Street ambiance is at its height in August. Buskers (some are good, some are well…) line the Inner Harbour putting on their sidewalk shows, hoping you’ll contribute to their living expenses. Vendors sell ice cream or fruit drinks along the Inner Harbour and on Government Street. All the cafes and coffee stops take over the
Street ambiance is at its height in August. Buskers (some are good, some are well…) line the Inner Harbour putting on their sidewalk shows, hoping you’ll contribute to their living expenses. Vendors sell ice cream or fruit drinks along the Inner Harbour and on Government Street. All the cafes and coffee stops take over the sidewalks in front of their businesses. Tables and umbrellas are in full force as people sip and watch the tourists walk by.
The old-fashioned light fixtures sport colourful flowering baskets, and most of the time the weather cooperates to make this a truly enjoyable month. Coffee lovers can choose between the ubiquitous Starbucks or Torrefazione on Government St, an upmarket Italian coffee spot. In addition there’s the Blenz and McBeans chains and many other locally owned coffee stops.
In fact, coffee drinking in the city seems to have reached epic proportions. Murchie’s is a long standing and well-known cafe on Government St. Besides indulging in a cup of coffee or specialty tea, goodies made on the premises will have your mouth watering. The retail side of the store sells packaged coffees and teas to take home, and there are many gift items related to tea.
One of the fun tourist things to do in Victoria is to take a little harbour ferry. These tiny tugboat styled tourist boats leave from the Inner Harbour or Ocean Pointe Resort and ply two routes. One is a tour showing off the Inner Harbour. Another goes up the Gorge Waterway. There’s commentary along the way.
If you take the Gorge tour, ask to be dropped off at the dock at the Point Ellice House. (You can also drive there or take a bus part way). Time it right to tour the house and enjoy tea in the gardens overlooking the Gorge Waterway (hopefully, the weather will cooperate), then return by ferry.
Gold Rush Magistrate and Commissioner Peter O’Reilly acquired Point Ellice House, built in an Italiante style, in 1867. Although, today, it is surrounded by industry, the heritage gardens still give a sense of the quiet beauty that once made this home a gathering place for Victoria’s social elite. And, best of all, it’s haunted. Be sure to ask about the mysterious “lady in the blue dress.” See the full story at their excellent web site that contains lots of photos.
Train buffs just got a new trip to add to their repertoire with Victoria’s new attraction, the Pacific Wilderness Railway. The train journeys along tracks already serviced by the E&N railroad. The difference is this new ride is strictly a tourist attraction. It begins at the E&N Rail Station by the Johnson St. Bridge and ends at the Malahat mountain pass, then turns around and comes back to the E&N station in Victoria – all together about 2¼ hours. You’ll have to catch it in the summer months for an any-day ride. After September, it’s weekends only till the end of October, when it ceases operation for the winter.
The train, running three times a day, is currently pulled by restored 1950’s diesel-electric locomotives (eventually steam engines will be used). The 11 cars offer seating choices in either 1930 open window or 1950 closed air-conditioned coaches. Both have large viewing windows. There’s also one 1928 parlour observation car, but you pay a premium price for a ride in it. Don’t expect luxury or updated washrooms. The coaches are pretty much the way they were when last used, just spiffed up a bit. Snacks are served on board if you wish to purchase them.
The main features are the crossing of two spectacular trestles – The Arbutus is 434 feet long and 247 feet above the canyon floor; the Niagara Canyon trestle is 576 feet long and 300 feet high – and the scenery towards the end of the ride. (The first few miles of the 20-mile journey pass through typical urban wastelands – derelict warehouses, buildings defaced by graffiti and land littered with the leftovers of living).
For something elegant, you can stop over at the Aerie Resort for lunch. They’ll meet you at Milepost 20 and chauffeur you to their elegant hotel for a 3-course market luncheon, then deliver you back to the Milepost to catch the return train. Or you can leave in the afternoon and indulge in a 5-course dinner, returning to Victoria in the late evening.
