Preview
Creation Date
1-1-2025
Description
England | Grand Forks, ND
Neil Wade
Naturalized in 2012
Photographic portrait documenting Neil Wade's participation in the Constitution Day project.
Framed Painting: “The Rideau Canal” by Ben Babelowsky - This painting depicts Canadians enjoying winter by skating on the Rideau Canal in downtown Ottawa, Canada – my “hometown.” The canal system was planned and built in the early 19th century, following the War of 1812. It allowed commercial shipping to avoid the threat of American hostility along the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Lake Ontario. The small logging community along the Ottawa River at the canal's origin, known at the time as Bytown, became Ottawa, Canada’s capital. The parliament buildings, also seen in the painting, overlook the Ottawa River, just west of the canal. Used in modern times solely for recreation, the Rideau Canal system uses a series of lock stations that allow navigable passage from the Ottawa River to Lake Ontario via the Rideau and Cataraqui Rivers and several lakes between the two. About 125 miles long, the Rideau Canal system is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Each winter, it is transformed into the world's largest skating rink, offering about 5 miles of maintained ice through the city.