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Victoria
is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the
southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Coast less than
one hour from Vancouver in Canada or Seattle in the USA. As an island destination, Victoria offers visitors an escape from the hurried world and beams with ambiance. It's a city of beautiful contrasts, where the elegance of history mingles with the panache of modern life. Named after Queen Victoria of the united Kingdom, Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest, with the second oldest Chinatown in North America after San Francisco's. Vancouver Island's aboriginal heritage and culture thrives in Victoria with First Nations towering totem poles, standing as a reminder of the region's founding civilization, which took hold on the rugged island a millennium before the time of Columbus and Cabot. When the gold rush began (mid 19th century) Victoria grew into a wild frontier city almost overnight. The population increased tenfold in one year as businesses sprang up to serve the needs of thousands of miners of European and Asian descent, who arrived in the city, joining the British, French-Canadians, Metis and Hawaiians who were already here. The evidence of these cultural influences is everywhere in Victoria. Some of the city's most impressive structures, such as the Parliament Buildings and the Fairmont Empress Hotel, were built around the Inner Harbour. | ||||||||
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Today,
Victoria is consistently named among the best cities in North America,
with recent accolades as the Most Cultured City and Smartest City in Canada,
Most Romantic City in Canada, Top Destination and City in Canada. Known
as the "City of Gardens", with its sub-Mediterranean climate,
Victoria is an attractive city and a popular tourism destination. The
world famous Butchart Gardens, with over a million visitors each year,
is one of the world's premier floral show gardens. Victoria's traditional elegance boasts a youthful energy that's vividly apparent in the city's arts and culture scene. A truly vibrant synthesis - refined and sophisticated, bohemian and alternative - Victoria's pulse can be felt in the theatres, art galleries and concert halls, as well as on indoor and outdoor stages throughout the city. Victoria has a proud history of hosting world class events and festivals, such as Victoria International Jazz Festival, Pacific Baroque Festival, Fringe Festival, Victoria International Accordion Festival etc... Victoria Conservatory of Music enriches lives through music by fostering a thriving community of musicians and music lovers who celebrate the teaching, learning and performance of music at all levels. Today, the VCM's highly respected and acclaimed faculty inspires over 1,500 students, as they learn an extensive variety of disciplines including keyboard, strings, brass, wind, voice, jazz, percussion, composition and theory. | ||||||||
Above
and below: The venue for the Coupe Mondiale Competitions - the famed
'Alix Goolden Performance Hall'
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