This week

Tags

AGCC, Art Gallery, Canada Day, Canada., Charlottetown, CN, national anthem, PEI, Railway, West Covehead

It was  a busy week both at the Art Gallery and in general, we were invited to attend a fundraising cocktail at the home of the Premier of PEI. It was all very informal, the food was prepared by the our Premier Wade MacLauchlan, he is a very good cook. The drinks or special cocktails were very good, one made with gin and the other with bourbon. He and his husband Duncan MacIntosh have a beautiful home on the beach. The scenery is spectacular and so peaceful.

Here we are at Covehead with our friends Blake and Alex. The Sunset in the West over the Gulf was amazing in its brilliance. Alex is the President of Pride PEI and Blake is the top hairstylist in Charlottetown. Will is enjoying one of the special cocktails.

The Art Gallery was also very busy this week, lots of visitors, with the end of June suddenly the tourist appear. We had the big opening night and now it is regular Summer traffic.

We were told by Robert Houle, the new commissioned canvass for the 150th Anniversary of Confederation.  Beside it is the famous and celebrated canvass by Jean-Paul Lemieux, Charlottetown Revisited, created in 1964 for the opening of the Art Gallery.

All the various canvasses on Canada and Confederation have a political message to them, my job is to steer clear of it and speak solely about the art itself and the artist.

Today is June 24 and is the National day of all of us French Canadians across Canada, originally called Saint Jean-Baptiste Day. From this old celebration comes the Canadian National Anthem O’Canada, with original lyrics in French by Adolphe-Basile Routhier and music by Calixa Lavallée. It was originally commissioned by Lieutenant-Governor of Québec, Théodore Robitaille in 1880. Like everything else in Canada, the original French version is very different in its wording from the English version composed many years later.

Ô Canada ! Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux !
Car ton bras sait porter l’épée,
Il sait porter la croix !
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.
Sous l’œil de Dieu, près du fleuve géant,
Le Canadien grandit en espérant.
Il est né d’une race fière,
Béni fut son berceau.
Le ciel a marqué sa carrière
Dans ce monde nouveau.
Toujours guidé par sa lumière,
Il gardera l’honneur de son drapeau,
Il gardera l’honneur de son drapeau.
De son patron, précurseur du vrai Dieu,
Il porte au front l’auréole de feu.
Ennemi de la tyrannie
Mais plein de loyauté,
Il veut garder dans l’harmonie,
Sa fière liberté.
Et par l’effort de son génie,
Sur notre sol asseoir la vérité,
Sur notre sol asseoir la vérité.
Amour sacré du trône et de l’autel,
Remplis nos cœurs de ton souffle immortel !
Parmi les races étrangères,
Notre guide est la loi :
Sachons être un peuple de frères,
Sous le joug de la foi.
Et répétons, comme nos pères,
Le cri vainqueur : « Pour le Christ et le roi ! »
Le cri vainqueur : « Pour le Christ et le roi ! ».

Next week on Friday 1 July is Canada Day, in Charlottetown the tall ships are sailing in at 9am. Hopefully it will be a nice clear day, to watch this spectacle.

We will be able to observe them from our house and it will make the harbour look as it was in 1900.

This week Earle Macdonald who has a blog on Facebook about old Charlottetown published a photo of what the city was like before 1989 showing the rail yards across the street from our home. The waterfront which today has been reclaimed and turned into parkland was then a very industrial area.

In this photo you can see, barely, our house, hidden by trees.

The big round house for locomotives and the rail cars refurbishment buildings with other Canadian National Railway buildings. Only the Brass shop and what is now called Founder’s Hall remain today the rest is parkland. The cruise ships dock at the end of the wharf now Prince Street.

The old Brass shop, still standing and completely renovated housing today Receiver Coffee Co. and John’s Bread Works.

Today the Brass Shop c.1876 much improved.

