TIMES COLONIST
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timescolonist.com
ADVERTISING FEATURE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011
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www.downtownvictoria.ca
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Y O U R S E L F DOWNTOWN VICTORIA B U S I N E S S A S S O C I AT I O N COMMITTED TO THE CORE
The story Behind the architecture
photographer: JAY ADAMS The Victoria Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Today’s Parliament Buildings occupy the same site as the original government buildings, built for the Colony of Vancouver Island, in 1859.
KATHLEEN RYAN-LLOYD A closer look at our Legislative Assembly Buildings
Kathleen Ryan-Lloyd works as a reference librarian at the Legislative Library of British Columbia and has contributed to the governments needs. On February 10, 1898 legislators, government officials, and members of the public gathered in Victoria to celebrate the opening of British Columbia’s most famous landmark: the Legislative Buildings. The Buildings celebrated their centennial this February with legislators holding a special one-day session to mark the occasion and hundreds of visitors descending on the capitol to explore the historic structure. The Buildings have a dual role: they serve as a focus for local tourism and they are also home to British Columbia’s parliamentary. This article looks at the controversy which marked the Buildings’ earliest years, resulting in excessive cost overruns, and eventually, the downfall of our political government. British Columbia’s magnificent Parliament Buildings have been acclaimed over the years by legislators, tourists and Victorians alike. In 1901 King George V praised them and Ottawa’s Parliament Buildings as the two finest examples of
architecture in the Dominion. However, few admirers know of the saga of the Buildings’ construction, shaped by the project’s eccentric architect, and of course, the politicians of the day. Today’s Parliament Buildings occupy the same site as the original government buildings, built for the Colony of Vancouver Island, in 1859. The construction of the government buildings was criticized by many opponents. Their cost, location and the fact that they were built without the consent of Parliament were points of concern. However, as the $100,000 cost was defrayed by Hudson’s Bay Company funds, Governor James Douglas chose
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Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, the Queen’s Printer and the Legislative Assembly. They served their purposes adequately for many years, but by the late 1880’s they had become dilapidated and too small to accommodate the government of a growing province. The Birdcages had no temperature control and were even publicly criticized in Victoria’s Daily Colonist on March 16, 1893 as giving the impression of “a sordid narrow-minded and uncultivated State or Province”. Theodore Davie, M.L.A. for Victoria City, first raised the suggestion of replacing the Birdcages in the Legislative Assembly on February 6, 1889.
Sixty-five designs were submitted under pseudonyms from architects across North America.
to ignore his critics and ordered construction to proceed. The original government buildings were built of wood and brick, featuring bracketed eaves, dark cream framework and brickwork painted different shades of red. Their quaint architectural styling was somewhat suggestive of Chinese pagodas, and hence they were commonly referred to as the “Birdcages”. They consisted of five buildings, originally used as an administrative building, a courthouse, the office of the
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When he asked the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, Forbes Vernon, if the Government had any intention of budgeting for “replacing the present Legislative Hall with a [more]... suitable building”, Vernon replied that the government did not feel justified in “incurring the expenditure necessary to construct new legislative buildings” and instead the Government intended “to make the present building sufficiently commodious for all
requirements.” However, the need for improved facilities remained, and within 3 years Davie himself had become Premier and he worked to secure political support for a new “commodious” building to house the government of BC. The Davie administration set out to search for a building design that would be functional as well as visually impressive. The government allotted $75,000 to the Department of Public Works in March 1892 for the costs associated with managing a design contest. Notice was sent throughout Canada and the United States. Contest guidelines stated that the building should be fire proof and that the designs should accommodate four distinct uses: an administration office, the legislative chamber, the land registry office and the majestic Queen’s Printer. Sixty-five designs were submitted under pseudonyms from architects across North America. The two contest judges, A. G. Taylor of Montreal and W.S. Curry of Toronto studied the plans and came up with a short list of five candidates, which included a picturesque sketch signed by “A B.C. Architect.” In March 1893, a government committee selected the final winner: the “B.C. architect”, Francis Mawson Rattenbury. Rattenbury’s nom de plume was a clever hint to the contest judges that by selecting his design, they were awarding the contract to an architect from British Columbia. However, Rattenbury had only recently arrived from England, and he was just 25-years old. He explained to the judges that his design was intended to express confidence in the promise of British Columbia. Some research sources suggest that Rattenbury’s own self-confidence was in inverse proportion to his experience: at this point he had only assisted with the design of perhaps two other building projects. Throughout the past century, the Parliament Buildings have proudly served the people of British Columbia as the key symbol of our provincial heritage. Rattenbury’s magnificent design boasted 70,000 Admirers in 18994, and continues to draw twice that number of visitors today and now happily sit downtown in Victoria’s beautiful Inner Harbour.
FIVE Rifflandia acts you don’t want to miss MIKE DEVLIN Postmedia News
AWOLNATION. A huge hit among modern rock fans, the project is helmed by Aaron Bruno is a wildly erratic affair, with its mish-mash of styles (rock, folk, electro) at its core. He's too over-the-top by half, but the band's big hit, Sail, will have the audience in fits — guaranteed. Royal Athletic Park, Saturday, 4 p.m.
The Coup. The big afro of Boots Riley will loom large at the Phillips stage, though the music of this Bay Area group will stand taller and much mightier. Its mix of militant funk and true school hip-hop is a feverish delight — comfort food for the ears and soul. Phillips Brewery, Thursday, 11:30 p.m. Giant Sand. The first-ever local performance by Tucson's Giant Sand should have the indie faithful out in force on Saturday. There's not one description that properly fits this band, as they do everything from acid folk to sand dune rock with an out-there musical dexterity. Performing at the Alix Golden Hall, Saturday, 11:30 p.m. Sage Francis. In the realm of angst-ridden rap, there are few who compete, in terms of intensity, with Sage Francis. From Rhode Island the rhymer, who is touring his fourth album, which features an oddball mix of contributions from Buck 65, Sparklehorse and members of Death Cab For Cutie and Calexico. At sugar, Friday, 12:30 a.m. L.A. Riots. The opening night of Rifflandia usually always has the sleeper success, and this talented L.A. duo could take that honour in 2011. The group brings its manic grooves to the checkered dancefloor of Club 9ONE9 opening night, as fitting a place as any would before this boogie-friendly throwback. Club 9ONE9, tonight, at 12:30 a.m.
www.spca.ca to Adopt today!
photographer: B. MOORE Lead singer, Aaron Bruno jumps on the shoulders of heros and giants