Night Market - The View

As well as music, the night market on Ship Point Pier has all sorts of crafts and arts for sale and services like massage too, but whether you buy anything or not, while you browse you can enjoy the view. It always looks pretty good but is especially magical just as the sun goes down and the lights on the legislature begin to twinkle.

St. Ann's Schoolhouse

On the eastern side of Royal BC Museum is a brick courtyard called Heritage Square. On one side of this square is Helmcken House, the subject of the last two days' posts. On the other side of this square is the above building, St. Ann's Schoolhouse, the oldest building in the province that is still in use. It was built in the 1840s and purchased in 1858 for use as a convent for newly arrived nuns. Later they re-purposed it as a schoolhouse. You can get some idea of its solid construction by looking at the interior log wall pictured below. In the center of that photo is one of the original little desks.

Helmcken House 2

It's easy to see from yesterday's photo how Dr. Helmcken added to his house as his family grew, adding rooms as children arrived. He was married to one of Governor James Douglas' daughters who unfortunately died when the children were still quite young. So, as well as his many duties to the new colony (as a medical doctor, an elected representative and a high level Hudson's Bay Company employee) the doctor was also a single parent. The dining room of his house looks quite comfortable. In the center at the rear is the actual desk where Dr. Helmcken did much of his work when at home. One thing I learned about the doctor is that if the sitting room below had that wallpaper, that rug, and that sofa when he lived there then he was a much stronger man than I.

Helmcken House

Above is Helmcken House, still on the original plot of land where it was built, now adjacent to the Royal BC Museum (visible on the left above). The house belonged to John Sebastian Helmcken, the colony's first doctor and an important early resident in many other ways. I went to Helmcken House yesterday because I realized I have never looked inside closely. We'll have a look at what I found within, tomorrow.

Aboriginal Cultural Festival

The Victoria Aboriginal Cultural Festival was hosted by the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, who also provided the Master of Ceremonies, "Slash", pictured above. Photos posted yesterday and the day before are of participating performers but are not typical of First Nations groups from the Pacific Coast. However, the MC pictured above is wearing a costume that represents local First Nations ceremonial wear, as are the dancers below. The Victoria Aboriginal Cultural Festival was impressive in many ways but for me perhaps the most impressive aspect was the great richness and variety of the many First Nations cultures represented.

Daydream....

So, while strolling through the towering Cedar and Fir forests recently I encountered this lovely young woman.... I wish!

However, I was lucky enough to see her dance on National Aboriginal Day last weekend. This photo was taken where the local celebration is held, on the grounds of the Royal BC Museum. Those trees in the background are a bit of the landscaping of the museum. The National Aboriginal Day celebration seems to get bigger and better every year. Dancers and musicians come from all over the country to display their cultural property and arts and crafts. We'll have a look at some of the other colorful costumes over the next few days.

John Sebastian Helmcken

Just behind St. Ann's Schoolhouse that was pictured here yesterday is the house that belonged to John Sebastian Helmcken, probably my favorite amongst all our founding fathers. He was a medical doctor and in the statue above is pictured as he was probably often seen, leaving his house with his medical bag in one hand and his stethoscope around his neck. His house is the oldest house in the province that is still on its original foundation. He built it in 1852 next door to Governor James Douglas, whose daughter he married. You can find out more about him by clicking HERE.

St. Ann's Pioneer Schoolhouse

This modest little building on the Royal BC Museum grounds probably the earliest schoolhouse in the province. Below is information from a wall plaque on the site.

St. Ann's schoolhouse was purchased by Bishop Demers for the four sisters of the order of St. Ann who came from Quebec in June, 1858, to teach in Victoria. It is believed to be the oldest building in Victoria which is still in use, possibly built between 1843 and 1853. It was moved to its present site from the grounds of St. Ann's Academy in 1974.

National Aboriginal Day

National Aboriginal Day (NAD) in Canada takes place on June 21. It is a special day to celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. Here in Victoria the celebration was spread out over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Today's photos are of some of the younger performers in Saturday's program. The young fellow above is waiting his turn to go onstage. I neglected to get his name though I enjoyed his dance and his magnificent costume. The girl pictured below is Amber Wells who performed an amazingly intricate hoop dance. Look at how she's got those hoops arranged!

