Victoria
We’re talking about the beautiful Canadian city perched on the end of Vancouver Island, not the Aussie state down south
Afew days before the 1994 Commonwealth Games on Vancouver Island, Canada, a news report showed the Australian swimming team riding a ferry across the Strait of Georgia to the host city, Victoria.
They disembarked on a beautiful waterfront, where sprays of colourful blooms stretched as far as the eye could see, and I decided then that the British Columbia capital was a place I would visit.
After several forays into this corner of North America in the past decade — once coming within 50km at nearby Whidbey Island — I have finally made it to Victoria. Not on a ferry, like the swimmers, but on board the cruise ship
Norwegian Jewel on a six-day voyage from Vancouver to Los Angeles.
While my shipmates join organised tours — to Butchart Gardens, to see the resident orca pods, a visit to Craigdarroch Castle, a cycling tour of the city — I head off alone to do the things I’ve been dreaming about for years.
HIGH TEA WITH HISTORY
I’m a sucker for high tea at historic hotels which puts an afternoon at the Fairmont Empress high on the itinerary.
The classic hotel above Inner Harbour has hosted a swag of royal visitors since 1919 with King George VI staying in 1939 and Queen Elizabeth in 2002. It has also served high tea in its opulent lobby lounge since opening in 1908.
During this elegant encounter the hotel’s signature Empress cake is served beside scones and pastries on china featuring a pattern that’s been exclusive to the hotel since 1939. Cups are filled and refilled with the Empress tea blend that’s also unique to the hotel. fairmont.com
HITTING THE BOOKS
Victoria is far from a shopping mecca — Vancouver and Seattle, both 100km away, have the big-name brands and boutique stores — but there are two book shops worth seeing if you like browsing shelves packed with new, used and rare tomes.
Munro’s Books occupies a baronial building on Government St designed for the Royal Bank of Canada in 1909 by Thomas Hooper — the Victorian-era architect responsible for creating some of British Columbia’s finest public buildings. Russell Books on Fort St has been in the same family for three generations. munrobooks.com, russellbooks.com
TAKING TO THE WATER
Life in Victoria has long revolved around the water, with Inner Harbour home to ship building and commercial fishing over the decades. The best way to discover the waterway between March and October is on one of Victoria Harbour Ferry’s cute vessels.
The guided harbour tour takes 45 minutes — a commentary is provided while passing significant First Nation locations, historic buildings such as the Steamship Terminal, floating-home communities, and wildlife enclaves — but I break the journey at Fisherman’s Wharf to savour a scoop of gelato before returning to Empress Wharf.
For something longer board the electric Duffy boat for the 75-minute drift along Gorge Waterway which passes historic homes, the shipyard, and the reversing falls under Tillicum Bridge. victoriaharbourferry.com
TALKING POLITICS
It doesn’t cost a cent to see one of Victoria’s most well-known structures. I casually circumnavigate the ornate British Columbia Legislature, the buildings that have housed the state government since 1898, to take in the design flourishes that define stunning neo- baroque architecture.
Inside, during a free tour, a guide delves into province history, focuses on the structure’s features, and explains the parliamentary process. Outside the vast grounds have manicured rose gardens and gurgling fountains. leg.bc.ca
PLAYING STATUES
The city has some delightful statues. A memorial to beloved Canadian artist and Victoria local Emily Carr stands in the Fairmont Empress’s garden, Homecoming on Wharf Street celebrates residents serving at sea, and a monument to lost firefighters rests in parliament’s shadow. tourismvictoria.com
WALKING THROUGH HISTORY
The Royal BC Museum, between the Fairmont Empress and parliamentary compound, is a modest but engaging institution that tells the story of British Columbia from First Nations through white settlement to more modern times.
The First Nation Collection relies on everything from artefacts to photographs to document indigenous history spanning 10,000 years; Royalty BC recalls visits made by British kings and queens during the past 100 years, and the work of 19th-century photographer Frederick Dally records the British Columbia experience in the 1860s and 1870s.
While the museum is home to all the expected displays — ornithology, palaeontology, botany, entomology, archeology — there’s also a schedule of temporary presentations designed to tell local tales with Family: Bonds & Belonging on show between June and October this year. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca