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Friday, March 11, 2011

The Causeway

The day before yesterday I posted a photo of the Inner Harbour but only the watery portion of it. Just a slight turn to the right yields another iconic view, the Inner Harbour Causeway and the Empress Hotel. It's looking pretty quiet now but in another month or so it will be busy. It's an interesting area, shunned by some locals because it attracts so many tourists. In the summer the craftspeople and buskers give it somewhat the air of a midway but without the trashy glitter. I like tourists - they just want to have a good time and enjoy themselves - and without them this city would be struggling to survive. As it is, many of the excellent restaurants, sights and events we all enjoy depend for their existence on tourists and the jobs they create.

10 comments:

JoJo said...

I am truly going to miss my beloved Victoria when I return to the east coast. Thank you for your blog as I will need my "Vic Fix" more than ever.

Benjamin Madison said...

JoJo - you're leaving the Pacific Northwest? For good?

Paul in Powell River said...

Iconic indeed! - and it sure looked different under 6" of snow when I was there last month!

Mike Laplante said...

Hey, just read that Dean will no longer be part of the Inner Harbour scene through no choice of his own. Details in the latest Monday Magazine... sounds like he's being screwed over.

Dean Lewis said...

Excellent shot. The foreground-depth gives this a real dynamic vitality. A great example of just how important choosing just the right perspective makes all the difference.
Mike, the MM story is quite accurate. What it was unable to go into his how the GVHA action against me is not what they claim, obviously since they can't back it up, but because of my protestations over their highly questionable ethics.
I did everything I could to resolve this 'in-house', but now the details will need to become more public, regrettably.
The causeway, being perhaps the most public place in the city needs to be the most transparent for business pursuits as well.
The GVHA doesn't seem to see it that way.

JoJo said...

Ben - Yes, I am. I am leaving my husband to return to my hometown on Cape Cod to be with my soulmate, a guy I knew in high school. This has been a whirlwind last 2 months. Best case scenario I will be back on the Cape by mid summer. I don't want to leave the Pac NW, but I'm so lonely here. All my friends live back east.

Jack said...

This is a marvelous photograph. Very well composed.

Benjamin Madison said...

JoJo - Wow, big changes! I hope it all works out well for you. Best wishes and keep in touch.

Benjamin Madison said...

Mike, Thanks for drawing our attention to the story about Dean in Monday Magazine. Here's a link to the story: http://mondaymag.com/articles/entry/kicked-out-of-inner-harbour/. As well as being a regular and insightful commenter, Dean has been featured on this blog a couple of times - HERE and HERE, and I've spent many an hour chatting with him and watching him work his magic with visitors to our city down on the Inner Harbour Causeway. To deny him a license to practise his art is an incredible injustice. You don't have to believe me - read the Monday Magazine article in the link above and you'll agree. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority needs to learn that the art of successful management includes admitting and correcting errors in judgement. Let's hope they correct this one before the tourist season starts.

Benjamin Madison said...

Jack, Dean, Paul - thanks for your kind comments.