Victoria BC Diving

Come enjoy the greatest above and below water experience anywhere in the world. Good day to you all. This blog is intended for international visiting friends, divers and non divers. Topic of the day is Victoria, BC Canada. Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. Victoria is always in season! Victoria has the mildest climate in Canada, and is a place so green all year that flowers fall out of the sky and even the lamp posts bloom. It is no wonder that it is called The Garden City! The wild beauty of the Pacific coast and the adventure of the great outdoors are within the city limits and ocean and mountain vistas will follow you wherever you go. Where else can you snow ski and scuba dive in the same day!

Victoria BC Canada and is no doubt the most beautiful city in Canada has a lot more to offer than it's quaint store front shops and world class restaurants. I would like to give our readers a little expose' on what Victoria has to offer. No doubt the biggest visual landmark in Victoria is the Empress Hotel. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Fairmont is the largest luxury hotel management company in North America offering guests luxurious accommodation in the most sought after destinations. In October of 1999, Canadian Pacific Hotels & Resorts acquired Fairmont Hotels; bringing together two companies with over a century of rich history and exemplary hospitality. And from this grand union, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a new key player within the luxury hotel segment, was born.

The original Fairmont Hotel was the vision of San Francisco natives, Tessie and Virginia Fair. In 1907, after a one-year delay due to damage from the San Francisco earthquake, The Fairmont opened its doors for the first time. Benjamin H. Swig bought The Fairmont in 1945, and began building an exemplary portfolio of hotels, later purchasing the Grunewald (now The Fairmont New Orleans). He chose the Fairmont name to represent his esteemed collection, honoring his first purchase and the company's flagship hotel, San Francisco's The Fairmont. Fairmont Hotels grew to seven properties in the United States, and became the social hub for the rich and famous.
Nineteenth century Canadian Pacific visionary, William Cornelius Van Horne, dreamt of building lavish rest stops alongside the newly constructed Canadian Pacific Railway. Noted for his famous quote, ''If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists'', Van Horne did just that. He built Mount Stephen House high amongst the wilds of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and began welcoming guests to this first-ever Canadian Pacific Hotels property in 1886. Other grand hotels followed, with the legendary Banff Springs built in 1888, Chateau Lake Louise completed in 1890, and Le Chateau Frontenac opening its doors in 1893. Over the next century, Canadian Pacific Hotels continued to expand across Canada, acquiring the renowned CN hotel chain in 1988, which brought the distinguished Chateau Laurier in Ottawa and Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta to the CP collection. This acquisition also crowned Canadian Pacific Hotels the largest owner-operated hotel company in the country, with hotels located from Victoria, B.C., to St. John's, Newfoundland. The organization's next step was to move outside of Canada with the purchase of the sun-destination Princess Hotels, situated in Mexico, Arizona, Bermuda and Barbados, in 1998. Motivated to expand globally, Canadian Pacific Hotels acquired Fairmont Hotels in the fall of 1999, creating Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. There is history at its' best.

Bastion Square Part of historic Olde Towne, the Court House (designed by architect H.O.Tiedeman) was the first concrete building in Victoria. Built in 1889, it now houses the Maritime Museum. The Law Chambers, designed by F.M.Rattenbury, was built at the turn of the century. Burnes House, originally a hotel in 1882, then a brothel and later a warehouse, was restored in 1967. Strousse Warehouse was built in 1885 as a supply centre for gold miners. The Board of Trade building was built in 1892 by A.M. Muir.

Centennial Square built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the city’s incorporation (in 1962). It includes: City Hall, the McPherson Playhouse, a senior citizens activity centre, the CRD services. It also contains shops, a parkade, fountain and a small knot garden.

The BC Legislative Buildings dominate the architectural landscape of Victoria's Inner Harbour. Designed by renowned architect Francis Rattenbury in the 1890s, they are a visual feast inside and out. Gold and silver leaf, murals, ornate plaster details and wood mouldings ornament the richly-hued walls and ceilings. Visitors also encounter solid marble columns, statuary, stained glass as well as unique architectural flourishes. Be sure to take some time to appreciate the beauty of the grounds, which feature flower gardens, fountains, statues and exhilarating views of the harbour and mountains.

