Where's Roger?

Hard to believe this "bee-loud glade" is on one of the busiest corners in the whole city. It's where the Empress Hotel keeps its bees and is also home to Roger, the resident Yellow-bellied Marmot. How Roger arrived on the island (there are no native yellow-bellied Marmots here) and why he chose to live in the garden of the Empress Hotel are mysteries that are unlikely to be solved but he has been there on the corner of Government and Humboldt Streets since 2008. However, when I went there today he was not in evidence, no doubt napping during the heat of the day in his burrow. Click HERE to see some pics of him I took a few years ago.

The Belmont Building

Before Christmas I posted a photo of the Belmont Building from the corner of Government and Humboldt Streets. Above is another photo of this historic building taken from the corner of Humboldt and Gordon Streets. This building was originally constructed to serve as a hotel butnever opened as such due to an economic slump. It opened later as an office building. Below is another photo (from 2011) of the Government/Humboldt Street corner with a line-drawing treatment I like. The Belmont Building has some interesting features not visible in these photos that we will look at later in the week.

Colorful Cabbages

Here's a domestic plant that seems to have become popular recently. I like them because I always feel so starved for flowers and green things during our long Canadian winters and these ornamental cabbage seem to thrive in winter here in Victoria. Those in the photo above are growing in a planter on Humboldt Street downtown.

The Union Club

An important aspect of cultured male life in 19th century England was the club - a place where gentlemen could meet/dine/drink/sleep in private when visiting London from their country estates. Any student of history or historical fiction knows the importance of the club as a socio-economic nexus and whenever I drive past the Union Club I always imagine tycoons and behind-the-scenes power brokers dining there as they plan the future of the rest of us. Whether that is the case or not, the building and its location (adjacent to the Fairmont Empress Hotel) certainly suggest wealth, power and privilege. Here's a link to the Union Club website that you can explore and decide for yourself: https://www.unionclub.com/Home.aspx

The Soda Shoppe is Open

After last week's cold snap and light dusting of snow our weather has warmed up considerably - it's nine degrees Celsius today so I took a walk around downtown. This Soda Shoppe is on the corner of Government Street and Humboldt and though the weather is warmer it seems that most people are not quite in the mood for sodas yet.

The Hands of Time 9 - Raising a Teacup

Here's another in the Hands of Time sculpture series by Crystal Przybille, this one entitled "Raising a Teacup". It is installed on a lamp standard on the corner of Government and Humboldt Streets with the Empress Hotel and its world famous afternoon tea service providing the perfect backdrop. "This sculpture references Victoria's traditional customary and historical connections to Britain."

Church Of Our Lord - Living History

No church here embodies the history of Victoria like the Church Of Our Lord. Yesterday's post of the Eliza Harris window only weakly suggests the associations of this church with so many of Victoria's early citizens. Two of the windows at the far end in this photo were donated in memory of Sir James Douglas, Victoria's founder, and his son. There are two prayer desks in front of the altar, one dedicated to a sister of artist Emily Carr who mentions the church in her memoir, "The Book of Small."Opposite is another prayer desk donated in memory of a daughter of Dr. John Helmcken, another prominent early Victorian. It is not difficult when sitting beneath the wonderful ceiling of this church to imagine a Sunday in the 19th century when the Douglas family (who occupied the first pew) would be sitting here along with the Helmckens and the Carrs and many other citizens whose names are enshrined in the streets and buildings of this city.

Church Of Our Lord - Eliza Harris Memorial Window

On Monday I posted a photo of the exterior of the Church Of Our Lord and promised some photos of the interior. Victoria has many hidden jewels and here is one, the stained glass window given in memory of Eliza Harris, wife of Victoria's first mayor, Thomas Harris. Eliza Harris was respected for her charitable works and her window depicts the biblical character Dorcas, who was well-known for clothing the poor. This window was donated in 1890 and a special opening in the Prayer Chapel was created for it.

Church of Our Lord

"This picturesque building is one of the finest expressions in wood of the Gothic Revival style in Canada. It was constructed in 1875 for the Reformed Episcopal church by the Reverend Edward Cridge. Architect John Teague enhanced the building's Gothic character by exploiting the advantages of board-and-batten siding to reinforce the vertical thrust of its pointed roof, pinnacles and spire. Inside, a Gothic hammer beam ceiling spans the broad open space to provide an unbroken view of the apse and pulpit."

(From the Historic Sites and Monuments plaque in front of this church)

This fine old church is right downtown at the corner of Blanshard and Humboldt Streets. We'll have a look inside it a little later this week.

St. Joseph's

When St. Ann's was in use as a boarding school it had an operating orchard on the grounds, to provide fruit for the resident schoolchildren and nuns. Remnants of this orchard, a pear tree and some apples, can be seen in this photo. On the left in the distance on the other side of Humboldt Street, the imposing structure was formerly St. Joseph's Hospital, Victoria's first hospital, erected in 1876. It has now been converted in apartments.

St. Ann's Academy Chapel

At the heart of St. Ann's Academy is the chapel pictured here. It's the oldest part of the building and was erected in 1858 as St. Andrew's Church. It is Victoria's oldest religious building. In 1886 it was moved across Humboldt Street to its current location and integrated into the academy. It has since been fully restored and is a lovely little chapel. The two ladies visible at the bottom of the photo are engaged in ongoing maintenance and restoration.

St. Ann's Academy

This is the entrance to St. Ann's Academy, a heritage building in downtown Victoria. I posted some information about this building in an earlier post and tomorrow we'll take a look inside the chapel.

Humboldt Street Hotels

Well, yes I know this is not the Victoria you're used to seeing here. The reason is that, although I am sure these hotels are very comfortable and contribute to the local economy, they're not very impressive to look at. This is just a sample of the new hotels that have been built in downtown Victoria in the last few years. These are located on lower Humboldt Street within a few blocks of the Inner Harbor.

Street Scenes #3

Metroman in CrosswalkThis is a busy crosswalk at the junction of Government and Humboldt Streets.

St. Ann's Academy

St. Ann's Academy was the first school in Victoria. It opened its doors When the BC gold rush was just beginning in 1858. The red roofed neo-classical section was added in 1886 to the older mansard-roofed section on the right. A few trees remain from the orchard intended to provide boarders at the school with fruit. The buildings are no longer used as a school. Much of it is now occupied by government offices and areas of historical significance are open to the public.

St. Ann's Academy is located in downtown Victoria on Humboldt Street. This street is one of the oldest in Victoria and was first called Kanaka Street because many of the residents were from the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). I suspect the name was changed to honour the explorer and scientist, Alexander von Humboldt, who was very highly regarded in the nineteenth century.