Canadian Tulip Festival
The 55th annual Canadian Tulip Festival provided a spectacular
display of blooms in Ottawa, Ontario, recently. Our web
photographer, Sean McHaffie, had the opportunity (along
with over a half-million other visitors) to browse the
endless tulip beds and snap these photos.
The festival, which is the largest of its kind in the
world, pays tribute to Queen Juliana (1909-2004) of
the Netherlands. In the fall of 1945, she presented
100,000 tulip bulbs to the national capital, in recognition
of Canadian troops' contributions to the liberation
of her country during the Second World War. The tulips
were also given in appreciation, as members of Holland's
exiled royal family were able to seek refuge in Ottawa
during the conflict.
The festival celebrates the tulip as a symbol of peace
and friendship.
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