The Tragic Story of a Girl Called Blanche Her name is largely unknown today, but during her short sixteen years on earth, she experienced more trauma and sadness than is impossible to imagine. Eliza Blanche Baker (always known as Blanche) was born in 1860 in Surrey, England, but eventually came to Canada with her father, […]
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Traditions of Victoria Day Every year the traditional “May 24th” holiday, the anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birthday, occurs on a different date. This year it is early – on Monday, 20th May. The holiday weekend consists of celebrations ranging from a parade, boating, festivals and even, on one memorable occasion in 1896, a tragedy. According
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When a Princess Came to Town Although Queen Victoria herself never visited British Columbia’s capital city named for her, one of her four daughters, Princess Louise, (her sixth child,) came to Victoria in September 1882, with her husband, the Marquis of Lorne. She loved the city so much that she urged her husband to prolong
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On January 5, 1907, a woman called Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, was laid to rest at Westminster Abbey in London, England. At the time, King Edward VII was reported to have said that “. . . after my mother (Queen Victoria), she was the most remarkable woman in the kingdom.” So who was this woman? She
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Today, Smugglers’ Cove in my home town of Victoria, British Columbia, is a peaceful place where families visit to picnic or just admire the scenery. Not so a few decades ago! The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria, is known for many things today—tea at the Empress Hotel, the world-famous Butchart Gardens, and all the
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A STUDENT OF LIFE A STUDENT OF LIFE A STUDENT OF LIFE A STUDENT OF LIFE A STUDENT OF LIFE A STUDENT OF LIFE A STUDENT OF LIFE A STUDENT OF LIFE A STUDENT OF LIFE A STUDENT OF LIFE February is Black History Month, honouring the triumphs and struggles of numerous African Americans throughout
Tomorrow, June 2nd, will mark sixty-seven years since a young Princess was crowned Queen in London, England, in 1953. Elizabeth II was following in the path of her illustrious ancestors. Exactly 462 years earlier in 1491, one of her ancestors, King Henry VIII, known primarily for the number of wives he had, was born that
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A QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY A QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY A QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY Lately I have been pondering on the passing of time and in particular on certain dates throughout history—like May 24th for instance—a Queen’s birthday anniversary celebrated every year on the Monday preceding May 24th. This year in my hometown of Victoria, British Columbia, the holiday will
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