Walking through Art

I enjoyed putting together my blog on "Finding Joy" a month ago. With winter starting to feel long, it is time to find some more joy in art. 

Victoria is a city attuned to aesthetic design, and wonderful installations of art - in both public and private spaces. 

Here are some more examples that have spoken to me over the past few months of walking around the neighbourhoods of James Bay, Fairfield, Fernwood and Downtown.

Mural in Irving Park by Peter Allen, Victoria mural artist. I like the stylized heron, sequoia and Garry oak, as well as the Olympics, the lighthouse and camas flowers. But who is the woman? Emily Carr often appears in art around James Bay - but this is not she.  

Some of Victoria's many murals are the result of an 2018 effort by the City. 

https://www.sookenewsmirror.com/entertainment/local-and-international-artists-paint-murals-across-victoria/

Irving Park has a second mural, depicted below, this time illustrating the human activities around the area, from reading under a tree, to picnicking or gathering apples. This mural is painted on a shipping container; in doing research to find the name of the mural artist, I learned that the shipping container has a unique function. It is one of a number installed in various locations around Victoria, and filled with emergency supplies for an event such as an earthquake. 

Mural by Cheryl Johnson-Strauss plus three "James Bay youth artists", on a shipping container in Irving Park. This container was placed in the park in 2012. For more information about the emergency preparedness containers, see https://www.vicnews.com/news/volunteers-key-to-evacuee-assistance-in-victoria/

Another mural in the James Bay area:

This mural is painted on the side of the James Bay Community School, by artist Misha Smart (https://store10337207.ecwid.com/ ). I love the statement on her website about how experiences connecting with nature, such as sleeping outside or swimming in the ocean's phosphorescence, "do not tire with age".

One final mural which is striking, and noticed by anyone in the Ogden Point Breakwater District:

The Land and Sea Mural, prepared through a partnership between the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, and the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations.

This view of the mural shows its sweep, and the working harbour in the foreground.

Moving on from public murals to unconscious design I encounter walking along the streets, here are several examples.

I enjoy the complementary colours of gold and purple, and the delicate panels on the balcony.

I always savor walking past this inn and its understated design aesthetic - the interesting combination of gold and pink, the elegant sign, and of course, the many roses.

This James Bay house is one of so many in the community that illustrate a striking choice of colours, and careful detailing in the painting. I like the resonance between the burgundy and golds of the landscaping plants and the trim on the windows.

This newer house on Dallas Road has been featured in architectural magazines because of its use of steel. It always adds interest to a walk. The expanse of glass shows the reflected construction on Dallas Road, part of the upgrades to the City's sewage treatment plant. Your photographer has a cameo appearance in the reflection.

A neighbourhood Little Library, customized for consistency with the house's design style and colour scheme. And again, your photographer / blogger makes a cameo appearance.

The Dallas Road house below has used driftwood from the beach in a funky installation on its deck. The driftwood colours resonate with the beige and taupe tones of the house. 

Some modernistic touches on this older, and renovated, house on Dallas Road.

Unique signs intrigue me, and I continue to find delightful examples on my walks.

This whimsical sign on a gate in Fairfield jumps out at any passer-by.

While the trillium is associated with Ontario, the flower is also native to BC, including Vancouver Island.

Humour is an art, right? 

This sign was spotted in a pollinator garden at the James Bay New Horizons Centre.

Eye-catching produce stand on a James Bay residential street. Immediately behind the stand is a chicken run and coop, and to the side of the house are Welsh Harlequin ducks, a breed known for its ability to provide eggs.

And now, to an area popular with tourists - the Legislature and the Museum, and a few sights that are tucked away from the most frequently photographed views from the Inner Harbour.

Detail from carved cedar doors at the Royal BC Museum. These doors can only be found by visitors who take the time to explore the native plant garden by the museum.

This fountain is at the back of the Legislature, off Superior Street. I enjoy its elegance. The fountain was designed for Canada's Centennial by Robert Savery in 1962, and installed in 1968. Six animals - gull, sea otter, eagle, raven, bear and wolf - are depicted to represent the geography and history of the province.

The colourful bike stands contrasts with the grey and black of the Legislature. One of several around the building, I always see bikes in it - a reflection of cycling's growing popularity.

Carving in Speaker's Courtyard, on the west side of the Legislature

The chair and rendering of the Speaker's hat, in Speaker's Courtyard, west side of the Legislature. Names of past and present of the Legislature are inscribed into surrounding bricks.

The muted red tile adds warmth to this outside space at the west side of the Legislature.

I'll finish my brief tour of Victoria's aesthetics with a nod to a few commercial enterprises which I have found add to the artistic elements of the city's pedestrian experience.

Even with the grey sky, who could not find this Cook Street establishment appealing? The pub exudes a welcoming tone, with the gold lettering of its name, the lights, the red chairs in the seating area, the attractive coat of arms, and the tree-lined pedestrian street.

Gonzales Pharmacy, Fairfield Road. I liked the way the entrance-way is enclosed by the brick planters. They create a warm and inviting space.

