Sunday Church Feature
St. John the Divine Historic Church
Yale, B.C.

"Located at the southern entrance to the spectacular Fraser Canyon, the town of Yale is one of southwestern British Columbia's oldest and most historic communities, having been the bustling steamship navigation capital during the Gold Rush. (Link 1.)

"Founded as a Hudson's Bay fort in 1848, Yale rose to prominence as the inland terminus of the Fraser River sternwheelers and a waystation for those travelling up and down the Fraser River.


"Like many towns in British Columbia, Yale's fortunes followed that of the Gold Rush. In 1858 gold was discovered on a gravel bar just 2 miles south of Yale on the Fraser River. This place was soon known as Hill's Bar named after the prospector who found gold there. The discovery of gold caused a massive influx of people to pour into the region from all over the world, the majority of which came from the California Gold Rush of 1849. At the height of Gold Fever in 1858, this town boasted 20,000 residents.
 
"During the period of railway construction in the 1880's Yale became the main supply centre for all the work in the Cascade Division of British Columbia. The railway that now passes right through the middle of Yale in front of the museum and church is the Canadian Pacific Railway.
 
"Today the residents of Yale number only 200. Though the gold ran out, Yale continued prospering, as it still does today as a forestry and service centre."(See Link 4.)

"St. John the Divine Anglican Church in Yale, BC. built in 1863 is one of the oldest churches in the province. Much of the church is still original, including the bell tower steeple and the pews. The Church was associated with the All Hallows Anglican girls school, which operated in Yale from 1884 to 1920. The Church is now de-sanctified and designated as a Provincial Heritage Site.
An exhibition entitled "Enduring Threads" was prepared by Jennifer Iredale  in 2003.  It included   handmade liturgical textiles from St. John the Divine Church  dating back to the time of its origins in the 1860s.   The catalogue is available from the Yale Museum." (See Link 1.)

"While it is still not possible to attribute each piece from the Enduring Threads exhibit to its individual creators, it is now clear that they were made by First Nations and European students together with the nuns at All Hallows Anglican girls' school, which operated in Yale from 1884-1920. Three nuns from All Hallows convent  in Ditchingham, England (an order known for its fine ecclesiastical embroidery) arrived in British Columbia in 1884 to establish a school for First Nations girls from Lytton, Spuzzum and Yale, with a stun of money First Nations people had earned on construction of the railway, which they turned over to the Anglican church, says Ms. Iredale, quoting from newspaper articles of the time. A school for European girls was soon established next door at the request of settlers." (See Link 2.)

For original architectural plans and details see Link 3.

 Photo: Taken in Yale, B.C. in 2005 by SW.
Link1:http://www.maltwood.uvic.ca/cura/projects/liturgical_textiles/home.html
Link2:http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Housekeeping+task+turns+up+treasures.-a0112244682
Link 3:http://www.bcheritage.ca/yale/tour/drstjhn.htm
Link 4: http://www.vancouverisland.com/regions/towns/?townID=3380

Sunday Church Feature
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
Mill Bay, B.C.

"St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church, built in 1887 and consecrated in 1889, is the oldest building in Mill Bay. It was built to serve the French Canadian workers at the mill in Mill Bay on land donated by Mr. Gabereau. The church was consecrated in 1889 by Bishop John Lemmens, bishop for the west coast from Oregon to Alaska. Travel was difficult so visits by the Bishop were infrequent. The oldest gravestone dates to 1891." (Link 1.)



"Mill Bay is a commuter town of about 3,200 people located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada about 30 km (19 mi) north of Victoria, British Columbia, the capital.

"Mill Bay was founded in the 1860s with lumber and milling as its primary industries, done at the mill on the bay. It is known for its ferry to Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula and the historic Malahat Drive, which is also a source of criticism due to frequent closures from either automobile accidents or weather conditions.^{[citation needed]} Numerous suggestions have been made by various groups regarding a 'bypass' route (possibly a bridge), though as of 2007, the Brentwood-Mill Bay Ferry and the Malahat remain the only routes to Greater Victoria from the rest of Vancouver Island. The MV Mill Bay that has served the ferry route since 1956 is named for the town." (Link 2.)

