RAAI-RAAI Rides Again!

[Cathy K 1,139]

Nou raak ek éérs deurmekaar!

Gee bietjie kans.

Pierre K.

[Cathy K 1,139]

Old City, Montreal? (Place Jaques-Cartier)

Pierre K.

Edited December 13, 2004 by Die Kotzé's

[Harry 52]

Y-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-BO!! You've got it.!

There is a Nelson's Column in Montreal, as French as the town may be. In fact, by the time of the USA Civil War, Montreal had the largest British garrisson outside Britain..so they must have put up a lot of "Angloid" stuff. I certainly was not expecting the old guy on his column in such a French place.

The traitor was Benedict (eggs-) Arnold ( Schwarzenegger, famous and popular governor of California) who led a USA army past here. In fact the British abandoned the City to the USA army and defended Quebec City instead in 1775. The Americans were fearful of a British invasion from the north out of Canada, so they did a pre-emptive strike. They had hoped the French would rise against the British, but it did not happen! The US invasion did not work out and a whole heap of them got captured ( something like 300). The invasion basically fizzled out...I think the contract term of the soldiers ran out and they went back home, or something of that kin. It was over this period that the Americans were reduced to eating their moccassins.

Of course, Nelson became famous a while later, after the Battle of Trafalgar, the decisive naval battle against the French off the north coast of Spain ....if I have my history right.

The city indeed has two international airports: Dorval and, I believe, Mirabel.

I hope you guys enjoyed that!

I took the picture in the early evening this past August when we visited there. As you can see, it was a time exposure....thereby blurring some objects and people.

Now, I'll shut up and leave you to Shaun's tender mercies.

[Gautenger 0]

Damn it Harry, you really had me on a goose chase there. The problem was I thought it was Benedict Arnold, but his statues didn't look like yours. Oh well, next time.

Edit - PS Shaun is it African Lion Safari in Cambridge

Edited December 13, 2004 by Gautenger

[Cathy K 1,139]

Harry

"The city indeed has two international airports: Dorval and, I believe, Mirabel"

Not anymore - Mirabel has been closed down a month or so ago.

Pierre K.

[Harry 52]

Apologies for that Pierre....It was still functional when I was in Montreal in August.

[shaun 36]

That was way too easy!!!

Yes Gautenger, African Lion Safari on Safari road just off Highway 6.

Its not just your average ride around in the car and look at the animals type of place.

If you have young kids I would strongly recommend a day outing to the place. There are all sorts of really cool animal displays and hourly shows and I almost had to threaten murder to get my daughter away from the splash park.

An excellent place for a day outing in summer if you are in the GTA.

[digin 4]

RAAI-RAAI 107

The following structure is located on the grounds of one Canada's most famous group of buildings. On the grounds of which building is it located, and what is its purpose?

Clues:

1. It houses "refugees" of a sort.

2. The structure is meant to look like two of the buildings, but I personally find the likeness pretty dubious.

3. $6000 a year of your federal taxpayers dollars go to feed these refugees.

[Harry 52]

Well,

it looks like a cat shelter, judging from the size[which one can tell from the deckboards it is standing on], the bowls of food and the blue "artificial cat".

I AM intrigued by your use of the term "GROUP of buildings", though.

So the question is "where!?"

Will have to do homework. Is there any logical connection between the place and the animals?...or do they just happen to be there as an aside?

My first Google scan is hysterical.....I mean, no search for "national buildings with animal shelters or refuges" will cut any ice....it is illogical.

[digin 4]

It is a cat shelter, Harry, and there are enough clues in both the picture and all 3 clues to construct a google search.

[digin 4]

Is there any logical connection between the place and the animals?...or do they just happen to be there as an aside?

No there is no real connection between the buildings and the cats, other than the fact that this area has a distinct stray cat problem. All the connections between the cats and the buildings are in the clues and picture above - it's so nice to know I've stumped Harry on a raai-raai for now...

[Cathy K 1,139]

Digin

This is a shelter for the stray cats of Parliament Hill, Ottawa. Long story.

Help with stray cats

Pierre K.

[digin 4]

Well done, Pierre! You got it before Harry was able to complete his Google Scavenger Hunt.