Founder’s Hall today, to be soon re-developed into a market 

Art Weekend

Tags

2017, AGCC, Art Gallery, art., Canada., CCOA, Charlottetown, Confederation, Festival, PEI, Robert Houle, Saulteaux, theatre

This has been a busy weekend with the Opening of the Summer Theatre Festival at the Confederation Centre of the Arts and then on the next night the Opening of the Summer Exhibit at the Art Gallery. In both cases it brought out the whose who of PEI Society from the Lieutenant-Governor to Members of Parliament, Senators, Chief Justice and many others actors on our social scene.

The Opening play is Million Dollar Quartet which tells the story of the meeting at Sun Records in December of 1956 of four greats of the Rock and Roll scene, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins in Memphis.

The reception before and after was a lot of fun with a live orchestra and great food by the new Chef of Mavor’s Miguel Cervantes.

The next night was the opening of the Summer Exhibit of the Art Gallery of the Confederation Centre. This being the 150th Anniversary of Confederation, the exhibit highlights the Collection of the Art Gallery, the best pieces of our 17,000 works of Art by great Canadian artists. The Art Gallery is mandated to show only Canadian Art since the Centre is a Memorial to the Fathers of Confederation.

We also unveiled a new giant painting by Canadian Native Artist Robert Houle Aka Blue Thunder who is a  from St-Boniface, Manitoba. It joins the other great canvasses on the same theme by Jean-Paul Lemieux, John Fox, Jane Ash Poitras, Yvon Gallant, Wanda Koop, Jack Shadbolt.

Robert Houle, Blue Thunder (born 1947) is a Saulteaux First Nation Canadian artist, curator, critic, and educator. Houle has had an active curatorial and artistic practice since the mid-1970s. He played an important role in bridging the gap between contemporary First Nations artists and the broader Canadian art scene through his writing and involvement in early important high-profile exhibitions such as Land, Spirit, Power: First Nations at the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, 1992). As an artist, Houle has shown both nationally and internationally. He is predominately a painter working in the tradition of Abstraction, yet he has also embraced a pop sensibility by incorporating everyday images and text into his works.

We were told or ‘O-ween du muh waun’ by Robert Houle, 2017

Me and the artist

This great canvas represents the Delaware in the classical pose from the celebrated propaganda painting of Benjamin West, The Death of General Wolfe which is in the National Gallery of Canada.

The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West, 1770. The Official story as told is of Wolfe dying on the Plains of Abraham in September 1759 during the famous battle against French General Montcalm. This scene was pure fantasy but it was necessary for propaganda purpose in England to raise taxes to pay for the Seven Year War, the tax raise led a few years later to the American Revolution.

In his painting Houle presents a different narrative, he rejects the fantasy painting of West and presents not a battle scene, stating that who won the battle is not really important and should not be celebrated. For Houle on this anniversary we should celebrate today’s Canada. Further being from the Saulteaux First Nation the idea of 150 years does not apply to his people since they have lived in North America for 15,000 years.

 

I also got a very nice gift this weekend, I often give tours to school children aged 8 to 12.

Once class sent me several thank you notes designed and written by the students.

Each card as a personal message addressed to me as a thank you from a student. I am very proud of this gift and happy that for some kids the day at the Art Gallery meant something.

 

Some photos

Tags

Canada., Charlottetown, Lobster dinner, New Glasgow, PEI

I have not posted anything for a few days, have been quit busy in the last few days. Here is an illustrated story of life on the Island.

Water Street freshly repaved, this is part of the upgrades the City is doing on its main streets to beautify the overall look of Charlottetown. It took 3 weeks to re-do the street which included landscaping and sidewalks.

The Gardens at The Dunes Art Gallery and Café at Brackley Beach, just 15 minutes from our home. We went to the opening of the Dunes which has been in operations for 25 years. A spectacular place, art gallery, jewellery, pottery, fashion, furniture and sculpture from Asia. All on the beach. The food at the Café is wonderful and the menu is very original and elegant. Love the place.

