Sunday, January 23, 2011

Streetcar Sunday - Victoria BC, Canada

I have only visited Victoria, British Columbia once, but I thought it was a beautiful and charming place. One of the many memories that sticks with me is going shopping for clothing in Victoria. I am not always an enthusiastic shopper, but the experience there was relaxed and fun. Most of all, I was amazed at how labels were imprinted with Made in Canada.  I bought a few sweaters and a hat there, all made in Canada, of great quality and not expensive. After that, I started checking labels on everything to see where the items were made. Even the towels at the Empress Hotel were made in Canada. 

And here is a card of the Empress Hotel. The location is great and the hotel is beautiful, although many of the rooms are small. It would have been even nicer if there had been a tram when I was there. Still, it's a very walkable city.


Here's another card showing trams in Victoria.


Although there are no longer any trams in Victoria, there has been talk of bringing them back. BC Transit is looking at trams along with Light Rail Transit and Bus Rapid Transit as possible alternatives.  In their words: "they each have their advantages and enthusiasts." For updates on their plans, check the BC Transit website.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message to Mr. William Fyfe reads:

Dear Dad:
Just a note you should have come too. Of course I'll be home when you get this but that's O.K. Having a swell time. May won't get out and hold the boat steady. Bye Now Love Sis (?)
at

12 comments:

  1. FrangipanJanuary 23, 2011 at 6:03 AM

    Fabulous, I really love old postcards too!

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  2. Aimee DarsJanuary 23, 2011 at 10:18 AM

    Great postcards. The colors in the top one are so crisp - wonderful! Victoria looks like a fun city. I wonder if there are regulations or just national pride that led to the number of "made in Canada" items.

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2011 at 11:34 AM

    Another nice card that would be improved with some context, the fact that the hotel is on the waterfront is part of what makes it spectacular and ties it to a specific place. The view we see could place it in Iowa, although the British flag flying over head makes that a bit unlikely... Scholars of regional/vernacular building practices might be able to determine the location of a building by the use of a certain dormer design, material, etc. though, even without more context (or that handy label that says 'Victoria').

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  4. Bob ScotneyJanuary 23, 2011 at 12:19 PM

    These days the use of Google Maps enables the location to be determined precisely; Victoria, British Columbia is easy to find as is the Empress Hotel - an impressive building.

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  5. María Elena CostaJanuary 23, 2011 at 1:09 PM

    Beautiful postcards. I like the one of the Empress hotel very much; the colours are really nice.

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  6. Brian PaperSpongeJanuary 23, 2011 at 6:02 PM

    Nice post! The streetcar in the top postcard barely made it in the frame!
    Oh, if only we could look on lots of labels today and see Made in USA let we used to. Remember when WallyWorld used to have the slogan Made in the USA? Not going to get on that soapbox.
    Thanks for sharing the great postcards!

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  7. North County Film ClubJanuary 23, 2011 at 6:37 PM

    My sister and I stayed at that hotel about 6 years ago. It still looks the same. A beautiful place. We went there after Bush got elected the second time. We were considering moving to Canada. We thought this country was done for. Oh how right we were. (sorry to get political!) It really is a great city. I feel like you do about shopping but I happily shopped there. We shopped for houses, also, and found out it was hard to get a loan. I guess they knew what they were doing. They're in much better shape than we are.

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  8. UnknownJanuary 23, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    Some of our favorite places where we have visited many times; had high tea once at the Empress....lovely to see these old photos. Last time in Vancouver & Victoria was about 10 years ago...

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  9. JudyJanuary 23, 2011 at 7:54 PM

    I think she may of been having a "swell" (not "sweet") time in 1945.

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  10. Christine H.January 23, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    Thanks, Judy! You're absolutely right. I changed it.

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  11. TrishiaJanuary 24, 2011 at 6:49 PM

    I luv Victoria! I've had the privilege of visiting several times. I used to go to sleep at night looking at the lights of Victoria from my bedroom window. My last ferry crossing, however, was a bit absurd. Pre-TSA pat downs, but they sure gave me and my honey the fifth-degree when we got there. We weren't married at the time and since he's considerably younger, I guess they thought we made a suspicious couple. Harumph! Anyway, some of Roger's Chocolates eased the insult:)

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  12. We Are Having FunJuly 28, 2012 at 6:46 PM

    Well, Tricia, over the decades I have looked across at Port Angeles from Victoria! Your lights look great from here at night and the Olympic mountains looks fabulous during the day. These vintage postcards are wonderful... I'm so glad that I found this site belonging to Christine. To everyone... this is a beautiful city.

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