| Self-Guided
Walking Tours of Victoria
The City of Victoria has created four self-guided walking-tour
maps of Victoria. The tours are thematically grouped and take the
user over different parts of downtown.
One walk, called
Happy Hauntings, starts at St. Ann's Academy and describes
sightings of long-dead artist Emily Carr and a mysterious bell that
is reported to ring. It ends at the Maritime Museum, reputed to be
the most haunted building in Bastion Square.
The other brochures
are called Forbidden City, on the early years of Chinatown;
Law and Disorder, telling tales of robbery, murder and deadly
lover's triangles; and Fools Rush In, on the Gold Rush era.
The latter recounts a story from the 1800s, when two of the city's
volunteer fire brigades arrived at a fire at the same time. As an
argument about jurisdiction got heated and turned into fisticuffs,
the building burned to the ground.
The walking
maps are available at City Hall, the Victoria Visitors Centre, offices
of the Downtown Victoria Business Association, and the Provincial
Capital Commission.
Guided Tours
with Local Author Danda Humphreys
As a special
treat during your stay, take a personalized tour with resident author
and storyteller-guide Danda Humphreys.
Danda's tours
include entertaining tales about the characters who once lived in
Victoria, many of whom are featured in her fascinating book about
the origin of Victoria's street names, entitled, On The Street
Where You Live: Pioneer Pathways of Early Victoria.
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Victoria:
A Lady with a Past!
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Victoria's
Inner Harbour and The Empress Hotel |
Find out where
Victoria began: Explore the Inner Harbour. Walk the perimeters of
the Hudson's Bay Company fort -- the first HBC settlement on the
West Coast. Hear about the ghosts of Bastion Square, including the
"Woman in the Window," the "Hanging Judge,"
and "The White Lady of Langley Street." Walk along Government
Street -- the first official street west of the Rockies. See how
a tidal mudflat became the foundation for the elegant Empress Hotel.
Chinatown,
Victoria |
Visit Victoria's
first commercial centre, built to serve the thousands of men who
came here looking for gold. Wander through wood-blocked alleyways.
Walk through the inner courtyard of a cluster of 1870s hotels where
ladies of the night entertained their guests. Stroll through the
smallest and second-oldest Chinatown on this continent's west coast.
See buildings that once housed gambling dens and opium factories.
Taste the many varieties of tea. Saunter along the narrowest street
in North America.
Emily
Carr House, Government Street, Victoria
|
Artist Emily
Carr -- unappreciated in her lifetime -- is now recognized as one
of Canada's national treasures. She was also a writer. Her first
book, "Klee Wyck," won a Governor-General's award. Her
second book, "The Book of Small" ("Small" is
how Emily saw herself as child), describes her childhood in 19th
century Victoria. Explore the wonderful "World of Small."
See where Emily was born. Enjoy readings from her books. Find out
about the people, pets and places that helped shape her life.
Craigdarroch
Castle, Victoria |
For adventures
farther afield, take a fascinating narrated tour through our city's
many heritage sites and residential areas, including Craigdarroch
Castle, Mt. Tolmie, Uplands and Beacon Hill Park. Drive the scenic
Malahat highway to Goldstream, Duncan and Chemainus. Follow the
old road to the Western Communities, Fort Rodd Hill, Hatley Park,
Sooke, and Jordan River. Danda's tours are easy, entertaining and
fun. She will escort you to and from the tour route and personally
conduct your tour.
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Call
"Step Back in Time Tours" to book your unique Victoria
experience.
Website: www.DandaHumphreys.com
Phone: (250) 382-4455 or Email: danda@islandnet.com.
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