After our cruise ship docked in Victoria, we passed the Fisherman's Wharf, the Grand Parliament Buildings, and Government Street. We then drove through Beacon Hill Park to be dropped off at our hotel, where we checked in.
Jennie had a vision. She commissioned horse-drawn carts to painstakingly haul in tons of rich topsoil from nearby farmlands to bury her husband's industrial disaster. Today, it is a National Historic Site of Canada that welcomes over a million people a year.
After presenting our tickets at the main admission gate, we entered the garden and walked into Waterwheel Square, which serves as the central orientation hub. It featured a rustic wood-and-stone waterwheel surrounded by immaculate, seasonal floral borders. From there, we followed the main path, which plunged into a heavily forested canopy of native Pacific Northwest trees.
The path led to a spectacular stone lookout. From this vantage point, we got our first panoramic view of the Sunken Garden, the crown jewel of the estate. We walked down a winding path into what was once the floor of the limestone quarry, where the towering 50-foot rock walls were draped in ivy and climbing plants. Beds of vibrant annuals, manicured lawns, and rare shrubs formed a multi-layered tapestry of color.
A massive, mound-shaped rock outcropping stood in the center, offering an elevated view. Tucked into the far end of the quarry was the Ross Fountain, added in 1964. It projects intricate, dancing water patterns up to 70 feet into the air against a backdrop of the stark quarry walls.
We exited the quarry floor up a gentle switchback. The path guided us through a forested trail populated with bronze deer statues before emerging onto the open, expansive Concert Lawn.
The Children's Pavilion housed the Rose Carousel, a custom-made, handcrafted wooden carousel built in 2009 that featured thirty carved animals. To my amusement, I could see more adults riding it than children. Nearby sat a massive bronze dragon fountain, which was a gift from Suzhou, China.
Next we passed through the formal Rose Garden. Active from summer through early autumn, this section features long, parallel flower beds bordered by boxwood hedges, showcasing over 250 varieties of roses. Walking beneath the fragrant, rose-laden wooden arches brought us past a frog fountain; our senses were overpowered by the powerful sweet aroma of the roses.
A dramatic change in atmosphere happened as we passed beneath a traditional red Torii gate to enter the Japanese Garden, designed in 1906. Here, the bright, open floral displays gave way to a shaded, tranquil environment dominated by shades of green, rust, and brown.
The space featured winding streams, wooden footbridges, stone lanterns, and a serene koi pond framed by a rare collection of Japanese maples, azaleas, and rare Himalayan blue poppies. The path skirts along the edge of the inlet before turning back inland.
Emerging from the Japanese Garden, we encountered the Star Pond, a geometric, twelve-pointed water feature originally designed for Mr. Butchart’s collection of ornamental ducks. A bronze frog sat at the center of the pond, spouting water.
Directly adjacent was the Italian Garden, which was originally the Butchart family's tennis court. Designed in a formal, classical Italian style, it featured symmetrical cross-shaped ponds and elegant stone arches.
The path concluded at the Piazza, the historic courtyard fronting the original Butchart family residence, which is now home to the Dining Room Restaurant. Before leaving, the route led directly into the sprawling Seed and Gift Shop, where visitors can buy packaged seeds of the flowers. Exiting the shop placed us right back in Waterwheel Square where we started.
The grounds are home to several incredible sculptures .A magnificent bronze statue of a wild boar stands prominently near the entrance to the Italian Garden and the Piazza. Cast in Florence, Italy, it is a replica of a famous 17th-century masterpiece. Visitors traditionally rub the boar’s snout for good luck and drop a coin into the fountain basin below, with all proceeds donated to local charities.
Guarding the entryway near the historic Butchart Residence are two massive, regal bronze lions. Purchased by the Butchart family during their European travels in the early 1900s, they give the piazza a grand, classical European atmosphere.
Located near the exit pathway just outside the Seed and Gift Shop, an intricate bronze fountain features three beautifully sculpted sturgeon fish leaping from the water. It was cast in Florence using the traditional lost-wax method and adds a dynamic, fluid visual right at the exit.
The garden was originally named "Benvenuto" (Italian for "welcome") and used to host the public for tea and concerts. Today, it takes 50 full-time gardeners and 26 greenhouses to keep Jennie’s magnificent display of spite looking pristine.
The next day, we decided to get a bird's-eye view of the city by hopping on an open-top, double-decker bus tour operated by Gray Line Sightseeing. Our driver was a wonderful lady with a great sense of humour.
