shootstories

Spring, a time for rebirth and new beginnings, seems an opportune time to make my inaugural blog post.

Spring in Ottawa is characterized by the blooming of millions of tulips, well over 2 million.  The start of tulips characterizing this city dates back to 1945 when Princess Julianna of the Netherlands gave Ottawa 100,000 tulip bulbs.  This gift acknowledged the safe haven provided by Canada to the Princess and her daughters during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.  It also recognized the role the Canadian troops played in the liberation of the Netherlands.  The tulip came to symbolize international friendship and is now the official flower of Ottawa.

In 1953, Malak Karsh (the other brother) suggested the idea of the first tulip festival in Ottawa.   While Yousef Karsh was world-renowned for his portraits, Malak too was an accomplished photographer.  Some say his photos “immortalized the tulip.”  The Canadian Tulip Festival has become a yearly event and is the largest of its kind in the world.

This year with unseasonably warm temperatures, the tulips broke ground early in mid-April.  By last weekend, the start of the festival, the flowers were at the height of their fullness.  Meanwhile, Mother Nature had a change of mind. Heavy rains, high winds, and even frost left many tulips stemless or with furled petals for the start of the event.  The Festival continues through next weekend.  Many of the tulips have had their day, but the late-bloomer ilk will colour the City a little while longer.