Category Archives: Events

Prince Harry Arrives on Vancouver Island to Begin New Life

Posted on by
Reply
The Duke of Sussex is spotted at Victoria International Airport, Victoria, BC, Canada after he and Meghan agreed a deal to step back as senior royals.

Prince Harry has arrived on Vancouver Island to begin his new life with Meghan and baby Archie.

The Duke of Sussex was whisked away by a car waiting on the tarmac just days after he and Meghan agreed a deal with the Queen to step back as senior royals.

Sky’s US correspondent Greg Milam, said: “It’s only a three minute drive to the house where they spent six weeks over Christmas and where the duchess returned 10 days ago to be reunited with their son.”

Harry had earlier attended the UK-Africa Investment Summit in Docklands on Monday, where met the prime minister in private for 20 minutes on the sidelines.

No aides were present during the informal “catch-up” chat in a room upstairs at the summit.

Meghan returned to Canada earlier in January after the Sussexes issued a bombshell statement saying they were stepping back as senior royals.

Harry’s departure from the UK comes after he told supporters of his Sentable charity that the couple had “no other option” on Sunday.

He told those gathered at a dinner on Sunday night: “It brings me great sadness that it has come to this. The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back is not one I made lightly.

“It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges.

“And I know I haven’t always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option.

“What I want to make clear is we’re not walking away, and we certainly aren’t walking away from you.

“Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

“I’ve accepted this, knowing that it doesn’t change who I am or how committed I am.”

Harry added that he hopes “that helps you understand what it had come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life”.

He continued: “I was born into this life, and it is a great honour to serve my country and the Queen.”

The Queen held crisis talks with Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Charles on after Harry and Meghan statement on 8 January.

A deal was later agreed where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will lose royal funds and no longer use their HRH titles from spring.

They will also repay £2.4m of taxpayers’ money spent on renovating their Frogmore Cottage home.

They will still use the property as their base when in the UK, but it is believed they will spend the majority of their time in North America.

It is not yet known who will foot the bill for the couple’s security, but justice secretary Robert Buckland told Sky News there must be a clear “line of delineation”.

“I think there is an issue about how public money is spent.

“Quite clearly there have already been arrangements made about how that family are going to live and how they are going to be able to get private income but there clearly has to be a line of delineation.

“I think we all want a family like that to be safe, but at the same time I think what really needs to happen is they need to understand how their lifestyle is to adapt and what their needs might be.”

Polar Express Fundraising Event a Huge Success

Posted on by
Reply
UC Past President Richard Burke (center, in blue), representing Harbourside Rotary, assembles his team as they prepare to provide all attendees with a healthy breakfast.

The Polar Express arrived right on time on Sunday, December 8, 2019 and they had an amazing event.  Kids and their parents arrived at the Royal BC Museum in their PJ’s, enjoyed breakfast, live entertainment and a visit from Father Christmas…all for “Free”.

Because of the generosity of 6 local businesses, “In kind” sponsorship totaled $13,300.00 and covered the entire cost of the event, but for a small royalty fee for the movie.  In addition, 13 more local businesses and fellow Harbourside Rotarians  and friends raised a whopping $15,175.00 cash, to support our school breakfast programs in our communities.   

Thank you for all your donations and support and check out the sponsorship ad in today’s Times Colonist (below) and give a big “Whoo Whoo” whistle to everyone that made this all happen for the kids. 

Festival of Trees – “Two Hearts, One Wish”

Posted on by
Reply

Festival of Trees is a cherished community tradition and has become the unofficial kick-off to the holiday season in Victoria, serving our community for the last 27 consecutive years. Thanks to sponsors, local businesses, organizations and individuals, the Bay Centre is transformed into a lush forest of beautifully decorated trees to raise funds for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. 

This year, The Union Club has sponsored tree #38.

“Two Hearts, One Wish” was founded in 2016 by “Emma”, a local Victoria girl who raises funds in support of the BC Children’s Hospital & purchases activity-craft supplies for the Surgical Daycare Centre. Emma made macrame hearts as part of her decorations for the Union Club tree. It is beautiful.