We cruised past the majestic, ivy-covered Fairmont Empress Hotel, one of Canada's most celebrated grand railway hotels. It was designed in 1908 by Francis Rattenbury, who also designed the majestic Parliament Buildings next door.
Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway to mimic a grand French chateau, it was aimed at attracting wealthy luxury travelers arriving on steamships. Named after Queen Victoria (who was also the Empress of India), the hotel has hosted everyone from King George VI to Queen Elizabeth II, alongside Hollywood royalty like Shirley Temple and John Wayne.
We then visited Craigdarroch Castle, an imposing stone mansion built in the late 1880s by Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who became Western Canada's wealthiest coal baron. In a tragic twist of fate, he died just months before his mega-mansion was completed.
While Victoria is made of grand stone buildings, ocean breezes, and historic neighbourhoods, riding on the top deck of the bus turned out to be a tactical operation.
We crossed the Johnson Street Bridge, affectionately known to locals as the "Blue Bridge," which is one of downtown Victoria's defining modern landmarks. It spans the narrow waterway connecting the Inner Harbour and the Upper Harbour.
Because of Victoria’s unique, mild Mediterranean climate, the city is an absolute jungle of rare and massive trees. As the bus wound through residential streets, we were surrounded by giant Garry Oaks (a protected, gnarly native species) and colossal Giant Sequoias imported by wealthy settlers 150 years ago. We quickly realized that if you stand up on the top deck, you risk getting slapped in the face by a century-old exotic branch, so it was better to remain safely seated.
We also drove under the Gate of Harmonious Interest into Chinatown, which is the oldest in Canada and the second-oldest in North America. While there, we peered down Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest commercial street on the continent.
Our final stop was the southern edge of Beacon Hill Park along Dallas Road to find Mile Zero. This spot marks the official western terminus of the massive 8,000-kilometer Trans-Canada Highway. Standing right at the edge of the coast was a deeply moving bronze monument of Terry Fox, captured in his signature mid-stride, hop-and-skip running motion with his prosthetic leg.
In 1980, after losing his leg to cancer, Terry started his "Marathon of Hope," attempting to run across the entire country to raise money for cancer research. He planned to finish his epic journey right here at Mile Zero. Tragically, his cancer returned, forcing him to stop in Ontario after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres. He passed away the following year at just 22 years of age. The statue stands as a beautiful commemoration of the exact finish line he spent his final months striving toward.
Looking past the statue across the deep blue water, we could see the spectacular, snow-capped Olympic Mountains glowing in the distance, which are actually located across the US border in Washington State.
In the heart of the 200-acre park, we stumbled upon the Beacon Hill Park Teapot. It is a giant, bright blue novelty teapot that literally pours water out of its spout into a children's wading pool.
We finished our tour by passing the southwest corner of the Fairmont Empress property to see the Emily Carr Statue, unveiled in 2010.
Titled "Our Emily," the bronze sculpture perfectly captures the eccentric spirit of one of Victoria's most beloved artists. She is depicted sitting with her sketchpad, looking out at the harbour. The best part, however, is her companions: her faithful dog Billie at her side and a Javanese pet monkey named Woo playfully perched on her shoulder.
By afternoon, we were dropped off for lunch. Following our driver's excellent suggestion, we went to an eatery in the Inner Harbour called Red Fish Blue Fish. It operates out of an upcycled, 20-foot shipping container right on the wooden pier at 1006 Wharf Street.
Started in 2007 by the founders Simon Sobolewski and Libby Gibson, it gained massive popularity thanks to its unique shipping-container design, 100% sustainable local seafood, and iconic dockside dining experience. Because it has been featured on the Food Network and in major travel guides, the zigzagging line is legendary—often stretching from 30 minutes to over an hour.
We waited it out and ordered their famous wild Pacific halibut fish and chips (cooked in an incredibly light, crisp tempura batter) and their signature "Tacones"—sustainable fish tacos brilliantly rolled into a handheld flour tortilla cone.
Dining there was entirely outdoors along the bustling pier, we sat on barstools watching seaplanes land. In the water below, wild Harbour Seals popped their heads straight up, looking at us with giant, cheeky puppy-dog eyes, begging for a stray piece of seafood. Meanwhile overhead, the local seagulls were busy planning to steal our food.
I found Victoria very beautiful, windy, historic, and delightfully weird. The city somehow manages to perfectly balance its refined, ultra-British tea-and-symphony vibe with a delightfully wild undercurrent.
No comments:
Post a Comment