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2010 Tours and Excursions of The Old Cemeteries Society of VictoriaTours given in daylight hours only. City by-laws prohibit 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. Charge: $5 for non-members; $2 for members. No reservations needed. Tours are held regardless of weather. Phone 250-598-8870. 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: RCN 100. In honour of the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy, John Azar’s annual Remembrance Week tour will focus on stories of the people and events that reflect the naval history of this region. 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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