Family Group - Jack Harman

Here's another sculpture I have just noticed though it was installed some years ago. It is called "Family Group" and is by sculptor Jack Harman, a Canadian who lived and taught in British Columbia for much of his life. The more I looked at this sculpture the more I liked it. Though it must be heavy since it is bronze, as you walk around it it seems to float above its pedestal. The Royal BC Museum and the Provincial Archives share grounds and this sculpture is just behind the archives on a walkway that leads through to the museum. There is a brief write-up on Jack Harman HERE.

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I take this opportunity to wish all visitors to this site A Very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

National Aboriginal Day

June 21 has been celebrated in Canada as National Aboriginal Day since 1996. Here in Victoria celebrations spread over several days took place this year on the grounds of the Royal BC Museum and on Ship Point Pier adjacent to the Inner Harbour Causeway. Above is one of the singers from the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation. On the left are a couple of elders from the Squamish Nation and some of their dancers performing a Wolf Dance on the right. The weather was great and many people turned out to get a taste of aboriginal life and culture.

Inner Harbour Departure

When planning our recent trip to Port Angeles I must confess that one of my ulterior motives was to take some photos of the Inner Harbour of Victoria from a reasonably stable platform in the harbour itself. So, before we start to look at the revealed beauties of Port Angeles we will take a leisurely departure from Victoria as experienced on the deck of the MV Coho, the ship that has been carrying cars and passengers between Victoria and Port Angeles in the USA for over 50 years.

The green roofed buildings in the background center are the BC Legislative Assembly Buildings. The Grecian styled building in the right foreground was built as the Canadian Pacific Steamship Terminal. More recently it was occupied by the Royal London Wax Museum. Currently it is empty though rumour has it that a new tenant will soon occupy this building. The relatively tall building on the far left is the Royal BC Museum and Imax Theatre, currently featuring dinosaurs.

Royal BC Museum

Every January the Royal BC Museum waives its usual entrance fee and has a weekend of entrance by donation. We went particularly to see the photo exhibit of the year's best nature photos. If you're in Victoria check out "Wildlife Photographer of the Year." Great and inspiring photos.

When I'm in the museum I can never resist photographing the wonderful Woolly Mammoth in the natural diorama part of the museum. That area is always full of kids bent over the information panels and peering into the wonderfully realistic forest and seashore settings.

Still in the Museum - Diorama

Well, I know it's only a stuffed animal but you've got to admit it's pretty well done. It's still raining outside so we're still in the museum. This is one of several dioramas depicting various environments in British Columbia. The Woolly Mammoth I photographed a few days ago resides in another diorama.

Artists and Artisans

Totem poles,the monumental artistic creations of the native peoples of the North Pacific Coast,are so well known that it is easy to forget the many other ways their artistic style was expressed, in statuary, architecture and utilitarian objects such as the oil dish to the left or the Chilkat blanket to the right. The Royal BC Museum has a wonderful selection of a wide range of objects, both historical and contemporary, that are of striking beauty and outstanding craftsmanship.

Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius)

I seem to be on an urban wildlife theme lately so I might as well include this Victoria resident whom I visited with today. Don't miss the chance to say hello to him this week - it's Admission by Donation Week at the Royal BC Museum. I spent the whole afternoon there - my first visit in about 30 years. I expect I'll be going back soon. It's full of fascinating things and well worth the price of admission.

Royal BC Museum

Diagonally opposite to the Crystal Gardens is the Royal BC Museum, pictured above. As well as an impressive collection of artifacts and displays, it also houses the Imax theatre. The BC Provincial Archives is also located on the same property.

On the satellite photo below, upper left is the Inner Harbor, lower left is the Legislative Assembly Buildings, bottom center (large white-roofed building) is the Royal BC Museum, right middle (large white roof) is the Crystal Gardens, large white roof top center/right is the Victoria Conference Centre. The dark area between the Conference Centre and the Inner Harbor is the Fairmont Empress Hotel. The orange letter "A" is very near where I was standing when I took the above photo. And yes, this will all be on the final exam so wake up now and read this again from the beginning while locating each feature carefully on the map.

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Totem Child

Taking advantage of the mild climate and abundant natural resources, the indigenous peoples of the northwest Pacific Coast developed cultures with remarkable artistic, ceremonial and social characteristics. When I see their creations I often feel like this child portrayed on a totem next to the Royal BC Museum in downtown Victoria. In the photo below you can see the totem where it stands in front of a traditional native long house that has been constructed on the museum grounds