Vancouver British Columbia; Our Ships Destination (June 22nd)
We stayed in Vancouver this evening and rested so we could catch the ferry to Victoria to visit the Butchart Gardens.
From our hotel room, we could see the entire city.
One does NOT want to ask what teenagers do to the maid across the street
Vancouver is located between the Strait of Georgia and the Coast Mountains. Its economy has traditionally relied on British Columbia's resource sectors: forestry, mining, fishing and agriculture. It was first settled in the 1860s as a result of immigration caused by the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, particularly from the United States, although many immigrants did not remain after the rush. The city developed rapidly from a small lumber mill town into a metropolitan centre following the arrival of the transcontinental railway in 1887. The Port of Vancouver became internationally significant after the completion of the Panama Canal, which reduced freight rates in the 1920s and made it viable to ship export-bound prairie grain west through Vancouver. It has since become the busiest seaport in Canada, and exports more cargo than any other port in North America.
We Took The Ferry To Victoria On The 23rd
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, making it the seat of the provincial Crown. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a global tourism destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year who inject more than one billion dollars into the local economy.
Victoria Walkabout
Located on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island, overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the City of Victoria has a population of approximately 78,659. The Capital Regional District, comprising thirteen municipalities informally referred to as Greater Victoria, has a population of more than 345,000 and is the largest urban area on Vancouver Island. By population, Greater Victoria is the 15th largest city metropolitan area in Canada.
We remembered our seaplance ride
The capital
Our hotel... The Empress
Did You Know? - The Fairmont Empress (most commonly known as The Empress) is one of the oldest and most famous hotels in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Located on Government Street facing the Inner Harbour, the Empress has become an iconic symbol for the city itself.
The hotel has 477 rooms, with most either overlooking the Inner Harbour or the hotel's rear courtyard gardens. It has four restaurants, including The Bengal Lounge, which is decorated in Victorian-era, Colonial Indian style (when Queen Victoria was the Empress of India) or Kipling's, which is named after its once frequent guest and visitor, author Rudyard Kipling. In 2005, Kipling's closed its doors to the public in order for the hotel to gain more space for private functions. The hotel has gym facilities, a whirlpool bath and an indoor swimming pool.
With teeneages... Time to dine
Walking distance to everything
Jon and Grandma
The Ferry Pier was always quite busy
Glass bottom
float
Some folks live on the water
Hih???
A real house boat
Scared Zachary... These guys are alive
Back to our hotel
Did You Know? - The hotel was built between 1904 and 1908, opening for service in that year. Additional wings were added between 1909 and 1914, and in 1928. During this time, The Empress (as it was known then) played hostess to kings, queens, movie stars and many famous people.
In 1919, Edward, Prince of Wales waltzed into the dawn in its Crystal Ballroom - an event considered by Victorians to be of such importance that almost 50 years later, the obituaries of elderly ladies would appear under headlines such as, 'Mrs. Thornley-Hall Dies. Prince of Wales Singled Her Out.' In the 1930s, Shirley Temple arrived accompanied by her parents amid rumours that she had fled from California because of kidnapping threats, a story borne from the presence of two huge bodyguards who took the room opposite hers and always left their door open.
On May 30, 1939 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth attended a luncheon at the Empress, as guests of the Provincial Government.
They are moving fast
Museum Of Miniatures
Welcome to Miniature World -- one of the most popular tourist attractions in downtown Victoria, BC, Canada. Your visit here will be a memorable experience for years to come. You'll feel a lasting desire to return! Welcome to the little people's Wonderful World of Smallness, walk down its road -- step into the Story Books of fact, fiction and fantasy. Return to those fond memories of yesteryear, those childhood dreams and history's greatest moments! Buy your Yearly Season's Pass today! See the World's Smallest Operational Sawmill, 11 years in the making. View two of the World's Largest Doll Houses circa 1880 with over 50 rooms beautifully furnished in exquisite detail.
Victoria's Crystal Gardens
1925 Crystal Gardens, originally a saltwater swimming pool, restored as a conservatory and most recently a tourist attraction called the B.C. Experience, which closed down in 2006. We enjoyed the visit in 2002.
Did You Know? - Once the largest saltwater swimming pool in the British Empire, the Crystal Garden opened in 1925. Designed for multiple use by Frances Rattenbury and P. Leonard James, the Crystal Garden was Victoria's first convention centre, an arboretum, a restaurant, and art gallery, as well as a swimming pool, and was operated by special arrangement by the Canadian Pacific Railway until 1964.
The Crystal Garden was a focus for community events and featured two full ballroom dance floors, a gymnasium, tea room, and Turkish baths. Special events included beauty contests, business conferences, art shows and military training exercises.