Christ Church Cathedral is the Episcopal seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of British Columbia. Built in the Gothic style between 1926 and 1929, the church is faced with rusticated sandstone, granite and moulded "art stone." Two square towers of equal height flank a 26-m (85-ft) Gothic arch and rose window. Inside, a vaulted ceiling soars 20 m (80 ft) above floors of marble and red tile. Take note of the pulpit, which was carved from a 500-year-old oak! For an unexpected stylistic twist, sneak a peek at the modernist stained glass windows in the upstairs Chapel of New Jerusalem. Staff on site provide information to visitors. The cathedral is one of the last churches in Canada with real bells. They chime every Sunday to call parishioners to worship.

St. Andrew's Cathedral, the mother church of the Diocese of Victoria, was built in 1892 to a design inspired by the medieval cathedrals of Europe. Its 22-m (72-ft) facade features asymmetric, sharply tapered bell towers as well as a colourful array of red brick, stone and slate. While the interior architecture is typical of late Gothic Revival style, a few of the elements of this church will surprise you. The altar and lectern, for example, were designed by First Nations artists. They feature colourful Christian religious themes rendered in the artistic style of BC's native peoples.

Craigdarroch Castle. This is very cool ! A must see.
Experience lavish, Edwardian-era luxury at Craigdarroch Castle, former home of local coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. Built in the 1890s, its design mixes Jacobean, Scottish Baronial and French Gothic elements. Interesting exterior details include heavy stonework, a castellated roofline and 35 iron-braced chimneys. Inside, Scotch Granite columns, decorative tiling, stained glass, oak staircases and mahogany fireplaces hold their own against the rich furnishings and draperies.

Gate of Harmonious Interest
Chinese and non-Chinese communities worked together to erect the Gate of Harmonious Interest in 1981. Two inscriptions allude to this cooperative effort: "To work together with one heart" and "To help each other achieve harmony." The 11.5-m (38-ft) ornamental gate was modelled on similar gateways in China and is now the symbolic entrance to Chinatown. It follows the principles of symmetry in its design: a hand-carved stone lion from Suchow, China, stands on either side and art displayed on the gate incorporates many symbols of Yin-Yang equilibrium in nature.

Fan Tan Alley is a curious little street. At its narrowest commercial street in North America, it's only 0.9 m (3 ft) wide and you can still see signs of the gambling dens that once existed there. Look for an old peephole in the wall to your right as you walk toward Fisgard Street; it was used to screen visitors in the days when the illegal games of mah jong (Chinese solitaire) fan-tan and dominoes were in play day and night and the air inside was heavy with the smoke of opium pipes. The architecture along this 73-m (240-ft) alley is typical of Edwardian commercial buildings. There are eight contiguous brick buildings in all.

Market Square formerly part of Olde Towne Victoria, with three levels of unique shops and restaurants, the shopping area was renovated by Sam Bawlf in 1975. Pioneer Square on Quadra Street between Meares and Rockland (north of Christ Church Cathedral), the second cemetery in Victoria was in use between 1858 to 1873. Many distinguished pioneers were (and still are) buried here. When Pioneer Square filled, Ross Bay cemetery was opened.

Trounce Alley just north of View Street, off Government, are authentic gas lights more than 125 years old. The alley was named after Victoria pioneer Thomas Trounce. W&J Wilson Clothiers has been at its present location since 1862 (the same year Victoria was incorporated as a city).
Waddington Alley between lower Johnson and lower Yates Streets and established by Alfred Waddington in 1858, is Victoria’s first planked street. It was an innovation to solve the problem of muddy, impassable lanes and streets.

Buchart Gardens, Visit Victoria's most-famous attraction - the world-renowned Butchart Gardens. Get aboard an authentic English double decker bus for a narrated tour through Victoria's surrounding communities, including the scenic Saanich Peninsula - and view The Butchart Gardens in all their glory during daylight hours as well as under the magic of evening illumination. An extra-added attraction on these selected Saturday tours is a spectacular fireworks display.

