Heading for Harperville!! Ottawa that is!!

Aug 29th
Up early this morning and in to Ottawa . We had booked in for a city tour on Greyline Tours. Included was a "Hop on, Hop off" bus tour of the city, and then a boat cruise on the Ottawa River. The bus tour started right near the Parliament buildings at the corner of Sparks and Elgin Street, every hour on the hour. We planned to be on the first bus at 10:00AM, so we left Renfrew shortly after 8:30AM. But by the time we got into the city and found parking under City Hall, we were too late for the first tour , so took the next at 11:00AM. The first was on a double decker, open air bus, the second on a Greyhound style bus, but air conditioned. It was hot at 32 degrees celcius! The bus tour took in a whole series of places where you could jump off. Included were many historic sights: the Canadian War Museum, Parliament Hill, Museum of Civilization, Notre Dame Basilica, Rideau Hall, RCMP Museum and Stables, National Aviation Museum, Royal Canadian Mint, National Gallery, Byward Market, Rideau Canal, Dow's Lake, Experimental Farm, Museum of Nature. To see all of these places would take many days. Our pass was for 3 days, but given the heat wave we decided to just get a good feel for Ottawa in one day. If it had been cooler we might have been tempted to spend a couple of days. We did stop at the Museum of Civilization, and spend a couple of hours there.

Denice and Pierre Hamming it up

Didn't have time to see everything there, but what we did see, was well done and most enjoyable. I guess the War Museum was also well done from reports we got from other people. I would have liked to see the Royal Canadian Mint, but you just can't begin to see them all unless you have a lot of time. While we were waiting for our bus in the morning, we did walk over to the Parliament Buildings, and got some great pictures.

The Chateau Laurier

Again could have spent a lot more time there and had a tour inside, and a walking tour around the grounds. Maybe next time ---. After the bus tour, it was now 3:30PM, we went down along the Rideau Canal, Watched a yacht being lowered through the hand operated, 8 locks from the canal to the Ottawa River.



The canal joins the River right in between the Parliament Buildings and the Chateau Laurier. It is here that the boat tour originates. At 4:00PM we boarded the Paula D, a 150 passenger cruiser.
They took us on a well narrated tour, both English and French, of the River, past the Parliament Buildings, and on up the river a few miles to see Ottawa's waterfront, then back down the river past all the Foreign Country Embassies along the river.

The Chateau Laurier

24 Sussex Drive - Where is Stephan?

Parliament Buildings from the River

An amphibian bus on the River

At the outlet of the Rideau River into the Ottawa, there is a very large water fall. It looks very similiar to Niagara, only on a smaller scale. Our tour boat nosed right into the spray from the falls. We were only feet from the actual curtain of falling water.

Great Pictures, and quite an experience!! Then on down the river, turned and went up the Gataneau River a mile or so, then worked our way back to the docking, Now ,5:30PM ,and still 32 degrees. Time to head home. To get back to where we were parked under the City Hall we had to pass Confederation Park where a very large "Gay" party was happening. Oh, in the morning on the bus tour, our guide told us we would have do some detouring, as a parade was in process. I asked what kind of parade, and he answered, "Well, you will see a lot of Rainbows" But we did get by the Park and into City Hall with some help from security and some OPP advice, and eventually back to the jeep. Returned to Renfrew by 8:00PM where we stopped and got some takeout Japanese "Chinese Food." It was good. A LONG DAY!!! Denice says, " Just as a note, we were pretty naive to think that we could see all of Ottawa in one Day!!"
Aug 28th
Back over to Shawville again this morning to meet Evelyn by 10:00AM at her house. When we drove up her daughter Elizabeth, my second cousin, was already there. Soon after two more second cousins arrived, Elson Schock and Elwyn Lang, as well as Lawrence Langs, now deceased, wife Margaret. We discussed family lineage for another couple of hours. Elwyn,tookus for a quick spin in the immediate are for us to see his, and his two sons land. Beauiful land and great corn crops.




He says they will produce 4 tons of corn/acre this year, a bumper crop. Then Elson offered to drive us out to the old original Lang homestead. It was oly a 15 minute drive out into to rural Quebec the where many of the Langs homesteaded after immigrating from Ireland. Seems 3 or 4 of them settled around a small lake, and it is fittingly called Langs Lake.

The photo above and below are from Google Earth of Lang's Lake

The original homestead is now owned by another quite senior man, but he graciously allowed us access to the property and into the old house.

The Old Homestead

Elizabeth Young (Hazel's daughter)- my second cousin, Hazel - My first cousin, once removed, and Elson Schock, My second cousin

This is all that is left of the Barn

I guess in those days it was quite serviceable, but now seems very small. We haven't been able to prove or disprove, but my Great-Grandfather had 11 or 12 children, and to think that large of a family was maybe raised in that small of a house is almost mind boggling!! Elson, Evylyn, Elizabeth and Margaret were great guides as this was there back yard, so the knew every crook and cranny in the road and who lived on each twisting corner. From Langs Lake we continued on to Greer Mount, where we visited the old Prespeterian church that my Grandfather was part of the construction organizing party in about 1886.