An attractive older building on Wharf Street, with modern touches which add, rather than detract, from its character.

Window displays can be works of art in themselves. This is a floral design shop on Menzies, in James Bay.

Attractive public space in Fernwood that reminds me of a European town square.

This installation was recently moved from Bastion Square to the entry of the Johnson Street Bridge. It's a striking design, but I have been puzzled by it, and by what appeared to be a canoe floating half way up the green stems. I finally look it up as I prepared this blog. It is indeed a canoe, to represent the long historic use of canoes along the coast. What I had thought were tulips are in fact seed heads on the tall green reeds. The installation depicts them being pushed to the side by the canoe.

There is so much art to enjoy, and be curious about, in Victoria and the other municipalities of the area. As my walking legs take me further afield, I undoubtedly will find other intriguing sights to profile here. 

Rain, Rain, Rain

A few days ago, Victoria had over an inch of rain in one day. This was a reminder that we are on the coast, and winter is the rainy season here. The word "rainforest" was coined for a reason!

Forest, Mt Douglas

Goldstream Park. Photographer: Cory Schadt Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goldstream_Provincial_Park,_Victoria,_Canada

Natural areas, like the rainforests of Mt Douglas or Goldstream Park, absorb a good part of the rain when it falls. The ground has a thick layer of absorbent organic material, laid down over decades, that acts like a gigantic sponge.

And then there are our urban areas, with large swaths of "hardened" surfaces. When rain falls on hard surfaces, it usually is collected and diverted to storm sewers.

Parking lots present hard surfaces which are notorious for collecting rainfall and sending it to storm sewers, rather than allowing it to infiltrate into nearby ground

Managing rainwater is a challenge for cities which receive a lot of rainfall. 

I've been exploring how Victoria's residents handle rain. Traditionally we have piped rain water "away", through storm sewers which ultimately empty into the ocean.

Definitely there are times when storm sewers are needed. But piping water away can reduce water availability in the dry season of summer - and Victoria receives little rain in that season.  

Also, in times of heavy rainfall, storm sewers can be easily overloaded.

Cities are developing a different approach to managing rain water and storm water, exploring ways to keep it in place, rather than pipe it away.

Piping stormwater "away" down storm drains is the traditional engineering approach. And definitely, it has its place. But storm sewers can be vulnerable to flooding - as the sign points out.

Rain water flow in Beacon Hill Park is overwhelming the drainage system. Grass does not absorb water the way a spongy rainforest does.

Too much water for the grass in the park

Another image of squelchy grass

So, grass is not so good at absorbing rainfall, as the above images show. 

I have been encountering various yards covered with a variety of more absorbent surfaces. A few examples follow. I start with alternatives to hard surfaced parking pads and driveways.

Pavers like these are popular. They allow more rainwater to infiltrate than a completely paved surface.

This infill house has chosen pavers instead of asphalt or concrete for its driveway.

Parkside Hotel. Pavers extend into the underground parking. Also, notice the landscaping shrubbery and areas of moisture absorbing trees. 

Another James Bay house with pavers for its parking area. This house also has a putting green, which neighbours are invited to use.

At least one of my neighbours regularly wanders over to this welcoming house on Niagara Street to practice his putting.

A different view of the house, showing the putting green in the background. This is the home of a dog lover, whose previous dog has left a legacy for other dogs in the area.

And now - back to storm water!

Layers of deep soil with organic material are good at absorbing rainfall. 

The perennial bed for this apartment absorbs much more rainfall than a similarly sized area of grass.

An attractive perennial bed for a single house with a walkway made of flag stone.

Deep perennial beds help absorb rainfall in this yard. 

This elegant perennial bed has a trench of drain rock in it, to help with drainage.

This house also has a drain rock channel, seated within a perennial bed.

Pavers used for sidewalks in a housing development

These pavers are used for the house's driveway. The muddy strip in the centre illustrates how difficult it is for bare ground to absorb rainfall.

Another option: paved tracks for the wheels, coupled with ground filled with organic material to absorb rainfall .

Here is another example of paved track for a vehicle's wheels, with the rest of the yard landscaped with water-absorbing vegetation and ground cover.

A gravel sidewalk and a perennial bed help this yard with rainfall absorption

Another attractive yard landscaped with pavers and deep perennial beds

Storm water carries pollutants from vehicles and other runoff and can contaminate surface water. Here is one method I have observed, near Fisherman's Wharf, for protecting surface water. 

The City of Victoria's storm water system includes four storm water "rehabilitation" units. These are large tanks used to capture sand, silt and oils before they are discharged into the ocean. There is one at Fisherman's Wharf. The outlet has a secondary cover, shown above, which can be opened for cleaning.

Cities have long been aware of the need to protect storm water from pollutants; witness this storm sewer cover that has been around for a long time.

Imprinted into the grate are the words "Dump No Pollutants"

What is more recent is the understanding about the importance of reducing storm water flows. 

The City has a 4 minute video which shows its goals with storm water management. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZInD7sZZ7Y4&feature=emb_logo

The bottom line: the more we allow the ground to absorb storm water in place, the more we imitate nature's water cycle .