If you like visiting ecological reserves, take note of Race Rocks, a marine reserve that includes ocean, rocks and reefs. It has rich and diverse marine life. Pods of Orca (killer) whales, California and Northern sea lions – seen from September to May – and harbour seals (see their young in June). Sometimes there are elephant seals and Alaskan fur seals. The islands are nesting colonies for sea birds – gulls, cormorants, guillemots and black oyster-catchers nest on the islands. Bald eagles, harlequin ducks, black turnstones and others are seen at times.
The water is a favourite with divers. They can spot wolf eels, rockfish, kelp greenling and sculpin. Large populations of sponges, sea anemones, hydroids, sea urchins and sea cucumbers are among the many marine invertebrates that can be enjoyed in their natural habitat.
A word of warning: the area has unpredictable weather, with high currents, sudden winds, storms and swells. Visits must be well planned with a boat equipped for emergencies.
If whale watching is your thing, there are a number of companies that provide tours. But be aware of two things: Number 1 is safety. There were two tourists killed a couple of years back when a zodiac overturned. Number 2 is that some of these tours go in open boats where you sit in your seat for up to 3 hours encased in a zip-up orange flotation suit barely allowing for movement as the zodiac bounces wildly along. Others go in comfortable, large boats, washroom and refreshment equipped. You can move around outside or inside.
For more details on these tours contact:
The Oak Bay Beach Hotel and Marine Resort: Tours are in a large enclosed boat with washrooms and refreshments aboard. Reach them at 1-800-668-7758, 250-592-3474 or 250-598-4556.
Orca Spirit Adventures: This trip is aboard a passenger vessel with full facilities.
Another company that uses a boat with facilities and indoor seating is Naturally Salty.
If you don’t mind sitting in an open zodiac boat, try Ocean Explorations.
Or there’s Sea Coast Adventures. Their website is www.seacoastexpeditions.com.
In addition to whale watching (by zodiac), Cuda Marine Adventures offers fishing charters.
Victoria Marine Adventure Centre offers whale watching, seaplane tours and more.
Wildcat Adventures has a large open boat with washrooms on board.
Before you book a tour you may want to spend $6 to save several times that amount. A new brochure, Passport to Adventure – pick it up at the Empress Hotel or Royal BC Museum – contains coupons from several whale watching companies worth $10 to $20 off the cost. Other coupons are 50% off Maritme Museum admission, 10%-15% discount on some eco and adventure tours, two for one on some sightseeing tours and various other discounts. Have a look.
Essential Information
Point Ellice House is at 2616 Pleasant Street, near the Bay Street Bridge.
By car: drive from downtown Victoria along Bay Street, turn right on to Pleasant Street where you see the large Point Ellice House sign. Open daily from mid-May to mid-September, 10am to 5pm, guided tours throughout the day. Last High Tea is served at 4 pm. Phone: (250) 380-6506.
For schedules or reservations for the train or the combination train/Aerie Resort meal, contact Pacific Wilderness Railway at 1-800-267-0610.
Email: info@pacificwildernessrailway.com.
For details on diving and visiting Race Rocks, contact BC Parks at 250-387-4363 or pick up information at the Tourist Information Centre at the Inner Harbour. A four-hour tour is provided by Islands Eco-Tours aboard a 47 ft. motor powered native style canoe – tours happen in fall and spring when the sea lions abound. They also run wildlife and hiking tours, camping tours and more.
Contact them at 250-216-2389.
Email: blackfish@coastnet.com.
August Events
Symphony Splash
7:30pm on August 6th. This is one of Victoria’s most popular events. As it takes place on a holiday weekend, book way ahead for hotel rooms and get in that ferry lineup early. The Splash is free and takes place in the Inner Harbour, where more than 40,000 people show up to listen to the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. (Bring a lawn chair or a blanket to sit on – spaces around the harbour get filled up early in the afternoon).
