Mount Douglas

About a quarter hour's drive from downtown Victoria is Mount Douglas Park. Although it is only 213 meters high it provides spectacular views of Victoria and the surrounding seascape.

Mount Douglas is named after Sir James Douglas, the factor of the Hudson's Bay Company who founded Victoria when he built the first fort and trading post. He later became the governor of British Columbia. Victoria's main street, Douglas Street, also bears his name.

Trompe l'Oeil Trivia Quiz

On the corner of Blanshard and Pandora in downtown Victoria is the Ocean Island Backpackers Inn & Hostel and on its rear wall is this fine bit of trompe l'oeil. While the two gentlemen in the windows were instantly recognizable to me I wonder if any other CDP viewers can tell me who they are?

Skyscaper

Victoria doesn't have any really tall buildings - only a few over 20 stories. This building at the corner of Douglas and Herald Streets is not the tallest but it has a mysterious monolithic appeal.

Impeccable Tourist Observing Tatty Photographer

Here we are on the Inner Harbour causeway once again. As well as musicians it hosts artists and craftsmen. When I took this photo I was so focussed on getting the artist, Dean Lewis (back to camera), his caricature in progress, and his subjects in the frame that I didn't really notice this tourist observing me taking the photo. Dean Lewis is a talented artist who does caricatures. Click here to visit his website. I'm sorry I don't know the name of the lovely lady in white and gold but I hope she enjoyed her visit to Victoria.

Johnson Street Bridge

Who can pass up a rainbow? The blue tangle of girders on the left is the Johnson Street Bridge, the first bridge over the Gorge as it leaves the Inner Harbour. It is a double span bridge, one span for the E & N Railway, cyclists and pedestrians and the other for cars. Both spans can be raised for ships with high masts. It was built in 1924 and is a bridge of the Bascule type. The photo below shows the large counterweights that enable the spans to be raised easily and are characteristic of this type of bridge.