal clinic hours, a special fee applies of $135. just to step in. They took good care of her, the AVC is a teaching hospital and they also take care of Farm animals and horses. So its complete kennel rest for her for a month and some medication.

Of course Mr Nicky also started to have what looked like a tooth problem, so we took him to our other Vet who is known in the region for specializing in dental work, even the AVC refers patients to him. Though in Nicky’s case it was not his teeth, I got a call from the clinic and was told that he had a growth under his tongue and it had to be removed pronto, could it be cancer? His teeth were fine. So it was sent for biopsy and about five days later we got the results, all benign, no problem. We also had another growth removed from his shoulder, it too was benign just fatty tissue.

Vet care in Canada is very expensive if compared to the USA. When we lived in Ottawa, some people took their dogs to the USA for treatment, the border is only 50km, away a short drive. We cannot do that here, the border with Maine is about 5 hours away through moose country not the thing to do in Winter on isolated highways.

This week we will return to the AVC for an assessment of Nora’s condition, though at the moment she is doing fine. Nicky is going back to have his shoulder stitches removed at the end of the month. At the moment he wears the cone, which he will not wear if going outside, he simply refuses to go out with it. He gives you that look and you know what it means.

Nora on her favourite sofa

Nicky stretched out and Nora on the cushion. 

 

colourful

Tags

Canada., Charlottetown, Noël, Ottawa, PEI

Here are some photos of the Season.

Beach Grove PEI, an area on the North River in Charlottetown.

Richmond street also known as Victoria Row, all the buildings on this street are either brick or Red PEI Limestone built in 1880 and a very trendy street nowadays in the heart of old Charlottetown

 

Old Charlottetown on the morning of 19 December 2017, snowing lightly. Of course St-Dunstan’s RC Basilica dominates the area.

And some 1000 Km away from PEI, another Capital City, Ottawa our National Capital decorated in all its Christmas splendour, with Parliament dominating the centre of the City.

So the shopping hours with the holiday approaching, I noticed that all stores are closing either at 2pm or 5pm on 24 December, will remain close 25 and 26 December.

 This being an Island I thought this old card entitled Joyeux Noël was a propos. 

The 5 Fallacies about Art

Tags

art., fallacies, MBAC, NGC, Ottawa

Here we have Marc Mayer, Director of the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa presenting his arguments to debunk fallacies about art. I find it very helpful in my conversations with the public at the Art Gallery.

 

A new and different politician

Tags

House of Commons, Jagmeet Singh, Leader, NDP, Ottawa

Canada has a way of choosing it’s political leaders and will often go for the maverick who will present new fresh ideas and has an image of someone truly different who can inspire voters. In this aspect Canada could not be more different from the USA.

The New Democratic Party (NDP), traditionally the party of labour and social democracy in Canada, announced in April 2016 it would be replacing incumbent Federal leader Tom Mulcair in the House of Commons after the party’s poor performance in the 2015 federal election.

It’s the first time that a turban-wearing Sikh has run for the leadership of a Canadian political party. He poses a challenge to the party; generally in rethinking how it presents itself to the larger electorate. Choosing a successor to Mulcair is something of an existential crisis for the party. In Quebec it is a special challenge given the way Quebecers look at the multicultural and diversity question, a very different approach from the rest of Canada. In this leadership contest the other three candidates where white, one from Quebec Guy Caron and Charlie Angus from Ontario and Nikki Ashton from Manitoba.

Jagmeet Singh is 38 years old single man, fluent in French and English and in Punjabi.

Singh has already enjoyed some success in being the first Provincial NDP member to be elected in Windsor at any level of government.

He also served as the deputy leader of the Ontario NDP in the Provincial Legislature from 2015 to 2017.

Born in 1979, in Scarborough, Metropolitan Toronto, Singh is the oldest of four children born to Sikh immigrant parents from India’s Punjab region. He later moved to Windsor, Ontario aged seven.

Singh frequently speaks about being bullied at school for his “brown skin, long hair and funny-sounding name”. The need to stand up for himself fuelled a lifelong interest in martial arts. Among other sports, Singh has practised taekwondo, Muay Thai boxing and judo.

His first foray into politics came while studying at Osgoode Law School, Ontario, where he campaigned against rising tuition fees. He was called to the bar in 2006, before going on to work as a criminal defence lawyer in the Greater Toronto area.

His years spent defending refugees and immigrants inspired Singh to enter politics in 2011 by running as an MPP with the NDP in the Ontario district of Bramalea-Gore-Malton.

Here with his parents, his father is a psychiatrist

With his brother Gurratan on the left of photo.