Will bought this art work, showing Indian Head Light House at Summerside, one of the more famous lighthouse on the Island. The artist is Wayne Barrett.

After years of being blocked the great windows of the Art Gallery are open again to daylight.  It is so nice to see natural light into the Museum.

Province House, the 1847 seat of the Provincial Legislature of PEI, renovations are in full swing. In 2020 the Legislature will return to the building once all the work is done.  The project is complex and at this time a special steel footing is being installed all around the old building. Eventually a steel skeleton will lift and hold up the building interior structure while the outside stone walls are dismantled and repaired stone by stone and then all put back together. This building is a National Treasure and highly significant in the history of Canada. The interior are all original to 1847, quite beautiful.

The New Glasgow Church Suppers since 1958, an institution and a great meal by the River Clyde just 25 minutes from our home in a magnificent setting of rolling hills near the sea.

The price on the menu may seem high but what is not said, it’s all you can eat. I did not want lobster, so I had a pale of mussels to eat which our waitress would refill on demand. Same for soup, salad, desserts and coffee, all is made on the premises and it is quite good, we will return with our friends, it is that good.

Just out my living room window, installing new transformers to supply electricity to Receiver Coffee Co. and John’s Bread Works, the bread ovens and the coffee roasters need a lot of electricity. These are two companies we patronize, the coffee is wonderful and the bread from John is the way bread is meant to be.

The Receiver Coffee Co. is moving into the old Brass shop of the now defunct railroad system. A red sand stone building from 1890.

A Constable or Turner sky, you choose. We often get those as Sunset.

 

Some sights

Tags

Canada., Charlottetown, PEI

Just walking around the centre of the City, the old 500 block as it is called and here are some shots of the area. I start first with this archival photo of Queen’s Square which is the geographical centre of the City with the most prominent building, the Legislature of PEI, Province House, 

In this photo around 1900 we see the Old Post Office now gone, in the Centre Province House built in 1847 and next to it the Old Court House which is known today as the Coles Building after our first Provincial Premier back in 1851. It currently serves as the seat of the Legislature while Province House is undergoing massive restoration work. The Old Post Office was destroyed by fire and the land remained vacant for a long time. In 1964 the Memorial to the Fathers of Confederation was build in the brutalist style so en vogue back then. The Streets are Queen street and Richmond Street.

Same area, a view of the library of the Confederation building, Province House is just behind with its columns now wrapped up for the process of restoration of the building.

The modern brutalist architecture is somewhat jarring, but was built at a time when the thinking was that a new statement was being made and we were not going to copy or harmonize the architectural styles to please the old.

Richmond street also known as Victoria Row, with its buildings in island sandstone and brick, all of the same 1880 era. The tall spire are St-Dunstan RC Basilica on Great George street. All those buildings are protected and unlikely to be demolished.

Terraces surround the Confederation Centre. It softens the brutalist look of the place. No one would dare build in that style nowadays, it truly belongs in the 1960’s to 1970’s era.

My favourite view, at the end of Queen Street, the entrance to the Harbour of Charlottetown with Rocky Point on the left. This is where the great ships come into the Hillsborough river to dock at the bottom of my street.

New car

Tags

car, Charlottetown, Hyundai, PEI

I decided last week, after receiving the umpteenth letter from the dealership that I would go in to look at a possible new car. The current one an Elantra GL 2012 is still very clean with no mileage or Km on it, under 30,000Km which makes the car dealers salivate.

So I went in to see what they had, first it is the end of the month and for any car salesperson this is the time when they have to report how many units they sold in the month and counts on their appraisal as a good or bad sales person. I also wanted a good price for my car as a trade in, no nonsense.

