The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights

You will find the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights situated on the Ottawa City Hall grounds on the northeast corner of Elgin and Lisgar. This large memorial structure provides a place for people to sit down and rest, chat, have lunch, read or what have you. I think that's appropriate.

Major Donors since 1993

Eiko Emori
Carroll Holland
James and Annette McCoubrey
CRB Foundation
GE Canada
National Assoiciation of Friendship Centres
Vincent Spirito and Sons
Welch LLP

Designed, engraved
and installed by
Martel and Sons, Inc.

THE CANADIAN TRIBUTE TO HUMAN RIGHTS

Held high on the Monument in English and French are the words "Equality, Dignity, Rights" from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These three concepts are inscribed on 73 granite plaques in Aboriginal languages spoken in Canada, using syllabics or Roman orthography. Grouped in language families, the plaques are located on the interior walls, known as the "House of Canada." An Algonquin statement accompanying the language plaques acknowledges that this symbolic monument stands on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishnabe People.

The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights

The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights
celebrates the desire of people to live in
freedom and dignity and to share equal rights.

Enter the Tribute. A path traces a symbolic
procession through a portal transcribed with the
first words of the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.

The Tribute was conceived by a community of
volunteers from across Canada engaged in the
struggle for the rights of all people.
It was created by the artist, Melvin Charney.

Sparked in 1983 by the struggle of the Polish
trade union Solidarność and dedicated on
September 30, 1990, in the presence of the
Dalai Lama of Tibet, The Canadian Tribute to
Human Rights is a reminder that until all
rights are respected, none are secure.

The land upon which this
structure stands is part of the
traditional territories of the
Algonquin Anishnabe People.
We have occupied these lands
since time immemorial. It is
fitting that this symbol should
stand here as a reminder of
the suffering of oppressed
people everywhere and of our
faith in the wisdom of the
Great Spirit and the promise of
life, dignity, freedom and
equality for all living beings.
We welcome all who come here
to share in our hope.

While I was photographing the memorial this pigeon landed right near me
and its body language pretty much said, "Take my picture." So I did.

The Dorothy O'Connell Monument to Anti-Poverty Activism

Dorothy O'Connell is an activist, author, playwright, wife, mother of five children, friend and poet laureate of the poor. The monument that bears her name honours her anti-poverty work, and focuses attention on the issue of ending poverty. The image is a slice of bread with a house removed from it. The removed piece forms a podium and bears the title of the monument, eloquently symbolizing the hard choices poverty imposes on people. The monument is located on Ottawa City Hall grounds on Lisgar near Elgin.

Avec
la pauvreté
pas d'égalité

L'égalité
met fin à
la pauvreté

D. O'Connell

Poverty
stops
equality

Equality
stops
poverty

D. O'Connell

International Peace Garden

The International Peace Garden in Ottawa is located on the northeast bank of the Rideau River in Rideau Falls Park on Sussex Drive near Stanley Avenue. It was made there in 1990 at the same time as another International Peace Garden was placed in Washington DC in the United States.

The primary flower for the garden is the tulip, which flourishes and blooms in early spring. It looks to me that the flower beds have recently been cleared of tulips and replanted with something else that hasn't had much of a chance to develop at the time these pictures were taken.

THE
INTERNATIONAL
PEACE GARDEN

Every spring, thousands of "Ottawa" tulips bloom in this
International Peace Garden, first conceived and planted in 1990.
The idea was born in Canada during the Second World War, when
Canada's Capital offered sanctuary to a Dutch princess and her
family. The bulbs for the Capital's massive displays of tulips  were
a post-war gift from Princess Juliana and the Dutch people. Since then,
tulips have proliferated in Ottawa as a symbol of peace, freedom and
international friendship.

In 1990, the City of Ottawa and the Canadian Tulip Festival (an annual
event that dates back to the post-war period) presented the United
States with a "peace garden" to celebrate the world's longest
undefended border. The dedication of that garden inspired the 1992
creation of the International Peace Garden Foundation — a
charitable organization that promotes human rights and advances
global friendship.

The Foundation works with the Canadian Tulip Festival
to coordinate the annual gift of a Peace Garden from
country to country, with the latest participant
choosing which country to honour next.

Veterans' Grove

Veterans' Grove is a grove of trees that were planted on the grounds of Ottawa City Hall on Lisgar near Elgin. The grove honours Canadian War Veterans from the Ottawa-Carleton Region. The region amalgamated and is now the City of Ottawa.

VETERANS'
GROVE

Lest we forget

Planted in honour
Canadian War Veterans
from the
Ottawa-Carleton Region

Dedicated on November 5th, 1998
Bob Chiarelli
Regional Chair

National Capital Region Korean War Memorial

This memorial commemorates Canadians from the National Capital Region who died in line of duty during the Korean war. It stands on the Ottawa City Hall grounds on Lisgar near Elgin.

In memory of the Canadians
who enlisted in the
National Capital Region
and made the supreme
sacrifice for their country.

1950 - 1953
THE WAR IN KOREA

Their names liveth forevermore

Erected by:
The National Capital
Unit of the Korea Veterans
Association of Canada
and the City of Ottawa

The Lost Child

When I was at Ottawa City Hall taking pictures of the memorials on the City Hall grounds from where I was where Cartier ends at Lisgar I saw these large stones standing in the courtyard next to the former Teacher's College. They look like a memorial, so I took a closer look. Ah! There's a plaque. From reading it, I concluded that the stones make up an art piece, not a memorial. At the same time the sentiment of the artist resonated with me, so I photographed the piece and here are the pictures.

The artist, David Ruben Piqtoukun, is an Inuk from Paulatuk, Northwest Territories.

 

THE LOST CHILD

1989

DAVID RUBEN-PIQTOUKUN, 1950

Northwest Territories
Kingston Hue Sandstone

The Lost Child represents conceptually
the experience of the artist as a
young child visiting Edmonton with its
overwhelming urban skyline.
David states "We have all been lost at
some point in our lives."