Jagmeet Singh is younger than PM Trudeau and is better educated and has an international background. He presents himself as someone who wants to contribute, highly articulate and champions social justice and equality. As new Leader of the Federal NDP this will pose a challenge to PM Trudeau once Jagmeet is elected to the House of Commons, he will need to run now for a seat. He will have to give up his seat in the Provincial Legislature at Queen’s Park in Toronto.

 

 

 

It was a great day

Tags

2017, Canada Day, Canada., Confederation, Ottawa, Parliament, Prince of Wales, Winnipeg

We had fun yesterday with all our friends.

On Parliament Hill in Ottawa, huge crowds and lots of rain, but the show did go on.

HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Governor General and PM Justin Trudeau were there. The noontime speech by the Prime Minister had large parts of it in French and he also acknowledged a fact that Canada is far older than the 150 years. In terms of European settlement and history it goes back 500 years and if you had the idea that Aboriginals have been known to live and prosper in Canada for 15,000 years. So we are an old  country.  Confederation is a political union of various parts into one but you cannot ignore all that went on before.

The Prince of Wales also made his speech in French, many do not think or know that he does speak the language fluently.

The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Trudeau at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Here in Charlottetown PEI, we went to see the fireworks at Victoria Park which were spectacular. We had a great view, standing on the lawn of Beaconsfield House facing the open bay. We spent the evening with friends and it was a lot of fun.

In Winnipeg which is a geographical centre of Canada, here is a shot of the intersection of Portage and Main street. Said to be the coldest intersection of the country. The maple leaf is hundreds of people standing in formation.

 

In Ottawa a street sign in front of a house. In French, English and Arabic.

Views, Nostalgia

Tags

art., Government House, nostalgia, Ottawa, PEI, Rome, shirts, Spo

Here  are some views all mixed up.

Point Prim Lighthouse, I often go to the point in the Summer, there is a great little restaurant open only in the Summer. It is a fairly isolated spot of PEI facing the mainland, Nova Scotia is just across. It is the first lighthouse ship will see when navigating to enter the bay and harbour of Charlottetown. Built in 1845  by Isaac Smith, I believe Sam Cunard had a hand in the financing of the construction cost.

Home in Charlottetown

Opening night at the Art Gallery where I volunteer.

Our favorite Coffee shop Receiver on Richmond Street. That picture was taken a month ago.

The salon of Government House where I also volunteer.

One of my favourite photo of us in Rome at the top of the staircase next to the Capitoline Hill. In the background Sofia Loren’s penthouse.

Two splendid views of central Rome

A shirt designed by the master, our dear friend Dr. Spo of Phoenix

In London, Sept 2016, dinner before the theatre

With our friend Simonetta in Rome at a Christmas party at Palazzo Brancaccio, 2009

Presenting a painting in the European wing at the National Gallery in Ottawa 2015

Changing Nation

Tags

abortion, Canada., immigration, mexico, Muslims, NAFTA, Ottawa, refugee, Syria, Trudeau, Trump, USA

Contrary to what is happening in the USA and all the negative news this week coming from the White House which cause many to shudder and worry about the future of our little planet now that the Doomsday clock is 2.30 minutes from Midnight, loosing 30 seconds since last Friday. The reasons being lost opportunity to tackle climate change, pollution and nuclear proliferation, President Trump simply add to the toxic mix.

Today in Canada several articles gives Canadians hope, one being that the  Government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that they will set up a special fund and work with The Netherlands to offer support and services in reproductive rights to women who may loose out because of the Trump decision to cut funding on abortion. In Canada abortion is available under our Health Care system to all women from Sea to shining Sea and this for the last 35 years, in other words that battle has been over for a long time in our Dominion. This plan would extend aid to women in third world countries.

The other news also goes a long way to show how Canadians have governed themselves very differently if compared to the USA. In 1990 the Government of Canada at the time under a Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, the author of NAFTA, decided to open the flood gates of Immigration to all. Canada has always been a country of immigration, in fact the very first government department to be created by the new Federal Government after Confederation in 1867 was the Department of Immigration. The Prime Minister at the time Sir John A. Macdonald believed that a country as vast as Canada had to increase its population which stood at a few million people. Most immigrant then came from Eastern and Southern Europe. Number of immigrants from Europe started to dwindle seriously in the 1970’s, so a solution had to be found. Today on any given year 40% of our immigrants come from the Philippine, China and India, the balance come from Africa, South America and some from Europe. Many senior Ministers in Provincial and Federal Governments are themselves immigrants, the current Minister of Immigration was a Muslim refugee from Somalia. Our Minister of National Defence is a soldier who served in Afghanistan and Sikh immigrant from the Punjab in India. Others are from Afghanistan, Iran, Chile, etc, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs etc. Quite the mix of population and the same applies to Mayors of major Canadian cities, Canadians don’t care about your background as long as you have that popular appeal. We can understand the alarm and disapproval in Canada when we see how Mexico is being treated, our NAFTA partner. Close to one million Canadians live permanently in Mexico and another million visit each Winter.

