OTTAWA IN JUNE 

OUR 31st ANNUAL MEETING
Thursday, June 22 to Sunday, June 25, 2006

Paul Kane. The Death of Omoxesisixany or Big Snake   c. 1858-1862.  Embossed color lithograph on wove paper. Printed by Fuller & Benecke. Courtesy National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.

Ottawa, Ontario, proclaimed capital of Canada by Queen Victoria in 1858, will be the site of our 31st annual meeting to be held June 22nd to June 25th.  At the confluence of the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers, Ottawa was a primitive village devoted to logging and the fur trade and was originally named Bytown in 1827 to honor Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the British Army Royal Engineers. Colonel By was responsible for the construction of the Rideau Canal, completed in 1832, which connected the Ottawa region with Lake Ontario at Kingston, Ontario. Although built for strategic reasons the canal was a tremendous boon economically, because it gave local farmers a means to get their crops to market.  In modern times, however, the canal is used during the warmer months by scores of pleasure craft including many from the United States.

In 1855 the city’s name was changed to Ottawa, and three years later Queen Victoria designated it as the nation’s capital. The Gothic-style Parliament Buildings, seen in the 1879 lithograph below, were built between 1859-1866 and were ready for occupancy at Confederation in 1867. For a half-century they served the government until destroyed by fire in 1916.  Parliament voted to have the structures rebuilt and that is the edifice that one sees today along with Parliament’s “Peace Tower” that honors the nation’s war dead.

"THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING -- Parliament Square, Ottawa, Ont. -- F.H. Winham.  W.H. berry, Del. The Toronto Lithographing Co. Entered according to the Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, by H. Belden & Co., in the office of the Minister of Agriculture."

The Westin Ottawa, headquarters for the meeting, is located appropriately on Colonel By Drive and directly across the Street from the historic Rideau Canal.  Adjacent to the hotel is Wellington Street, the main artery of the city, and only a short walk west to Parliament Hill.  Also honoring Colonel By is nearby Bytown, an old and still active outdoor farmer’s market with a myriad of shops and restaurants.

On late Thursday afternoon, you will be treated to a bus ride that will include attractions along the Ottawa River .  Then we will cross the river and head to Montebello, and as mentioned previously in the fall newsletter, the home of the 19^th century patriot, Louis-Joseph Papineau. Here we will have ample time to wander the grounds and take in the magnificent view of the river. We will also be given a short talk on Montebello’s history, and a tour of the Papineau home before having dinner in a room looking onto the river. It will be late evening before we return to the city, but it will still be light owing to the summer season and our position north. 

The Tars of Old England Triumphant. A View of the Gallant Action Between His Majesty's Frigate the Shannon and the Chesapeake American Frigate, 1813.  Unknown artist (active 1813); G. Thompson, West Smithfield, London (Publisher).  Engraving, hand-coloured on wove paper: 39.4 x 50.7 cm (sheet ).  R9266-3229 ; e000835919.  Credit: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. R9266-3229; Peter Winkworth Collection of Canadiana.

We will return to the Westin for lunch and a talk that will introduce us to the Canadian War Museum and its collection of war prints and posters.  Then we will board the bus again for a tour of the War Museum.  We will be in luck because there will be a popular show on view, “Clash of Empires.”  This is a major traveling exhibit on the French & Indian War that will be in Ottawa before moving on to the Smithsonian.

Friday evening is free and we will enclose in your packet information on places to eat and to visit.  You may want to consider a cruise along the Ottawa River or the Rideau Canal if it is a pleasant night.  Of course, there are many other cultural and recreational opportunities available; information on these will be provided, too.

Saturday morning will be devoted to talks and touring of the  National Gallery of Canada.  The magnificent structure overlooks the Ottawa River and is only a short distance from the hotel.  Later you may have lunch there and afterwards meander around the city on your own.

Louise Bourgeois's sculpture Maman (1999, cast 2003 © Louise Bourgeois), in front of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Photo courtesy National Gallery of Canada.

As usual, the meeting will conclude Saturday evening with our traditional cocktail hour and banquet.  A silent auction is being planned this year to honor our departed auctioneer, Dick Hathaway.  So tuck into your luggage a book or a small print that you can donate in his honor as well as help our society financially.  Owing to our schedule and border implications, we will not have a print mart.  If you have pieces to sell, it will be best if it is done from your room.

Mark your calendars now for June 22^nd-25^th!  There is much more to see in this wonderful country, so do not be limited solely to our meeting days. We will offer suggestions plus include the program of events in the spring newsletter.   If you wish to learn more about what this beautiful city has to offer visitors, or wish to consult some maps, we suggest a visit to either www.ottawa.ca or www.ottawa.com.

See the registration form for the meeting.  This form can be printed, filled out, and mailed if you misplace the registration form mailed to you with the Winter 2006 newsletter, or if you recently joined AHPCS and have not received information on the annual meeting.  The form includes all rate and price information including hotel rooms, basic registration, and all group meals.  If the text appears very small on your screen, click on the image to see it in your browser at full (and very legible) size. When you print this form, it should resize to fill a standard page properly.

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Last updated June 02, 2006