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is at 790 Kilmalu Rd., just off Highway #1 leading north from Victoria, the capital of B.C.  It is also near the town of Shawnigan Lake.

Photos: Taken in 2005 by SW.
Link1:http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM697X_St_Francis_Xavier_Church__Mill_Bay_B_C
Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Bay,_British_Columbia

Sunday Church Feature
St. Andrew's Presbyterian
Victoria, B.C.

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is located in downtown Victoria B.C. at the corner of Douglas and Broughton Streets, not far from the Inner Harbour. It is the oldest continuing Presbyterian Church (1889) and congregation (1866) in Victoria. "The architect was Leonard Buttress Trimen. The architecture is said to be of Castellated Scottish Baronial style. With its stepped gables, massive tower and sturdy doors (See photo below.) it is easy to agree with the castellated designation ." (See Link 2.) 

Front doors

 "The first organ installed for the Congregation of St. Andrew’s dates back to 1879, and that organ was installed by the S. R. Warren and Son organ builders from Toronto, Ontario. That organ had to be shipped to Victoria by sea around the Cape Horn and was reported to be the finest and largest in the Province at that time. From its earliest home to the present, the organ has undergone a number of revisions, rebuilds and upgrades. Those revisions and upgrades saw the transformation of the original organ, wind powered by a water-engine and with a disposition of 21 stops to its current version of 72 speaking stops of which 37 are pipes and the remainder digital, all available through a beautiful Rogers Organ console installed in 2001.

"The organ contains 2190 pipes, and the latest rank installed was the Trumpet 8′ built by Casavant Organ builders in Quebec, Canada. The pipe work still uses 3 ranks from the original Warren organ and was built by the Walker organ company in 1872.

                                                         Altar and pipe organ

"St Andrew’s was fortunate to be able to obtain a number of ranks of pipes from Christ Church Cathedral as the Cathedral replaced their organ with a new tracker instrument. Those ranks were from the English organ builder Hill Norman and Baird and added greatly to the current ensemble.

"The organ is cared for and maintained by Grant Smalley. The current organist and music director at St. Andrew’s is Douglas Hodgkinson." (See Link 1.)

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church sits at 680 Courtenay Street in the heart of downtown Victoria, B.C.  It is an easy walk from the B.C. Parliament Buildings, The Empress Hotel, and the B.C. Provincial Museum.

Photo: Top photo of church and of church doors taken in 2004 by SW. 

              Photo of altar and pipe organ from Link.

Link 1: http://standrewsvictoria.ca/
Link 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zedzap/4291592520/

Saturday Travel Feature

B.C. Parliament Buildings

Victoria, B.C.

"The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and serve as the seat of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia...

"The Neo-baroque buildings face north on Belleville street facing the Inner Harbour and diagonally across from The Empress Hotel. A large statue of Queen Victoria stands on the front lawn as well a statue of a soldier to commemorate the province's World War I, World War II and Korean War dead. Atop the central dome is a gold-covered statue of Captain George Vancouver. Free guided tours of the facility are offered year- round...

"From 1856 to 1860 the Legislature of the Colony of Vancouver Island sat at Bachelor's Hall at Fort Victoria.^[1] From 1860 to 1898 it was housed in the first permanent building at Legislative Hall or Birdcages (burned down 1957)...^2]

"The main block of the Parliament Buildings combines Baroque details with Romanesque Revival rustiction. 

Construction of a nw Parliament Building was first authorized by an act of the provincial legilature in 1893, the Parliament Buildings Construction Act.
"...the original budget was $500,000 the final amount was $923,000—the British Columbia Parliament Buildings were officially opened in 1898^[4]. The grand scale of its 500-ft (152-m) long andesite façade^[5], central dome and two end pavilions, the richness of its white marble, and combination of Baroque rigorous symmetry, use of domes and sculptural massing with the rusticated surfaces of the currently popular Romanesque Revival style contributed to its being an innovative and impressive monument for the young province. Its success garnered Rattenbury many more commissions in Victoria and other parts of the province, including the Legislative Library 1913-1915, the design of The Empress Hotel, the Crystal Gardens indoor swimming pool nearby, and the Vancouver Court House (now the Vancouver Art Gallery). The andesite of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings is from Haddington Island in the Alert Bay Volcanic Belt.^[6] The granite used to build the buildings came from Nelson Island, at the mouth of Jervis Inlet, on the Sunshine Coast." (See Link 1.)

