We debated whether to go to the Canada 150 Celebration due to the weather forecast (possible thunderstorms all day), security lines that we were told would be 3-4 hours long, not to mention all the security concerns, but in the end it was decided that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, we were up at 5:00 am in Calabogie to shower, eat and pack up and head into Ottawa.
The long nights and all the restaurant food and travelling had finally done me in. With the prospect of the lines, massive crowds and possible thunderstorms, I volunteered to stay back and guard the RV and bikes while the rest of the team marched onward towards Parliament Hill.
Even with the forecast it was still a 3 hour wait to get past security.
Wet, but happy!
If you didn't see it on TV, the grounds were a quagmire from all the rain.
But they kept on smiling!
It turned out to be an amazing day! They saw Trudeau, Prince Charlie, Bono and The Edge, Shania Twain and many others.
How did they get their own space?
This is Allen Abel from MacLean's Magazine. He asked Lynn what the shirts were about. She referred him to Ritchie.
This is what he wrote in Maclean's:
A man named Ritchie Hughes, age 59, had come to Parliament Hill by bicycle—all the way from Victoria, B.C. His cause on this calf-killing odyssey had not been mere sightseeing, a desire to be devoured by blackflies, or New Age “personal growth;” he was riding to raise money for a charity called Honour House and the injured and traumatized veterans of Canada’s newer wars.
Hughes said that both of his grandfathers had been severely wounded in the First World War, and that he himself had served in the Canadian Navy in the 1990s, back when, “if you told people you were in the military, they were like, ‘What’s wrong with you?’” Today, he observed, “Canada has started to honour our new veterans, and people are finally saying, ‘Hey—our military’s damn good.”
Now that's cool!!
Here's the whole article. Click Here
Next was the main reason that they had gone today. They met up with Chief Superintendent Joe Oliver, and his son Ben, both from the RCMP. Constable Adrian Oliver, Ben's twin brother was also an RCMP officer who lost his life on duty 5 years ago. They are huge supporters of Honour House and wanted to meet Ritchie and Caroline. Also in the picture is the Financial Officer for Honour House and he accepted a cheque for over $3,200 (and still counting) for Honour House.
This was Peter Mansbridge's last official day on CBC and the crew caught this magic moment as Sophie Trudeau wished him good luck and Justin is saying that he's taking his girl!
The last photo on his last day as Peter Mansbridge was leaving for the airport. Lynn was just trying to take a picture of him, but he grabbed the camera from her, handed it to someone else and told her to "get in the picture with me!" One class act!
Our plans for the night had changed. Originally we were going to park in my buddy Andre's driveway for the night, but Alicia's (Ritchie's son Mike's girlfriend) sister Sara insisted that we come to their place. They have a 6 acre property just outside of Ottawa.
Their Great Dane "Jim" even got into the act, putting on one of Ritchie's arm warmers!!
We didn't even know these people, but they opened their home to us and said do or use whatever you want. Just make yourselves at home. Just awesome people!......and an awesome home!
What a great way to finish up this awesome adventure. Haven't had this much fun in a long time!
The highlight of the night for me though was a couple of songs that Shawn recorded of his Dad (that his Dad had written) a week before he passed away from cancer a few years ago. Very moving and beautiful songs. A real treasure.
What a Day!!
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