Latest News!
Celebrating BC Day in the Capital
July 22, 2010
The Provincial Capital Commission is proud to be title sponsor of BC Day weekend’s celebrations held at St. Ann’s Academy National Historic Site and produced by Capital Festival Productions.
A wide variety of music, food and artisans - the family-oriented fun is free and open to everyone.
BC Day Weekend : July 31-Aug. 2, 2010
Saturday, July 31:
Hansel & Gretel – a children’s opera – 2 pm outdoor performance in the Novitiate Garden at St. Ann’s Academy, 835 Humboldt Street, Victoria
Chamber Concert – 4:30 pm – St. Ann’s Academy’s historic Chapel
Monday, Aug. 2:
11 am to dusk:
Performances (Chapel and grounds) by Christian Tatonetti, sitar; Balkan Babes; Vince Vaccaro, Indie Folk/Rock; BC Accordian Orchestra with Jelena; Alan Moberg, BC Hall of Fame Country; Ed Peekeekoot; Momentum, R&B; Sarah Treadmill; Cynthia Davis; Elisa Hartman; Pablo Diemecke; Quoia; Aurora Scott of the Dawn; Acres of Lions and Greg Sczebel.
Hansel & Gretel – a children’s opera – 1 pm & 4 pm in the Novitiate Garden
For more info: www.capitalfestival.com
Deuces galore – and more!
July 18, 2010
Sporting every colour of the rainbow, their shiny surfaces reflecting the picturesque Inner Harbour, more than 900 cars of pre-1951 vintage took over the streets of downtown Victoria for Northwest Deuce Days.
An estimated crowd of 40,000 enjoyed strolling throughout BC’s capital July 18 to enjoy and reminisce over the vehicles – especially the 1932 Ford “Deuce.” With entries from all over North America and Europe, including celebrity rodders Vic Edelbrock Jr and Roy Brizio, the local event is one of the largest and most popular in the world, thanks to the effort of organizer Al Clark and his team of volunteers.
Kevin Krueger, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, and minister responsible for the PCC, was on hand in front of the Legislative Buildings to hand out awards.
Parks voted to head up national organization
July 14, 2010
The Canadian Capital Cities Organization has elected a new president.
Ray Parks, chief executive officer for British Columbia’s Provincial Capital Commission in Victoria, took on the additional national role following the CCCO’s annual general meeting held in New Brunswick last week. He replaces Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco who served as the organization’s president for many years.
The CCCO is comprised of representatives from Canada’s provincial, territorial and national capitals. Its goal is to foster an exchange of ideas among participants from across the country on best practices to engage constituents and to promote the capitals culturally and economically.
In addition to unifying the nation’s capital cities, Parks sees the lead-up to Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017 as a platform to launch a series of initiatives that will strengthen national and provincial pride and citizen engagement.
Victoria Ska Festival Entertains
July 8, 2010
Musicians from around the world took to the stage at the Provincial Capital Commission’s Ship Point site this week.
The 11th annual Victoria Ska Festival brought together the gendre’s best including Fishbone, the Aggrolites, Bucan Bucan, Katchafire and many more.
Celebrating Canada
July 1, 2010
Canadian pride was on display throughout Victoria’s Inner Harbour July 1, as thousands of people took in Canada Day celebrations marking the nation’s 143rd birthday.
Festivities began with Downtown Victoria Business Association manager Ken Kelly shepherding more than 2,000 people clad in white and red T-shirts into the shape of a giant Canadian flag on the lawns of BC’s Parliament Buildings.
The upper and lower causeways were a moving sea of red and white clothing, hats, painted faces and flags as residents and visitors took to the streets to enjoy the day’s lineup of entertainment.
The artisan marketplace at Ship Point was bustling and vendors served up plates of international fare at the Flavour of Canada food concessions. Evening entertainment on the Legislative lawns featured Jon and Roy, Hayley Sales, Rock Island Ramblers and Bučan Bučan followed by the traditional fireworks show.
National Aboriginal Day in the Capital
June 20, 2010
The drum, embodying the heartbeat of First Nations people, reverberated across Victoria’s beautiful Inner Harbour June 20, calling people of all races, ages and beliefs to join together in festivities celebrating National Aboriginal Day in the Capital.
The 4th annual family-oriented event took place on the Provincial Capital Commission’s Ship Point venue below the Victoria Visitor Centre, bringing together 20 First Nations artists in a colorful marketplace with entertainment provided by drum groups from different First Nations. The event was free and open to everyone.
