The Janion Hotel

For many years the derelict Janion Hotel stood boarded up and empty at the eastern end of the Johnson Street Bridge. It looked haunted enough so that I even used the photo below as a scary Hallowe'en picture for this blog. However, in the last year or so work has commenced to turn this heritage building into a smart bunch of micro-flats (above). I'm happy to see this old building re-purposed in this way but I hope the final product will look a little more integrated. Below is the Janion Hotel from the front 5 or 6 years ago.

The Victoria Conservatory of Music

Here's a building I've not featured before on this blog although it is one of the more interesting heritage buildings in downtown Victoria. It's on the corner of Pandora and Quadra Streets. When it was built in 1890 it was consecrated as the Metropolitan Methodist Church. Now it houses the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Because the original church members had a strong music program the building was designed by Thomas Hooper with particular attention to acoustics. The Alix Goolden Performance Hall is used by the conservatory but also hosts many community events. The Victoria Heritage Foundation website has a good description of this building you can read by clicking HERE.

Lower Pandora Do-over

As work on the new Johnson Street Bridge moves ahead other changes are being made to some of the derelict buildings and vacant lots in that area. The above incorporation of an old building's front into a new building is on lower Pandora Street adjacent to Swan's Hotel. Below you can see what it looked like before the above restoration. It looks like they are planning to mimic the old building's front (on the right, above) with a similar facing on the left.

Fisgard Street also has a new building. When it is complete I will post a photo. The Janion Hotel is also undergoing complete refurbishment so by next spring Chinatown should be looking quite different with three old eyesores transformed into new residences and business places.

The Yates Street Wetlands

On the 700 block of Yates Street, between Blanshard and Douglas, sits a vacant lot. Over the years it has slowly been returning to nature, and personally, I kinda like it. The Times Colonist reported recently however, that condos will be built soon. Here's another example of one of Victoria "wild lots." This one is between Pandora and Fisgard, and it too is slated for, you guessed it, condos. - Fern

Chinatown

I took this on my way to work this morning; I love the lights they've strung up along Pandora Street.

Christmas Shopping

This post isn't so much about Christmas shopping as it is about our weather lately. In a word, it is wet. I tend to scuttle from place to place with my head down. Anyway, here's a shot of our main street, Douglas Street, at a downtown intersection on the 16th of December, 2009. I hope your Christmas shopping is going along OK.

Sir John A. MacDonald

We've seen the front entrance to Victoria's City Hall in an earlier post. The original building, however, proved too small for the modern city and there is a newer addition on the back with another entrance. Here visitors pass in and out under the benign scrutiny of this statue of Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald. The statue was sculpted by John Dann in 1982.

First Church of Christ Scientist

Many of Victoria's most interesting buildings are churches and this striking building poised in a commanding location at the top of Pandora Avenue is no exception. One day I'll stop and see what the inside is like. I've not been able to find out any historical information on this church (yet!) but HERE is a link to their website.

Street Art

I've featured this building before, last year, when it was lacking this artistic comment. These blue pacman ghosts are an inspired addition to a burnt out heritage building that has been looking for restoration for a long time now. We have some perceptive and talented street artists here in Victoria and this unknown spray-bomber gets two thumbs up from me.

Café Bliss

About a week ago I mentioned that there were only two genuine vegetarian restaurants in Victoria. I didn't know about Café Bliss, which is not only vegetarian, but is vegan, organic and RAW. In short, you can't get any closer to natural eating without getting down on all fours and grazing. But it's not just natural, it's good. In that display case just next to friendly counter-person Tyler, on the left hand side of top shelf is a platter of Bliss Bars, one of which melted in my mouth. I washed it down with a jar of Mo's Morning Mocha, a delicious warm mixture of cold-pressed coffee, cacao, coconut, hemp, cinnamon, maca, and nut cream. Despite a rather gloomy black exterior, the inside of Café Bliss is beautifully bright and pleasant and I propose to return soon to sample more of the food. It's downtown, 556 Pandora Street, opposite Market Square and just up the street from the Swans Hotel.

Old Buildings

I've posted a few pictures of restored heritage buildings in downtown Victoria and they are quite numerous. However, there are others like this one that have been derelict for years. I suspect the reasons are economic and as such are not likely to change in the near future. One can only hope that such buildings will last until they can be brought back to life profitably. Those pictured here are on Pandora Street on the opposite side of the street from Market Square.

APW Painting & Renovating - More Trompe l'Oeil

It looks like APW Painting & Renovating is no more to be found at this address but they left behind an excellent bit of trompe l'oeil. Nice attention to detail can be seen in the upper arm in the blowup below. To fit with the indent in the wall surface the artist has constructed a small plywood upper arm to span the gap. This painting is by Milroy Wonderworks.