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Sir John A. Macdonald re-visits the Capital . . . and gets an eyeful!

Sir John A. Macdonald re-visits the Capital . . . and gets an eyeful!
Your walk leader, Dennis Van Staalduinen, as Sir John A. Macdonald.
Your walk leader, Dennis Van Staalduinen, as Sir John A. Macdonald.

Photo:  Dennis as a youngish John A. MacDonald

Note:  The time of this walk may change.  Please check back after May 3 for a confirmed time. 

Join the ghost of Canada’s first Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald as he leads this entertaining and thought-provoking walk through the downtown core of modern Ottawa - comparing the capital of today with the rough-edged little wilderness lumber town that we were 150 years ago. We’ll explore the choices, changes, conflicts and social implications that came along with Queen Victoria’s odd choice of capital. And through stories, quotes, and letters from the era, you’ll learn how much we’ve both gained and lost as a city after the seismic shifts around Confederation in 1857.  

 It's Jane J. meets John A.!  

Local storyteller, performer, activist, and popular-history nerd Dennis Van Staalduinen will lead the walk in costume as the man himself: Sir John A. Macdonald. Warning! Some prosthetics may be involved. Not for those sensitive to large noses. 

Photo:  two views of Elgin & Sparks, 1882 and 2012.

      Sparks&Elgin 2012         Sparks St 1882

Location
Route

Meet in Major's Hill Park (on the west side of Mackenzie Ave., behind the Chateau Laurier).  From there, we will go generally westward along Sparks and Wellington Streets, ending at the National Library and Archives Building.

About the walk leader

Dennis Van Staalduinen—DenVan as he is known online— is a local storyteller, dad, community activist, and communications consultant. He thrives on discovering the hidden connections between cities, stories, and history, and develops entertaining new walks every year for Jane's Walk Ottawa-Gatineau. 

Dennis's walks of previous years have been well-attended and well-received—including Necropolis Now, Ghosts of Wellington West, the 2015 Architecture Week walk Plans of the Crown, Ghosts of the Town, and When Henry (Hudson) Met Sammy (de Champlain).

Guide:

Dennis Van Staalduinen

When:
Date:Sat May 6, 2017
Time:11:00 AM
Duration: 2 hours
Language: English
Where:
Start:Major's Hill Park
End:Library & Archives
Area:Parliament Hill, Centretown
Distance:2.0 kms
Accessibility:

We will be in mostly accessible areas. Note, however, that the route will follow the canal, climb parliament hill, cross major streets, and pass through several parks and plazas where we may encounter grass surfaces or uneven ground.

Gallery
Your walk leader, Dennis Van Staalduinen, as Sir John A. Macdonald.
Volunteer to Marshal This Walk