Canada 150 Fireworks
July 1st Canadian’s are celebrating Canada’s 150 years of Confederation. Fireworks are always part of the celebrations so I made my way down to Columbia Lake in Waterloo Ont. for the big show. For 20 minutes the sky was alive with the explosions, pops and sizzles. Here are a few shots I captured.
Window Evolution
Window Evolution
The way we use windows in our buildings today has really evolved over the years. The shuttered windows on the Seagram museum are reflected in the all glass wall of the The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in downtown Waterloo Ontario.
Ferris Wheel Colours
Ferris Wheel Colours
The sights and sounds and colours all come together during the Fall Fairs and Busker Festivals. This was taken at the Busker Festival this year in Waterloo Ontario.
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and The Lamb
This past summer the The Waterloo Regional Police Service officially unveiled its new north division station. At the front entrance you are greeted by a bronze statue of the lion and the lamb designed by Ernest Daetwyler, which borrows the two animals from the police insignia. The lamb represents youth getting it’s first shaky legs of independence, while the lion represents the community and the establishment, watchful and protective of youth.
For me, what I first thought of when I first saw this beautiful installation was the Biblical representation of the Lion and the Lamb.
Open Streets Uptown Waterloo
On Sunday September 15 we went to Uptown Waterloo to check out the Open Streets event. Open Streets Uptown Waterloo is a series of community afternoons inviting everyone to come walk, ride and play in our vibrant urban centre along King Street.
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- Open Streets Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy Drummer
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- Open Streets Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy
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- Open Streets Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy
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- Open Streets Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy
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- Open Streets Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy
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- Open Streets Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy
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- Open Streets Waterloo moccasin man
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- Open Streets Waterloo – Moments
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- Open Streets Waterloo Now and then Fashion
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- Open Streets Waterloo – Red Socks
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- Open Streets Waterloo Jugglers
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- Open Streets Waterloo Classic trucks
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- Open Streets Waterloo Classic trucks
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- Open Streets Waterloo Surprised Ref.
Marvin Did It!
Marvin Did It!
The Waterloo Bowling Lanes is under the wrecking ball after 64 years of business in Waterloo. You can still see the wall art from the basement lanes. It looks like Marvin got a little carried away with his laser gun!
Fire Alarm
Fire Alarm
This old Grinnell Automatic Sprinkler Fire Alarm can be found on the side of the Old Button Factory in Waterloo.
3 Exposure HDR, Photomatix, Lightroom, Photoshop, Topaz and OnOne filters.
Coal Chute
Coal Chute
Uptown Waterloo Ontario.. This coal chute which dates back to 1902 can be found at #4 King St. South which was known as the Commercial Block on the 1861 Waterloo map. The block was built in 1857. #4 was originally an Pharmacy.
Molsons Bank
Molsons Bank
Another architectural delight from the Uptown Waterloo Once Around the Block tour hosted by the Button Factory with the Baden Storytellers’ Guild. The following description can be found on the Waterloo Public Library site.
3 King Street South, now the Bank of Montreal and formerly Molson’s Bank, is a good example of classical bank architecture. Notice the Ionic columns and the stonework over the windows. It was built in 1914 but the land that the bank was built on had been owned by William Snider and used for a park by the public. When the town decided to tax Snider on the land he decided to sell it to the town, but when they wouldn’t buy it he sold it to Molson’s bank and thus Waterloo lost its original town square.
Tech Info: 3 exposure HDR processed in Photomatix, Lightroom, Photoshop, Topaz, OnOne.
Marbles Resturant
Marbles Resturant
On Saturday the Waterloo Community Arts Centre in the Button Factory on Regina St. Waterloo hosted Once Around The Block – Uptown Waterloo. Our tour guides consisted of 3 members of theBaden Storytellers’ Guild
The building that is now home to Marbles restaurant was originally built as a livery stable for the Alexander House, a hotel that once stood on the corner. The hotel was built in the mid 1870s by David Kuntz, the owner of the Kuntz brewery, which was on the diagonally opposite corner of King and William Streets. The hotel was torn down in the 1930s but the livery stable continued to be used as an automobile service station. Notice the wide entrance way to allow for a horse and buggy. Today it’s one of many excellent restaurants in Waterloo. (description from http://www.wpl.ca/walkingtour/MaryAllen/02-8William.html).
