Victoria’s Inner Harbour, photo courtesy of Leona Gardiner.

The world’s tallest totem pole stands in Beacon Hill Park.

Since Covid, many of us have been spending holidays closer to home or making shorter day trips. While we still like to roam the globe, I also recently enjoyed a day of exploring Victoria which, for us, is close to home. Whether you come from far away or live nearby, Victoria is a unique and beautiful city with lots of little secrets to explore. In fact, visiting Victoria can almost feel like visiting different countries around the world…

Many visitors don’t realize that this smaller city on an island is actually the capital city of the province of British Columbia. Smaller than Vancouver on the mainland, Victoria has a special charm and character all of its own.

Victoria is the city of flowers - sculptures, baskets everywhere.

Long the home territory of West Coast First Nations people, visitors started coming, in the form of explorers, to the area as early as the mid 1500’s. The 1700 and 1800’s saw an increase of explorers, surveyors and settlers. In the mid 1800’s the Hudson Bay Company built a fort to establish a fur trading post on the west coast. Today, you can visit the historic fort to learn more about the area’s history.

Douglas, Finlayson, Blanshard… Today’s streets of downtown Victoria are a reminder of the influx of British settlers. They came to claim the land for England and to build homes away from home. Victoria often feels like a little bit of Britain in far away North America. The Empress Hotel, like several other harbour hotels, offers high tea and a European atmosphere.

There are Irish pubs, an Edelweiss House (German Club), Middle Eastern import stores and many other multi cultural places. Craighdarroch Castle was built in 1887 by a Scottish immigrant, Robert Dunsmuir who made a fortune during the industrial age, for his wife Joan. Inside are amazing staircases, stain glass windows, inlaid wooden floors and more. Films have been shot here, including Little Women.

One of my favourite strolls in this city, is the Inner Harbour which has an upper and lower level. From the upper level you have a great view of the Empress Hotel and the BC Parliament Buildings, which in winter is decked out in lights.

You can also see the Royal BC Museum with its displays on the natural and human history of the province as well as an IMAX theatre. Right in front of the museum is the Netherlands Carillon! This was a gift from the Dutch community to honour Canada’s 100th Birthday in 1967. With its 62 bells, and a 75 step ladder to climb, the carrilonneur - as well as an automated one - plays international tunes which flutter out over the harbour like flower petals…

Strolling along the lower walkway, you can spot seals in the water, sip lemonade or buy plenty of locally made crafts, even listen to buskers.

Emily Carr was born in Victoria in 1871. After studying in London and Paris, she became one of Canada’s most renowned artists, immortalizing the West Coast through her paintings of islands, totems, native villages and windblown pines, in her modernistic style. The house in which she was born has been restored and serves as another monument to Victoria’s past. The gift shop sells her prints and books.

And, keeping with books, let’s stroll to one of my favourite bookstores in the city. There are many! Including the fabulous, huge Russell Books, and the beautiful Bolen Books. But one of the most beautiful bookstores anywhere in the world is Munro Books. Housed in a neo-classical former bank, the building was designed in 1909. It has a 24 ft. ceiling which resembles the ceiling of the porch of the great library of Ephesus built by the Romans in the 2nd century A.D. On the high walls, both left and right, are eight large fabric banners depicting The Four Seasons. These tapestries almost look like stain glass windows in this cathedral of books on Government Street.

The real cathedral, Chris Church Cathedral, is not just a European looking church, it also offers many musical events including candlelight concerts.

Another delightful place to walk to is slightly away from Old Town but very near Craigdarroch Castle: Government House and its amazing gardens. While Government House itself is the working residence of BC’s Governor General, the 36 acres of gardens are open to the public free of charge. There is an English garden, a herb garden, all BC garden, a pond, a totem pole - all in all a beautiful, quiet place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city itself.

On one of ours visits to Victoria, we stayed right across the street in the historic Abbeymoore Manor House. It’s creaky floors, overstuffed sofas in a sitting room and antique furnishings are a perfect place to stay in this English city.

Not far past the dome of the Parliament Buildings, slightly around the corner from the Inner harbour, is Fisherman’s Wharf, another uniquely Victoria place to stroll. There are fish & chip places, an icecream shop, little gift shops as well as water oriented business like whale watching tours. From here you can also catch a cute little water taxi, not much bigger than a bathtub. A one way ride is not cheap but then it will save you more walking…

From England, Scotland and other European settings, let’s take a short walk to China! Victoria’s Chinatown is the oldest in Canada and the second oldest in North America. it dates back to the 1850’s when an influx of Chinese immigrants came to the west coast. A gorgeous gateway makes you truly feel like you are passing into another era and continent. Little Chinese shops and eateries line the main street. But my favourite place to walk is Fan Tan Alley! You can barely stretch out both arms here, and during crowded summer tourist season, it’s more of a crawl than a walk. But Fan Tan Alley always makes me feel like I’m in a Harry Potter scene: Diagon Alley.

Resources:

Fort Victoria

Netherlands Carrillon

Emily Carr House

Government House Gardens

Chinatown

BOOKS - click, then scroll to Canada.