Apex Steel 2

Here's another one from the Apex Steel Building. Victoria is known for it's mild climate and beautiful gardens but I like knowing is still has a few dark corners.

Apex Steel

At the end of Store Street, on the edge the Rock Bay site sits the former Apex Steel building. It's currently owned by BC Hydro but they use the building mostly for storage and it has been allowed to slowly fall to ruin. Stepping inside is like stepping back in time. It has apparently been used for a small, locally made horror film and I don't doubt it.

Point Ellice House

Before I leave summer there's a few images I like and I'll never be able to pass them off as any other time of year. So just pretend it's mid-August and let's go for tea at Point Ellice House.And, after tea, what could be nicer than a game of croquet?
Point Ellice House was built in 1867 for the O'Reilly family who lived in it until it became a historic site. The interior of the house is pretty much as it was when they lived there in Victoria's early days. Apparently they never threw anything away. (We all know someone like that.) But it's wonderful that they kept so much because all those household furnishings, knick-knacks and little personal items make it seem like they just left yesterday and will be back soon. They were definitely upper crust and an invitation to the O'Reilly's meant you had really made it.On the left is a photo of Peter O'Reilly. As Gold Commissioner during the gold rush here in British Columbia he was a very important man. On the right is a photo of his wife, Caroline. They had four children, one of whom died young. The other three lived in the house all their lives except for the time they spent schooling in England.

Point Ellice House is open to the public for a modest charge and is a fascinating place to visit within a few minutes drive from downtown Victoria.I'll close this post with a photo of one of the rooms of the house, looking as though it is just waiting for the O'Reillys to return from some outing.

Rock Bay

Victoria is not all parks and groves and delightful little bays with seawall walkways. It has its industrial side as well although tourism and government are probably the primary employers. I've mentioned the Gorge before as a long arm of the ocean that reaches into Victoria. The Inner Harbor is the first area on this arm. After passing under the Johnson Street Bridge, the Gorge enters the predominantly industrial neighborhood known as Rock Bay, pictured above. The photo below is just to the right of the above shot and shows the backside of buildings on Store Street in downtown Victoria. The Johnson Street bridge is directly to the right side of the photo below and the Bay Street (Point Ellice) Bridge is just to the left of the photo above. And if all that doesn't confuse you thoroughly, I give up.