Canada 150th Birthday Celebrations in Ottawa

The down pour in the early morning of July 1st made me hesitant go to downtown Ottawa. As the rain began to abate, the call from the inside of me became louder and louder.

By 9:30AM when I arrived at the Eagleson Park & Ride, there was already a long line of people waiting in the rain for free shuttle services to go to downtown Ottawa.

People wait for bus at Eagleson Park & Ride in west Ottawa - Pix on Trips

People wait for buses at the Eagleson Park & Ride in west Ottawa – Pix on Trips

After 1:20 hour bus ride, I got off before Elgin Street. Soon I realized to get close to the Parliament Hill is a mission impossible.

Crowd in front of the National War Memorial – Pix on Trips

The next few hours were spent on exploring the alternative locations.

People come into downtown Ottawa by canoes – Pix on Trips

Visitors pose for photos in front of the Ottawa sign – Pix on Trips

I was lucky to get a glimpse of Charles, the Prince of Whales.

Governor General David Johnston and Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Whales inspect the guard on Canada Day in front the National Gallery of Canada – Pix on Trips

Went to the downtown again at night watching the spectacular firework show, which was really the highlight of the 2017 Canada Day. It was pure luck that the location I was situated at had some open space around me so I could set up a tripod. Not being able to move, I tried to use different compositions to photograph the fireworks with the National Gallery of Canada as background.