Since the article above was written, the government has given in and our federal dollars help fund this programme to the tune of $6000 a year. With some 30 cats being fed at any one time, each cat gets a Feline Income Grant (FIG) of around $16, or R80, a month.

Never let it now be said that Canada does not give FIG!

Another story about our Parliament: We spend about $5000 a month as well to pay 3 people to go around and humanely remove pigeons from nesting in the Parliament buildings and statues. This has apparently caused an outcry among Conservatives, who would be prepared to shoot them for free apparently!

Edited December 14, 2004 by digin

[Harry 52]

So, Pierre...we need a well-thought-out Raai-Raai from you...with an "AHA" answer.

Meanwhile I am with the conservatives in the matter of the pigeons. Where I park everyday at work, the ravens come to roost at the end of every winters day. They then BLITZ my car...there are hundreds and hundreds of these animals. They fly in low over the top floor of our building where I sit, so the view I have looks like that scene from the movie The Birds!!...quite scary actually.

I have a seriously huge soft spot for animals, but my inclination to donate my car as a communal raven toilet is limited in the extreme.

[Cathy K 1,139]

Harry

It will probably be a while before I can oblige. After 3 years in Canada I still only have pictures of my own back yard, which does not feature on Google yet.

But I will see what I can do.

Pierre K.

[Harry 52]

RAAI-RAAI 108

Continuing in the tradition created by Digin in more ways than one, here we have another building belonging to the Government of Canada. What obviously caught my attention was the way in which the lawn was being mowed! HOWEVER, the building is famous for other reasons.

What I'd like to know is...WHICH BUILDING IS THIS and what is the name of its unique famous resident?

Clues:

1. The original famous resident moved in in 1955

2. The present famous resident is the ninth such resident since 1955 and is rather young

3. Queen Elizabeth II had a direct hand in the matter

4. An ancestor of the resident came from Persia to England in 1844.

5. There is a daily ceremony at the place ( most days...at least)

6. Around 1994-95 the resident was absent due to budget cuts

...and YES, it has to do with Canada, otherwise I would not place it.

If folks get it, and I bet 20:1 that Digin will be the first, I'll place some direct pictures of the resident and some video links.

[Charles 0]

Would that be Fort Henry out in Kingston?

With David the Goat as the 9th such named mascot for the Fort Henry Guard?

[Harry 52]

Charles,

you're on the right kind of track....but the wrong spot in Canada.

[digin 4]

Is it La Citadelle in Quebec, the other official home of the Governor General. There have been 9 Governor-Generals since 1955 I know (this is also tabout the time, the office of Canadian Governor General became held by a Canadian rather than a British citizen) - so I assume this is the famous resident.

Charles, this place also has a regimental goat.

Edited December 19, 2004 by digin

[Hendie 142]

Oh! .... THAT old goat!

[digin 4]

Hendie, were you referring to the mascot or the governor-general?

[Harry 52]

OK! Digin, you have the right place, but which Governor-General came from Persia?

So, which is it to be ...the GG or the goat?...always assuming you can tell the difference on a clear day.

I'm still after the name!

[Hendie 142]

I might be ignorant of politics, but I'm not STUPID!

[Charles 0]

Ja

La Citadelle was my second choice but I thought their goat was a bit older (Figuratively speaking of course )

In which case the Goat would have come from Persia. Many years ago. (Figuratively speaking of course )

[Harry 52]

Ladeeez et Gentlemennnns...

ze Billy-goat iz Batisse!! He iz verry pretty, no!?

Batisse iz verree young-e! He iz ze ninth Batisse at La Citadelle...

The original stock was a present from the Shah of Iran to Queen Victoria in 1844.

In 1955 Elizabeth II (Liesbet die Tweede?) gave the first Batisse, a descendent of the original stock, as a mascot present to the "Van Doo's" unit stationed at Le Citadel.

In 1994 there were budget cuts and, for a while, Batisse was sadly no more. Thankfully the whole tradition was restored. That is the great thing about traditions...they are supposed to strtech over a few generations...in this case it has stretched over 9 Batisses!

This therefore ably proves that Batisse is actually a cat....(OK! I'll shut up!)

Long live Batisse!

More of Battise VII ( the grandfather) over here.