Celebrate spring at the Canadian Tulip Festival

Ottawa, Canada’s capital, becomes a stunning mosaic of colour for two weeks in spring with close to a million tulips in bloom. This year, the Canadian Tulip Festival runs May 6 to 23) The event started as a symbol of friendship between Canada and the Netherlands during World War II when the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands sought refuge in Canada with her children. When the war was over, the Netherlands sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa as a thank-you gift for the role Canadian soldiers played in the liberation of the Netherlands. Every year since, Ottawa receives 10,000 bulbs from the Dutch Royal Family, and 10,000 from the International Flower Bulb Centre.