An American Philanthropist in Victoria....Some Musings

A Discovery about the Past

On my way to a recent dental appointment, I noticed a plaque on a building I have never looked at closely before:

I knew Andrew Carnegie was an American philanthropist - but what was he doing gifting a building in Victoria, in 1904?

Curious, I found a plaque around the corner, which informed me that the building was, at one time, a Carnegie Library:

The building is no longer a library, but was sold to a credit union when the central library branch moved to its Broughton Street location in 1980. As the plaque shows, the credit union did a restoration and received an award from Heritage Canada. The building is currently empty, as Westcoast Savings has gone through changes itself. 

It was hard to capture the whole building, located at the corner of Yates and Blanshard, but here is a snippet of the style:

The building is now for lease

Some of the ornate detail

Carnegie Library, Victoria, circa 1910. Source: https://archives.victoria.ca/carnegie-library-yates-street

The Carnegie Library building as it looked in 2019. Source: http://www.victoriaonlinesightseeing.com/794-yates-street-carnegie-library-victoria-british-columbia/

After my dentist's appointment, I went online to learn a little more about Carnegie. One thing led to another, then to another... this post is the result. It's quite long, so I've broken it up with sub-headings.

The Responsibility of Wealth

Carnegie's story is the American dream, a "rags to riches" tale of a self-made man. Born in Scotland in 1835, he started life with little, according to biography.com. His family, however, valued books and learning; he was 13 when they emigrated to the United States. There, he started working, first in a factory, then as a telegraph messenger, then as a telegraph operator. When he was 18 he moved to a job with the Pennsylvania Railroad, and gradually worked his way into more senior positions, all the while, shrewdly investing money in high return areas, particularly oil. Eventually he went on to found the Carnegie Steel Company, and became one of the wealthiest Americans of the 19th century.

Andrew Carnegie. Source of photo: https://www.biography.com/business-figure/andrew-carnegie

And then, he gave it all away. He is quoted as saying, "The man who dies rich, dies in disgrace".  He put this into practice by the multiple legacies he left - not only within the United States, but in many other countries of the world, including Canada.

When he turned 65, Carnegie sold his business, and started his legacy of giving. Carnegie's 1889 article Wealth outlined his view that "those with great wealth must be socially responsible and use their assets to help others". [Quoted on biography.com] His gifts included Carnegie Hall, an endowment for international peace, an institute for science, endowments for universities, and hundreds of public libraries.

Over 2,800 public libraries were built with his support, including 125 in Canada. A free public library was a revolutionary concept in the late 1800's / early 1900's. Carnegie's model paid for the construction of libraries, but there needed to be local commitment to maintain them.

A Child in a Library

Although I did not know it at the time, I grew up enjoying Carnegie's legacy. From about the age of 10 I was allowed to ride the bus to downtown Calgary, where I would transport myself to other worlds amongst the book stacks of the Memorial Park library - a gift of Andrew Carnegie. Then, when I had the biggest pile of books my arms could manage, I made my way home, again by bus, mesmerized by the stories within them.

Calgary's Memorial Park Library, funded by Andrew Carnegie, and Alberta's first library. Photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cmhpictures/19233469589

Of course, as with most things, Carnegie's offer to fund libraries in Canada was not universally welcomed. There was controversy. Some thought he had an ulterior motive to providing free access to books and learning - such as building a legacy to his name. Others were offended by comments he had made about Canada in the past. Some were opposed to the offer because of past business practices which were anti-labour. And, some were opposed to the concept of free libraries, or thought that municipalities could not afford the expense of running the library.

But despite these various roadblocks, many were built in Canada, especially in Ontario. Victoria's library was one of three in British Columbia (the other two were Vancouver and New Westminster).

A Library Champion

Calgary's library, which I enjoyed so much as a child, was the result of the efforts of a group of strong women, members of the Calgary Women's Literary Club - some of the unsung heroes of our culture. Their founder, Annie Davidson, personally wrote Carnegie and secured his pledge for $80,000 (a huge sum at the time) for a library. Carnegie, however, also said there must be local commitment.