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Window

in the B.C. Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C.

The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years as monarch and an opportunity for her to officially and personally thank her people for their loyalty. (See Link 3.)

"The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (French: Médaille du jubilé de la Reine Elizabeth II) was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II. The medal was physically identical in all realms where it was awarded, save for Canada, where it contained unique elements; as an internationally distributed award, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal holds a different place in each country's order of precedence for honours.

"The medal was administered by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall and was awarded to Canadians who made a significant contribution to their fellow citizens, their community or to Canada over the previous fifty years.^[2] Various organizations were invited to propose the names of candidates for the medal; this included all levels of Canadian government, educational and cultural organizations, the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, veterans' groups, sports associations, and philanthropic and charitable bodies.^{[1]"  (See Link  2.)}

Note: Suzanne Wilson received a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for her Year 2000 Project, Your House/Our Home, donated to and on view at the North Vancouver Museum and Archives. 

Demolished: First Legislative Hall burned down in 1957.Photos: Taken in 2003 by SW.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Parliament_Buildings

Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_II_Golden_Jubilee_Medal

Link 3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Jubilee_of_Elizabeth_II

Sunday Church Special

St. Andrew's Pioneer Church
Courtenay, B.C.

St. Andrew's Pioneer Church is situated at 4778 Island Highway. It is one  mile north of downtown Courtenay, B.C. and 27  miles north of the Fanny Bay Inn (See October 2nd, 2010 blog post, Saturday Travel Feature, the Fanny Bay Inn, Fanny Bay, B.C.) on the very same highway as the Inn.

Courtenay, B.C. on Vancouver Island (Mapquest)

"Used since 2002 by Living Word Reformed Episcopal Church, this building is also known as St. Andrew's Pioneer Church. It was constructed in 1876 after a group of local Presbyterians, who had been meeting  jointly with the people of St. Andrew's Anglican Church, chose to form their own congregation. The building was actively used by the original congregation until about 1950, at which time it was temporarily taken over by a Lutheran congregation in the process of building their own facilities. From approximately 1955 to 1977 the building was vacant and fell into disrepair. In the late 1970's the descendants of the original builders restored the building. It came back into use as a church in 1989 when Covenant Congregational Church began using it. They met there until late 2001. The main body of the church remains essentially unchanged. A small addition was made to the back of the church in the mid-1990's to house a kitchen and washrooms downstairs and office and Sunday School space upstairs.

"The building is a great example of early Vancouver Island pioneer architecture, built from local materials. Of special interest is the portion of wall just inside the main doors. Preserved behind glass is a section of wall showing the original plaster made on-site from oyster shells and horsehair. The floors in the nave are still the original hand-cut timbers. The church is situated in the city cemetery which was originally the parish cemetery. Grave markers for some of the founders are just outside the north door of the building." (Link 1.)

Thank you: To Mapquest.
Photo: Taken in Courtenay B.C. in 2005 by SW.
           For other photos see Link 2.
Link 1:
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3ZH1_Living_Word_Reformed_Episcopal_Church
Link 2: http://homepage.mac.com/klock/lwec/index.htm

Saturday Travel Feature

FBI
Fanny Bay, B.C.

 "Fanny Bay is a small hamlet in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located on Baynes Sound on the east coast of Vancouver Island. In 2001, its population was listed as 744.^[1] It is best-known for its fine oysters." Wikipedia (See Link 1.)  Fanny Bay  is situated on the old Island Highway running mainly along the waterfront on the east side of Vancouver Island. Fanny Bay Inn sits right on that Highway.  In fact its address is 7480 Island Highway.  It is about 3/4 of the way between Nanaimo-the mid Island ferry crossing from mainland, and Courtenay-the northern ferry crossing from the mainland. "15 minutes south of Courtenay." (Link 4.)   And it is three miles south of the ferry crossing to Denman Island.

