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VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA
story by Vicki Andersen
photos courtesy of Tourism BC
I’ve been on foot, driving a car, riding in a motorhome, and piloting a motorcycle while making
the crossing by ferry and by hydrofoil. I’ve herded friends and family and luggage and way too
many shopping bags around town. Heck, I’ve even clumped down the imposing halls of the
Empress Hotel in my ski gear, weaving in and out of tourists while balancing skis and poles
and winter gear.
Yet the Lady never fails to welcome me, or delight me, or surprise me.
Situated on the southern tip of 320-mile long Vancouver Island, largest isle off the west coast
of North America, Victoria contradicts its Pacific Northwest location by claiming one of
Canada’s driest climates, delightfully mild and congenial year-round.
Named for Queen Victoria of England, the city launched in 1843 as Fort Victoria, an outpost of
the Hudson Bay Company. It has since become the capital of British Columbia, third-largest
province of the largest country in the world. She surprises and delights her visitors with a
language and culture familiar to visiting Americans, yet tinged with enough history and English
influence to make you feel you’ve been transported abroad.
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There is no better place to start your tour of Victoria than a stroll along the Inner Harbour
Causeway, circling James Bay. Spend a few minutes relaxing on conveniently situated
benches and soak up the sights and sounds of the Harbour. Populated by vessels ranging
from sailboats to tugs, barges to cruise ships, float planes also bob on the soft swells. Getting
around town is easy and entertaining -- the hard part is choosing among horse-drawn
carriages, pedicabs and double-decker buses in addition to the usual transportation offerings.
Energetic visitors keep busy with an endless selection of year-round pursuits. Water lovers can
surf, kayak, windsurf, sail or toss a line for great fresh- and salt-water fishing. Scuba divers will
find a number of underwater marine parks with sunken shipwrecks, artificial reefs, and an
underwater interpretive trail. Vancouver Island’s sites are so plentiful and fascinating, the
Cousteau Society rates them second only to the Red Sea for winter diving.
**INSERT IMAGE: Sailboats
On shore there are several excellent golf courses, numerous hiking and bicycling trails,
exhilarating hang glider launch spots, and beautiful campgrounds. Spectacular glimpses of
Washington’s Olympic Mountains and San Juan Islands embellish views from various locations
throughout the city.
Nature abundantly blessed this region with 48 regional, provincial and federal parks. Exquisite
gardens and picturesque scenic drives adorn Greater Victoria. Vibrant hanging flower baskets
line the streets all year. Beacon Hill Park, a short walk from the Inner Harbour, was established
in the 1890s with 184 acres of exotic and northwest native plants. The Park’s carriage trails
and pathways meander through gardens and wildflower meadows, and a petting farm lures
young visitors. The Horticulture Center of the Pacific offers 120 acres with 10 formal gardens
and the bonus of all plantings bearing labels. Seven acres of public gardens at Government
House include a sunken rose garden, woodland garden, perennial displays and a lily pond with
resident ducks and koi.
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Beautification of a limestone quarry on Saanich Peninsula began a century ago, resulting in a
50-acre show-stopper called Butchart Gardens. Among the stunning features are water ponds,
fountains and formal Italian, rose and Japanese gardens. The grounds are awash in night
illumination mid-June through mid-September, and pyrotechnics set to music are a highlight of
Saturday evenings in July and August.
History buffs find a wide variety of locales and homes that celebrate Victoria’s past. Pass
through the Gate of Harmonious Interest and you step into the second oldest Chinatown in
North America, founded in the late 1850s. Here is Fan Tan Alley, narrowest street in the
Northern Hemisphere and once notorious for its opium and gambling dens. Bastion Square is
lined with restored 19th century warehouses, offices and saloons from the boom years of
shipping, whaling and goldrush outfitting. Market Square Heritage Shopping Centre, once the
home of bawdy saloons and rowdy hotels, now beckons visitors with more than 45 shops and
restaurants.
**INSERT IMAGE: Shoppers Bonanza
Wonderful stores await the shopper, including specialty nooks like the Scottish House of
Tartans, Irish Linens, Rogers Chocolates, Murchie’s Tea & Coffee and three amazing
Christmas outlets. With the exceptionally favorable exchange rate between the American and
Canadian dollars, you can load up with treasures.
Near or at the top of every visitor’s list is, or should be, the Royal British Columbia Museum.
Forming a triangle with the Parliament Buildings and Empress Hotel, a cornucopia of natural
and human history is presented in life-size dioramas, native plant and rock gardens, and
galleries of art and artifacts. A trip into centuries past is effortless when you stroll through
recreations that include a cobbled-street town with late 1800s storefronts, a Chinatown, a fullsize sailing vessel, and mining and logging operations.
The Maritime Museum depicts the history of BC’s seafaring history with more than 5,000
nautical objects and Canada’s largest model ship collection. Prince Albert’s Miniature World
presents over 60 displays of dollhouses, battle scenes, villages and towns -- all created in
minute, painstaking detail. Built in 1925, the Crystal Garden glass-roofed conservatory rewards
visitors with waterfalls, luxuriant tropical gardens and a delightful assortment of birds, animals
and butterflies.
**INSERT IMAGE: Hatley Castle
Completed in 1898, the Parliament Buildings incorporate native materials in a blend of
Victorian, Roman and Italian Renaissance architecture. Outlined in more than 3300 lights, this
has to be the showpiece of Victoria’s nightscape. Nearby Thunderbird Park displays ancient
native totem poles and first-hand observation of modern carvers carrying on the tradition of
creating these masterpieces. Craigdarroch Castle, built in 1889 by coal baron Robert
Dunsmuir, is a four-story 39-room dwelling that includes 35 fireplaces and authentic
furnishings from the late 19th century. Commissioned and lavishly appointed in oak, rosewood
and teak by Dunsmuir’s son, James, Hatley Castle is 200 feet long, 86 feet wide and its turret
soars 82 feet into the air. Sample Olde England with a visit to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a fullsized replica of her thatched home filled with antiques from that period and situated in
replicated 16th century village. Tours include fascinating tidbits of facts and trivia about
Shakespearean times.
After all this sightseeing and shopping, enjoy a welcome reprieve by taking Afternoon Tea
(actually a meal in itself) at the Empress Hotel. The wood-paneled halls and lavish but stately
décor impart a sense of British Colonialism, and a meander through the Palm Court imbibes
the aura of exotic lands. This Grand Dame of British Columbia hotels is even rumored to have
a resident ghost or two!
Whether you’re in search of atmosphere or activities, sight-seeing or shopping, a visit to
Victoria provides endless excitement and lasting memories.
Tourism Victoria: www.TourismVictoria.com 800-663-3883
Tourism BC www.HelloBC.com 800-HELLO-BC