Every year, the citizens of Ottawa have a good reason to eagerly anticipate the arrival of spring. Soon after the last of the snow has melted, all the streets and parks are cleaned and groomed in preparation for the Tulip Festival in May.
The festival is one of the most popular public events in the country attracting visitors from far and wide. Gardeners responsible for public parks in the national capital region and many homeowners join efforts to plant flower beds containing a large variety of colourful tulips. The tulip is the city’s official flower and the Tulip Festival has been an annual feature since 1953.
This is a time of the year when we really appreciate living in Ottawa. With a population of about one million inhabitants, the city has human proportions, and it never stops to enchant, plus it is beautiful and welcoming.
The festival was the brainchild of a well-known Ottawa-based photographer, Malak Karsh, who immortalized in pictures many of the sites around the capital, including the first Dutch tulips to bloom in the city in 1946. The city’s association with tulips has an interesting background.
Following the German occupation of the Netherlands in 1940, Princess Juliana, heir to the Dutch throne, and her children found a safe haven in Ottawa. They stayed here until the end of the war and the children attended a local school. Her husband, Prince Bernhart, visited them as often as possible but did not reside in Canada.
In 1943, Princess Juliana gave birth to their third child, Princess Margriet, in the maternity unit at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, which was purposefully designated as “extraterritorial” to ensure that the child would be a citizen of the Netherlands.
In April 1945, Canadian Forces distributed food relief to the Dutch people who were in a state of near starvation after a harsh winter. Canadian Forces also played a key role in liberating the country following the surrender of the German invaders.
The sheltering of the Royal Family and the role played by Canada during the war helped to solidify the bond between the two countries. Every year, since 1946, the Royal Family and the Dutch Bulb Growers Association send a total of twenty thousand tulip bulbs to Canada as a gift and a token of enduring friendship.
We hope you enjoy our short video celebrating this year’s beautiful floral displays.
Great photos of one of our favorite Canadian cities. Thank you.
Ottawa in its technicolor dream coat. Such beautiful flowers. Enjoy! I hope the high winds stay away for a bit.
C’est si joli, cette abondance florale! Merci 🌷
So lovely, including the music. Thanks for this colorful spring kaleidoscope.