Hard 2 believe this is a tulip, it sort of looks like a rose or peony. In fact this is called a double late peony tulip. The Canadian Tulip Festival is our 1st festival 2 kick off the tourist season since Covid. It was packed Mother’s Day at Commissioners Park.
We commemorate 3 things with the gift of tulips from the Dutch Royal family. 1 We commemorate our Canadian military who fought & those who lost their lives in the Liberation of the Netherlands 🇳🇱 (end of WWII May 5, 1945).
2nd Commemoration we remember during WWII the Dutch Royal family evacuated 2 Canada until the Netherlands were liberated. In gratitude, Queen Julianna sent 100,000 tulip bulbs the 1st year & every year since 10,000 bulbs continue 2 arrive. By 1950 Ottawa’s gift of tulips became famous. TulipFest was born in 1954 with the help of renowned award winning photographer, Malak Karsh. The festival honours Julianna’s gift.
3 We commemorate HRH Princess Marguerite’s birth in Canada & the friendship between our countries. HRH princess Marguerite’s birth is the only Royal personage 2 have ever been born in Canada. Our prime minister at the time declared the maternity ward of the Civic Hospital Dutch soil so she could B born in her own country. The annual 10 day festival is from May 12-22 this year. Go out 2 the festival sites, stop & smell the tulips, enjoy the fine weather & let’s be thankful 2 all 1st line workers who worked so hard 2 keep us safe during Covid! Hats off 2 the tulip festival team 4 their hard work & new surprises 2 the festival this year. Hats off 2 the @NCC_CCN 4 the amazing job they do planting & keeping our public green spaces so beautiful all over the National Capital region every year.
