Ottawa Sightseeing: Day Two

Our shuttle driver was kind enough to drop us directly at the Museum of Civilization, so we got an early start, and a good thing too, since there’s so much to see. The museum is located across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, the Quebec city that used to be named Hull. The architecture is impressive

We started on the first level with Aboriginal life and First Nations. The first hall we entered was dominated by large totem poles. As we started to look through the displays, we began to realize that they were all inside of culturally appropriate houses. Most of them were constructed by or under the direction of people local to the area they represented and using the original techniques of construction—no nails involved.

Architectural tour de force

Aboriginal houses

After an hour and a half, we were just finishing the Aboriginal displays and realized that we needed to move a bit more quickly if we hoped to see the rest of the museum. The displays were quite engaging, giving a real sense of cultural immersion rather than just a collection of objects.

Next we went to the third level, the Canada Hall, which starts with Norse visits in 1000 A.D. and tours Canada's past chronologically. The website says, "Reconstructed buildings and other historical settings are among the exhibits evoking a sense of different periods and different regions of the country." We found ourselves wandering through history and visiting the fur traders, the loggers, and even the Chinese laundries.

Gray Line Double Decker

Our bus wasn't as multi-talented as this Amphibus

By the time we finished Level 3, we had run out of time, so we missed the other levels. We had to hurry out to catch our bus back across the Ottawa River. We jumped off and walked to the ByWard Market, where we collected some great local produce before walking to the locks on the Rideau Canal to watch a pleasure craft being locked through. This is a labor intensive process: four men turn the cranks to open and close the gates at each level.

Yacht leaving the Ottawa River and going through the locks to the Rideau Canal

All the work is done by hand, in the traditional way

We decided that there's just too much to see here, so we'll extend another night. Tomorrow will be our third day of Gray Line shuttle service, and then on Wednesday we'll get out on our bikes and explore.