VISITING OTTAWA AND ON TO MONTREAL

Canada is a young country, gaining it's independence from British rule in 1931.  It is the size of the United States with only 10% of our population. It is also has a more diverse population with a higher proportion of migrants than we have. In Ottawa especially we sense fhe  patriotism and energy of the Canadians. There seems to be an orderliness to daily life; perhaps it is their British heritage. Homelessnes and obesity are rarely seen.  The benefits of universal education and health care are obvious.
Ottawa is a great city to tour. By tying up at the canal wall in the middle of the city, everything  is convenient. The Rideau canal is the centerpiece of the city; people stroll along it in the summer and skate to work on it in the winter.
We catch the hop-on-hop-off bus near Parliament and get a grand overview.  The Museum of Civilization across the Ottawa river is not to be missed. A water taxi takes you there from the bottom of the staircase locks.
"Canada C-3" is a feature film at the museum that celebrates a 2017 icebreaker journey from Toronto to Victoria through the Northwest Passage. The event is profound in two respects.  It opens Canada's 15,000 mile coastline to maritime service and all the unifying and economic benefits that will usher in, just as the Canadian Pacific Railway did in 1885.  The "C-3" voyage is significant in another respect: It is a clear consequence of climate change.  Canadians are very concerned about climate change because it is affecting the higher latitudes so dramatically.  They remain engaged with the Paris Climate talks.
The Bytown museum at the staircase locks displays the history of the canal and the story of Col. John By, the British engineer who built it.  Now honored for his accomplishment, Col. By was discredited by an ungrateful government for going far over the budget that was set for him.
The Northern Lights Show at Parliament is spectacular!  Jim English and I go up at dusk to see it and are met by a huge crowd on the green in front of the Parliament building. This multimedia show projects Canadian stories of nation-building, discovery, and pride onto the Parliament building. It's a stunning experience.
Too soon, on August 31st, we drop down through the final set of 8 locks to the Ottawa river and head downstream with favorable weather to join the big ships where the Ottawa flows into the Saint Lawrence Seaway.  Up to this point we have not had to contend with commercial traffic since we started through the Erie canal.  Nano has now been away from her home port in Portland for one month.