The latest statistics from the Federal Government shows that by 2036 in 19 years Canada will have a population mix of 50% brown and 50% white. One third of Canadians will have been born abroad, another 20% will have at least one parent who will be an immigrant. Every large city in Canada will have 33% of its population born abroad.

Canada is officially bilingual, French and English, however by 2036 only 18% will actually have French as a first language and around 53% will have English, the rest will have another language which is not French or English. Already it is fairly common in schools to have upwards of 40 languages being spoken by students.

Canada is losing its old-time religion. Ninety per cent of Canadians identified as Christians in 1970. Today, it’s 66%, and will be just over one 50% by 2036. Christianity is not being displaced by other religions – only 7 per cent, at most, will identify as Muslim by 2036 – but by no religion at all. A quarter of all Canadians today identify with no faith, and that number could reach 33% by 2036.  Religion simply does not play much in our Society and not at all in Politics.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcoming a group of Muslim women in Parliament

The fact that Canada has deliberately transformed the makeup of its population in a way no other country has managed, or even attempted, speaks to the tolerant, diverse society in which we live.

As for Canadian politicians who think they can exploit the Nativist trend like in the USA to get elected, this is very unlikely to work. There is no future courting the angry white vote in Canada. There just aren’t enough angry white voters.

Lastly on the Democracy index compiled by Economic Intelligence groups Canada ranks at #6 in the world in terms of the quality of its democracy and openness in governance. The other five countries ahead of us are the Scandinavians. The USA has dropped at #21 and is no longer considered a full democracy.

This news on the 150th Anniversary of our Confederation is great to hear and makes me happy as a Canadian. It is truly something to celebrate.

Canadians on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Canada Day!

29 December 2012

Tags

Charlottetown, Ottawa, PEI, Retirement, Rome

I just realized that four years ago today I was retiring from the Foreign Service after 33 yrs of service to Canada, serving in 8 different posts over 22 years abroad.

I was re-reading the post I wrote in Ottawa on that day and how I came to that conclusion to retire by end of year in 2012. This is the motto I have been following since, which led to our move to PEI.

To invent the life you want to have rather than the life someone says you must have. It takes time.

Old Charlottetown seen from the roof of the Holman Hotel, I can see our house.  

In March 2012 I decided to return to Rome to consult with friends, I walked a lot in Rome  something I truly enjoy doing, the City is built like a theatre set and anywhere you look there is always something to attract your eyes.

Via Sistina at the top of the Spanish Steps

Looking down this street Via Sistina that morning in March I was just waiting around for Nancy de C. to visit the Convent at Trinita dei Monti, top of the Spanish stairs. So I was just looking down the street, Via Sistina, I took this photo at 9:55 am, if you look all the way you can see at the other end the steeple of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The street changes names twice before you arrive at the other end, to Via Quattro Fontane and then to Via Agostino DePretis. It was busy that morning like all morning in Rome are and I do not know why, but a calm little voice told me, you know retiring would not be such a bad thing after all, you had a wonderful career. Rome and it’s sunlight can inspire.
That is when I decided that I would retire by year end. I came back to Ottawa, told Will of my decision. He arranged a very nice party with friends at our home on the 29 December 2012 and had our florist Minou make the most beautiful flower arrangement for that day.

How many times Will and I lived by that Chinese saying, our home has been the world and now four years later here we are in Charlottetown.

Christmas trees

Tags

2011, 2016, Berlin, Charlottetown, Christmas, Milan, Munich, Ottawa, PEI, Rome, Strasbourg, Tree, Vienna, Vilnius, Warsaw

Some example of favourite City and their Christmas tree, 2016.

Milan in front of the Duomo (cathedral) of Milan 2016.

Rome, Piazza Venezia in front of the Altar to the Italian Nation.

Berlin, Brandenburg gate, Pariser Platz

Munich in front of City Hall, Christmas market.

Athens, Syntagma Square in front of the Greek Parliament.

Shönbrunn Palace, suburbs of Vienna

Vilnius, Lithuania

Warsaw, Poland in front of the old Royal Palace.

Strasbourg, Alsace

Ottawa, Canada, behind the Parliament Buildings

Our tree at home in Charlottetown, PEI.

Christmas in Rome 2011, at the top of the stairs of the Church of Santa Maria Ara Coeli in Capitolinum. One of my favourite photos of us on that last Christmas in Rome, I remember it was a crisp but sunny day.