Victoria, Vancouver Island | British Columbia, Canada
I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.-- Charles Dickens
One of my favorite Christmas rituals is watching the movie version of Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol”. Besides the uplifting message about the power of love and redemption, I actually enjoy the whole Victorian feeling – the old street lamps, strolling carolers and horse-drawn carriages. It hearkens back to what we imagine were simpler times, before impersonal internet shopping, big-box stores and crammed malls became the norm.
We were longing for a modern escape to an earlier time and the Victorian Christmas Festival seemed to be a natural choice. The stately elegance of the Legislative Buildings and Empress Hotel combined with the downtown’s cobblestone roads, narrow lanes and alleys create an atmosphere where it wouldn’t be too surprising to encounter old Scrooge himself.
After driving off the ferry in Swartz Bay, we decided to begin our getaway with a visit to Butchart Gardens. Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the Gardens are particularly festive this year with tens of thousands of lights creating a magical fairyland. Strategically located throughout the Gardens are displays representing The Twelve Days of Christmas, complete with a partridge in a pear tree.
The sunken gardens were stunning with waterfalls of blue twinkling lights, five “golden rings” floating in the pond, and a variety of other multi-colored displays. Later we lingered over hot chocolate as we enjoyed performances by carolers and the Festive Brass Band on the outdoor stage.
We checked into the Grand Pacific Hotel, and before going up to our room, checked out “Bear Wear” in the lobby. Local individuals and businesses have decked out fifty large stuffed bears in various themes and clothes as a fund-raiser for a local charity. Anyone could bid on their favorite bear and take it home in time for Christmas.
Our room had a view over the brightly lit Legislative Buildings and giant decorated sequoia tree on the grounds. We decided to end our evening with a leisurely dinner in the hotel’s four-diamond The Mark restaurant. Nearly three hours later I was just finishing off the last course of Executive Chef Alan van Tassell’s remarkable six-course seafood tasting menu. Cathy seemed quite happy with her three-course meal and listening to the jazz piano melodies from the adjacent room. I made discrete inquiries about the location of the freight elevator.
The next day we visited the Festival of Trees at the Fairmont Empress and Victoria Conference Centre. Here, fifty well-dressed Christmas trees were on display with all funds raised going to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Later we crossed the street and descended the stairs to the Inner Harbour promenade, which had been transformed into a “Dickens” setting. Costumed buskers were selling mulled cider and old-fashioned treats and Victorian carolers and musicians were playing traditional Christmas music. Town Criers provided both entertainment and information about the various activities that were part of the Festival.
We wandered through and past a variety of festively decorated downtown shops on our way to Market Square where we had two objectives. The first was to listen to Tuba Christmas – a yearly concert of Christmas songs by an orchestra of 50 tuba players. This may sound a little weird, but once you’ve experienced it, it’s amazing how many Christmas carols seem to be written for the sound of the tuba.
Our second reason for being there was to join local historian John Adams on a Christmas walking tour through Chinatown. What does Chinatown have to do with Christmas, you ask? Well, not a whole lot. But Canada’s oldest Chinatown is a fascinating place at any time, with a treasure trove of intriguing shops, alleyways and history.
We came away with a few stocking-stuffers as well as a whole new appreciation for an area that we had previously wandered through many times, but really knew nothing about. Adams offers two other Christmas-themed walks: Ghosts of Christmas Past which focuses on Victoria’s supernatural side, and Christmas in Old Victoria which presents true stories of Christmas events and activities in Victoria in the 1800s.
We then headed over to Oak Bay to explore their 4th annual Christmas Festival. Oak Bay Avenue’s collection of Tudor and Victorian storefronts, trees and Victorian lampposts had been strung with thousands of lights. We bought a bag of warm chestnuts that in a modern twist had been roasted over an open flame in a barbeque and strolled past gaily-decorated shop windows. Later we enjoyed a horse-drawn trolley ride through the neighborhood.
The following day we visited Craigdarroch Castle, the 1890 testament to robber-baron wealth that commands one of the best views in the city. Its remarkable stained glass, intricate woodwork and lavish Victorian-era furnishings are a must-see. At Christmas, the displays are enhanced with fabulous festive decorations, period garments and antique toys provided by private collectors. Most of the special Christmas programs are free with admission and include Dickens readings, Celtic music and children’s stories.
Depending on whose history you believe, Robert Dunsmuir, for whom the castle was built, but who died in 1889 just before completion, was either Victoria’s original mean-spirited Scrooge or a benign creator of jobs and wealth. If you’re interested in early BC history, set aside a couple of hours for the historical panels and displays on the second floor.
And so it was that for a brief weekend, we got a chance to experience strolling carolers, horse-drawn carriages and other features of a true Victorian Christmas. “And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One! “
Author: Jeff Lukovich and Cathy Lukovich.
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