Tech Info: 3 exposure HDR in Photomatix then effects added in Photoshop, Topaz, OnOne
Waterloo Central Railway
Waterloo Central Railway Steam Train
The Waterloo Central Railway Steam Train was running between St. Jacobs and Waterloo this weekend. I happened to be driving by this trestle bridge as the train was approaching. Despite the rain I got this shot. A little work in Photoshop and a few filters yielded these results.
Doors Open Waterloo Region – CIGI Campus
The Centre for International Governance Innovation Waterloo
We arrived at our 9th and final Doors Open Waterloo Region site shortly before 4:oo pm giving us just enough time to grab a few photo’s and talk with the hosts. As stated on their web site “The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, non-partisan think tank on international governance. CIGI’s research programs focus on four themes: the global economy; global security; the environment and energy; and global development.”
Again from their site: “A public art installation in the CIGI Campus courtyard, designed by Rhode Island artist Richard Fleischner, features copper markers signifying 19 moments of progress in international governance. The markers have been placed by geographical location onto an unseen map of the world. These events have significantly shaped how individuals and nation-states interact with one another. They were chosen based on their impact on international governance, not just at the moment in time, but in the grander sweep of history.”
The picture above I took in September of 2011 and the rest in the Gallery below I took the day of the tour.
Click on an image below to see larger
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- CIGI Water Abstract
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- The Centre for International Governance Innovation – Water Feature in Court Yard
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- The Centre for International Governance Innovation – Public Art Installation
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- The Centre for International Governance Innovation – Public Art Installation
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- The Centre for International Governance Innovation Interior View
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- The Centre for International Governance Innovation – Interior view
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- The Centre for International Governance Innovation – Office corridor
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- The Centre for International Governance Innovation – Exterior view
So this wraps up the our Doors Open Waterloo Region Tour. I hoped you enjoyed the ride and for those of you in the region – why not join the fun next year!. I hope you will continue to follow my posts as I photograph this wonderful Global Village we live in.
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Doors Open Waterloo Region – The Waterloo Hotel
The Waterloo Hotel – Waterloo Ontario
The Waterloo Hotel was stop number 8 of our Doors Open Waterloo Region Tour. The front part of this building was completed in 1890 so it has been a prominent feature in Waterloo for some time. The building was purchased by the Webers in January of 1997 after it sat vacant for 7 years. It has been painstakingly restored to its Victorian past with modern comforts. The wonderful thing about this tour is finding these treasures that we were unaware of before.
Click on the images to see larger
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- The Waterloo Hotel – Guest Room
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- The Waterloo Hotel – Stair Case
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- The Waterloo Hotel – Main Staircase
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- The Waterloo Hotel – Waterloo Ontario
Next will be the final stop on the tour which took us right to closing time. Stay Tuned!
Doors Open Waterloo Region – The Old Button Factory
The Old Button Factory Waterloo
The Old Button Factory in Waterloo was our 7th stop on the Doors Open Waterloo Region Tour. Built in 1886 it was home to the buttom manufacturing company of Richard Roschman & Brothers. In 1982 the city of Waterloo designated the building as an architecturally significant and historical landmark. Today it is home to The Waterloo Community Arts Centre offering classes, workshops, and a wide variety of exhibits, performances, and demonstrations to encourage growth in community art.
