Across Canada to Newfoundland: Sunday June 12th

We depart Sudbury late Sunday morning. There is low cloud and rain from Sudbury east towards North Bay. We follow the north shore of Lake Nippissing where the visibility is best. The rain tapers off at North Bay but the clouds remain low. Just west of North Bay we pick up the Ottawa River. At this point the river flows in a narrow channel between its heavily forested banks. The border between Ontario and Quebec runs down the center of the river. We follow the river downstream to where it turns south-eastward just north of Petawawa. As we continue to follow the river downstream, islands begin to appear in the river and farmlands line the side of the river as the whole valley widens out into a plain. The weather slowly improves and sunshine and scattered clouds replace the grey sky. We follow the river right into the city, right past the Parliament Buildings, Rideau Canal and Chateau Laurier. As we fly past one has to think it amazing that, in this day and age, one can actually fly past this site in a small plane. We land at the Rockcliffe Aerodrome just on the edge of the river east of downtown. There are towering clouds to the east forewarning a delay in our easterly progression. We decide to end our travels there for the day and take a taxi into Gatineau to the Sheraton which is directly across the street from the Museum of Civilization. John and Lynn Steele arrive in C-GMKV and join us at the hotel.