2 • May 04, 2008 NCC WELCOMES THE CANADIAN TULIP FESTIVAL TO ITS CAPITAL PARKS Posted by mcollins
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Visit the NCC’s Tulip Legacy Exhibit in Commissioners and Major’s Hill Parks
Visit the NCC’s Tulip Legacy Exhibit in Commissioners and Major’s Hill Parks
The National Capital Commission (NCC) is pleased to welcome the Canadian Tulip Festival to Commissioners and Major’s Hill Parks, from May 2 to 19, 2008, and to provide the spectacular displays of tulips found throughout the Capital Region.
NCC’S TULIP LEGACY EXHIBIT IN COMMISSIONERS PARK AND MAJOR’S HILL PARK May 3 to 19, 2008, from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays (Mon - Thu) and 9 am to 8 pm on weekends (Fri – Sun) The NCC’s Tulip Legacy Exhibit recounts the history of the Dutch Royal family’s refuge in Canada during the Second World War and the contribution of Canadian troops in the liberation of the Netherlands in 1944-45. With panels, photographs and a discovery cart, NCC interpreters can help visitors to Commissioners and Major’s Hill Parks discover how the tulip has become a symbol of peace and freedom shared by Canada and the Netherlands.
While touring Commissioners Park, visitors can pick-up a free copy of the “Experience the Beauty! The National Capital Commission’s Tulip Beds” brochure, which provides information on the tulip legacy story, the different varieties of tulips planted in the 27 floral beds, and the location of designated photo sites in some of the Park’s most beautiful tulip displays of flowerbeds.
SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO QUÉBEC CITY’S 400TH ANNIVERSARY This year, 22,000 tulips will bloom in a special commemorative flowerbed at Commissioners Park to pay tribute to Québec City’s 400th anniversary. Another 10,000 tulips, donated by the NCC to the Société du 400e anniversaire de Québec, will also be in full bloom at the Bois-de-Coulonge Park in Québec City, a park maintained and managed by Québec’s National Capital Commission.
TULIPS AT THE NCC’S CAPITAL INFOCENTRE May 2 to 9, 2008, from 9 am to 5 pm / May 10 to 19, from 9 am to 9 pm Tulip lovers will also want to visit the NCC’s Capital Infocentre, one of the Festival’s official sites located across from Parliament Hill. The gallery on the second floor offers an impressive view of the 28,000 red tulips planted by the NCC each year on Parliament Hill.
TULIPS AT THE NCC’S HISTORICAL MACKENZIE KING ESTATE IN GATINEAU PARK Beginning May 10, weekdays from 11 am to 5 pm and weekends and holidays from 11 am to 7 pm William Lyon Mackenzie King was Prime Minister of Canada when Princess Juliana of the Netherlands sent a gift of thousands of tulip bulbs to the Canadian people to be planted in Canada’s Capital. Each spring, tulips also bloom at Mackenzie King Estate located in the Capital’s Gatineau Park. The historic buildings of the Estate, set among a unique collection of ruins and stunning gardens, will be open to the public beginning May 10, 2008.
ABOUT THE NCC’S FLORAL PROGRAM Each spring, over one million tulips and 200,000 annuals planted by the NCC bloom on Parliament Hill, in Major’s Hill, Commissioners and Jacques-Cartier Parks, as well as along Confederation Boulevard, the historic Rideau Canal, the Capital's scenic parkways and recreational pathways, and in front of national museums and institutions. As the official gardener of Canada’s Capital, the NCC is responsible for the design and maintenance of many of the public gardens and the 90 flower beds found throughout the region. The most impressive display of tulips is found in Commissioners Park, where some 300,000 tulips bloom each year.
For more information on tulips, the public can contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1 800 465-1867, 613-239-5090 (TTY) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca/tulips.
For information on the Canadian Tulip Festival, the public can visit the Festival’s website at www.tulipfestival.ca.
