Profile of Jan Ross, Victoria heritage attraction EC house resident manager
Jan Ross, resident curator of Victoria heritage attraction Emily Carr House has received a glowing profile from noted Victoria artist Robert Amos in a recent issue of the Times Colonist newspaper.
The article can be read here.
Amos’ profile of Ross provides an interesting insight into not only how heritage sites such as Emily Carr House are operated, but also the history of curation in the Victoria region.
A native of Victoria, Oak Bay high school graduate Ross graduated from the University of Victoria after studying art history, and has worked everywhere from the Maltwood Gallery to Fort Rodd Hill. She’s a true professional, dedicated to preserving local heritage and history.
Here’s a YouTube video where she explains more about EC House:
Christmas gift ideas in Victoria BC
We’re going to start a series of posts about Christmas events in British Columbia this month – our first topic is Christmas gift ideas in Victoria BC.
Combine shopping with a cultural experience
Christmas is just over a month away, and we’re all thinking about shopping. There’s plenty to go shopping in the Victoria region, from visiting Santa at the local mall, or traveling out to one of the big box stores on the outskirts of town. However, this kind of shopping is a depersonalized experience, and often not all that enjoyable.
Why not find a historical attraction, and combine shopping with culture?
Victoria Art Gallery Christmas Small Works Show
For example, the Greater Victoria Art Gallery will be hosting a Christmas Small Works Show and Sale from Saturday, November 19 at 10:00am to Sunday, January 1, 2012. Presented by Art Rental & Sales in the historic Massey Gallery, these original pieces of art sell for only $100-$150 per piece. A favourite with Christmas shoppers, this show is a must for anyone looking for a unique and affordable gift.
Christmas at Craigdarroch Castle
Although Craigdarroch Castle will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, decorating the Castle for the Christmas season takes a full month! The transformation is amazing as the rooms are presented in traditional Victorian fashion complete with Victorian toys. Also featured throughout the home are several Christmas trees. And of course, a gift shop.
Butchart Gardens Christmas
December 1st, 2011 marks the start of the 25th season of festive Christmas displays. Tens of thousands of coloured lights combine with evergreen swags and wreaths of holly and winter berries to line walkways and festoon lamp posts. The ever-popularTwelve Days of Christmas displays are tucked away about The Gardens.
It’s a great way to celebrate the winter season, and, most importantly if you are hunting for Christmas gift ideas, the Seed & Gift Store has plenty of potential unique presents to choose from.
These have been just a few Christmas gift ideas in Victoria BC… Stay tuned for more!
Victoria winter activities: visit Chinatown
Established in 1858, Victoria’s Chinatown is the oldest Chinese community in Canada, and the second-oldest on the west coast of North America. Only San Francisco’s Chinatown is older, and early inhabitants of each enclave settled in North America for the same reason: proximity to the gold fields of the interior, and, later on , railroad construction. Early Chinese immigrants to Victoria arrived in the city at a time when the Crown colony of Vancouver Island played a far greater role in the economic, cultural and political affairs of what would be the province of British Columbia. Victoria was the first landing after the long ocean voyage across the Pacific, and while some early Chinese migrants sought their fortune in the Interior, many also put down roots in Victoria’s Chinatown.
Originally a collection of crude huts along Store Street, Chinatown blossomed into a thriving cultural center that is one of the true gems of contemporary downtown Victoria. Besides traditional red-brick architecture, Chinatown grew steadily over the years until its peak in 1911, at which time it occupied an area of about six city blocks in the north end of downtown Victoria.
Chinatown today features a wide variety of Chinese restaurants serving everything from basic noodle dishes to Dim Sum and haute cuisine. This Victoria neighbourhood is also home to art galleries, coffee shops, and some of the best quality produce sold in Victoria. The street is lined with distinctive red pines that provide a beautiful accompaniment to a brisk fall or winter day with blue skies and fast-moving clouds.
The district is a designation National Historic Site which was considered as potential addition to Canada’s Tentative List of nominations to become a World Heritage Site, but was not nominated as of the latest additions in 2004.
The University of Victoria has a great web page devoted to Victoria’s Chinatown, while the BC Archives have also collected some photos taken of the area over the years
- TimeTravelBC writes about a lot of things, this time Victoria winter activities.
