Victoria harbor with the Legislative Buildings in the background
No, I haven’t become a travel agent! I’ll admit though that I love to extol the virtues of my home town,Victoria. And as a member of the Association of Personal Historians, I’m excited that this year’s conference will be held in Victoria, November 3 -7, at the famous Fairmont Empress Hotel.
Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. Named after Queen Victoria, it was established in 1843 by the Hudson’s Bay Company as a fort and trading post. Today it has an estimated regional population of 326,000.
Here are 10 great reasons for you to come to Victoria.
1. Participate in the APH “Voices of the Elders” conference. If you’re not yet a member of the Association of Personal Historians, I strongly urge you to become one. You don’t want to miss this conference! You can join the APH by clicking here.
2. International travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler ranked Victoria #1 Best City in the Americas (2003/2004).
3. Aptly named the “Garden City”, Victoria has the mildest climate in Canada. Right now the snowdrops are blooming!
4. Victoria is home to Fisgard lighthouse, Canada’s oldest West Coast lighthouse, built in 1860.
Fisgard Lighthouse
5. Beacon Hill Park is the site of the world’s tallest, free-standing totem pole carved from a single log. Erected in 1956, it stands 38.8-metres (127 ft.) and was carved by Kwakwaka’wakw craftsman Mungo Martin.
World's tallest totem pole
6. Victoria is “Mile 0″ of the Trans Canada Highway, the longest national highway in the world, spanning 7,821 km (4,860 mi.)
7. Congregation Emanu-El is the oldest house of worship in British Columbia and the oldest synagogue in continuous use in Canada.
8. Victoria’s Chinatown is the oldest in Canada and second only to San Francisco which is the oldest in North America.
9.Victoria is home to The Royal BC Museum, one of the foremost cultural institutions in the world.
Butchart Gardens
10. The world famous Butchart Gardens are a short 21 km (12.6 mi.) drive outside Victoria. Located on 55 acres, these sublime gardens are beautiful year round.
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Victoria Harbor photo by Gregory Melle
Fisgard Lighthouse photo by Eric de Leeuw
World’s tallest totem photo by Fawcett5
Butchart Gardens photo by Phil Romans
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Thanks, Dan – as a native Victorian, I appreciate how desperately hard it must have been for you to restrict your post to just 10 reasons to come to our beautiful city.
And thanks especially for identifying the APH conference as your Number 1 reason. As conference program chair, I enthusiastically agree!
A couple of comments: to your readers who are not (yet) APH members, it is not necessary to be a member to attend the conference. In fact, the conference can be a great way for you to try out the organization and see whether it fits for you.
The program will be full of workshops and speakers to support the professional personal historian in their business, and to intrigue and educate anyone with an interest in personal history, professional or otherwise.
Second: It’s not just the snowdrops that are blooming. The Japanese cherry trees are flowering, too.
@Pattie. Thanks, Pattie. A good point about not needing to be a member to attend the APH conference in Victoria.
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