Because in 1906 women did not have the right to vote, Calgary's all-male Council told Davidson they would only lend their support for the library if she submitted a petition signed by 10% of Calgary's men. So the group went door-knocking; apparently it took two tries, but they did eventually secure enough signatures, and by 1912 the library was built.

Annie Davidson, one of the forces who helped create Calgary's first public library. Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-public-library-annie-davidson-women-literary-club-1.4839371

Calgary's Memorial Park Library is now officially a National Historic Site, and still continues to play a cultural and educational role in Calgary, home to a music lending library, the offices of a writers' festival, and more.

Philanthropy Today

I felt inspired after reading about Carnegie. If there were philanthropic public-minded people like him in the past, then there still are people like him on the planet today. 

Income Inequality

Times have changed since Carnegie lived; there is now greater wealth inequality, rather than less. In fact, a 2019 report, based on American census data, concluded that income inequality in the United States was the highest since the Census Bureau started tracking it. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/26/income-inequality-america-highest-its-been-since-census-started-tracking-it-data-show/)

According to the Conference Board of Canada, Canada's income inequality has also increased over the past two decades (https://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/Details/society/income-inequality.aspx).

A 2013 assessment by the Board gave Canada a rating of "C".

Income inequality is measured using the "gini" coefficient. The closer the number is to 0, the more perfectly equal is a society, where everyone has the same income. A coefficient of 1 would represent the opposite - complete inequality, . Source: Conference Board of Canada (https://www.conferenceboard.ca/Files/hcp/society/soc_IncIneq_ch1-2012.png)

Globally, income inequality is huge. Less than 1% of the planet's population controls almost 45% of its wealth. And, less than 10% of the planet's population controls 84% of its total wealth. (Source: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/1/22/18192774/oxfam-inequality-report-2019-davos-wealth)

The Giving Pledge

There is some good news in this rather bleak picture.  I have been learning of the Giving Pledge - a campaign by the world's wealthiest people to pledge to give away the majority of their wealth - in the tradition of Carnegie. As of 2020, 220 people had made this pledge, including Bill and Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett, the founders of the Giving Pledge. (https://givingpledge.org/Home.aspx)

It's been said that Bill Gates would like to be seen as the Andrew Carnegie of today.

At least one Canadian is on the Giving Pledge list: John McCall MacBain (founder of Trader Classified Media) and his wife Marcy. In 2019 their foundation, the McCall MacBain Foundation, provided McGill University with the largest single donation ever given to a Canadian University.

Canadian Philanthropists?

Are there other Canadians who are contributing, like Carnegie did for the US, to the fabric of our society? Here are several mentioned in a Globe and Mail article from earlier this decade: (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/giving/five-key-players-in-canadian-philanthropy/article640159/)

• Seymour Schulich - a businessman in finance  and mining: university endowments across the country
• Belinda Stronach - businesswoman (Magna International): established a foundation to provide tools for girls, aboriginal youth, and to fight malaria
• Mike Lazaridis - businessman (Blackberry): university endowments for technological research
• Randy Moffat - businessman (Broadcasting): major donation to the Winnipeg Community Foundation which makes ongoing grants to organizations in the Winnipeg area
• Sophie Desmarais - widow of Paul Desmarais, financier; she died in 2018: major patron of the arts, especially music and opera

I also think of Jack Rabinovitch, who founded the Giller Prize to honour his late wife Doris Giller, or of Max Bell, who just before his death provided the funds for the Max Bell Foundation which has provided support for medical research, education and sport.

And I think of the model of community foundations, which are an effective way that individuals can give locally, and generate social capital for their communities.

Trends in Individual Charitable Donation

Most Canadian non profit organizations rely at least in part upon the philanthropic impulses of individuals.

However, fewer people are making charitable donations than in the past, and this is creating a sustainability challenge. I found an in depth review at https://www.cagp-acpdp.org/sites/default/files/media/rideau_hall_foundation_30years_report_eng_fnl.pdf

The graph below shows the significant drop over 30 years of taxfilers claiming charitable donations, in every income group. Charities are relying on an ever-decreasing pool of donors.

Source: 30 Years of Giving in Canada - The Giving Behaviour of Canadians - Who gives, how and why? Rideau Hall Foundation and Imagine Canada, 2018.

The value of average charitable donation has also decreased, in every income group.

Source: 30 Years of Giving in Canada - The Giving Behaviour of Canadians - Who gives, how and why? Rideau Hall Foundation and Imagine Canada, 2018

So - Canadians are giving less, at least according to charitable tax donations claimed. Non profit organizations rely instead on government for most of their revenue.

Government Support of Charities

A sobering report by Canada Helps points out that the majority of government support goes to the largest non-profit organizations. Incredibly, 85% of all government funding for charities goes to the 1% of charities that reported over 200 employees. This leaves a huge funding challenge for the 99% of other charities. (Source: The Giving Report, 2018, by CanadaHelps.org)

The Canada Helps report compares the state of non-profits with the situation faced by business: small businesses are significant job creators, as are small non-profit organizations. It is these many, diverse small non-profits which contribute to the quality and richness of our society.

Donations by the Wealthy

The Canada Helps report reaches the same conclusion as the "30 years of Giving report": wealthy people are giving less, not more.

And, it also shows that donations are down in every age category.

Comparison of changes between 2006 and 2014 by Canada Helps. The biggest drops in giving were by the highest income earning groups.

Comparison of changes between 2006 and 2014 by Canada Helps. Every age group was giving less in 2014 then 2006.

Finally, the report showed that the organizations which received the least in online donations were arts and culture, environmental, and indigenous organizations.

Analysis of types of organizations that donors support, Canada Helps report.  

Donating Time: Volunteering

In addition to giving less, people are not volunteering as much as they used to. A 2018 Conference Board of Canada study showed a drop of over 7% in the average annual volunteer hours per person that between 2004 and 2017, and a drop in the proportion of Canadians who volunteered, from 45.2 % to 43.6%. (Source: Value of Volunteering in Canada, Conference Board of Canada, 2018)

A Sustainability Crisis?

Are non profit organizations facing a sustainability crisis? We depend on these groups for our civil society. Without more Carnegies, where will we be?

So my curiosity about Andrew Carnegie sparked a small investigation into the state of Canadian philanthropy. It has raised some deeper questions for me.

Non-profit societies are essential to our civil society. Some of them do work that historically used to be carried out by government - health, education, and social services, for example.

Non-profit groups enrich our lives, in all areas, from education to arts to social justice to environmental protection. Yet, the models by which they sustain themselves may no longer be effective.

Here are a few questions that came up for me as I think about non-profits:

• Non-Profits without Charitable Tax Status. How can we better support groups that are not eligible for charitable tax status - because they are small, or engaged in too much advocacy?
• Can we do better?  The toonie we drop into a jar at the cash register, the food we give to the food bank, the tent we offer to a homeless person... Are there ways we can strengthen our giving? 
• Fighting for our donations? Does the sustainability crisis mean pitting worthy non profits against each other? Are we putting charities into the position of having to market themselves, sell their stories, pester us constantly, emphasize the "Donate" button on their websites?
• Online Fundraising. Is online fundraising like "Go Fund Me" syphoning donations away from traditional non-profits? Apparently there was so much donated after the tragic Humboldt Broncos crash that a society had to be created to manage the funds, and anecdotally, Go Fund Me collected about $500,000 from the effort. 
• Results-oriented. I, like others, want to know the impact of my donation. What are the measurables, the difference being made? 
• American Foundations and Canadian Non-Profits. Is it okay for Canadian groups to receive funding from American foundations? A century ago, 125 libraries were quite happy to receive gifts from the US. But now, we have the Alberta government setting up a "war room" to investigate US funds flowing to environmental groups. 
• The Giving Pledge. What can we do to thank, to support and encourage more wealthy people to sign onto the Giving Pledge?
• Community Foundations. Is the rise of local foundations helping the sustainability of small community non-profits? 

My delving into the state of non-profits has made me much more aware of the challenging financial situation many face.

I will close with a quote from Max Bell, described as an "astute and far-sighted son of the Canadian West" (https://maxbell.org/about-us/history/), who talks - as Carnegie did - about the responsibility that goes with wealth:

"The only time money is important is when you haven’t any. Once you have it, however, you must accept the responsibility to make the best use of it and to ensure that those who become dependent on you for a livelihood are not injured by your transactions.” Quoted on https://maxbell.org/about-us/history/

Forest Time

For over two decades I lived in a rural area in the interior, where it was easy to walk in the forest. I spent many hours, in every season, amongst the trees of Gardom Lake Park near Salmon Arm. Here is an image from June, followed by one from the fall.

Gardom Lake Park trail, June, with False Solomon's seal in bloom

Gardom Lake Park trail, October

Since moving first to Salmon Arm nine years ago, and then to Victoria earlier this year, I've missed the quiet of the forest, the silence where the only noise might be bird song and rustling leaves, where the ear strains to hear a car.

Earlier this week a friend introduced me to some of the trails at Mount Douglas, and I revisited them yesterday. They are a wonderful discovery. I heard ravens, songbirds, and nuthatches.

I also learned a new word - "monadnock" - to describe Mount Douglas. A monadnock is an isolated hill or mountain, which describes this 225 metre hill (738 feet).

Ferns at Mount Douglas

Oceanspray

Arbutus tree

Aesthetic trail design and one of many amazing Douglas firs

There are also verdant cedars in the park. In fact, the first settler's name for the hill was "Cedar Hill"; cedars from the park were logged to help build pickets around the early Fort Victoria. It was apparently renamed Mount Douglas when one of military at the fort could not find cedars and wanted to honour Douglas.

In 2013 as part of a movement to reclaim aboriginal place names, Mount Douglas went back to its original name of Pkols, which means "White rock" or "White head" in the dialect of the original first peoples of the area, the Saanich and Songhees.  In a ceremony marking the first year of this reclaiming, local First Nations spoke of the cultural significance of the mountain to them which was a traditional meeting place. The story is in the Times-Colonist. 

https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/reclaimed-pkols-mount-douglas-a-source-of-first-nation-pride-1.1072179

Officially, the BC Geographical Names Office has apparently not responded to the reclaiming of Pkols, according to a Wikipedia article. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Douglas,_Greater_Victoria)

As with other parks that I am discovering in Victoria, there are volunteer efforts to deal with invasive species, and to carry out restoration and replanting. I saw some evidence of this at Mount Douglas.

Replanting efforts in damaged parts of Mount Douglas park

The park is criss-crossed with trails and although there is good signage, there still are many trail intersections that are not signed.

Example of trail signage at an intersection. Trails are colour-coded to help hikers discern the level of difficulty (green for easiest, blue for steeper, and black for steepest).

In the two hikes I have done so far I followed the Whittaker trail, which takes hikers on a perimeter loop around the mountain through several different types of forest - cedars, firs, and Garry oak.

I downloaded the Avenza app to my phone, and then a GPS enabled pdf map provided by the Friends of Mount Douglas Park Society. This proved extremely helpful at figuring out trails at intersections. I can imagine that the mountain could be quite disorienting at times of low light, or in the rain.

The information for the app is at https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/parks-recreation-community/parks/parks-trails-amenities/trails/mount-douglas-park-gps-enabled-trail-map.html The app does not use cell data, which is a nice feature.

There is a road to the top of the mountain, but it is closed in the mornings to allow non-motorized enjoyment of the park trails. This is a good compromise.

Morning closure of the road to the top of the mountain

I know I will be back for more forest experiences on the mountain.

Encounters with "Wild" Life

Yesterday I watched a gull doing the equivalent of dumpster diving.  I was intrigued at the strength and ferocity of the bird, pulling out chunks of garbage and tossing them onto the ground beside the can. As the photo shows, a crow was hanging about, waiting for edible bits that the gull rejected.

Beak-first into this garbage can at Beacon Hill Park, only the gull's back end is visible.

The gulls in Victoria are mostly Glaucous-winged gulls, which is the only native species of gull known to nest in the area. Up until about seven years ago, they nested on Great Chain Island off Oak Bay, in Haro Strait. This island is one of a number that comprise Oak Bay Islands Ecological Reserve. Closed to the public and managed by BC Parks, the ecological reserve is aimed at protecting vulnerable nesting seabirds, rare early spring wildflowers and shallow-water marine habitats. 

Source: Times Colonist, August 7, 2013

The gulls moved closer to downtown when a number of eagle pairs began to predate upon them, according to a 2013 article in the Times Colonist. https://www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/seagulls-moving-downtown-to-avoid-eagles-generating-guano-and-grief-1.572656

They are certainly prevalent in the James Bay area, landing on the roofs of taller buildings such as apartments. They are wonderful fliers and take full advantage of the ocean wind that frequently blows. And the gulls enjoy hanging about Beacon Hill Park, where these omnivorous birds find easy foraging. 

According to the Christmas Bird Counts conducted by the Victoria Natural History Society over the years, observed numbers of gulls have actually declined, despite the appearances. 

There is other wildlife I have seen in Beacon Hill Park and surrounding areas that has adapted to the easy lifestyle here.

The Park is home to a big population of Mallards and American Wigeons. These are so populous, in fact, that they have denuded significant patches of grass.

Over-foraged grass at Beacon Hill Park

Ducks, geese and peacocks feed on the grass

Is there an over-population of birds like ducks and geese at Beacon Hill Park? Some might say, "yes", based on indicators like the viability of lawn grass. A parks employee told me that the numbers of ducks diminishes when geese numbers increase; he did not know where the ducks went. 

Urban geese are attracted to nitrogen rich lawn grass, especially when it is immediately adjacent to a water body - such as the lakes at Beacon Hill Park. The City, Regional District, and other agencies are developing a goose management strategy, due to concerns about feces, and damage to crops. Planting ferns to block geese sight-lines to the water is one of the techniques being tried, as well as addling (shaking) eggs during nesting season, and "herding" geese with a professional dog handler and dog.

Culling has been attempted in the past in the Regional District, but was controversial, as well as costly for the number of geese captured.

Reducing the areas of lawn grass adjacent to water bodies might be an option, but I have not seen it mentioned on the city's goose management web page. If geese cannot see or access a water body, they are less likely to browse on grass. It is a trade-off; park visitors enjoy the grassy areas - for picnics, games such as throwing Frisbees, and just lazing on the grass in the sun. Yet those grassy spaces invite geese and ducks - and their feces.

Much of Beacon Hill Park is cultivated and manicured; the taming of the wild in gardening favours a taming of the wild in animals, and leads to this apparent "domestication" of wildlife.

Peacocks show no fear of humans, have adapted to the Park, and are spreading to surrounding neighbourhoods where they have been observed with nesting behaviour. Their raucous caterwauling pervades the Park.

There are a number of deer resident in Beacon Hill Park - and throughout Victoria! Deer fencing is common where people have gardens. In neighbouring Oak Bay, where deer have been problematic, a study is currently underway to assess the viability of a birth control inoculation. (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/urban-deer-get-birth-control-to-curb-numbers-1.5297042)

So true!

Deer fencing around the Fairfield Community Garden

This is the only sign I have discovered in Beacon Hill Park asking people not to feed wildlife. It is attached to a park bench and is easy to miss.

I have observed many people feeding the waterfowl, and the peacocks. I wonder if for some people it is their closest encounter with wildlife. In this image children are interacting with the ducks and geese - but I have often seen adults do the same.

Another species which has expanded its range is the Eastern Grey squirrel. All squirrels in the Park are Eastern Grey, according to the website Beacon Park History (https://beaconhillparkhistory.org/articles/108_squirrels.htm). These are an introduced, invasive species. Although I have observed people feeding them from bags of grain or nuts, A BC Ministry of Environment bulletin points out the damage they can cause both to homes and gardens, and to native species (http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/van-island/wildweb/pdf/Squirrel_FAQ_10_July_09.pdf).

This Eastern Grey squirrel used acrobatics and relentless tenacity to remove seed from the bird feeder; this garden is located near Beacon Hill Park.

This brief overview has only focussed on a few species which inhabit the city space near me. I have yet to encounter raccoons (although I hear much about them), rats, or numbers of other animals which might be counted as "dependent on human environments". Nor have I talked about bears (there have been several sightings in more forested areas of Greater Victoria) or cougars.