Fanny Bay, B.C. on Vancouver Island (Mapquest)

The Fanny Bay Inn is affectionately known by the locals as the FBI. The Inn has even sold T shirts and hats with its FBI insignia. "Drop in at the landmark Fanny Bay Inn, known on the island as the FBI. This is a real roadhouse, with local clientele, a fine fireplace, the obligatory collection of tankards, a dart board, and hearty pub fare. A low-key, convenient stop on the trek north from " (Link 2.) It  "was voted the most authentic British Pub in British Columbia." (Link 3.)

Fanny Bay Inn was built in 1938 and originally  was used as an inn with 6 rooms to let.  When you enter the pub doors under the overhang on the right side of the front of the building you will see: a fire in the fireplace to the right, round dark wood pub tables surrounded by captain's chairs, a bar running across the back of the room, and the walls covered with local photos.  An alcove on the far side in the back looks out onto the backyard where there are picnic tables in the summer. 
\
Thank you: To Mapquest. To Rick Grant at the FBI for additional information.
Photo: Taken in Fanny Bay, B.C. in December 2006 by SW.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Bay,_British_Columbia

Link 2: http://www.vancouverisland.com/regions/towns/?townID=54

Link 3:http://www.bctravel.com/fannybay/

Link 4: http://fannybayinn.com/

Sunday Church Feature
St. Columba Church
Tofino, British Columbia

"St. Columba Anglican Church sits at the corner of Second and Main Streets tucked behind trees and rhododendrons. The property, consisting of two lots, was purchased for $100, with money that came from people in the community. Records of these pledges are shown in the minutes from a meeting of the Westcoast Mission, dated March 16, 1911.

"The church was built in 1913 with funds sent from England and the instructions to build a church “on the most beautiful spot on Vancouver Island” in the memory of Francis Beresford Wright.

"Rev. George Aitkens was appointed to design and build the church in the style of one he had previously built at Shawnigan Lake. The church was built on cedar posts, a style common to the coast. In 1967 a cement block foundation was put in.

"The rhododendrons were planted in 1925.

"Some of the earliest weddings at the church, performed by the first minister, Rev. L. A. Todd, were those of Nancy Shanker to Sofus Arnet (Dec. 30th, 1913) and Jack MacLeod to Jennie Grice.

"The Church is open to the public for viewing on certain days of the week, check the sign." (See Link.)

In 1970 Laura (Wilson) Misner was Christened in St. Columba Church in Tofino, B. C.  She wore the white dimity Christening gown made in 1938 by her mother's great aunt, Gusty.  Laura's mother, uncle, sister, and brother had also worn the gown at their Christenings.  Laura's daughter Holly wore the same gown in 2007 for her Christening at St. Richard's Anglican Church in North Vancouver.

Photo: Taken in Tofino, B.C. in 2005 by SW.
Link: http://www.tofinotime.com/articles/A-T702-09frm.htm

Saturday Travel Feature

Happy Birthday Laura!

Long Beach, B.C.

The house in the photo above was taken in 2005 in the small town of Ucluelet B.C. Ucluelet is the southern of two towns at either end of B.C.'s Highway #4 on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The northern town on Highway #4 is Tofino. These towns are among the most western outposts of Canada. Halfway between Ucluelet and Tofino is the stretch of beach known as Long Beach. And on the hill above this beach is the original site of the house in the photo above.

Photoshopped to look more like house above Long Beach

This house is a Panabode House, a prefab made to look like logs inside and out. It was built as a one storey house with three bedrooms, a living room with a fireplace, dining room, kitchen and laundry room. Under part of the house was a dirt basement, where the water from the washing machine drained. The water supply to the house was a hose running from a creek on the hill above the house. The view from the livingroom and master bedroom windows was of the stretch of Long Beach, the Seal Rocks where the sea lions basked and honked, and the Pacific Ocean.

One view of part of Long Beach

The house was built on the hill of the gravel Combers Beach Road, just after the bend where it headed down to the water and west of Staghorn Creek. The owners were the Norton family. Mrs. Norton was an avid gardener and planted over 26 types of daffodils from catalogues she ordered from around the world. She cleared the salal from the side of the house for a patio and planted the daffodils along the gravel driveway to the house. The house was often rented out to teachers working in the area. One of these families was The Grants. And in 1969 to 1971 it was The Wilson's. This is the house that Laura Wilson came to in 1970 when she was one week old. She came from Vancouver General Hospital with her mother Suzanne, her father Alan, her sister Amy, and her brother Richard.

In 1970 Pacific Rim National Park was established. The house on Combers Beach Road fell within its borders. Soon after The Wilson's moved from the area the house was moved out of the park and into Ucluelet where it now sits. Some of Mrs. Norton's original daffodil bulbs were taken to North Vancouver by The Wilson's and planted in their front yard where they bloomed each spring for several years.

Note Highway #4 leading to Ucluelet and Tofino

Photos: Taken of house now moved into the town of Ucluelet and of a section of Long Beach in 2005 by SW. The lower photo of the house is photoshopped to resemble the house closer to what it looked like when it was actually on the hill above the beach.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ucluelet

Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Rim_National_Park_Reserve

St. Aidan's on the Hill

Ucluelet British Columbia is a small natural harbor town on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island is 290 miles long and a 1 1/2 hour ferry ride from the mainland of British Columbia. To then get to Ucluelet is another 2 1/2 hour drive through small towns and then across the mountains. Until the 1950's the only access was by car to Port Alberni about in the center of the Island, and then by boat, probably the rough and ready Lady Rose. In fact, until the 1970's only a gravel logging road could be used for the the trip up one side of the mountain "switch backs" and then down the other side to the wild west coast rain forest that lead to the highway along the ocean and to Ucluelet at the south end and Tofino, an even smaller town, on the north end. When you reached Ucluelet all purchases cost 20 cents more per pound because of the freight charge. Today a paved road extends all the way to Ucluelet, Tofino, and Pacific Rim National Park. (See Link 3.)

Ucluelet means "people of safe harbor" in Nootka, the name of the Native Peoples that first populated the area. In 1870 a trading post was established and settlers followed in 1890. In 1898 the Presbyterians built the first Mission. In 1903 a lighthouse, telegraph station and lifeboat stations were added. The town became incorporated in 1952 and today there are 1500 residents.

St. Aiden's on-the-hill sits at the top of the hill at the intersection of Peninsula Road and Main Street, the street that leads down to the waters of Barkley Sound and the town pier. Across the street from the church is the Coop making this corner the hub of the town. The church was built by the Anglican Diocese of B.C. in 1952. The prominent bell tower with the cross on it was added at a later date. St. Aiden's is named after a Celtic saint and for that reason Celtic liturgies are used from time to time. The minister is shared with the congregation of the Anglican church in Tofino and lay people help in leading the service and music. The entrance door to the church is on Peninsula Road, the opposite side of the church to what is seen in the photo above. The sanctuary is in the left side of the church photo with the altar in the punch out area where the window with the cross can be seen. The sanctuary can seat 60 to 100 people, however, in the early 1970's only about 20 people actually attended the 9 am Sunday worship service. Joan Scander the present minister reports even less than that in the pews on Sundays. The church at 1663 Peninsula Road is also rented out for community events.

Thank You: For additional information about the church to Joan Scander

present minister at St. Aiden's.

Note: St. Aiden's was attended by Suzanne Wilson when she lived on Long Beach in the early 1970's. Her husband was the district school librarian.

Photo:Taken in 2006 by SW.

Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ucluelet

Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Island

Link 3: http://www.longbeachmaps.com/parks.html

Saturday Special Travel Feature
Sooke Markham House

The small town of Sooke, B.C. is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia. It sits on Sooke Basin, a natural harbor off the Juan de Fuca Strait. Juan de Fuca Strait was discovered and claimed by the Spanish in 1790. It was soon traded to the British and named Sooke established in reference to the local Native People, the T'Soke. That name, Sooke is also the name of the Road that is the main street of the town for the 11,000 residents. Where fishing was once the prominent industry, hospitality has now taken its place. Since Sooke is only a 45 minute drive past British Columbia's Capital, Victoria,  it as a favorite destination for bed and breakfast visitors. One of homes offering bread and breakfast is the Sooke Markham House.

