Giant Spider resides in Ottawa

Ottawa, Ontario - Do you have a 12-year-old boy who thinks spiders are really, really cool? Here’s an introduction to art that will get his attention. The National Gallery of Canada has acquired Maman, a 9.27 metre (30-foot) spider sculpture, which is now on display at the Gallery’s Plaza. The gargantuan bronze spider, by Louise Bourgeois, weighs 8,165 kg (or 18,000 lbs) and carries a sac of 20 pure white marble eggs under her belly. Spiders, with their ability to fabricate complex and calculated webs, serve as a natural metaphor for creativity. This artist intended this sculpture to be an ode to the artist’s mother, who was a restorer of tapestries. The National Gallery is home to more than 35,000 works of art, with displays in spacious galleries, a luminous Great Hall, quiet courtyards and beautiful gardens. Photo courtesy of National Gallery of Canada

In The News: Admission to the collection at the The Nationall Gallarery of Canada will be free on Canada Day (regular fees apply the Pop Life exhibit.)

Where: The glittering towers of National Gallery overlook the Ottawa River and the Parliment buildings. Quick Tips: There is free admission to the NGC collection on Thursdays after 5 pm (always reconfirm on their website). Time your visit to Ottawa for early May and you'll see the city burst into bloom: more than three million tulips are planted throughout the Capital Region.

 

Canada’s Coolest:

Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email [email protected]. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.

The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.

And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...

More from Canada’s Coolest

'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:

• Golf Course Features
• Haunted Hotels
• Hotel Special Services

Send your suggestions to [email protected]

Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics: