Well... the word "secrets" may be an exaggeration. But they are five places, all within a few hundred metres of the Empress Hotel, and they each provide some respite from the noise and bustle of the tourist season.
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| Tourist season in Victoria -- the Empress hotel and a sightseeing bus |
I checked out all five of my secret locations today. They all have relatively quiet sitting areas, and -- even though the downtown was jammed with tour busses, taxis, pedi-cabs, and people generally wandering about -- in all five of these secluded spots there was only one person actually sitting on a bench.
So, in a rough order of furthest from the Empress Hotel to closest to it, here are five places I like to visit if I want a nature break while downtown.
Quadra Park
This little park, at the corner of Belleville and Oswego Streets, is 500 metres from the Empress Hotel and is the furthest walk of my five secret locations. The park has benches and a number of beautiful birch trees. Even though it's close to the Grand Pacific Hotel, and the bustle of Belleville Street, it feels secluded.
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| Quadra Park, showing the options of a bench in the shade, or the sun - depending on the weather. |
Centennial Fountain Area
The majority of tourists who visit the Legislature visit the big fountain on the north side (the Inner Harbour side). Even though the south side of the building is quite accessible, far fewer go to that side. Here they can enjoy the Centennial Fountain, and especially, how the cascading water masks street noise from Superior Street. There are several picnic tables in the area, all of which are in the open and south-facing. Usually, with the wind blowing from the ocean, a sunny location is desirable in Victoria.
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| The Centennial Fountain on the south side of the Legislature. |
Should it be a hot day, there are shady areas on the west side of the fountain. Currently, there are no benches or tables in this area, but I understand that as part of making the Legislative grounds more inviting, more benches and sitting areas are planned.
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| There are a number of shaded sitting areas like this one under the trees west of the fountain. (The fountain can be seen in the background). A few scattered benches would make this grassy area more attractive to visitors. |
The Legislature Rose Garden
The Rose Garden is even closer to the Inner Harbour than the Centennial Fountain, but again, it is rarely occupied. It holds one bench.The hedge which surrounds part of the garden helps add to the sense of privacy and seclusion.
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| Part of the Rose Garden at the south-west side of the Legislature, showing its one bench, with the hedge behind it for seclusion. The pedestal on the right hand side holds a sundial. |
The Native Plant Garden at the Museum
I've shown photos of the native plant garden before, in the context of native plants. Today, in the height of summer, I was happy to see damselflies flitting over the ponds, and bulrushes flowering.
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| Part of the native plant garden at the Royal BC Museum |
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| One of the ponds in the native plant garden |
There are several benches in this delightful space.
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| View of some of the benches in the garden. It would be nice to see a bench or two tucked into some of the more secluded spots. |
About a year ago the museum floated the idea of doing a complete redevelopment of its site, and building a new facility to replace the existing one. The idea was criticized for many reasons; one of my objections would be the possibliity of clearing and removing this wonderful spot which provides a refuge from the noise of the nearby city.
Empress Hotel Pollinator Garden
The last of my five secrets is on the grounds of the Empress Hotel itself. The hotel has a long history of encouraging bees and other pollinators, and has designated a good-sized area for shrubs and flowers.
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| One of the sitting areas in the pollinator garden |
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| A different view of the garden. The fence in the background demarcates the area where there are active hives. |
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| The fence separates the beehives from walking paths |
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| Beehives in the Empress Hotel pollinator garden |
All my five spots are small in scale, compared to the amount of space in downtown dedicated to buildings and pavement. This makes each of them all the more valuable and important -- for humans who might need a few moments of peace, and for nature.
Next time you find yourself near the Empress Hotel or the Legislature -- perhaps you might want to search out my five secret spots!