The home of Lyall and Sally Markham is in the Tudor style. Being in an area where the history dates back to 1790 you might think that it was a remnant from that era. However, the house at 1775 Connie Road was built as recently as 1971 and wasn't named Markham at all. The builder was Mr. Gunlesesson, a craftsman originally from Norway. He built the house for himself, by himself with lumber from the trees on his 10 acres of property. The use of 6 nails where two would have done the trick are evidence of his thoroughness. The house remained a single family home until Lyall and Sally bought it in 1994 and opened it as Markham House Bed and Breakfast.

Lyall and Sally meet all your needs during your stay at their lovely home. The bedrooms are luxurious in an old country way. You are even served a snack before bedtime. Breakfast is presented in the Tudor decorated dining room with humming birds hovering at the windows. Outside is a hot tub, a pond that attracts eagles, a golf green, and the acres of gardens.

A must when visiting Sooke is the 15 miles drive north on West Coast Road/Highway 14 to Point No Point Restaurant. Here you can have lunch or tea and watch the ferries pass through the same Juan de Funca Strait that the Spanish travelled in 1790. 

Thank you: To Lyall Markham for the history of Markham House.
Reference: CAA TourBook, Western Canada and Alaska.
Photo: Taken in April 2006 by SW.
Link: http://www.markhamhouse.com/

Friday Special Feature
Olympic Special Feature
The Sails of Canada Place


Like five ballerinas in blue tutus surrounded by a twinkling corp of a thousand, the skyline of Vancouver is lit up for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The light show of the accompanying Cultural Olympiad is being shown on the Sails of Canada Place. The office buildings of downtown Vancouver furnish their own light show behind it. The normally white sails shine with other colors than blue as in the photo above. When you watch the YouTube Link below you will see: the green, red, yellow, blue and white colors of the Olympic Rings; scenes of the athletes and their venues in the lime green, blue and white colors of the Winter Games banners; and stars, stripes and flowers on green and blue backgrounds.

Construction on 999 Canada Place started in 1983. The sails were up by October 1984, and the Prince Charles officially opened the building as a part of Expo '86 in May of that year. Canada Place juts out into the salt water of Burrard Inlet like a magnificent sailing ship. The building houses the Cruise Ship Terminal, the original Convention and Exhibition Center, and the first Vancouver IMAX Theater. The Pan Pacific Hotel is on the land adjacent to this "ship". In 2001 a third berth was added to the Cruise Ship Terminal. The site of Canada Place is the old CPR Pier B-C. This was the western terminus of the sea to sea transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway.

Today is the opening day of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games. From March 12th to the 21st 600 athletes from more than 40 countries will be competing in Vancouver and Whistler. Their events included: Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-County Skiing, Ice Sledge Hockey, and Wheelchair Curling. This, the Xth Paralympic Winter Games will be welcomed by its own Olympic Flame.

Photo: Taken February 2010 by SW.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4TG6CYlFmk
Link: http://www.canadaplace.ca/Our_Story/Our_History

Sunday Church Feature
Saint Mary the Virgin
Metchosin, B.C.

"St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church of Canada, Enter Rest and Pray" is on the sign outside the church at 4354 Metchosin Road in Metchosin, B.C. Metchosin is on the south west coast of Vancouver Island and about half way between Victoria, B.C.'s capital, and Sooke. It is about a 30 minutes drive from Victoria to this small town of 5,000 people on the Juan de Fuca Strait.

"The name Metchosin is the anglicised version of the native "Smets-Schosen", which means "place of stinking fish". Local legend maintains that many years prior to the Europeans' arrival, an orca beached and died, and that everywhere that could smell it rotting became part of Metchosin. The town's museum, which was once its one-room school before an increasing population necessitated a larger building, claims to have vertebrae from the animal on display. Metchosin's community symbol is, perhaps unsurprisingly, an orca." See Link 2.

"St. Mary The Virgin Anglican Church was consecrated on October 22, 1873. It is the third oldest Anglican Church in continuous use on Vancouver Island. This small church is still used as a place of worship, but only for special services, funerals, and a Christmas Eve service. Two acres of land was donated for churchyard by Metchosin resident John Witty, sadly, was also the first to be buried on these grounds." See Link 1.

