Tulip Festival (Ottawa)
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The Canadian Tulip Festival, the world's largest tulip festival, is a major cultural event held annually in Ottawa, Canada.
In 1945, the Dutch royal family sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa in gratitude for Canadians having sheltered Princess Juliana and her daughters for the preceding three years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, in the Second World War.
The most noteworthy event during their time in Canada was the birth in 1943 of Princess Margriet to Princess Juliana at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. The maternity ward was declared to be officially a temporary part of the Netherlands, so that the birth could formally be claimed to have occurred on Dutch territory. In 1946, Juliana sent another 20,500 bulbs requesting that a display be created for the hospital, and promised to send 10,000 more bulbs each year.
In 1953, the display of tulips was formalised into the "Canadian Tulip Festival". Queen Juliana returned to celebrate the festival in 1967, and Princess Margriet returned in both 1995 and 2005 to participate in the festival on the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the liberation of Holland.
Although tulips are displayed throughout the city, the most prominent tulip beds are to be found on the shores of Dow's Lake, at the south end of the Ottawa section of the Rideau Canal.
In addition to the tulip displays, the festival hosts music concerts as well as painting and craft exhibits. The 1972 festival saw Liberace give an opening concert, and at the 1987 festival, Canadian singer Alanis Morissette made her first appearance at the age of 12.[1] The Trews first became widely-known after opening for Big Sugar at the 2003 festival. Montreal's General Rudie also gained valuable exposure early in their career with a performance at the 2000 festival.
In 2006, the Tulip Festival began on May 4, and closed on May 22.
Contents |
[edit] Festival sites and themes
| 1994 | A Tribute to the Origin Country of the Tulip - Turkey |
| 1995 | The Friendship That Flowered
50th anniversary of the Liberation of Holland |
| 1996 | Floral Tribute to Nice |
| 1997 | Floral Artistry of Japan |
| 1998 | A Celebration of Canada's Provinces and Territories |
| 1999 | Between Friends |
| 2000 | Tulips 2000: A Capital Celebration! |
| 2001 | Tulips Forever! A Salute to Britain |
| 2002 | Tulipmania! 50th Anniversary |
| 2003 | G’day Australia – Tulips Down Under |
| 2004 | Canada’s Tulip Experience |
| 2005 | A Celebration of Peace and Friendship |
| 2006 | Tulips 2006 – World Flower Rendezvous! |
Official Sites
- Commissioners Park - Dow's Lake
- Parliament Hill - Capital Infocentre
- Major's Hill Park
- Casino du Lac-Leamy
Attraction Sites
- Canada Agriculture Museum
- Dows Lake Pavilion
- Canadian Museum of Nature
- Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography
- Rideau Centre
- National Gallery of Canada
- The Royal Canadian Mint
- Bank of Canada - Currency Museum
- Canadian War Museum
- Ottawa's Little Italy on Preston Street
- Canadian Museum of Civilization
- Masion du Citoyen - Galerie Montcalm
Partner Sites
- Rideau Hall
- Canada Aviation Museum
- Maison de la Culture
- Mackenzie King Estate (Gatineau Park)
[edit] Trivia
Because of the ongoing Canadian support for the Netherlands during the war, Seymour Cobley of the Royal Horticultural Society actually donated 83,000 tulips to Canada from 1941-1943, several years before the Royal Family followed suit.[2]
Photographer Malak Karsh became widely known for his photographs of the Tulip Festival
While the Netherlands continues to send 20,000 bulbs to Canada each year (10,000 from the Royal Family and 10,000 from the Dutch Bulb Growers Association), by 1963 the festival featured more than 2 million, and today sees nearly 3 million tulips purchased from Dutch and Canadian distributors[3]
[edit] Attractions
[edit] Man With Two Hats
Text Written on Plaque:
- During the Second World War, Canadian soldiers played a crucial role in the liberation of the Netherlands. With the donation of this monument - an expression of joy and a celebration of freedom - the Netherlands pays lasting tribute to Canada.
- A statue identical to this one stands in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. The twin monuments symbolically link Canada and the Netherlands; though separated by an ocean, the two countries will forever be close friends.
- Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands unveiled the monument in Ottawa on May 11, 2002, and the other in Apeldoorn on May 2, 2000.
- Artist: Henk Visch
[edit] Commissioners Park
Commissioners Park in the Dow's Lake area is yet another centre of activity for the Tulip Festival. The largest concentration of tulips in the National Capital Region — some 300,000 — can be found planted along a section of the lakeshore.
Commissioners Park also features buskers and musicians, artists demonstrating their skills, and on the final weekend of the festival, a parade of lighted boats on the lake, and the festival's closing fireworks display.
[edit] Major's Hill Park
Major's Hill Park is one of many hubs of activity during the Tulip Festival. It houses several activities and concerts. In the Artisan's Marketplace, a variety of tulip art is offered for sale by local artisans. Kids World has concerts and activities for children. A weekend concert series for adults features well-known musicians on festival weekends. Since Major's Hill Park is the only site where admission is charged, this site is crucial to the financial stability of the festival.
[edit] Garden of the Provinces and Territories
The Garden of the Provinces and Territories is located directly across from Library and Archives Canada on Wellington Street near the Pont du Portage and extending west towards Lebreton Flats.
