Arcadia in Canada – Victoria and Vancouver.

Cozumel 6 June 2011


Hello readers Nigel is back with you.

Canada is the world’s second largest country by total area, it consists of ten provinces and three territories. It has two official languages English and French, the Queen is its head of state.

Today I am going to tell you about Victoria and Vancouver, our two Canadian ports of call on our Grand Alaskan Adventure.

On 22 May we called at Victoria, which is on Vancouver Island and part of British Columbia. It was named after Queen Victoria and has a population of 78,000. It reminds its visitors of the UK because of its architecture and laid back atmosphere.

British Columbia itself is four times the size of the UK and Vancouver Island is 290 miles long and 50 miles wide, there is a lot of space out here!

Victoria is a really fine city, we were docked about a 30 minute walk from the centre, its nickname is the ‘City of Gardens’. There was so very much do and see so it was fortunate that we spent the whole day and evening in port.

There were nine shore excursions available from a ‘Whale Watching Tour’, to a ‘Victoria Ale and Brewery’, no guesses to which one I would have chosen!

On 23 May we reached the vast land of the Canadian Rockies, and the glorious city of Vancouver, ringed with soaring mountains. Vancouver is everyone’s favourite city, it’s great for walking, and like Victoria has fantastic parks. Six tours were available to our passengers from Vancouver, but a great many people just went off on their own to explore this great city.

Vancouver has a diverse ethnic mix with a Chinatown, Punjabi Market, Little Italy, Greektown and Japantown, it’s fantastic for foodies! The Chinese are by far the largest visible ethnic group in the city. You can never spend enough time in this city and I am sure a week’s holiday there would be wonderful.

I hope you enjoy the photo gallery today.


Victoria 22 May

A very special event happened in Victoria on 22 May.

On 18 June 1975 Captain John Crichton on board the Pacific Princess in Victoria presented a builders model of the P&O liner SS Arcadia (1954), to the Victoria Maritime Museum where it has been ever since. The model was of the SS Arcadia that was in service with the company from 22 February 1954 to 30 April 1979. She was 29,734gt and carried 670 First Class passengers, 735 Tourist Class and 716 ship’s company.

The Maritime Museum thought it would be a great idea to bring the model of this past SS Arcadia (1954), to meet its latest sister in Victoria! It was very special occasion for all of us but especially our Chief Engineer David Jewkes. He joined SS Arcadia (1954), in San Francisco on 6 July 1973 as an Engineer Cadet! David was being reunited with his very first P&O Ship after a very long time indeed!

Left to right, Victoria ships' agent Greg McAllister, Chief Engineer David Jewkes, Captain Kevin Opray, Executive Purser Sharma Dalgit and your blogger with the model of SS Arcadia (1954).

Myself with the model of SS Arcadia (1954).

Left to right, Executive Purser Sharma Dalgit, Chief Engineer David Jewkes, Captain Kevin Opray, and myself with the model of SS Arcadia (1954), with the ever so slightly larger MV Arcadia in the background!

Myself outside the Victoria Maritime Museum where the model of SS Arcadia (1954), is on permanent display.

SS Arcadia (1954), in Victoria in the 1970s

Greg McAllister our ships agent kindly sent us these shots of SS Arcadia (1954), in Victoria in the 1970s

On Arcadia in Spinnaker Bar we have the original ships bell from the SS Arcadia (1954); the memories of this great ship live on in the present one.

This shot was kindly sent to me by Shawn J. Dake, it is SS Arcadia (1954), anchored off Juneau Alaska on 27 June 1974. A real piece of history! Shawn is a journalist who visited Arcadia in Los Angeles on 26 May.

Another shot of SS Arcadia (1954), sent to me by Shawn J. Dake, this time in Los Angeles in June 1974. It is at the same pier that the present Arcadia tied up at on 26 and 27 May on this present voyage. SS Arcadia (1954),was then doing 14 day roundtrip cruises from Los Angeles to Alaska.

It was the ‘May Long Weekend’ when we were in Victoria and Vancouver. On 22 May in Victoria there were no less than fifteen marching bands performing that afternoon in front of the Legislative Buildings of British Columbia. It was a fantastic experience to see all these bands perform, our passengers absolutely loved it. The bands were from all over the USA and Canada.

Enjoy the photos of them!

The Knowledge Totem Pole

This is in the grounds of the Legislative Buildings of British Columbia.

The Empress Hotel

This fine building was completed in 1908, it retains its Victorian elegance and it one of Canada’s most luxurious hotels.

This beautiful sculpture was commissioned to celebrate the 100 anniversary of the Canadian Navy. The Legislative Buildings of British Columbia can be seen in the background.
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Two old sea salts!

The Legislative Buildings of British Columbia illuminated at night. The building dates from the late 1890s and houses the provincial legislature.

Vancouver 23 May

Arcadia at her berth at Canada Place.  We were tied up in Vancouver at this fantastic cruise terminal that is right in the heart of the city.

The Canadian Pacific Railroad Terminus was only a few minutes’ walk from our berth.

The Gastown Steam Clock

Gastown is where the city of Vancouver began in 1867 when John ‘Gassy Jack’ Deighton set up a makeshift whisky bar for lumberjacks, gold diggers and mill workers. It is now the main tourist area of Vancouver with shops, trendy bars and restaurants aplenty. The Gastown Steam Clock is the world’s first and only steam powered clock in the world. The clock whistles Westminster chimes every quarter of an hour.

The Lions Gates Bridge

The bridge was completed in 1938 and crosses the first Narrows of Burrard Inlet to link Stanley Park with West Vancouver, in other words it’s the gateway to Vancouver for all shipping! Its centre span is 1,550 feet, total length 5,890 feet and it has a ship's clearance of 200 feet.

Vancouver Rowing Club

The Rowing Club was founded in 1899 and is based in this fine building which was constructed in 1910. It is on the coast at Stanley Park which is the largest urban park in North America. I walked to the Rowing Club from Arcadia along the sea wall which only took me about twenty five minutes.

On my walk to the Rowing Club I passed a number of marinas and this cute little house boat was tied up at one of them!

Vancouver is a city of contrast, when we were there on 23 May it was glimmering in the early summer sun and looked stunning.

All the best.

Nigel