Mackenzie King Estate

Elizabeth, Adam, Alain and I made it back to the Mackenzie King Estate at Gatineau Park this weekend. It was warm and sunny, an all around beautiful day, and we enjoyed wandering around the historic buildings and the 'ruins' Mackenzie King created on the estate.

I don't think I keep it a secret that Mackenzie King is my all time favourite Prime Minister, but I learned some cool new facts about him reading the plaques that are around the estate. Did you know... Mackenzie King became Prime Minister of Canada in 1921 and held the position for 22 years, an unequalled record. From the mid-1920s onward, his government, pressured by progressive parties, implemented the first elements of the welfare state including old-age pensions, unemployment insurance and family allowances. King kept Canada on the road to autonomy and, in 1947, became the very first Canadian citizen. The brochure goes on to say that... "King was, and will remain, a mythical character in Canadian history. His longevity as head of the government, the myth of his political invincibility, his romanticism, veneration of his mother, celibacy, the eccentric aspects of his personality, solitude, love for his estate and remarkable ruins and the voluminous diary, all combine to nourish the legend of this exceptional politician..."
































We also stopped at a lake within the park called Pink Lake.
"Pink Lake is what scientists call a "meromictic" lake. Because of its depth, its small surface and its sheltered position, the lake's waters do not mix. Instead, the waters are stratified into various layers. The bottom layer (7 meters high) is actually deprived of oxygen resulting in the accumulation of organic matter that does not decompose. This stratification of the sediments allows scientists to study the history of the area."
Source: http://www.domingoinformatics.ca/pink_lake

There was an amazing view and I'd like to go back and do the walking trail that winds around the lake.