This year I decided to load up my new-to-me Olympus XA and bring it along. It had been given to me this past year by a former colleague, but I hadn't yet run a roll through it. I have a couple XA2's, and I've been pleased with the results they give. I used expired Kodak Max 400 - sort of a test roll for the camera; if it didn't turn out, oh well, no biggie. I'd shot some of this batch of film before, and so I knew to rate it at about 160. I had it developed and scanned at Walmart yesterday.
I need to shoot more - because my composition is lousy (and it was my first time with the XA; sometimes I'd change the film speed when trying to focus!). But hey, perhaps something is better than nothing.
I like this memorial. It is called The Response and was installed in 1939. More detail in the images below.
^^ Yeah, I know; bad focus. I did this trick with the rangefinder; it was a big improvement.
[url=http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-165.html]http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-165.html[/url]
When the ceremony was over I went to grab a coffee and kill a little time, figuring that the crowd would die down a bit and I could come back for some better shots. Well the above shots are it; it was still pretty crowded. People hung around more than in previous years, if I recall correctly.
Near the War Memorial are a set of bronze statues. Below each image is a transcription of the text on the respective bronze plaque accompanying each statue. I didn't waste film on the plaques; I shot them with my low-res phone camera.
Lieutenant Colonel Charles-Michel d'Trumberry de Salaberry, CB (Whew!) (1778-1829)
A skillful professional soldier, Salaberry formed the celebrated Votigeurs canadiens. In 1813, he outwitted and defeated a vastly superior American force at the Battle of Chateauguay, helping to save Lower Canada from invasion. War of 1812
Laura Secord, UE (1775-1868)
Thanks to Laura Secord, nearly 500 Americans surrendered at Beaver Dams in 1813, and a British defeat was averted. She had overheard plans for a surprise attack and struggled alone through miles of dense bush to warn the commander of the British outpost. War of 1812
Trivia: in Canada we have a chain of chocolate shops named 'Laura Secord'.
Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (1661-1706)
Born in Montreal, Iberville was a great commander who fought the English boldly, often against great odds. In 1697, when three English vessels attacked his ship, the Pelican, in Hudson's Bay, he sank one, boarded another and then captured their outpost at York Port. French Regime
Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant) (1742-1807)
A notable Mohawk warrior and statesman, and principal war chief of the Six Nations, he led his people in support of the British. After the war, he brought his people to Canada to settle near where Brantford now stands. American Revolution
There are some bronze busts of other folks as well (they're in a crummy group photo I'm not going to bother to post)
There's so much to see downtown; I should really take photo walks down there more often.
After taking pics of the statues then took a wander down by the locks (down the stairs to the left of the Salaberry statue). I breeze through here regularly on my bike (well, up until last week; I'm pretty sure that I'm done biking for the year), but rarely stop for a better look. I have an odd appreciation for tourist sites that aren't too sanitized or safe. Anyone can just wander up and fall right into the empty lock if they want to ;->
And those stone steps are pretty steep.
The locks are empty now (except for that drydocked ship, of course; more on that later).
I thought that the little XA did a good job. The XA series is so small! I keep an XA2 in my backpack top pocket - but don't take it out nearly enough. After seeing what the XA can do, I'm encouraged to put a good roll in it (I have a fresh roll of 160NC in the fridge), get better-than-Walmart scanning, and see what the little XA will do.
That's the edge of Parliament Hill on the left.
That statue on the pedestal on the hill in the distance is Samuel de Champlain.
The drydocked boat. Look familiar?
http://nelsonfoto.com/SMF/index.php?topic=21565.msg193549#msg193549
There's a different boat drydocked in the Hartwell locks this year.
Thanks for looking.
Bill
