Ottawa is a city used to fire breathing politicians wandering the streets.

But tens of thousands of people in the nation鈥檚 capital were treated this week to the awakening of a beast of a different sort.

Long Ma, a giant smoke billowing, fire breathing mechanical dragon from France, gracefully wandered the city鈥檚 streets after being 鈥渁woken鈥� in a ceremony at Ottawa city hall.

The dragon was part of an elaborate 鈥渟treet theatre鈥� performance brought to Ottawa for the city鈥檚 celebrations of Canada鈥檚 150th birthday, along with a 5.7-metre-high mechanical spider called Kumo.

Guy LaFlamme, executive director of Ottawa 2017, first saw the dragon while in France, where it was created for a philanthropist in Beijing.

LaFlamme says he immediately thought of bringing it to Ottawa, since Beijing is the sister city to Canada鈥檚 capital.

鈥淪o I felt this is a perfect fit, having the dragon Long Ma and the spider, which is becoming more and more a symbol of Ottawa, home to Maman,鈥� the iconic Louise Bourgois spider sculpture located outside the National Gallery of Canada.

City streets were awash with people, including hundreds of families with young children, to witness Long Ma鈥檚 awakening and oscillating movements.

The Canadian Press