A Historical Day in Victoria

28 April 2016Benett L, Privett ‘18 & Ravi R, Rogers ‘18; Photo by Daniel M, Ellis ‘18

They say Victoria is the place where the “nearly dead” and the “newly wed” reside. Most of the Grade 10 class, however, left school after their first block on Friday April 22nd to witness the deep history and culture that can be found within the city. They were heading down to the southern part of the Island to Victoria, where they would learn about various historical events and cultures of early British Columbia and Vancouver Island.

The students split into groups and departed on different journeys throughout Victoria including the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Chinatown, the Royal British Columbia Museum, and Bastion Square.

The tour of the Legislative Assembly was an eye-opening experience. The students got to walk around inside the building and learn about the history of the legislative building and the BC government. The group was led by Ms. Amiel. By the end of the day, the students left the building with a much deeper understanding as to how our provincial government works.

In the Bastion Square group, students learned about the history of Victoria while gathered at the original site of Fort Victoria. The students learned about the culture of the First Nations that inhabited that area as well as the monuments that were important to them. From there they learned about how Victoria grew into the city it is today and its rise to the status as our province’s capital.

The students who traveled to Chinatown indulged in the renowned culture of the area. They learned about life of the Chinese immigrants living in western Canada and the hardships they had to overcome. Three groups were in Chinatown that day with teachers Ms. Hall, Mr. Wismer, and Ms. Mullins. Nic H, Ellis ‘18, Will P, Whittall ‘18, and Griffin K, Rogers ‘18 all shared the joy of purchasing Chinese rice hats on their trip. Lauchlan M, Privett ‘18 noted “There is lots of rich history here.”

The last group of students went to the Royal British Columbia Museum where they studied the exhibits of the early European culture in Victoria. The museum took the students through a virtual world of Victoria in the mid 1800s. Students moved at their own pace and studied the various examples of daily life that the museum extensively displayed.

At the end of the day all groups hopped back onto the Brentwood bus to return to campus just in time for their Arts. Each student left Victoria with a greater understanding of the life and development of our home, Vancouver Island.

Benett L, Privett ‘18 & Ravi R, Rogers ‘18; Photo by Daniel M, Ellis ‘18

Where Students Choose To Be