Tag: Victoria B.C.

Waterfront prestige

This building is a prominent sight in Victoria, sitting on the edge of the Inner Harbour and steps from the mainstay tourist center, the Empress Hotel. The Victoria waterfront is marked by the white fencing in the foreground.

Move in closer to a street level view and you’re greeted with nothing but a shell of the old building. Only three original walls still stand.

The original interior remains in bits and pieces but the building is destined to house waterfront condominiums. A bus driver mentioned that the penthouse has already sold for $10 million. Units on less prestigious floors will be had for a cool $1 million or so. Perfect for my weekend getaways, don’t you think?

Royal mail

I was taken with this mail drop at the Empress Hotel when we were in Victoria last month. Beyond its polish, it was a surprise to see actual brass in use for an everyday utility like this.

Two of my very first jobs – in downtown San Francisco – were in an old office building that, in those days, still had old wood wainscotting and I think there was ample marble used in floor tiling and the restrooms. There was a mail drop on every floor, a slot into a tube that went all the way down to the lobby. And if I’m not mistaken the mail landed in a drop in the lobby with a proud looking brass front. I haven’t worked in a big city in decades. Do high rises have anything like this anymore, a mailbox with a fancy brass presence?

Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. today on a day that celebrates his legacy. The longer I live the greater my respect for the bravery of those who’ve fought for human and civil rights through history.

Victoria day tripping

End of a long winter, bad weather, and a weeklong bout with the flu: what better time to look back on trips to Victoria, B.C. and post some pictures of a favorite neighboring city?

The Black Ball MV Coho ferry runs daily from Port Angeles across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria’s Inner Harbour. The passage takes about 90 minutes – pretty painless for international travel. A passport is needed, though an “enhanced” Washington driver’s license may also be used. Until mid-May there are two daily departures from Port Angeles, and two returns from Victoria. There are more sailings during the summer months.

I’ve posted one of the early sights in the harbour, the blue Johnson Street Bridge, which is located at the west side of the entrance. It is a “bascule,” or counterweighted type drawbridge designed by Joseph Strauss, the same man who designed San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Bridge. You can read about its history here, but after no lack of controversy it was finally decided that this deteriorating span would be removed and replaced. Work has recently begun. A new bridge is being built to the north of the blue bridge, which will remain in service until its replacement is completed. There are live views of the work progress here.