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2010 Tours and Excursions of The Old Cemeteries Society of VictoriaTour are given in daylight hours only. City by-laws do not allow entrance of the cemetery after dark. Sunday Cemetery History Tours: Meet at 1:45 pm in front of Starbucks Coffee, Fairfield Plaza, 1516 Fairfield Rd. Others start where noted. Tour starts at 2:00 pm. Charge: $5 for non-members; $2 for members. No reservations needed. Tours are held regardless of weather. Phone 250-598-8870. February 21. Heritage Week. The theme across BC this year is the heritage of sports and recreation. Dave Unwin of the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame leads this brand new tour. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca February 28. Black History. In the 1850s and 1860s Victoria was a haven for blacks escaping racism in California and many are buried at Ross Bay Cemetery. A joint tour by the Old Cemeteries Society and BC Black History Awareness Society. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca March 7. At Death's Door. Popular storyteller Glenn Perlstrom has dug into his macabre files for some of the most amazing stories of sudden and unexpected deaths and deadly epidemics. Not for the squeamish! Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca March 14. Travels in the Interior. A brand new tour will look at the fascinating methods of transportation in BC's Interior during the gold-rush and colonial eras. Stories to be told on the graves of such transportation pioneers as the Barnard family, famous for stages to Cariboo. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 -no reservations needed. 250-598-8870. March 21. Vandalized Stones. This is a topic we would prefer not to be including, but vandalism in 2009 was high at Ross Bay Cemetery. This team tour will visit many of the damaged graves and tell the history of the families buried in them. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca March 28. San Juan Island Connections. The famous Pig War was occupying the minds of Victorians 150 years ago. Ross Bay Cemetery has many people linked to that unusual skirmish and to San Juan Island in general. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca April 4. Chinese Cemetery. In honour of Ching Ming (grave sweeping day), Victoria City Councillor Charlayne Thornton-Joe leads a tour of this National Historic Site. Meet at the cemetery, foot of Crescent Road, off King George Terrace. Tour begins 2pm. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca April 11. Family Connections. The Parker family of Rocky Point Farm in Metchosin was a large and well-known one in early Victoria. In this new tour Dr. Sylvia Van Kirk will weave the tales of the various branches of the family who are buried at Ross Bay Cemetery into a captivating story. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. April 17. Saturday. Chocolate Easter Lily Tea at St. Peter's Quamichan Church. Spend an enjoyable day on this coach excursion to one of BC's most picturesque country churchyards. Chocolate will be one of the main attractions for the church's first annual Chocolate Lily Festival. Join us for the day during which we will also explore a few Cowichan Valley back roads to visit other heritage cemeteries. Lunch included. $75 per person. Full payment due with registration. Deadline March 15th. April 18. Royal Oak Burial Park. Under the rolling lawns of Royal Oak lie many famous and not-so-famous Victorians with life stories that will be recounted in today's tour by retired English professor, Dr. Bill Magee. Meet inside the main gates at 4673 Falaise Drive. Tour begins 2pm. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca April 25. Royal Canadian Navy Centennial. In honour of the 100th anniversary of the RCN's founding, Tom Pound has gathered many incredible accounts to illustrate Victoria's close links to the Maritime Command. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca May 2. Permanent Architects. Victoria has been home to many talented architects and Ross Bay Cemetery has become the final resting place for a good number of them. Strangely enough, few have elaborate memorials and some have none at all. Joyce Mackie will tell their stories. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 May 9. Fabulous Flora. One of our most popular tours. Fred Hook and Jennifer Lort use their vast knowledge of plants to explain the amazing lore about Ross Bay Cemetery's trees and shrubs. Always different from their previous tours. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca May 12. Wednesday. 