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Canadian Tulip FestivalTip Toe Through the Tulips in OttawaBy Fran Folsom
When Germany invaded Holland in 1940 the royal family was forced to flee their country. They went first to London then on to Ottawa where they were given Government House as a residence. During this time the Princess’s daughter, Princess Margriet, was born at Ottawa Civic Hospital.
This amount has been verified by the Netherlands Flower Bulb Growing Center. More tulips grow in Ottawa than any other city, making Ottawa the tulip capital of the world. It is expected that this year’s festival will draw over a million-and-a-half visitors from around the world.
This year the festival kicks off on April 26th with the annual Tulip Ball and fashion show. At this black tie event models will parade down the runway wearing gowns by Australian designers made up of – what else – tulips.
The most picturesque part of the routs is ‘The Loop’. Inside this semi-circle, surrounded by a sea of tulips in every conceivable color, are three of Ottawa’s most distinguished buildings; Parliament Building, handsome with its Peace tower, clock and green copper topped roof, the castle-like Fairmont Chateau Laurier and further down, the American Embassy.
Another must see is Major’s Hill Park with its exhibitions, tulip displays and the Artisans in the Park fair featuring over one hundred artists selling their creations. In the beautiful month of May you can tip toe through the tulips in Ottawa at the Canadian Tulip Festival. Contact InformationCanadian Tulip Festival |
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Starting May 1st and continuing to May 19th everything
in Ottawa will be coming up tulips. Some cities have flower shows or garden
tours, but, Ottawa has a festival just for tulips. It all began at the start
of World War II when the Canadian government gave asylum to Princess
Julianna, heir to the Dutch throne, and her family. .jpg)
After the royal family returned to the Netherlands in
1945, Princess Julianna, wanting to show her deep appreciation, presented
the Canadian government and the citizens of Ottawa with 100,000 tulip bulbs.
The tradition has continued with a gift of 20,000 bulbs yearly. What started
as a heartfelt gesture of thanks has blossomed into over five million
tulips..jpg)
This year, ‘Tulips Down Under’, salutes Australia and
its Tulip Festival – Canberra’s Floriade. Past themes have been ‘Turkish
Tulip Tribute’ paying homage to Turkey where tulips were first grown.
‘Friendship that Flowered’ honored Canada’s enduring friendship with the
Netherlands. In 1999 the theme was ‘Between Friends’ saluting the friendship
between the United States and Canada. .jpg)
There’s even a designated Tulip Route, a twenty-five
mile route of tulips that meanders through Ottawa and its suburbs. You can
do it by car, on foot or bike, or hop on one of the Tulip Shuttles that stop
at all the attractions. .jpg)
Not to be missed is the Rideau Canal – studded with
hundreds of tulips, starting from the Canada Agriculture Museum, to the
bridges spanning the Ottawa River, into Gatineau and the Casino Lac-Leamy.
Along the canal are world-class museums, tulip attractions and shops. Keep
in mind, our American dollar increases by almost 40% in Canada.