Former model yacht sailing pond – its current use seems uncertain.

Limestone facade outside the former Bell Canada telephone exchange building on the corner of Sherbrooke & Metcalfe Streets.

One can see the shells; however, pollution & acid rain are slowly causing the stone to erode.

Camping in the park during Canada Day. I wonder how many of us understand the holiday’s full origins.

From Wikipedia:

“Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada) is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act, 1867 (today called the Constitution Act, 1867), which united three colonies into a single country called The Dominion of Canada within the British Empire.

Originally called Dominion Day (French: Le Jour de la Confédération), the holiday was renamed in 1982, the year the Canada Act was passed. Canada Day observances take place throughout Canada as well as among Canadians internationally.”

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).

From Wikipedia:

“In South Africa it is regarded as a weed because of its habit of freely suckering from roots near the surface and aggravated by cutting of the main stem.”

Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata).

From: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/westernredcedar.htm

“The western redcedar has been called “the cornerstone of Northwest Coast aboriginal culture,” and has great spiritual significance. Coastal people used all parts of the tree. They used the wood for dugout canoes, house planks, bentwood boxes, clothing, and many tools such as arrow shafts, masks, and paddles. The inner bark made rope, clothing, and baskets. The long arching branches were twisted into rope and baskets. It was also used for many medicines.”

Lawson cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana).

From Wikipedia:

“It was first discovered (by Euro-Americans) near Port Orford in Oregon and introduced into cultivation in 1854, by collectors working for the Lawson & Son nursery in Edinburgh, Scotland, after whom it was named as Lawson Cypress by the describing botanist Andrew Murray.”

Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea).

From Wikipedia:

“…sessile oak, also known as the Cornish oak or Durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe, into Anatolia and Iran.

Sessile oak has been designated the national tree of Wales, where it is also called Welsh oak. It is also considered the Cornish national tree and is referred to as the Cornish oak.

What was considered to be the oldest tree in the UK was a sessile oak, the Pontfadog Oak. This grew near Chirk in North Wales. It was understood to be over 1,200 years old, an age that was due to regular pollarding for much of its life. The hollow trunk had a girth of 42 feet 5 inches (12.9 m). It was lost in April 2013 when it blew down in high winds.”

Quercus rubra, commonly called northern red oak or champion oak.

From Wikipedia:

“Under optimal conditions, northern red oak is fast growing and a 10-year-old tree can be 5–6 m (15–20 ft) tall. Trees may live up to 500 years according to the USDA, and a living example of 326 years was noted in 2001 by Orwig et al.”

It is also the provincial tree of Prince Edward Island.

European silver fir (Abies alba).

From Wikipedia:

“Silver Fir is the species first used as a Christmas tree, but has been largely replaced by Nordmann Fir (which has denser, more attractive foliage), Norway Spruce (which is much cheaper to grow), and other species. The wood is moderately soft and white, used for general construction and paper manufacture.”

Shellbark Hickory (Carya laciniosa).

From Wikipedia:

“Shellbark hickory nuts are used for food by ducks, quail, wild turkeys, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, foxes, raccoons, and white-footed mice. A few plantations of shellbark hickory have been established for nut production, but the nuts are difficult to crack, though the kernel is sweet. The wood is used for furniture, tool handles, sporting goods, veneer, fuelwood, and charcoal.”