Today marks the beginning of our five day adventure to the B.C. Provincial Heritage Fair. The Richmond delegation said adieu to our parents at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and headed aboard.
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| Tristen and Irene watching the water on the ferry. |
It was such a sunny day and the sailing across the Straight of Georgia was smooth and offered some spectacular sights and great photo opportunities. Irene and Tristen looked for whales but sadly didn't spot anything other than sail boats.
After a quick stop at the airport to pick up our fellow students from Northern BC and the interior, we arrived at UVic. First on the agenda was a tour of the First Peoples House. Designed by Alfred Waugh, it was built to serve as a cultural and academic hub for indigenous students. We were told the stories behind the carved welcome poles and the houses posts and then got the chance to go inside the main hall.
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| Entering the First Peoples House. |
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| Inside the First Peoples House hall. |
This space is used for many different types of indigenous ceremonies and has many different elements in its design that remind us of the different groups who have lived off this land for thousands of years, such as the intricate and colourful carvings and the cedar siding that resembles a skillfully woven basket.
After refuelling with a few slices of dinner, we dropped our bags off in our room before gathering for a walking tour of campus. Our group headed to the Student Union Building first and got a chance to talk about all the different clubs they have at UVic, which even includes a Quidditch club! Next we headed to CARSA, the new sports facility that opened in May which had an incredible rock climbing wall right in the centre of the building.
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| Amazing climbing wall in CARSA. |
We stopped at the Cornet, the psychology building, which supposedly has UVic's only resident ghost. Fun fact - the building's design was inspired by the human brain!
After a few more stops along the quad, we finished up in front of the library and headed off to have Professor John Lutz tell us all about UVic's amazing history program. Some of the things that our budding historians were interested in were:
- Great Canadian Unsolved Mysteries (www.canadianmysteries.ca)
- Unique courses like 10 days that changed the world, which brings in 10 guest speakers to talk about one day that they think had the most significant impact on the world
- Hands-On History opportunities, such as public history, oral history and digital history projects, as well as a new initiative called Landscapes of Injustice about the internment of Japanese Canadians during WWII (www.landscapesofinjustice.com)
- Chances to experience history first-hand through the field schools (ethnohistory with Stolo, colonial legacies in South Africa, I-witness Holocaust program) and exchanges around the world
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| Ending our tour of UVic outside of the library fountain. |
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