A Victorious Victorian Venture

March 10

Our Vancouver Island Thursday adventure began with a sick diner joint– Floyd’s Diner. We were greeted with trendy tunes in the background and a combination of modern and 50s retro decor. I ordered “The Mahoney”, a random dish from the back of the kitchen. What arrived was a thick layer of golden potatoes topped by four fluffy pancakes with ham and scallions mixed into the dough. On top of that, a layer of 4 sunny side up eggs. Unfortunately, I failed to defeat the wonderful monstrosity, but soon enough it was time for us to do some walking…to the van!

After a scenic drive through the deep green mountains of the island, we arrived to a hidden Eden: The Butchart Gardens. Originally a limestone quarry, the unused site began to transform starting in 1904 by the efforts of Jennie Butchart. Like many other BC places we’ve visited, the gardens still continue to display remnants of the past. Unexpectedly, one can find cultural diversity blossoming even in what began as a woman’s backyard: a dragon donated by China, celebrating a historic connection of immigrants between Victoria and Asia. A fountain of three sturgeons, displaying a story of the Indigenous connection to the land. Even a torri, a Japanese gate, to welcome you to the Japanese Garden. 

(Three Sturgeons)

Many photos later, we headed back towards the city. A quick drive into a seemingly normal park awaited us. We were at Mile Zero, the start of the over 8,000 km Trans-Canada Highway! Only a couple of hundred feet away stood a statue of Canadian legend and inspiration Terry Fox. Terry was only eighteen when he had to get his leg amputated because of bone cancer. At Mile 0 he began his cross-country tour across Canada, showing his great physical and mental strength. Sadly, near the halfway mark, Fox passed away, but his memory still continues on.

Just down the street stood the world’s tallest totem pole– 127 glorious feet of carved Kwakwaka'wakw figures. We’ve seen a number of totem poles littered across the city. Extremely important in the indigenous cultures of BC, they tell stories, warn travelers, give advice; some figures included are the Sunman, the Thunderbird, and a two-headed serpent.

A quick lunch at a charming little café, the Good Earth Coffeehouse, and we were ready to explore the Royal BC Museum. The museum focuses on the natural history of the area, including life size exhibits of forest trees, seals on sea rocks, and hunting bears. Currently there is an amazing exhibit on the history of orcas. It covers their biology to the cultural obsession and soon wanted protection of the sea animals. Until recently, the museum had an entire floor dedicated to the First Peoples. In January, the wing was closed after a number of indigenous activists questioned the narrative that the Royal BC provides for the public. Though I was interested to see how it compared to other museum perspectives, it is wonderful to see accountability and respect finally being taken into account when approaching anthropological history. In response to the news, the museum's current CEO, Danial Muzyka said this: ““Decolonization of the museum’s galleries is important and long overdue… to begin the long-term work of creating new narratives that include under-represented voices and reflect the lived experiences and contemporary stories of the people in BC.” This is fascinating to me because of what I hope to talk about in my final project, the ethical situation of BC’s museums on indigenous people. This reconciliation with truth shows that recent progress is being made with the loud discourse on how accurate indigenous history is displayed. We wrapped the day up with a 3D IMAX documentary about Australia, sticking to the museums' nature theme. Enormous crocodiles, tiny kangaroos, and translucent spiders loomed above us.

(Killer Whales, Doug Cranmer)

We wrapped our day up with some super crispy fried chicken from Chimac and ice cream from Chocolat & Co. Over dinner we had plenty of laughs and another intense curling match to watch. With one more day left, Global Studies is ready for our last day of adventure.

-Yasmin S.