Elantra GL 2012

Buying a car, any car is a con game and I have yet to meet one person who enjoys the exercise. Despite the advertised prices and the promises made, once in the show room you will know that what ever you were told is just flash and no substance. You will have the sales person who takes you on a spin in the model you might want to buy, then the finance guy who will explain how much it will cost. If you have a trade in  well the used car manager is involved and he will offer a price for your car, always much lower than what you expect. Then the Manager comes in to say hello with all the sincerity of a serial killer. Everyone pretends that they are looking out for your best interest but it is so insincere and false it is laughable. I have to say I do not envy these poor fellows, pawns in a game tailored to make the dealership owner rich and the car manufacturer a hefty profit.

It’s a cutthroat business literally, so I came prepared, pencil, calculator and paper to note everything said. I was careful to keep a poker face expression and saying as little as possible. No I am not excited about buying a car, as I told the Manager for me it is the same as buying a dishwasher, a totally utilitarian transaction. I laid down the things I wanted and pointed out I don’t get them, then no deal, I walk. They were careful also not to give too much of their game. So I pushed them to make me an offer I could consider. First offer they made I rejected out of hand, telling the car sales guy that his colleague was losing him the sale with his poor attitude. Second offer was a little better but still not what I wanted completely. So I told them that I was busy and had to go, maybe they could better it some more. Once at home I wrote them an email with my final position. Within 10 minutes I got a reply telling me that all was ok. So I told them that I would return after the weekend. On Monday, all was resolved, I got what I wanted, signed the paper work and I will get the new car tomorrow.

What I bought, Elantra GL 2017. The colour is Blue Star gazing, I call it Plum colour.  I see a similarity with the BMW 5 series in the body design.

20 years

Tags

Bridge, Canada., Confederation bridge, Jean Mueller, PEI, transport

Today 31 May 2017 marks the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Confederation Bridge linking the mainland  of Canada to PEI. The construction of the bridge required a special amendment to the Canadian Constitution because it involved the clauses which allowed PEI at the time a colony to join Confederation. The Island Government had a special condition that in joining in 1873 they would get financing for the railway on the Island and also a ferry service paid for, operation and maintenance, by the Federal Government. A special referendum was held and 60% of the Islanders voted in favour of the construction of the bridge and the end of train service on the Island.

Construction of the 12.3 Km sea bridge over the Abegweit channel of the Strait of Northumberland took place between 1993-1997 at a cost of $1.3 Billion dollars. The architect was Frenchman Jean Mueller who developed a new technique of pre-cast concrete for such a construction making it a marvel of engineering, the longest bridge over sea water locked in ice in winter.

the footing of the bridge on the sea bed

 

The bridge under construction around 1995.

The bridge in Winter ice, this is when storms are at their worst with 100Km winds being frequent, but you can still cross with a private car.

What it looks like when driving across at the middle section point

The opening of the bridge was a very big deal for PEI and in the years that followed saw an increase in investments and business, day trips are now common to the Island, we are only 2 hours away from Moncton and 3 hours from Halifax, it put an end to the isolation and made going to and from New Brunswick or Nova Scotia much simpler and faster. What was lost was the adventure of the ferry service.

From my home in Charlottetown I am at 35 minutes from the bridge going West. The sticking point to this day is the toll to use the bridge at 46$ return. It is believed that in 2036 the toll will be removed once the contract with the private firm maintaining the bridge ends.

The golden hour

Tags

Beach, Canada., PEI

Here is a photo of the golden hour at the Beach in PEI. So peaceful, so quiet.

Bells

Tags

Bells, Canada., Charlottetown, Dominion Day, PEI, St-Dunstan Basilica

In 1978 the Saint-Dunstan Basilica in Charlottetown lost it’s bells all 18 of them. The North tower made of Island stone was not structurally sound and cracks had appeared in its walls suggesting that a larger problem existed. The soil on the Island is notoriously soft, rural roads that are not paved become impassable if it rains. The weight of the Basilica with the vibrations created by ringing bells created a lot of problems for the building. So down came the bells and they went into storage and have been there until recently. The bells were made in 1927 and given to the Church by different groups of people. One of the bigger bells was donated by the Employees of the Canadian National Railway.