All doors were locked, but we had a look in the windows and admired from the outside the skill those loacl pioneers had with the solid rock construction. Sort of reminds me of the skill that the Egyptians had for pyramid construction. It is amazing how those people in those days were able to complete such fine workmanship, lasting with such little deterioration. From there we continued on over to Johnson's Lake, where Elson lives in a nice big house right on the shore and beach. Then into Ladysmith, Thorne and Charteris, where we visited another graveyard.


Found a couple more Langs buried here. One Fred Lang, my grandfathers brother is buried here and our guides were able to relate the story of how his brother-in-law, and he were on their way to work at a sawmill in the morning, but did a little deer hunting on the way, and Fred was mistaken for a deer and shot. He died 4 days later. Once back at Evelyns, we had a sandwich, and talked a while lot more. God, there are more Langs than I had ever envisioned. They have a picture of a family gathering with 63 in it, and these were just the ones close by.
Aug 27th
Today we went over into Quebec and to Shawville. First went to the cemetary to try and find some of my Roots. Found quite a few buried roots, but just brought up more questions than answers.

This is the headstone of my Great-Grandfather Lang's, My Great-Grandmothers, and 2 Great-Uncles and one Great-Aunt

I saw an older resident next to the cemetery, so I walked over to him and started a conversation with him. I asked if he knew any Langs around there. He responded that he did know some, and I should be able to find a Jack and a Elwyn Lang down at the fair grounds as they are heavy into agriculture and preparations are under way for their large fair next week. Also we could drive up the road a couple of miles and find an old second-cousin-once-removed, Evelyn Shock, in a house jusy off the road. We drove down and questioned a lady at the fair grounds, but neither Jack nor Elwyn were there at the time, so we backtracked and went to find Evelyn, We had here address and when we got there she was outside sitting on the step talking another lady. We backed into her driveway and walked over to talkto her. We hadn't even introduced ourselves, when she said "you are Langs from Western Canada, aren't you?" Amazing, and she is 95 years old! She had seen our licence plates. We agreed and were invited in and talked for a couple of hours. Sure a lot of Lang history here! Mind Boggeling!!! We are invited back tomorrow, and will take her with us to see the old Lang Homestead, where my Great-Grandfather settled after coming from Ireland. Returned across the Ottawa River to ELTORO with our heads swimming with "Lang" information.
Aug 26th
Well, we planned on going to Shawville today, but instead we just relaxed for most of the day.

Sunrise Mist on the Lake

Pink Sunset from our park

Went back into Renfrew to Wallyworld and bought some needed groceries. Then just read and sat around the rest of the day
Aug 25th
Up this morning to a slightly overcast sky. Its nice and quiet and peaceful here, but we want to move on. We have reserved at Renfrew KOA for 4 nights, just south of the Ottawa River, across from Shawville, Quebec. We want to go to Shawville to research some of my roots. We followed Highway #7 about 30 miles east and then swung north onto Highway 41 toward Renfrew at Kaladar. This 70 miles across country was a beautiful drive. The highway was good, the traffic light. Passed Bon Echo Provincial Park and Mazinaw Lake. We passed a neat little town of Denbigh and then at Dacre turned onto #132 to Renfrew. Checked into Renfrew KOA by about 1:00pm. Seems like a nice place. Park right on the grass with a nice little lake out the front.
Aug 24th
On the Road Again!! Left Waterloo by 9:00AM and headed North and East. We weren't even out of Waterloo yet when we got our first "Wake up Call". Some woman cut us off from the left lane. pulled right in front of us, slammed on her brakes and turned right onto a side street. We sure had a chance to check our braking system, and then an opportunity to check our blood pulse rate as well. Denice's was high!! Mine a little as well!! Went through Guelph on Highway 24 and on to Caledon, then on #9 NE to New Market and on up to Lake Simcoe on highway 48, then back down to Lindsey and on through Peterborough to Marmora where we reserved at a KOA. Todays trip was only a couple hundred miles, but took us over 6 hours of steady driving. Ontario highways confuse me. Seems no rhyme nor reason to their direction. Some areas are in sort of a grid running NE / SW, then the next is also a grid but in a different direction. There does not seem to be any highways that are direct from one city to the next, except maybe the 401, and that one we are trying to avoid as much as possible. The other thing that is rather surprising is that posted speed limits are quite slow. none are over about 90Kms/hr, some are only 80, and we have been on some that are only 70. I guess that makes since since it seems the whole southern part of the province is sort of semi Rural / Semi Urban. Along most highways you just get up to the posted 80 Klms and then have to slow down again for the next town.