The musicians are on a floating barge in the Harbour and play a blend of orchestral classics and popular favourites. The event ends with the 1812 Overture as the cannon on the Legislative lawn fires off a volley, and fireworks light up the night sky.
First Peoples Festival
At the Royal BC Museum and surrounding sites. During the month of August First Nations art, history, culture and traditions are showcased.
Dragon Boat Festival
August 14th and 15th at the Inner Harbour. Dragon Boat races take place in the Inner Harbour along with other Chinese festival cultural events.
Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival
August 24-September 4th in eight venues in downtown Victoria. Innovative and avant-garde theatre. Various prices. Contact 250-383-2663 or 1-888-374-6332 for details.
Victoria Art Gallery
From August 4 to November 26 will mount a special exhibition “Jade, the Ultimate Treasure of Ancient China“. This exhibition is comprised of 120 exquisite objects of jade from the People’s Republic of China. Most pieces are from archaeological digs and date from Neolithic times to the early 1900’s.
The exhibition is the finest jade collection to ever go on tour from China. One of the most interesting pieces is the 2nd century mortuary jade suit of Princess Dou Wan, which is composed of 2156 plates of jade sewn with 703 grams of gold thread, estimated to take more than ten years to complete.
Quirky Stuff
For a live web cam of Victoria’s Inner Harbour go to:
https://rbcm1.rbcm.gov.bc.ca/visit-museum/webcam.html
©2000 by Barbara Ballard. Reproduction of this work in whole or in part, including images, and reproduction in electronic media, without documented permission from the author is prohibited.
Location
Victoria, a world renowned tourist destination and capital city of British Columbia, is nestled on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.
It’s about as far west as you can get in Canada – just across the Strait of Georgia from the city of Vancouver on Canada’s mainland and 85 miles northwest across the Juan de Fuca Strait from Seattle.
The jagged coastline boasts stunning views, and the mild climate allows gardens to run rampant. It’s no wonder Travel and Leisure voted it one of the 10 best cities in the world to visit.
The downtown, embraced by the water and the bustling Inner Harbour (map), is busy and vibrant. Tourism is big business here, and it’s royally catered to.
Once a British colonial outpost, Greater Victoria (Victoria and its outlying areas) now sports a population of more than 300,000. Although it still retains remnants of its past in high teas, hanging baskets and shops filled with British goods, Victoria today is alive with sidewalk cafes, night life, cosmopolitan dining, superb shopping and cultural activities.
The Victoria Visitor’s Information Centre is located on the Inner Harbour. There are free maps and brochures on accommodations, attractions, restaurants, services, tours, cultural events, festivals and more. There is also a ticket outlet in the Centre.
Call them at 1-800-663-3883 or
(250) 953-2033
Email info@tourismvictoria.com
Seeing the City
There are lots of ways to get around Greater Victoria. The least expensive are the public bus system (B.C. Transit, 250-385-2551, from $1.25) and bike and scooter rentals.
Being a tourist Mecca means several companies run scenic tours – there’s double-decker or horse-drawn carriages plying their wares, but they aren’t cheap. Tiny water tugs ply the Inner Harbour for great views of the shoreline.
There’s always car rentals (not really necessary here where everything is either accessible on foot or by bus). Taxis are available but costly. From the airport take the Airporter mini-bus, cheaper than a taxi, to downtown Victoria.
Money
It should be noted that all prices in this guide are in Canadian dollars. For up to date currency rates, click here.
Weather
Best site for weather and local forecasts.
Smoking
Victoria is totally nonsmoking indoors. Restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, hotels, public transportation, office buildings, etc. etc. No one is allowed to smoke anywhere inside any building. Outdoors is okay.
The Author
I grew up in Texas (friendly people), summered on the Gulf Coast and lived in several other states before moving to Canada. The Rockies and the Yukon were home for a while.
Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island is my permanent location, unless I win the lottery. Then I’ll be off to Britain, the land I love. My hobbies are history, historical architecture and reading.