Current Issues
Tickets for Victoria’s Original Ghost Bus Tours are now on sale
Download
document for more information [download]
Vic 150 Celebrations
For a complete listing of events, tours and programs see www.victoria.ca/cityvibe.
“1862: and Beyond”
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OCS was successful in receiving a grant from the 150 People and Places program to assist in producing a booklet titled “1862: and Beyond” about daily life and events in Victoria in 1862, the year of Victoria’s incorporation. The British Colonist newspaper is the basis for much of the information, presented chronologically. Numerous annotations and biographies of selected 1862 arrivals provide more information about some of the people, events and places mentioned in the newspaper articles. Illustrations include archival portraits and photos of gravesites of key people in 1862 events.
The booklet is a special edition of the OCS journal “Stories in Stone” for Spring 2012. Members receive a free copy, with additional copies for $5. Copies have been provided to Greater Victoria schools, the Greater Victoria Public Library and local community archives.
To obtain a copy please contact OCS at 250.598.8870 or oldcem@pacificcoast.net. |
“Victoria in 1862” Symposium
OCS, Hallmark Heritage Society and the Victoria Historical Society are co-hosting this event being held on September 29 and 30, 9 a.m. at the historic Oddfellows Hall, 1315 Douglas Street.
Historians present a range of fascinating talks on the subject of Victoria in 1862. Subjects include "First Nations," "Arrivals in 1862," "The Chinese Presence," "Policing in 1862," "Bridges & Transportation," "Breweries & Saloons," "The Effects of the Civil War on Victoria," "Buildings from 1862" (a talk and tour), as well as a tour of Ross Bay Cemetery. Lunch is included and a historically themed breakfast is planned. Registration [download here] is required.
Pioneer Square (Old Burying Ground) Planning Project
Approximately 75 people attended the second Open house on March 28, 2012; 50 survey/questionnaires were completed and received. In addition, several people took paper copies or information on how to access the online survey with them so they could complete the survey later. Generally, the feedback was good - most supported the vision statement and the general ideas and goals in the plan although there were some discussion and feedback around some of the specifics.
The survey and display boards are now available on the City's website along with a copy of the draft plan. There is a link to the information at
www.victoria.ca under Latest News. The online survey will be open until April 16th.
After the survey closes, the results will be compiled, potential revisions to the management plan will be identified and the Pioneer Square Advisory
Group will meet again.
The OCS website has a Pioneer Square (Old Burying Ground) section at http://www.oldcem.bc.ca/cem_pn.htm
Ross Bay Row Marker Project - see example
Project update April 2012
Thanks to the Thrifty Foods Smile Card Program and generous donations from our membership, we are pleased to announce the completion of Phase 3 of this
project. Row markers are now placed in three "belts" across the cemetery from Memorial Crescent to St. Charles Lane. One belt is on plot #75 near
Fairfield Road, one is across the middle of the cemetery on plot #40, and one is on plot #1 on the Dallas Road side of the cemetery. These markers are
placed in every second row. There are about 50 markers in each belt.
The next phase will entail locating markers at strategic points along the formal pathways of the cemetery.
Dec 5, 2009 - Another path of destruction!
On Friday morning almost 50 headstones were found damaged at Ross Bay
Cemetery. Representatives from the Old Cemeteries Society executive attended
the scene of the crime on Saturday morning to list and photograph the
damage.
We have attached a few pictures of some damaged markers. The swath
seems to have started at the south east corner at St Charles Lane and ended
by the washrooms at Memorial Crescent.
The City Parks Dept. was very quick
to address the problem by reporting the vandalism to Police and authorizing
Mortimer's Monumental Works to start work immediately. 23 monuments were
repaired immediately and the remaining will be attended to on Monday
December 7, 2009. We will be notifying any descendants we have in our
records. Another senseless act of cowardice.
Read the Times Colonist Article
Aug 2009 Recent Vandalism at Ross Bay Cemetery -
- CTV News
Vandalism - has been a problem in RBC throughout its existence.
Read more about cemetery vandalism
City of Victoria - Parks Division - Cemeteries | 