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- The Old Button Factory Window
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- Large format camera in The Old Button Factory
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- The Old Button Factory Studio B
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- The Old Button Factory Interior
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- The Old Button Factory – Doors Open
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- The Old Button Factory Waterloo
The Button Factory gives artists a unique space to work out of. Check what they have to offer at their web site. http://www.buttonfactoryarts.ca/index.html
Doors Open Waterloo Region – Hillcrest House
Hillcrest House
Our 6th stop on the Doors Open Waterloo Region Tour was Hillcrest House. Built in 1882 by Theodore Bellinger this 130 year old house is lovingly cared for by the Schusters and operates as a unique Bed and Breakfast in the heart of Uptown Waterloo. Find out more about this B&B at their website http://www.hillcresthouse.ca
Next stop is another old building in Waterloo with an interesting manufacturing history. Stay tuned!
Click on a picture to see larger
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- Hillcrest House Bedroom Suite
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- Hillcrest House Fire Place
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- Hillcrest House Dinning Room
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- Hillcrest House Kitchen
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- Hillcrest House Bay Window
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- Hillcrest House
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- Hillcrest House
Doors Open Waterloo Region – St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Waterloo
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Sanctuary Altar
Our 5th stop on the Doors Open Waterloo Region tour was St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on Willow Street in Waterloo. This church was build in 1962 after a devastating fire destroyed an earlier one. The congregation is well established in Waterloo, celebrating it’s 175th anniversary this year.
The church features a magnificent vaulted ceiling, many stain glass windows made from imported glass, and pipe organ.
The modern interior is a interesting contrast to the mid 20th century Gothic exterior.
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- St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Sanctuary Rear Loft
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- St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Sanctuary Altar
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- St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Sanctuary Altar
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- St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Exterior
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- St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Exterior
This beautiful church is well worth a visit if you get a chance.
Last time I said the next post was going to be a 130 year old house but I got ahead of myself on the tour as this church was our 5th stop. So now that we are back on track the next post will be the 130 year old house. Stay Tuned!
Doors Open Waterloo Region – Sun Life Financial
The Fourth stop on our Doors Open Waterloo Region was Sun Life Financial in Waterloo. Celebrating 100 years this building was a real treat to tour.
Sun Life Financial – Original main entrance
In the spring of 1912 24 men and 14 women – Employees of the the Ontario Mutual Life Assurance Co. carried their files and papers from their old location through this magnificent entrance into the Great Hall inside. One employee is said to exclaim, “We will never fill it!”. Eight additions later and 2,600 people working in this location proved filling it was not a problem.
Sun Life Financial Great Hall
This shot taken from one of the balconies of the Great Hall is a panorama composed of 5 pictures. Great care has been taken to preserve the original features of the building.
Click on a picture to see them larger
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- Sun Life Financial – Exterior
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- Sun Life Financial – Atrium water feature
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- Sun Life Financial – Pond in the atrium
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- Sun Life Financial – Atrium
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- Sun Life Financial – Wrought Iron Railings
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- Sun Life Financial – Main Board Room Fire Place with first portrait of the president of the Ontario Mutual Life Assurance Company – Isaac Erb Bowman
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- Sun Life Financial – Main Board Room Fire Place
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- Sun Life Financial Great Hall
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- Sun Life Financial – Original main entrance
This stop was well worth the time to see and learn about this significant Waterloo landmark and contributor to the economy.
Our next stop – A beautiful 130 year old home! Stay tuned!
Knox Presbyterian Church
Knox Presbyterian Church
This is Knox Presbyterian Church and is the next architecturally interesting building in this mini tour of Waterloo. It’s across the road from the Clay and Glass Gallery. This church was recently completed – replacing the previous church built in the 50’s. I think the design fits in well with this area of town.
Tomorrow we will go down the street back toward the Seagram Lofts to look at another building from a different era.
This is a 3 exposure HDR with post processing in Photoshop and Topaz filters.
Seagram Distillers
Seagram Lofts
We checked out the Ice Dogs Festival in Waterloo this weekend. Kids having fun skating. Ice sculptures and people out with their dogs. A nice Family Day Weekend activity. This building in down town Waterloo is the old Seagram whisky-barrel warehouse (as in the famous Crown Royal). The building has been converted into lofts making then a unique reuse of historic buildings.
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