Just 10 years ago a group of citizens motivated by historical interests wanted them restored, but how to do it the structural problem had to be solved and at what cost. The Bishop was dead set against any such plan and came out publicly saying he opposed any proposition or plan to restore the bells in the North Tower. Proclaiming himself the sole custodian of the building as Bishop, Roman Catholic clergy have all this tendency to proclaim themselves enlighten above the common folk. We know where that leads this is why we are celebrating 500 years of Protestant Reformation this year.

Nonetheless the group of concerned citizens forged ahead, they were surprisingly successful. The project cost $500,000 CDN. an engineer was hired to devise a safe way of going about this project and this week we saw the conclusion of the project.

The engineer came up with the idea of building a free standing steel structure inside the hollow portion of the North Tower. The stone tower simply envelops the steel structure on which the bells hang, no more stress on the walls. The steel structure is invisible to the onlooker.

So this week  we saw the big crane on Great George Street in front of the Basilica hoist the pieces of the steel structure into the top of the tower, one piece at a time and it was being assemble inside the hollow stone tower. Then the bells were brought out of their container. They had just returned from North Carolina where they were retuned, after 40 years out of service and sitting in a warehouse this was necessary. It is said that the sound is similar to that of Notre Dame in Paris and St-Patrick in New York.

Inscription, Bells made in Annecy Le Vieux by G. Paccard Fils, Haute-Savoie, Southeastern France.

Bells will be mounted with ringing equipment and GPS control systems for automatic ringing programs, a wooden keyboard console for live and manual playing of the bells, a system of automatic dampers that will protect the inside of the tower from weather but will also open to let the bells ring out and close when the bells are finished ringing

Many of us came out to see the operation and to look at the bells before they went back into the tower. As they were hoisted up, one by one, the engineer would give them a gentle tap, it made a beautiful clear sound, this operation took 3 days, very slow and meticulous.

The Bishop Richard Grecco is apparently on board now, the Basilica gets it’s bells back at no cost to the Parish or to him. You don’t look a gifted horse in the mouth. Catherine Hennessey who is a prominent citizen and local historian and Kevin Murphy who Chairs the St-Dunstan Basilica Bells Fundraising Committee and all the supportive donors have done a great job for the common good.

The Bells will ring on 1 July, Dominion Day, to Celebrate Canada’s 150th Year.

The weather did not cooperate on this operation, it was cool, windy and rainy but the work had to be done to meet the deadline. 

Some Photos

Tags

Beaches, Canada., PEI, Seafood, tulips

Here are some shots of PEI at the moment.

No this is not Holland, it’s tulip fields in PEI. The Dutch community produces them including this one very special tulip for the 150th Anniversary of Canada in 2017.

Canada’s 150th Tulip

Tea cup rock at Darnley PEI. Red Sandstone

West Cape, PEI

Fresh Seafood PEI, clams, mussels, lobster and oysters

Covehead Beach PEI, minutes from our home.

A boy and his dog

Tags

Bar-B-Q, beef, Canada., Confederation bridge, Miscouche, PEI, Victoria Day

Well not exactly my dog, since this is a friends dog, one of two bichon frisé, taken on their terrace at their home near Miscouche in PEI, we visited them for our Victoria day Bar-B-Q. Our two stayed in Charlottetown at home for the afternoon.

I made the burger with PEI Beef from a recipe I learned from our butcher some 30 years ago, always a hit, moist and so good, I also stuff them with a good quality Blue Cheese.

They have a vineyard on the property, growing a variety of grapes from Concord,  Riesling, Foch, Pinot Gris, etc. We also drove to their beach which is 3 KM from the house straight down. The view on the Strait of Northumberland is great, in the far distance we could barely see the bridge to the mainland stretching 12Km over the water. Beautiful bright Sunny day with a cool wind.