Horse-drawn Carriages and Tours
What better way to absorb the atmosphere of days gone by and learn a bit of local history than in a horse-drawn tour through some of Victoria’s most picturesque neighbourhoods? Whether you choose a romantic carriage ride with your sweetheart or climb aboard a group wagon tour through downtown, the gentle pace of the horses and the clip-clopping of hooves on pavement are sure to lull you into a bygone era when this was the mode of transport for all Victorians.
Several tour companies operate from the Inner Harbour area and can escort you on leisurely rides through lush Beacon Hill Park, along blossom-lined streets in historic James Bay and past the azure waters of Victoria’s scenic waterfront. Alternatively, hire a carriage for a special event. Horse-drawn carriages make weddings fairytale perfect and help you to turn any special occasion into a memorable celebration.
Carriage tours can be found in other communities, as well. Up-Island carriage tour operators offer similarly enchanting rides, complete with equine escorts and local lore, so step aboard for unforgettable views and a truly memorable ride through time.

Okay, what's next: Whale watching of course.

Whale watching in Victoria & Vancouver Island is awesome! No other spectacle of nature compares to the awe-inspiring sight of a massive killer (Orca) whale breaching out of the deep blue water only 100 feet or closer from your boat. Victoria and Vancouver Island are well known as the place to view migrating and resident whales in their natural surroundings, as well as providing a number of other wildlife-watching opportunities throughout the seasons. For a holiday memory that will never be forgotten, experience the mystical beauty of the wild inhabitants of Victoria’s waters and its surrounding area.
Whale watching tours can be taken out of Victoria as well as from several other communities (like Sidney BC) on the Island. Tour operators strictly follow the regulations for viewing marine life, as outlined by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and work very hard to monitor their activities. The best time to see migrating gray whales is during March and April; gray whales are sighted in Clayoquot and Barkley sound from February through October. The "resident" orca (killer) whales that live in the local waters are best viewed from May through November, when they are at their feeding grounds. During these months, orcas are reliably found in their feeding grounds and the weather is more conducive to sightings.
From tiny sea creatures and fish to otters, seals, sea lions and dolphins, the coasts of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are a gold mine for visitors hoping to see marine life. The phenomenon of salmon spawning is also something to be seen. Witness the cycle of life as schools of salmon return from the sea to lay their eggs in their ancestral spawning grounds before dying. The spawning of the salmon signals a feeding frenzy for black bears, bald eagles and any other wildlife that depend on salmon.
Land mammals like black bears, cougars, deer and elk can often be seen along Vancouver Island’s back roads and highways, especially in the pristine wilderness of the northern and Pacific Rim regions of Vancouver Island. While in the Mount Washington area, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the rare and endangered Vancouver Island marmot, however it is not recommended that you seek out this animal, due to its fragile population.

We now come to the best topic of the day.... Scuba diving in the most beautiful Emerald colored waters of the world. When Mr. Yves Captain Jacques Cousteau spoke, people listened. He deemed our west coast waters as the second best dive destination in the entire world, second to the Red Sea for diversity of marine life and water clarity. Our nutrient rich waters of the west coast of BC are a magnet to Six Gill sharks, Sea Lions, Orca whales, Humpback, Dolphins, the Giant Octopus. British Columbia is a world leader in the sinking artificial wrecks and reefballs for sport divers. Sidney BC and Victoria area has incredible wreck dives 20 minutes from the city center.