7:30pm OCS Spring Meeting at James Bay New Horizons, 234 Menzies St. May 16. Ross Bay Cemetery Open House. A special event about Ross Bay Cemetery and the work of the Old Cemeteries Society. Find out about our restoration work, cataloguing, research and educational programs. Meet between 2-4 pm in front of Ross Bay Villa, 1490 Fairfield Rd. near Arnold Ave. (across the street from Ross Bay Cemetery). Groups will proceed to the cemetery from there. By donation. May 23. The Gorge of Summers Gone. It was on this Victoria Day weekend in 1896 that an overloaded streetcar plunged into the Gorge killing 55 people. This is just one of the many stories to be told by Dennis Minaker, researcher and author about the Gorge Waterway. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 May 30. St. Paul's Naval and Garrison Church. To mark the church's 150th anniversary, this special tour organized by Sherri Robinson will feature the beautiful stained glass windows and a chance to hear the historic organ in action. Meet at the church, 1379 Esquimalt Rd. Tour begins 2pm. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca June 6. Jewish Cemetery. This is BC's oldest continuously operating cemetery and is now 150 years old. Learn about its history, Jewish burial customs, interesting new monuments and stories about the Jewish pioneers buried here. Men please wear hats. Meet outside the cemetery gates, Cedar Hill at Fernwood Rd. Tour begins 2pm. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca June 13. Colonial Folks. Many of the people who lived and worked during the colonial periods on Vancouver Island and the BC mainland are at Ross Bay Cemetery. Retired history professor Dr. Sylvia Van Kirk has been researching their stories and she and a team of storytellers will present today's tour. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca June 20. City Fathers. This is our annual tour to some of the graves of the men (and women) who have provided civic leadership in the Greater Victoria region. This year's tour will be conducted by Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin, in conjunction with members of the Old Cemeteries Society. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 June 27. Roses. Many old cemeteries are homes to heritage roses and Ross Bay Cemetery is no exception. Today's tour will be conducted by members of the Canadian Rose Society who have been documenting roses at Ross Bay, BC's most famous Victorian cemetery. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. July 4. Gossip in the Graveyard is a lively tour about many scoundrels, characters and eccentrics at Ross Bay Cemetery you won't find in your history books! Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca July 11. Gold Rush! is about some of the colourful men and women buried at Ross Bay Cemetery who made history in the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858 and other gold rushes. New stories every year. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca July 18. Gossip in the Graveyard is a lively tour about many scoundrels, characters and eccentrics at Ross Bay Cemetery you won't find in your history books! Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 July 25. Gold Rush! is about some of the colourful men and women buried at Ross Bay Cemetery who made history in the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858 and other gold rushes. New stories every year. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Aug. 1. Gossip in the Graveyard is a lively tour about many scoundrels, characters and eccentrics at Ross Bay Cemetery you won't find in your history books! Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 Aug. 8. Obon Ceremony at 2 pm at the Kakehashi Monument in the SW corner of Ross Bay Cemetery. (Traditional Japanese Buddhist ceremony for the dead.) A brief tour to Japanese graves will follow the ceremony. $5, no reservations required. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Aug. 15. Gold Rush! is about some of the colourful men and women buried at Ross Bay Cemetery who made history in the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858 and other gold rushes. New stories every year. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Aug. 22. Gossip in the Graveyard is a lively tour about many scoundrels, characters and eccentrics at Ross Bay Cemetery you won't find in your history books! Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 Aug. 29. Gold Rush! is about some of the colourful men and women buried at Ross Bay Cemetery who made history in the Fraser River Gold Rush of 1858 and other gold rushes. New stories every year. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Sept. 5. Craigflower Country. Local historian Maureen Duffus has written extensively about the Western Communities and has selected some of her favourite stories about people from that area who are buried at Ross Bay Cemetery for today's tour. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Sept. 12. Descendants Tour. A group of people descended from some of Ross Bay Cemetery's permanent residents will conduct today's tour and recount stories about their families and Victoria's formative years. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 Sept. 19. Musical Interlude. Today's tour focuses on the extensive musical life of Victoria during the 1800s. Ross Bay Cemetery is the final resting place of many music teachers, professional and amateur musicians and impresarios. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 Sept. 26. Epitaphs. Back by popular demand, Yvonne Van Ruskenveld has continued her study of Ross Bay Cemetery's epitaphs and will conduct today's tour to highlight some of her most interesting finds. Sad, whimsical, serious, bizarre and humorous ones are all included. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 Oct. 3. Emily Carr Tour. Visit Emily's grave and those of many people she knew and wrote about and hear excerpts from Emily's books. Emily's grave is one of the most visited at Ross Bay Cemetery. This tour is always a favourite. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Oct. 10. Odd Fellows. Who were the Odd Fellows and why were they "odd"? The Independent Order of Odd Fellows still exists and is celebrating its 146th year in Victoria. Find out who some of the prominent members were in the 1800s and how to interpret the symbols on their graves. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Oct. 17. "Awake and Dreaming" is the name of Kit Pearson's award-winning juvenile fiction novel that features a ghost at Ross Bay Cemetery. The author leads this popular tour and reads excerpts on the graves that inspired her writing. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 Oct. 24. Women's History. One of the highlights of Women's History Month is Yvonne Van Ruskenveld's annual tour with new stories about famous, daring, heroic, forgotten and sometimes unusual women buried at Ross Bay Cemetery. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Oct. 22-29. Ghost Bus-tours© . Our 17th annual bus excursion past some of Victoria's most haunted sites. New route and many new stories. Reserve your seat early. Check the website www.discoverthepast.com for details. Oct. 31. Annual Ghost Tour. Tours depart in front of Starbucks Coffee, Fairfield Plaza, every 15 minutes from 1 to 3 pm to accommodate large numbers. This is always the Old Cemeteries Society's most popular tour of the year. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 Nov. 7. Remembrance Tour. John Azar conducts his annual tour to veterans' graves, with his fascinating stories of the people and their times, from the Crimean War to the present day. Meet at the Veterans' Cemetery, one of Victoria's most picturesque. Access off Colville Rd. near the Base Hospital. Tour begins 2pm. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Nov. 10. Wednesday. 7:30pm OCS Fall Meeting at James Bay New Horizons, 234 Menzies St. Nov. 14. Murder Most Foul. Michael Halleran takes us to graves of murderers and their victims and tells the grisly tales he has found in coroners' files and old newspapers. Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Nov. 21. Church of St. John the Divine. This historic church started life in 1860 as the "Iron Church" and moved into its present building in 1912. Learn about its history and tour the sanctuary and columbarium. Meet at the entrance to the offices, at the rear of the church, 1611 Quadra St. Tour begins 2pm. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 Nov. 28. CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. The last of our tours in honour of the Royal Canadian Navy Centennial. Tour this special museum in the historic naval hospital building beside the former parade square. Meet at the museum inside the CFB Esquimalt Base. Enter the main base gate off Admirals Road. After passing the check point follow the signs to the museum. Tour begins 2pm. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca Dec. 5. Old Burying Ground Christmas Tour. Christmas and holiday stories from Victoria of old will delight and amaze you. New tales and old favourites. Meet at the corner of Quadra Street and Rockland Avenue. Tour begins 2pm. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 Dec. 12. Ross Bay Christmas Tour. John Adams continues the yuletide theme with more warm-hearted and humorous stories, including many about Emily Carr. A holly wreath will be placed on Emily Carr's family plot, an annual tradition of the Old Cemeteries Society (Emily's birthday is December 13.) Tour begins 2pm in front of Starbucks, Fairfield Plaza. $5 - no reservations needed. 250-598-8870 or www.oldcem.bc.ca CUSTOMIZED CEMETERY TOURS The Old Cemeteries Society offers customized walking history tours to suit your groups need. A unique way to learn about history, folklore and culture through guided walking tours at Ross Bay Cemetery. Our guides weave the threads of individual lives into a broad tapestry of the history and culture represented in this beautiful heritage site. |
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