The market provided an opportunity to meet and talk with a wide variety of artists from different mediums and nations. “Art and craft is a tangible way for the community at large to understand the diversity of the First Nations of BC and of Canada,” says volunteer Ron Rice. “It is also a way that we continue to express both ourselves and our connection to our ancestors.”
Performers include Unity Drummers and Singers and Big Crew both of which are multi-nation drum groups comprised of people originating from Nations across Canada and now living in Victoria. Drummers and Singers of the Kwakwaka'wakw, whose traditional territory is the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, includes members from all over Vancouver Island. The day’s event will also feature the Hishingwas Drummers and Singers from the west coast of Vancouver Island and the Nuu Cha Nulth territory.
Celebrating National Aboriginal Day in the Capital City is a volunteer-run event organized by the Aboriginal Solstice Society with support from the Provincial Capital commission, the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres and Vancity.
Spring 2010 PCC Newsletter available
May 31, 2010
Get the latest newsletter here.
Contracts awarded for
CPR Steamship Terminal
May 31, 2010
Two companies have been awarded key contracts for upcoming work on the CPR Steamship Terminal building in Victoria. Iredale Group Architecture was chosen as the prime consulting team and Kinetic Construction Ltd won the bid for construction manager. The two companies were chosen following a public Request for Proposal process.
The project will include significant seismic upgrades along with electrical and mechanical improvements to bring the 1924 building up to present-day building and fire codes while respecting the heritage aspects of this iconic Inner Harbour landmark. Improvements will also focus on energy efficiency and sustainability.
Work is scheduled to begin in November and must be substantially completed by Mar. 31, 2011 as dictated by the terms of the federal/provincial infrastructure stimulus agreement which is funding the $3 million project.
Existing tenants support the project and have made arrangements to vacate the building by the end of October in time for construction start-up. All have reported they intend to relocate permanently and will not be returning to the PCC-owned CPR Terminal building once construction has finished. Current tenants include the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Lanewood Galleries Ltd, operator of the Royal London Wax Museum.
“We are working with the ferry operators to help them realize their long-standing plan to relocate the U.S. Customs service to the Belleville Port Facility,” said Ray Parks, CEO of the Provincial Capital Commission.
Next steps will be to finalize the design, scheduling, tendering and permit approval processes. In the meantime, some exterior building envelope work will take place this fall.
Homecoming Statue unveiled
May 4, 2010
With colours flying, drums banging and bayonets fixed, 3000 armed forces personnel marched through the streets of Victoria , exercising their Freedom of the City.
The event, part of a year-long celebration of the Canadian Navy’s 100th anniversary, ended with the unveiling of the Homecoming Statue, located on Provincial Capital Commission’s Ship Point property.
Lt. Governor Steven L. Point took the vice regal salute and an honour guard paid tribute to Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile, commander of Maritime Forces Pacific in a formal ceremony. The officials were joined by Victoria MLA Ida Chong standing in for the Hon. Kevin Krueger, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts and Minister Responsible for the Provincial Capital Commission to unveil the statue of a returning Petty Officer greeting his young daughter.
Another heritage award for Crystal Garden
Renovations to one of the Capital City’s most iconic buildings have won a second heritage award. The Hallmark Society presented their President’s Award to the City of Victoria, the Provincial Capital Commission and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts at its 36th annual Heritage Awards celebration May 4 for work done over the past number of years to repurpose the Crystal Garden.
In June, 2009 the project also earned a provincial Award of Honour in heritage restoration from Heritage BC.
Noting the historic building has a special resonance for Victorians, Hallmark Society president Nick Russell outlined the many lives of the building since it first opened in 1925 leading up to its current use as part of the Victoria Conference Centre.
Installation of a new glass roof, new heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, a new loading dock and food services facilities, new wireless technology and significant renovation to the building’s interior all led to the rejuvenation and reuse of the building while maintaining its character-defining elements.
New website launched
April 11, 2010
The Provincial Capital Commission has a new website!
With a much brighter look, the new website features more photographs, more information and more interactive material. There’s also lots of room to expand, so keep checking back to see additional improvements in coming weeks.
Our thanks to Malcolm Green – for his talent and patience in getting the new site up and running.
We Raise Our Hands: Stories from BC’s Capital
April 1, 2010
A new publication has just been produced by the Provincial Capital Commission.
Titled We Raise Our Hands: Stories from BC’s Capital, it is designed to connect the province’s First Peoples to Victoria.
It features historical and culturally-significant stories from around Greater Victoria as well as honouring the past and present contributions of the Songhees and Esquimalt people and their Lekwungen ancestors, as well as highlighting Aboriginal achievement province-wide.
The print publication is being distributed at no charge to all First Nations and relevant organizations throughout BC. For a downloadable version, click here