The HMCS MacKenzie:

The lead ship of the class, Mackenzie was built by Canadian Vickers Ltd, Montreal, and commissioned on 6 October 1962. Arriving in Halifax on 15 October, she spent the first five months of her service life operating from that port, perhaps as a result of the "Cuban Missile Crisis," but on 2 March 1963 left for Esquimalt and never returned to Halifax.
For the next 23 years she roamed the Pacific, either as a unit of the Second Canadian Destroyer Squadron or as part of Training Group Pacific. During the first three weeks of March 1964, she took part in the Commonwealth exercise JET 64 in the Indian Ocean. On 22 February 1965, left Esquimalt with Saskatchewan for a three-month cruise to the Far East.
On 4 May 1970, Mackenzie along with Provider and Yukon headed across the Pacific once more. Exercises were carried out with units of the Australian, New Zealand, Japanese and American navies (with appropriate port visits) before the ships headed home.
A career highlight occurred on 30 June 1973, when Mackenzie’s crew boarded and siezed the M/V Marysville, resulting in a million dollar "drug bust."
On 25 May 1986, she began her DELEX refit, returning to service on 16 January, 1987. On 28 April 1988, Mackenzie, accompanied by Yukon and four other Canadian ships, departed for a Pacific Rim tour, during which they exercised with units of the Japanese, Korean and American navies. After stopping in Hawaii on 21 June, the ships headed for home.
Between 24 April and 30 June 1988, she, along with other Canadian units, participated in SAMPLOY ’89, the exercises being carried out between port visits in the United States, Mexico, Ecuador, and Costa Rica.
After 30 years of service, during which she visited 96 foreign ports and sailed 845,640 nautical miles, she was decommissioned on 3 August 1993.
In early March 1995, it was announced that Mackenzie would be sold to the Artificial Reef Society of BC. The society made the ship environmentally safe, then scuttled her near Rum Island off Sidney, B.C., on 16 September 1995.
Prior to this, she had been used as a set for a TV program. Painted in USN colours, she was the centrepiece of an episode of the program "X-Files" which was shown nationally on 10 March 1996. This is an awesome wreck dive in 110' of water. This dive is for experienced divers only. Your log book and certification card must be provided prior to this dive.

GB Church:

B.C.'s First Artificial Reef! The G.B. Church was the first project of the ARSBC initiated in 1989. It served an important role as a proving ground for the larger and more complex naval artificial reef projects that were to follow. The G.B. Church project was completed over a two year period. She was sunk in August 1991 within the Princess Margaret Marine Park off Portland Island near Sidney, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. Preparation of the ship included stripping out the ship down to the steel, cutting holes for diver access and removing any hazardous obstacles. Diver safety is a key consideration - confined spaces are either sealed off or opened up for easy entry and exit. The final preparation of the ship included cleaning up all environmental hazards including cleaning all fuel and oil lines in the ship and the bilges.The sinking site was chosen for close proximity to local dive shop operators to enable positive economic spin-offs from the new diving attraction, and for a flat sandy bottom on which to land the ship. All coast guard and navigation requirements were also met with this location. On this sandy bottom the ship became was quickly overcome with rich marine life including octopus and wolf eels and today is testimonial to the positive environmental impact that artificial reefs have on the marine ecosystem. Not only do artificial reefs promote marine life, they also reduce diver impact on surrounding natural and historical shipwreck dive sites by diverting diver traffic from those sites.
The G.B. Church was built in 1943 in Goole, England, and initially served in World War II as a supply ship.

Other artificial reef wrecks in the area are the HMCS Chaudiere, HMCS Columbia, HMCS Saskatchewan, HMCS Yukon: all Navy Escort Destroyers and the latest artificial reef the Xihwu Boeing 737 jet airliner. Currently there are 2 other projects that are being worked on by Liquid Heaven Diving Experience Inc. and partners in Sidney. Stay tuned for that.

There are many other natural wrecks local to Sidney and Victoria area. We have the Iroquois in Sidney, the Mystery wreck in Deep Cove (not a mystery really) Sometime long ago, a train barge struck a reef just outside Deep Cove. It limped in, and sunk in 65 ' of water smack dab in the middle of the cove. The Rivtow Lion (originally an ex-British Navy Rescue Tug from World War II). The Saanich Inlet has the Lord Jim near Mill Bay and a few small boat remains near Senanus North. Have you ever dived on a train box car. You can, I'll show you where.
There is so much diving diversity on our west coast waiting for you to discover, so many opportunities for you to experience. The making of memories.

"Dream Deep, Dive Inspired"

Padi GranDadi