A white picket fence with its wrought iron gate surround the small white clapboard church with its steeple and triple chancel window. Scattered through the grassy church yard of spring flowers are grave stones of parishioners. One of these is a memorial to John Witty.

Photo: Taken in 2006 by SW.
Link 1: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM37RX_St_Mary_The_Virgin_Metchosin_BC
Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metchosin,_British_Columbia

End of Month Index

February 2010

Arranged by Subject and Address Country, State/Province, City, Street: numerical East, alphabetical, numerical West.

CANADA

British Columbia

City of North Vancouver

530 East 12th Street, North Vancouver, St. Agnes AnglicanChurch, 2/14/10      

359 East 13th Street, Cotoneaster Gussy-Ups Grey Stucco, 2/1/2010          

939 Shavington Street, Friday Special Feature, Special Olympic Feature,
         Paint the Town Red, 2/26/2010

North Vancouver District

866 East 13th Street, On the Way to School,  2/8/2010

2832 Capilano Road, To the Bridge, To the Mountain, 2/15/2010
2840 Capilano Road, Capilano Road Oldie, 2/16/2010
4373 Cheviot Rd., $10,000 Buys the Cheviot Rd. Home, 2/9/2010
3150 Colewood Drive, The Day They Tore the School House Down, Highlands
          School 2/3/2010 
2284 Dollarton Road, The Dollar Mill, 2/24/2010 
2290 Dollarton Road, In the Pink, 2/25/2010
1675 Edgewater Lane, At the Water's Edge,  2/4/2010
4020 Glenview Crescent, A Mountain and a River, 2/11/2010 
564 Granada Court, The Facer House, 2/23/10
2015 Lloyd Ave., Lloyd on Lloyd,  2/5/2010 
3615 McGinnis Avenue, How many ways are there to spell Maginnis? 2/10/20 
3764 Mountain Highway, An Awning for You and An Awning for Me, 2/17/10
3780 Mountain Highway, Two White Pillars and a Big Addition, 2/18/10
1340 Sunnyside Drive, The Sunnyside, February 22, 2010

3907 Trenton Place, The Tall Cedars of Trenton, 2/2/2010

Vancouver

674 Granville Streetm The Hudson Bay, Special 2010 Olympic Feature, Let
        the Olympics Begin, 2/13/2010

100 South Renfrew St., Pacific Coliseum, special 2010 Olympic Feature, 
        Pacific Coliseum Banner, 2/19/10.

B. C.

Bowen Island, Saturday Travel Feature, Take the Ferry to Bowen, 2/27/10

Britannia Beach B.C., Canada 2/6/2010

Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., 2/13/2010

UNITED STATES
Alaska

Savoonga, Alaska, Savoonga  Presbyterian Church, 2/7/2010

Wisconsin

2772 South Kinnickinnic Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trinity Methodist
          Church, 2/21/10

2590 South Superior Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Special Saturday Travel

          Feature, Brinton in Milwaukee, 2/20/10

FEATURES
Saturday Travel Features

Bowen Island, Take the Ferry to Bowen, 2/27/10 

Britannia Beach B.C., Canada 2/6/2010

Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., 2/13/2010 

2590 South Superior Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Brinton in Milwaukee,
           2/20/10

 Sunday Church Features

530 East 12th Street, North Vancouver, St. Agnes Anglican

            Church, 2/14/2010

2772 South Kinnickinnic Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trinity Methodist
            Church, 2/21/10
 Savoonga, Alaska, Savoonga  Presbyterian Church, 2/7/2010

Special Olympic Feature

674 Granville Street, The Hudson Bay, Let the Olympics Begin, 2/12/2010

100 South Renfrew St., Pacific Coliseum, Pacific Coliseum Banner, 2/19/10 

939 Shavington Street, Paint the Town Red, 2/26/10

Photo:  Taken from North Vancouver of  the 2010 Winter Olympic Rings floating in Burrard Inlet. The tall office towers and apartment buildings  of downtown Vancouver are in the background, February 14, 2010 by SW. 

Note: The Rings are usually lit in the five colors of the Olympics: blue, green, red, yellow, and white.  However, on days that Canada wins a gold medal the rings are all lit in red.  This must have been such a day. (Information from a TV commentator.)