Stop The Kettle Island Bridge

Design Tourist Ottawa: The Musical Ride

On her latest Designing Ottawa blog posting, Ottawa Citizen journalist Maria Cook comments on the cultural signifigance of the RCMP Musical Ride and on the negative impacts a bridge at Kettle Island would have on this treasured institution.

Excerpts from her commentary below:

Red coats, black horses, green grass. The Mountie is arguably Canada’s most recognizable piece of design and the Musical Ride a wonderful pageant.
…

Should the interprovincial bridge be routed via Kettle Island, the view would be of trucks.

Noise could prevent the musical ride from performing and it appears possible the stables and horses would move away from Ottawa.

It is to be hoped that this historic landscape will be preserved.

Meanwhile, the combination of horses, red coats and summer evening is a lush visual experience, a echo of ancient pageantry.

The complete posting is available on her blog:
June 25, Designing Ottawa: Design Tourist Ottawa: The Musical Ride

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RCMP Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies: June 26th – June 30th

Don’t miss the upcoming Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies, June 26th to June 30th, at the at the home of the Musical Ride – the RCMP Stables at the Canadian Police College. Come and experience a living tribute to Canadian heritage and history.

The RCMP promotes this as “the ultimate family experience in the nation’s capital”.

Admission and public parking are both free, however, donation boxes will be set up on the grounds to collect funds for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.

Click here for details.

While you’re enjoying the exhibition, don’t overlook the fact that a bridge at Kettle Island would result in as many as 3000 trucks per day barreling along the parkway within approximately 150m of the main stage.  

This would mean 250 trucks (about 1 every 30 seconds) could pass immediately behind the ceremonies during the course of the 2-hour show. Bad for the show, but even worse for the horses who live at the RCMP Stables year round and the children and families who regularly visit them.

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