The Commerce Canoe - Public Art in Bastion Square

The last time the sun was shining here I went downtown to see what was happening in Bastion Square, the heart of the old city of Victoria, and I realized while I was there that I had never featured a photo of the most recent installation of public art in the square, pictured above. The sculpture is by Illarion Gallant and is called "The Commerce Canoe."

Seeds are symbolic of potential, said Gallant, in explaining why they are featured in his work. "What is the potential of the city for growth over time?"

The sculpture in [being] silver, green and red "is supposed to be optimistic."

The canoe is a deeply Canadian symbol, said Gallant, adding he has used its form in other sculptures.
(From the Times-Colonist March 2, 2008)

Victoria Day Parade 6 - Ethnic Communities

I have to confess that the Victoria Day Parade is getting a lot of coverage here this year partially because the weather lately has been dreadful - cold and dark and rainy - so I have not been out and about much despite two very inviting outdoor events - the Highland Games and the Swiftsure Yacht Race. However, the parade really deserves more exposure than I usually give it so here are a few more photos representing some of the displays put on by Victoria's ethnic communities. The girls above were in one of several displays representing our vibrant Chinese-Canadian community and the young woman below was playing on a float celebrating the Polish ethnic community.

Majorettes and Beauty Queens - Victoria Day Parade 5

Here's two more traditional parts of every parade - the majorettes that often accompany marching bands (above) and the beauty queens representing various organizations. Those below represent Job's Daughters. There weren't very many beauty queens in this year's parade. I suspect the era of beauty queens is passing.

Victoria Day Parade 4

With any parade the bystanders on the sidelines are often as interesting as the participants marching past. This trio was having so much fun I don't think anyone nearby was watching the parade. It's been a long time since I played Ring Around the Rosie. If I fell down now I'd probably break my hip. This is one of those games that only works when you're still fairly close to the ground.

Marching Bands - Victoria Day Parade 3

Despite all the social changes in the last century here is something that seems to maintain its popularity - elaborately costumed kids' marching bands. When I was a boy I played trumpet in one that toured the USA and Canada one summer (1956), traveling from city to city and marching in their parades. Consequently these marching bands bring back plenty of memories. We wore dark blue capes lined with bright red satin that I thought were just about the sharpest thing possible. I'm sure the kids in these pictures are much more blasé about their outfits.

Trumpeters in berets	Flautists in buttons
Saxaphonists in kilts	Clarinetists in plaid

Parades would be pretty dead and dull without the show these kids provide. Many thanks to the American and Canadian kids who marched and played.

Horses - Victoria Day Parade 2

These splendid horses belong to the Victoria Fire Department and were pulling an antique fire engine in the parade. I think they are a kind of horse known as a Percheron.

Clowns - Victoria Day Parade 1

Victoria always celebrates Victoria Day with a parade and over the next few days I will share some of the photographs I took of this year's. To set the mood here's a couple of photos of clowns. They are always always fascinating subjects since there is a double layer to their features - the makeup and the expression underneath it, each giving added depth to the other.

Like I Said Yesterday...

...the Fisgard Lighthouse looks good from any angle.

Photogenic Fisgard Lighthouse

Living close to the Fisgard Lighthouse is like having a beautiful model available to one at any time and it would be foolish not to take advantage of such a situation. Consequently, regular visitors to this blog have already seen several photos of this lighthouse and can expect to see many more. Last time I was out there I tried to find some new angles by walking around it several times. It looks good from every angle. I like this shot particularly because of the tiny cruise ship visible on the horizon to the left.