The lease with the CPR expired in 1965 and the building reverted to the City of Victoria. It was closed in 1971 and was later handed over to the Province and placed under the Provincial Capital Commission's stewardship, opening in 1980 as a tropical garden and conservation centre. The garden exhibit closed in September 2004, and a new, privately operated multi-media attraction about British Columbia (BC Experience) operated from June to September, 2006.
From 2005 to 2008, the Crystal Garden building has undergone two major restorations in addition to numerous tenant improvements. The 80-year-old heritage building was brought up to modern seismic and snowload standards and its iconic glass roof was replaced. Overall, the Provincial Capital Commission put $3.6 million into structural upgrades and the provincial government contributed an additional $1.5 million.
The main part of the Crystal Garden now operates as part of the Victoria Conference Centre.
Butchart Gardens
The Butchart Gardens are a botanical tourist attraction located in the neighborhood Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, a small village on the Saanich Peninsula in the municipality of Central Saanich, which is part of Greater Victoria on Vancouver Island. They were originally created under the supervision of Jennie Butchart.
The Butchart Gardens - Fifty acres of floral finery offering spectacular views as you stroll along meandering paths and expansive lawns. In 1904, the concept of The Butchart Gardens began with an effort to beautify a worked-out quarry site on the 130-acre estate of Mr. and Mrs. R.P. Butchart, pioneers in the manufacture of Portland Cement in Canada.
Their endeavor became a family commitment to horticulture and hospitality spanning almost 100 years and delighting visitors from all over the world.
From the exquisite Sunken Garden to the charming Rose Garden, this 50-acre show-place still maintains the gracious traditions of the past, in one of the loveliest corners in the world.
In June the azaleas and late rhododendrons are at their best. Columbine, delphiniums and - in more shaded places - the rare Himalayan blue poppy join with nemesia, tuberous begonias, stocks, poppies and sweet William to bring in summer. Weigela, deutzia and beauty bush are in full bloom.
The Rose Garden bursts into tumultuous color during the last two weeks of the month and becomes the centre of attraction for visitors to The Butchart Gardens.
The Butchart Gardens are a botanical tourist attraction located in the neighborhood Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, a small village on the Saanich Peninsula in the municipality of Central Saanich, which is part of Greater Victoria on Vancouver Island. They were originally created under the supervision of Jennie Butchart.
In 1904 Jennie Butchart's husband, Robert Pim Butchart, had abandoned a worked-out quarry site left behind from his pioneer work with Portland cement. Mrs. Butchart then began to beautify the exhausted limestone quarry by committing herself to the gradual horticultural development of what later became the Butchart Gardens.
June 24th, Ferry back to Victoria and the Four Seasons Hotel
Fairmont Empress Hotel was our destination for the evening of the 24th.
The Edwardian, château-style hotel was designed by Francis Rattenbury for Canadian Pacific Hotels, as a terminus hotel for Canadian Pacific's steamship line whose main terminal was just several meters away. The hotel was to serve businesspeople and visitors to Victoria, but later as Canadian Pacific ceased its passenger services to the city, the hotel was successfully remarketed as a resort to tourists, which similarly coincided with Victoria's emergence as a tourist destination beginning in the mid-to-late 1920s.
The hotel was built between 1904 and 1908, finally opening for service in that year. Two additional wings were added between 1909 and 1914. During this time, The Empress (as it was known then) played host to kings, queens, movie stars and many famous people. In 1919, Edward, Prince of Wales waltzed into the dawn in its Crystal Ballroom - an event considered by Victorians to be of such importance that almost 50 years later, the obituaries of elderly ladies would appear under headlines such as, 'Mrs. Thornley-Hall Dies. Prince of Wales Singled Her Out.' In the 1930s, Shirley Temple arrived accompanied by her parents amid rumours that she had fled from California because of kidnapping threats, a story borne from the presence of two huge bodyguards who took the room opposite hers and always left their door open.
For many years the hotel did not even have a sign above the front entrance. The strong emotions the hotel evoked in Victorians and its guests and protectors is exemplified in the statement made by an irate gentleman, as workers raised the sign above the front entrance: 'Anyone who doesn't know this is The Empress shouldn't be staying here.'
In 1965, there was much debate on whether to tear down what was becoming a faded, dowdy hotel, to make room for a more modern, functional high-rise hotel. One local newspaper warned that, 'Without this splendid relic of the Edwardian era, literally tens of thousands of tourists will never return. This is the Mecca, this is the heart and soul of the city.' A decision was announced on June 10, 1966: The Empress would not be demolished. Instead she would embark on a $4 million campaign of renovation and refurbishment, playfully dubbed 'Operation Teacup.'
In 1989, over $45 million was spent in additional restoration. All the guest rooms were renovated, and a health club, indoor swimming pool and guest reception were added. With an emphasis on craftsmanship, no attempt was made to give the hotel a new image. Instead, the goal was to restore The Empress to its original, pre-war elegance.
