the back hills guest house for women

An Alternative Walking Tour of Victoria

The information presented here is adapted from the website of Renouf House, a Victoria bed & breakfast which is now closed. Used with permission. My thanks to Caroline Cooper, Shaen Chambers and Christine Rougeau...

Victoria is a city of vast contrasts. It is marketed as a "Little Bit of Olde England" promoting the city as a historical British theme park. But Victoria isn't just an "English Disneyland." It is a community with a rich history, obscured by these attempts at simplification and purification. Everyone hears about the lavish estates the English gentry used for their elegant balls and tea parties. Few people know the stories of hardship faced by the many poor, ethnic groups who came to the new world as a last resort. Fewer still know the stories of the Aboriginal People who struggled to adapt to a changing world that did not honour their culture or way of life. This walking tour takes you through some of the oldest parts of Victoria and introduces you to some places visitors rarely see. As you move away from the Inner Harbour and "tourist row," you will see some of the less well-known parts of Victoria's early history and experience Victoria's present inner city community.

The Inner Harbour is the heart of Victoria. The Royal British Columbia Museum is a must-see and there are free tours of the Parliament Buildings. Walk the Causeway and enjoy the talented street performers and artists. The Tourist Information Centre, across from the Empress Hotel at the Inner Harbour, has a lot of information about attractions in the city.
Government Street is probably the best-known street in Victoria with many excellent shops offering quality products. Some of our favourites are Roger's Chocolates, Munro's Books, Murchie's Tea & Coffee, Book Warehouse and Sri Atman Bookstore. This area is lively and very busy during the summer.
Bastion Square is the original site of Fort Victoria, which started as a sleepy fur farm for the Hudson's Bay Company but grew rapidly during the gold rush. Bastion Square is home to the Maritime Museum, a must for any boat lover. RE-BAR, 50 Bastion, is an excellent place to get a healthy, vegetarian meal.
Market Square, constructed in the 1880s, still lives up to its rich past. Contrary to Victoria's sedate and proper image, this large building housed the young city's red light district. The square now contains unusual shops, restaurants and art galleries while the central courtyard is a popular meeting place and stage for performers and musicians. It is worth passing through simply for its colourful history and period architecture. Some of our favourite shops are The Global Village Shop, Haunted House Books, Green Cuisine, Rubber Rainbow Condom Co. and Ocean River Sports. JAVA, 537 Johnson, is a happening Tea and Coffeehouse.
Chinatown at the turn of the century was a hotbed of drugs, gambling and prostitution. (Another undesirable place in Victoria!) "The Forbidden City" had many dangerous alleys with false walls and hidden passageways which thwarted police raids. Today, the oldest Chinatown in Canada is a tourist attraction with many interesting shops and cafes. Fan Tan Alley, once famous for its opium houses, has lost much of its Chinese character but is now home to many bohemian shops. Some boutiques to look for are Black Madonna, Polar Cow and The Turntable. For a late night dinner try the Herald Street Caffe, 546 Herald.
Centennial Square is home to Victoria's City Hall. Guru's Indian Cuisine, 1692 Douglas, serves good, reasonably priced Indian food. The Bay, once called the Hudson's Bay Company, is Canada's oldest commercial enterprise. James Douglas, who established Fort Victoria in the 1840s, played a key role in transforming B.C. from a HBC fur farm to a British colony and finally a Canadian province.
Fernwood has always been a working and middle class neighbourhood and it retains a sense of social consciousness. Poor Richard's Books, 968 Balmoral, and the Heritage Cat Clinic, 955 North Park, illustrate how local small businesses find creative ways to save heritage homes. Szechuan Exotic Chinese Cuisine, 853 Caledonia, serves authentic Szechuan food. Anawin Companion Society, 973 Caledonia, is an organization working to overcome homelessness in Victoria. M'akola Housing Society provides subsidized housing for Aboriginal people. The society's presence in a neighbourhood helps foster understanding and acceptance and counteract racism.
Cook Street offers many shops and services to the local community. The WIN Store, 1803 Cook, is a good place to get inexpensive used clothing. Hidden across the street is The Parsonage Cafe, 1115 North Park. This friendly, little vegetarian cafe is definitely worth seeking out if you love great coffee, which they roast in-house, or want a light meal. A local secret! For traditional Montreal-style bagels stop by Mount Royal Bagel Factory, #6-1115 North Park.
The Fernwood Village has changed over the years but remains an important focus for the neighbourhood. The George & Dragon, 1302 Gladstone, is a pub-style restaurant serving large, satisfying meals at reasonable prices. The Soho Village Bistro, 1322 Gladstone, has a gourmet menu with excellent service and superb decor. Fiddleheads, D-1284 Gladstone, is a funky little vegetarian cafe. The Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone, produces contemporary Canadian live theatre in an intimate setting.

Margaret
the back hills guest house for women
E-mail me at: backhill@islandnet.com