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Sunday, April 8, 2018

Tulip Legacy just keeps on blooming in Canada's capital city; Fox trots


   One-Tank Trip for April 7/18
  
   (c) By Jim Fox

   Everything’s coming up tulips – one million of them – in Canada’s capital.
   Go ahead, count them at the 66th annual Canadian Tulip Festival, May 11 to 21, paying homage to an ongoing gift from the Netherlands after the Second World War.
   Tulips became Ottawa’s official flower after the Dutch Royal Family took refuge there and Canadian troops played a pivotal role in the liberation of the Netherlands.
Tulips bloom on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
   When the war ended and the family returned to Europe, they sent a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa.
   This lasting gift continues and is known as the “Tulip Legacy.”
   New is the Tulip Trail linking Commissioners Park and Lansdowne, a 20-minute stroll by “beautiful residential and city gardens, with interpretation markers, animation and entertainment along the way.”

   Also new is Rendez-vous des saveurs at the Zibi community in Gatineau with tulip-inspired culinary offerings.
There are some 250,000 tulips blooming in Commissioners Park near Dows Lake.
   The theme is A World of Tulips with the main flower beds at Commissioners Park at Dows Lake, also the location of a Victoria Day fireworks show on May 20.
   There’s also tulip art in the ByWard Market; fun family events at Lansdowne; and tulips sprouting along the Garden Promenade. tulipfestival.ca; 1-800-668-8547

   Fox trots
   Publicist Beth Merrick says “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines” as Monster Jam roars into Hamilton, April 14 and 15.
Monster Jam’s Jailbird, driven by Kaylyn Migues, flies through the air.
   There’s a “mega line-up” of seven new trucks plus father/daughter drivers making their debut at FirstOntario Centre.
   Presented by Feld Entertainment, the competitors are Monster Mutt, Storm Damage, Hurricane Force, Stinger Unleashed, Master of Disaster, Nitro Menace and Jailbird, along with fan-favourite Grave Digger vying for the championship title.
Oops, sorry about that. Nitro Menace just crushes two cars and keeps on going at Monster Jam.
   Fans can see a father and daughter compete against one another with Nitro Menace piloted by Darren Migues and Jailbird driven by Kaylyn Migues.
   Along with the two 1 p.m. shows, there will be pit parties before the action.
   Tickets start at $15. ticketmaster.ca, monsterjam.com; 1-855-985-5000.

   Curtain rising
   Stratford Festival executive director Anita Gaffney said its 66th season will welcome the 28-millionth patron.
   So far, 70 per cent has been raised of the $100-million Spirit of the Tent campaign to build a new Tom Patterson Theatre Centre.
   The new theatre, designed by architect Siamak Hariri, is to open for the 2020 season.
The curtain will rise April 17 for Music Man at the Stratford Festival.
   This season starts April 17 with the Music Man and continues until October.
   Featured are The Tempest; Comedy of Errors; Coriolanus; Julius Caesar; Rocky Horror Show; Long Day’s Journey Into Night; An Ideal Husband; To Kill a Mockingbird; Napoli Milionaria!; Bronte; and Paradise Lost. stratfordfestival.ca; 1-800-567-1600

   Vimy remembered
   Georgia Sifton of the Elgin County Heritage Centre in St. Thomas says the 8th annual Vimy Lecture will honour those in the First World War combat in France.
   The event at the centre (460 Sunset Drive) on Monday (April 9) at 2 p.m. will recall how 600 Elgin County soldiers fought at the Battle of Vimy Ridge including Lance-Sergeant Ellis Sifton, a Wallacetown native.
   Killed in action eliminating a German machine gun emplacement, he was posthumously awarded a Victoria Cross to be displayed that day.
   Guest speaker is Tracy Gordon of Dutton, an historical seamstress and war re-enactor. Info: (519) 631-1460, ext. 193

   Golden Age
   The Woodstock Choralaires will celebrate “The Golden Age of the Silver Screen” at the Marathana Christian Reformed Church (735 Frontenac Cres.) on April 28.
Woodstock Choralaires
   With performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., conductor Geoffrey Warder will be accompanied by pianist Susan Barta with the Showtime Orchestra.
   They will perform songs from Hollywood movies such as The Jazz Singer, The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, State Fair and Singin’ in the Rain.
   Tickets are $25, adults, and $12 to age 12. Info: (519) 536-7630

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Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca

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