Touring Ottawa on Conference Day

The start of the CLA conference (for me) has arrived! I picked up my delegate package early in the morning. There were librarians to the left of me, librarians to the right of me, and librarians everywhere! Actually, I thought picking up my delegate package was going to be more eventful, but it only took a few minutes. Since I was selected to attend the conference at a very late date, I was unable to register for some events. I spent the early part of the day touring Ottawa (and getting a sunburn).

I decided to go on a long walk to see the CLA Office on Frank Street. The only museum that I have not seen in my previous visit to Ottawa (see previous posts) was the Museum of Nature. The Museum of Nature is close to the CLA Office. Although it is being renovated, it is worth checking out. Admission is by donation (due to the renovations), which makes it the cheapest museum to visit in Ottawa (depending on your donation). There are some amazing exhibits. I saw some slugs, spiders, toads, etc. I also touched some dinosaur fossils, and I got an introduction to the history of the museum. Ask a guide to tell you about the history of the museum. Apparently, at one time, all the museums in Ottawa were based out of the Museum of Nature building. Out of all the museums that I have visited, here is my list of the most helpful staff:

1. Museum of Nature
2. Canadian War Museum (ask for the grand tour)
3. Parliament Hill
4. Museum of Civilization

All staff working in Ottawa are friendly to tourists, but the Museum of Nature went beyond my expectations. Someone opened the door for me. A staff member at the desk suggested a path through the exhibits, and another person explained the renovations and history of the building. Really nice!

Yesterday, I walked to the Canadian War Museum. For $3.00 (in addition to the reasonable $10 admission fee), I got my own personal guided grand tour of the architecture of the building (it was near the end of the day, so no one was joining us on the tour). Amazing! If you only explore the exhibits, you are missing out. Every piece of concrete and glass has been set in a specific place for a special meaning. For example, the floors are slanted at different angles to communicate a sense of uneasiness. There is not one straight wall in the museum (some may appear to be straight to the naked eye). If you visit the museum on November 11th, then you can see how light will enter the building to strike on the headstone of the unknown soldier.

The most interesting story at the museum, from a librarian's point of view, is that some walls are a metallic green (I took pictures of this wall), and it turns out that this wall was made from the copper roof of the Library of Parliament and Parliament to remind us that decisions about war are made by government.

In some walls, you will see rectangular glass windows, which actually translate into Morse code (one wall spells Canadian War Museum in French and English). There is also one spot in the building where you can see the Peace Tower, and if you step to the right or left, it disappears, which tells us that if we lose sight of peace for a moment, we may end up in conflict. I also have a picture of myself in front of our nation's flag - the one that flew from Vimy Ridge. If you tour the museum with a guide, he or she will point out details you may miss, such as a gold medal from World War III. I did not mistype. There is a medal for World War Three that was cast by the East German government (I have to check my facts on who made it); it was created for a war that never happened. My tour guide was Melissa, and she was very helpful!