PHOTO: Welcome to Parliament Hill

Welcome to Canada’s Parliament by Daniel Dewan

I was scrolling through OttawaStart’s Flickr pool the other day (check it out sometime!) and this photo by Daniel Dewan really caught my eyes – partly because of the striking title: “Welcome to Canada’s Parliament.”

Parliament Hill is still a fairly welcoming place, but it’s a sad reality that heavy security at public places is necessary these days. If you’ve gone through security to get into Centre Block lately you probably understand what I mean!

Dewan says: “I am amazed at the access and freedom people have to Parliament Hill. I hope it never changes. I worry that ongoing terrorist attacks around the world will force even more security and eventually restrict people from enjoying a visit to the Hill.”

Ottawa City Hall is one of the few government seat buildings that you can just walk into, but even there some things are changing. Bollards were recently installed there and there is a possibility of airport-style security coming to 110 Laurier in the future.

I really appreciate the model of openness that city hall provides – anyone can just walk in and visit their councillor. No abrasive security guards, no putting your phone/keys in plastic boxes.

But as Susan Sherring puts it: “Don’t go blaming the politicians on this one. Blame the world we live in.”