Drone captures unique view of Ottawa's iconic landmarks

They're some of Ottawa's — and Canada's — most iconic landmarks like you've never seen before.

In May, a CBC crew got special access to Parliament Hill and nearby monuments including the Supreme Court of Canada, where they used a drone to shoot video and images.

The result is spectacular aerial footage that will serve as an important visual archive of Ottawa for years to come.

CBC producer Patrick Morrell and videographer Ed Middleton spent three days in the capital last spring to shoot the Hill, the Supreme Court, the Canadian War Museum, the National War Memorial and other nearby landmarks including the Ottawa River.

"It was a bit of a coup for us," said Morrell, who started making calls about the project back in March. They had to get permission from the RCMP to fly the drone in the restricted airspace over Parliament Hill.

"It's not unheard of, but it is a rare opportunity for a broadcaster to shoot the Parliament Hill buildings [like this]," he said.

"It's great to get this kind of footage for historical purposes. But it also gives us a rare look for our Canada 150 coverage."

The RCMP wouldn't let them fly the DJI Inspire drone over the Hill while Parliament was in session, and Morrell thought he and Middleton wouldn't have an opportunity to get this footage until MPs recessed for the summer.

But he noticed a break in their calendar after the Victoria Day long weekend, and coordinated their shoot for that week.

With only a few days to shoot, the crew "really lucky with the weather," Morrell said.

After a brief rainy spell one day, the clouds broke to reveal a stunning sunset that washed the Parliament buildings in an orange glow.