Page 254 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Pacific Northwest

252  P A CIFIC NOR THWEST REGION B Y REGION

P Chinatown P St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Bounded by Pandora Ave & Store, 740 View St. Tel (250) 388-5571.
Government & Herald Sts. Open daily. 5 8am Tue–Fri,
Victoria’s Chinatown, the oldest 12:10pm Mon–Fri; 5pm Sat; 8am,
in Canada and once its largest, is 9:30am, 11am & 5pm Sun. 7
now the country’s smallest, yet its ∑ standrewscathedral.com
vegetable markets, curio shops, Built in 1892, this is the oldest
and restaurants provide hours’ Roman Catholic church in the
worth of exploration. The ornate area. The Victorian Gothic-style
Gate of Harmonious Interest cathedral made of stone, slate,
(Fisgard and Government Streets) and brick features a 175-ft-
leads into the two-block-square (53-m-) tall spire and stained-
area that was at one time home glass windows. Works of local
to Chinese railroad laborers and The Second Empire-style City Hall, with its First Nations artists were intro-
their families (see p215). clock tower duced in the 1980s. The altar
Fan Tan Alley, possibly the was designed by Charles Elliott,
world’s narrowest street, was mansard roof exemplifying of the Coast Salish Nation;
once filled with opium dens this style – was built in 1878. the candles on either side
and gambling houses. Today, In 1880, a fire station was added, of the pulpit are decorated
visitors will find an eclectic mix and, in 1891, a northeast wing. with First Nations designs.
of shops here. From the alley, The clock, installed in the
enter though the backdoor tower in 1891, is still wound
of Chinatown Trading Co. once a week. In 1963, the
(551 Fisgard Street) to see interior of City Hall was
artifacts from the district’s earlier completely renovated and
days, including those from a an International-style west
19th-century gambling house. wing was added.
P The Bay Centre
1150 Douglas St. Tel (250) 952-5690.
Open 10am–6pm Mon–Wed & Sat,
10am–9pm Thu & Fri, 11am–6pm Sun.
7 ∑ thebaycentre.ca
The Bay Centre sits behind
the façades of several historic
buildings on Government Street.
The 1892 Driard Hotel was saved
from demo lition by a public
campaign, as were the fronts of
the 1910 Times Building and the St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Victoria’s oldest
19th-century Lettice and Sears Roman Catholic church
Building. Behind these and
The sunken knot garden behind City Hall other elegant façades, more O Victoria Bug Zoo
at Centennial Square than 90 shops on four floors 631 Courtney St. Tel (250) 384-2847.
sell everything from fashion to Open 11am–5pm daily.
Y Centennial Square handmade chocolates. In the Closed Jan 1, Dec 25. & 7 =
Bounded by Fisgard, Douglas & atrium hangs a clock, its several ∑ victoriabugzoo.ca
Government Sts & Pandora Ave. faces displaying the time in Located one block north of the
Created in 1963, Centennial various ports of the former iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel,
Square is part of an effort to British Empire. this unusual mini-zoo occupies
revitalize the city’s downtown.
Its centerpiece is a fountain
with concrete “totems” adorned
with mosaics by a local artist.
Surrounding the public space
are specialty shops, McPherson
Playhouse – which opened
in 1914 as the first Pantages
Theatre and which has a
beautiful Baroque interior –
a knot garden, and City Hall.
The Second Empire-style
south wing of City Hall – its
red-brick façade and tin The central atrium in Victoria’s Bay Centre, with its suspended clock
For hotels and restaurants see pp290–91 and pp304–5

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