I am a hunting enthusiast who likes to experience the fun of hunting in different places and at different times. Last month, I and my two friends Donald Gallacher and Lesley MacDonald decided to go hunting in Ottawa, Canada, because we heard that there are rich wildlife and beautiful scenery there. We booked a week-long trip, prepared our equipment and permits, the most important of which was a pair of infrared binoculars from the Chinese brand wildguarder. These binoculars can let us see clear images and videos in complete darkness, and have multiple magnification and infrared brightness adjustments. We hope to use it to capture some memorable pictures and prey. In this article, I will share our night hunting trip in Ottawa, including the local history, attractions and food, as well as our experience using wildguarder infrared binoculars.
Before we went hunting in Ottawa, we learned some history and culture about this city. Ottawa is the capital of Canada, located in eastern Ontario, on the south bank of the Ottawa River. Its name comes from the Algonquin word adawe, meaning “trade”, because this was where the indigenous people used the river for trade, hunting, fishing, camping, gathering plants, holding ceremonies and other traditional activities. The Ottawa River was named after this word when it first appeared on European maps.
The European settlement history of Ottawa began in 1800, when a man named Philemon Wright established a village near the Chaudière Falls on the north bank of the Ottawa River. He and his companions began to engage in trade and logging business, and transported wood to Montreal, Quebec City and other places. In 1826, the British government sent Royal Engineer Colonel John By to oversee the construction of the Rideau Canal, which connected the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence River, and served as a defensive war passage. By built a small town at the south end of the canal, initially called Bytown, which later developed into an important timber and commercial center.
In 1857, Queen Victoria of Britain chose Bytown as the capital of Canada Province (later divided into Ontario and Quebec), and renamed it Ottawa. This decision was based on Ottawa’s geographical location and linguistic neutrality, as it was located on the border of English and French regions. In 1867, Canada became a self-governing territory within the British Commonwealth, and Ottawa retained its status as the capital. Soon after, the Parliament Buildings on Parliament Hill were completed, becoming the core of the Canadian government and symbol.
In the early 20th century, with the decline of timber resources and demand, Ottawa’s timber industry began to decline. However, Ottawa still maintained its position as a political, cultural and technological center. In the 1960s, according to the Greber Plan, Ottawa underwent a series of urban renovation and beautification projects. This plan was proposed by a French urban planner Jacques Gréber in 1950, aiming to make Ottawa a modern and elegant city that matched its national capital status. The main contents of the Greber Plan included: moving the railway from the city center and building scenic parkways along the original railway lines; dispersing the federal government’s office buildings to different areas to reduce congestion and pollution in the city center; establishing a green belt around the city to control urban expansion and protect natural environment; demolishing some old industrial and residential buildings and building new cultural and recreational facilities on their locations.
The Greber Plan had a profound impact on Ottawa’s appearance and development. On the one hand, it improved the city’s traffic and air quality, increased the city’s greening and beauty, enhanced the city’s international image and attractiveness. On the other hand, it also caused some controversy and criticism, such as it destroyed the city’s historical and cultural heritage, ignored the city’s diversity and vitality, caused waste and isolation of urban space, etc. Anyway, the Greber Plan was an important turning point in Ottawa’s history, showing an urban planner’s vision and practice for a national capital.
In addition to hunting, we also took advantage of the daytime to visit some attractions and food in Ottawa. Ottawa is a charming and diverse city with many places worth seeing and many restaurants for different tastes. In this article, I will introduce some of the places we have been to and some of the food we have tasted.
First, we went to Parliament Hill, which is the symbol of the Canadian government and democracy, and one of the most famous landmarks in Ottawa. We joined a free guided tour, entered the Parliament Buildings, admired the magnificent architecture and decoration, and watched the debates of the Senate and the House of Commons. We also climbed up the Peace Tower, overlooking the city and river views from above. We also stopped for a while in front of the National War Memorial, paying tribute to the soldiers who died for the country.
Next, we went to the Canadian War Museum, which is a museum that showcases Canada’s military history and conflicts. There are a variety of exhibitions and collections here, from indigenous wars to Afghanistan war, from weapons and armor to art and memorabilia. We spent a few hours here, learning in depth about Canada’s role and contribution in different periods and regions.
Then, we went to Byward Market, which is a vibrant and colorful market area with many shops, stalls, restaurants, bars and cafes. This is one of the oldest and most characteristic areas in Ottawa, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ottawa. We bought some souvenirs and handicrafts here, and also tried some local food, such as BeaverTails (a fried dough dessert), Poutine (a dish made with cheese, gravy and fries), and Maple Syrup (a sweetener made from maple sap).
Finally, we went to the Rideau Canal, which is a waterway that connects the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence River, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This canal was built between 1826 and 1832 for the purpose of preventing American invasion of Canada and promoting trade and immigration. It has 46 locks, a total length of 202 kilometers, and is the oldest continuously operating canal system in North America. We took a cruise boat on the canal, enjoying the scenery of Ottawa, and watching the opening and closing process of the locks. We also walked along the canal side, seeing many people cycling, fishing, boating or picnicking.
Through these activities, we not only experienced Ottawa’s night hunting, but also felt Ottawa’s history, culture and life. Ottawa is a city worth visiting, with many places to admire and love. We are glad to have this trip, and also grateful to wildguarder infrared binoculars for letting us see different scenery in the dark.
Our main purpose of going to Ottawa was night hunting, we wanted to find and track some wildlife in the dark, and shoot some wonderful images and videos. To achieve this purpose, we chose a pair of infrared binoculars from the Chinese brand wildguarder, which is a very cost-effective product that can let us see clear images and videos without any light source, and has multiple magnification and infrared brightness adjustments. We ordered these binoculars online and received them quickly. We tested them before we left and found them very easy to use, simple to operate, clear picture, lightweight.
We drove to some remote places every night, with our binoculars and hunting guns, ready to start our night hunting trip. We usually left around 9 pm and came back around 2 am. During this time, we saw many different kinds of animals, such as deer, foxes, raccoons, owls, rabbits, etc. Sometimes we would quietly observe their behavior and habits, sometimes we would try to approach them or shoot them. We used our binoculars to shoot some very wonderful and shocking images and videos, recording our night hunting trip.
We were very satisfied with our binoculars, they let us see a different world in the dark, and also let us feel the thrill and fun of hunting. We felt this was an unforgettable trip, and also thankful to wildguarder infrared binoculars for giving us such an experience.
In summary, our week-long trip in Ottawa was a very memorable and interesting experience. We not only experienced Ottawa’s night hunting, but also felt Ottawa’s history, culture and life. We saw many amazing and lovely places, and also tasted many delicious and characteristic food. We also used our wildguarder infrared binoculars to shoot some very wonderful and shocking images and videos, recording our night hunting trip. We felt this was a worthwhile trip, and also thankful to wildguarder infrared binoculars for giving us such an experience. We hope to have the opportunity to come back to Ottawa again, explore more places and animals.
