I am in Ottawa for two days, and here’s a rather typical streetscape downtown. Glass street walls — something ugly and gargantuan and to be avoided. But not only in Ottawa. Street walls mean building come right up to the sidewalk and and glass and concrete rim to the street. Not a tree or green verge to see.   I walked out of the public library on Metcalfe St. at closing time Saturday. This  couple with shopping bags and wearing packs walked out ahead of me;  clearly they live on the streets.  At 5 pm Saturday, it was 33 degrees Celsius outside.  Clearly not a day for a parka and winter boots

A wonderful visit to the brand new Ottawa Art Gallery  — it’s lovely, human size and free.  Open to all 9 to 9!!! And a nice cafe and tapas bar. Perfect. Just opened weeks ago. Delightful.  Above:  Maurice Cullen on the left, and on the right the prairie scene is by  Winnipeg artist LL Fitzgerald. This brilliant culpture hangs from the ceiling.  It reveals all the countries which belong to the UN — the biggest geographically (Russia) at the top and it goes down from there.  Made of mixed media! Artist: Jason St-Laurent from Moncton!

Nice painting a farm landscape by Holgate.  Here is a life size canoe made out of cereal boxes! 

The Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC)– a right-wing union centre based in Ontario,  advertised on the back of several city buses. Sign says Better Workers, Better Lives: Join a Modern Union.  See https://www.clac.ca/About-us/Who-we-are for more info.

The new Holocaust memorial in Ottawa == too much concrete, too many angles but good photos on concrete by Ed Burtynsky. The sign ‘Christians only’ was from the ’30s, in Toronto.

Closet in the Lord Elgin hotel. Between the ironing board and my red dress, just above my shoes is the decal that shows where to place boots and skates. How Canadian!

Here I am with Jane Maxwell a good friend and activist who lives in Ottawa. We’re having a drink at the Chateau Laurier bar.