At the Canadian Museum of Nature

On the morning of the Elmslie pool party, John and I walked over to The Canadian Museum of Nature. We had a couple of hours before we were going to be picked up. The Edwardian building built in 1912 has recently been renovated and the award-winning Queens' Lantern tower added to the front.

The lantern with it's staircases and Blue Whale model is visible from the rotunda through the Neo-Gothic front windows.

John and I originally visited to see OIL, an exhibition of Edward Burtynsky's stunning photographs. The photos are both gorgeous and utterly depressing. Above is a photograph of a nest of refinery pipes.

We luckily had time to wander around the museum itself before our pick-up. They manage to mix contemporary displays (sometimes decidely "steam-punk" in style) with great old-style dioramas like this one of ocean-floor creatures.

I loved this thermo-portrait of us on the screen between the young visitors. They look like donors in a Medieval religious painting.

We like our portrait so much that we plan to use it as a profile image!

On another floor I liked this aquarium of local fish (I think these are Yellow Perch)

and this beautifully displayed Blue Whale skeleton.

John caught this little Arctic fox peering down on visitors as they enter the hall of dioramas of Canadian native animal life.

I liked this mother Polar bear trying to catch dinner for herself and her cub.

As always, whether in art galleries or science museums the interaction between displays and visitors is fun. Here, a bison defends itself against hungry wolves.

The Musk-ox hold their ground around a young calf.

Much more relaxed, this cougar contemplates her cubs as they investigate near a rushing stream.

I just love dioramas.

A quick glance around the Dinosaur Forest with Triceratops and Raptor models and we headed out to catch our ride.

What a great morning!