Category: Victoria

If you are interested in learning about the art of Canadian Visual Storytelling, then check out the second annual Comics Conference, “4C”, Sunday April 6 2014 from noon until 5pm. 4C is a family friendly event that both kids and adults can enjoy, and with free admission it’s hard to go wrong. This day long event features several speakers who will be giving a talk on what visual storytelling is and how they use this medium to create great stories. The highlight of the conference is the “artist alley” where the 15 students graduating from the Comics and Graphic Novels […]

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Robert Bateman is essentially the Canadian elder statesman of wildlife art. New as of 2013, at 470 Belleville Street, Victoria, I was pleased to find (at the former location of the Wax Museum) a gallery of Bateman’s works. The entire building was reno’d within an inch of its life. The facilities (super clean bathrooms) were completely updated. The gallery itself is on the 2nd floor. It’s worth watching the introductory 5-minute video. On film, Bateman himself talks about his environmental views. Subsequently when you step into the gallery you see some of his message in the paintings. For example, there’s […]

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For Vancouver Island school children, this museum has permanent exhibits that go a ways back and never become dull. It has been at least 10 years since I had been and to the BC Museum. It occurred to me that what differentiates it from other provincial museums, say the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, is that this museum is truly focused on its own province. We were lucky to have a quiet day on the off season and, due to having a 5-year-old, we thought it best to work on the 3rd floor that’s the most jam-packed with exhibits. We […]

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BC Ferries is a crown corporation that is charge of running the ferry system in British Columbia. Many British Columbians are not sure why. In the same way Torontonians complain about the 401, BC residents love to complain about the ferries. This may be because of continuous fare increases and schedule reductions. For example, a car and drive pays $67 one-way from Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay and in 2008 it was $56. (Source www.bcferries.com/travel_planning/fares/archive.html) Despite the cost, any of these ferry rides is a beautiful scenic trip. Most visitors to BC are likely to use either Tsawwassen or Horseshoe Bay, […]

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During the summer, there are plenty of lovely sites to see along Victoria‘s downtown waterfront, The Empress Hotel, the unique Parliament Buildings, a stroll through Beacon Hill Park. However it may surprise you to know of some unusual visual feasts at a few of the local hotels. In December’s gloom The Empress Hotel, the Hotel Grand Pacific and the Inn at Laurel Point may be visited to see festive creations competing for your vote and raising money for local charities. We visited the annual Gingerbread Showcase, which has gone national, at the Inn at Laurel Point. These sculptures are created […]

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It has been quite some time since I last visited the beautiful Butchart Gardens just north of Victoria. I have happy memories of going with my grandfather on a sunny summer’s afternoon. Today, Butchart’s is run like a well oiled machine with an ample parking lot where you are carefully guided by the many staff to your parking spot. As one heads into the gardens you must pass the large tempting gift shop and the cafe. This particular visit was made on New Year’s Day. Yes, Butchart’s was open. It was dusk, and misting, not really a rain, and a […]

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I had a free afternoon on a trip to Victoria BC and I was in possession of a restless four-year-old.  The four walls of the hotel room were not conducive to joy and gladness so we made our way to Beacon Hill Park. Beacon Hill Park is located in downtown Victoria and is bordered by Douglas Street to the west and Cook St to the east.  It ends at Dallas Road, but if you cross the road, you will see some amazing ocean scenery. There’s a perfectly fine playground in Beacon Hill Park where my child could climb and play […]

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The world famous Butchart Gardens are often the first stop for anyone seeking out notable local gardens in the Victoria area.  Butchart Gardens are a privately owned 22 ha (55 acre) estate that is now a National Historic Site.  The gardens are located 23 km (14 miles) north of Victoria and their street address is 800 Benvenuto Avenue in Brentwood Bay.  These spectacular gardens were begun over 100 years ago and today close to a million people visit them each year.  Visit butchartgardens.com for more details on hours of operation, admission fees and the many featured attractions of the garden […]

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At any time of the year a visit to Victoria‘s Inner Harbour offers plenty of things to see and do, but during the summer this corner of British Columbia‘s capital city really comes to life! Artists, musicians, street performers and more line the walkway of the Inner Harbour and keep both locals and tourists entertained as we make our way from one attraction to the next. While there are specific attractions on the Inner harbour, just sitting and watching the float planes taking off and landing is quite an experience if you’ve never seen this before. And it makes you […]

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Butchart Gardens near Victoria BC is, without a doubt, one of the finest botanical gardens in the world, and is consistently ranked as one of the city’s top attractions, even being honoured with an exhibit in its name at Florida’s Epcot Centre. Whether you plan to visit the gardens for only a few hours, or if you intend to spend an entire day or two taking in the flowers and foliage, you are certain to come away feeling relaxed, and refreshed. Butchart Gardens History and Highlights Built over several decades by Robert Pim Butchart and his wife Jennie, who established […]

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