By creating environments where wildlife have easy access to human sources of food, we have invited them into our urban spaces. Then, when we do not like that they eat our gardens, or leave feces or mess, we have to "manage" them. It strikes me as ironic; ultimately, we humans are perhaps being managed by the wildlife we think we are managing.

In contrast to the wildlife I observe in urban parks and on city streets are those species which do not depend on humans to survive. I was pleasantly surprised to see the signage that BC Parks has installed in Goldstream Park to protect wildlife from people. This is a reverse of the usual perspective, that people need protection from wildlife.

This is a sign from Goldstream Provincial Park. I like the message that wildlife need people-free areas. It is easier said than done however, as we are drawn to watch animals in the wild.  

Goldstream Park signage. The "Stop" sign may be more effective at keeping people out than the previous sign which relies on text only. 

On my visit to Goldstream, I didn't observe any wildlife... which shows that they are keeping to the quiet areas reserved for them. Just as it should be... and may they keep their wildness!

When Private Art Becomes Public

There are so many examples of art on the streets of Victoria that it is hard to know where to start in any description of it. In this post I will mention a few examples of private art that have been made visible to passers-by to enjoy.

I appreciate that the property owners have seen fit to add this richness to the urban experience. The examples which follow are all in James Bay or Fairfield.

I will start with a unique piece on Fairfield Road: 

Made of driftwood, this cougar causes the pedestrian to do a double-take as s/he passes beneath it in the tree above.

And now to a house on Dallas Road.

The red, white and black pieces are blown glass that the property owner created himself. In the foreground is a metal sculpture. 

Art, or funky memorabilia? However it's classified, it's fun, and adds to the interest of a walk.

Detail on a gate, with a glimpse of an inviting garden.

Detail on a fence; this was one of a number of carvings inlaid into the fence, each one different.

One of the dozens of Little Libraries scattered throughout Victoria... a bench, a place for books - and a custom-made place for magazines! There are so many attractive Little Libraries that they are worth a post dedicated just to them.

Keyboard rock art at a home on Niagara Street. The tap at the sink trickles water, and the home itself is artwork, as the next photo illustrates.

Red geraniums in every window add to the appeal of this house, as well as the intricate carving decorating the overhangs.

More painted rocks from the same house as above. After awhile I forgot I was looking at rocks... especially the plate of delectable chocolates in the background

One final image from the house with the rock art -- birds on a branch, and on a swing. Again, it is easy to get caught up in the world of the painted pieces and forget they are rocks!

This unique sidewalk has a story... some day I'll learn it!

An unusual house on Dallas Road constructed from steel; the sign indicates that it is included on a special Art Gallery of Victoria tour. Many components of the house's interior were reclaimed and repurposed. A fuller story can be found at https://www.yammagazine.com/designed-to-last/

A closer view of some of the interior art

Detail from the exterior

I liked the intricate details of the wooden porch, the carved pillars for the steps, and the colourful flag which adds a modern contrast to this fine old house.

An attractive house and sign, Fairfield 

Lots of bits and pieces to intrigue the pedestrian wandering by this house in Fairfield

This tree on a boulevard on Clarence Street holds a teacup collection

Painted rock collection, Beacon Lodge, Douglas Street

One of the rocks at the Beacon Lodge collection

A second rock from the Beacon Lodge collection

While we may have different tastes and some might not always appreciate the specifics of the property owner's artistic leanings, there is more than enough variety to provide interest, and food for discussion.

A driftwood figure, at the same house with the tree hugging cougar

The same figure, from a different angle

Gate in James Bay; the theme is repeated on the deck rail, and other gates around the yard.

One of three windows in an older building along Niagara Street. The building has very little setback from the sidewalk, so pedestrians walk close to these windows.

I have shown this house before; even though this one is set back far from the road, it always stands out on any walk down South Turner Street.

Attractive landscaping and design add to the artistic appeal of this newer set of row houses near Cook Street 

I will conclude the post with a nod to the numerous fairy gardens around the area. One is pictured below. To appreciate these, the walker has to keep eyes on the ground, as well as enjoying the houses, the gardens, the trees... There is just so much to nurture our attention and our spirits!

One of a number of miniature fairy gardens hidden around James Bay. This one is on Pilot Street.