Please vote for tree #38!

How a 27-year-old DJ from Dubai Ended Up Winning Nova Scotia Island

Posted on by
Reply

Dubai man thought contest launched April Fools’ Day was joke

Brendan Lopes, third from left, is a Portuguese national of Indian origin who grew up in the United Arab Emirates. (Liv. Bank)

Brendan Lopes has never been to Nova Scotia — or to Canada, for that matter.

But he’s now the proud owner of a private island off the coast of the province’s Eastern Shore thanks to a few lucky dice rolls.

The 27-year-old Lopes, a Portuguese national of Indian origin who grew up in the cultural melting pot of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, holds down two jobs.

He makes video content for businesses by day. At night, he is a DJ at clubs and private parties.

He has friends who love to visit Canada and he knows basic geography. But he admits he isn’t quite sure what the country has in store for him.

“[Another thing] I hear about Canada is like all of you guys say sorry a lot,” he said. “But, obviously, other than the stereotypes, I have no idea in the world about what Canada is, man. I have no idea.”

The 2.4-hectare island Lopes now owns is about 200 kilometres east of Halifax, off the coast of Goldboro, in Guysborough County. It’s called Hollpoint Island or Hurricane Island, and other than trees, rocks and sand, there’s not much else there. 

The 2.4-hectare island, known as Hurricane Island or Hollpoint Island, is about 200 kilometres east of Halifax, off the coast of Goldboro, in Guysborough County. (Google)

It all started on April Fools’ Day. Lopes’s bank, UAE-based Liv. Bank, announced a contest to win a private island in Canada.

He thought it was a joke, until a few weeks later when he was chosen as a contestant.

In the end, it came down to Lopes and 18 others who got up on stage Oct. 14 at Caesars Palace in Dubai and rolled a die — labelled with -2, -1, 0, 1 and 2 — trying to be the first to get to six. 

“And I’m probably the only one over there who was the most underdressed of anyone.… It’s, like, literally me … not shaved, hair unkempt,” he said.

“And I just went down there like, you know, maybe the food is going to be decent,” said Lopes.

But his girlfriend and father believed he could win. 

After some nail-biting rolls, Lopes was in a position to take the final prize. All he needed to do was roll a two to get to the winning number.

“And I could actually see this happening in slow motion. Like, you throw the die and it hits the edge and it slowly goes down and it goes like zero, minus two, plus two. And I’m like what just happened?”

Stunned after the win, Brendan was approached by the MC of the game. 

“And he’s like, ‘Brendan, man, people like Richard Branson have islands, you know, like millionaires have islands, and now you’re one of them. What do you have to say?’

Lopes, wearing a prop life-jacket along with the rest of the contestants, said the only thing that came to mind: “I’m thinking about the way to get a boat to get to the island.”

Why Canada? 

Jayesh Patel is head of Liv. Bank. Its target market is millennials.

He said the bank surveyed customers to find out what kind of prizes might interest them. 

“Canada comes up always as the top three destinations for customers,” he said.

“And it’s a place that has islands which we could give away.”

Patel said Hurricane Island was particularly appealing because gold was discovered east of nearby Goldboro in the mid-1800s.

“We liked some of the facts associated with it because we also wanted it to be a story around the island itself.”

Last year, the bank gave away a Tesla. 

In addition to the island, Lopes also gets a cash prize of 100,000 UAE diram, which is about $36,000 Cdn.

Lopes is waiting for the excitement to subside but said he’s considering using the prize money to start a shop in Dubai that serves biryani, an Indian mixed rice dish. 

Lopes, wearing the orange life-jacket, holds down two jobs. He makes video content for businesses by day and is a DJ at clubs and private parties by night. (Liv. Bank)

He said there’s still a lot of paperwork to complete to take possession of an island in a country he’s never visited but he’s looking forward to making the 20-plus-hour flight in the near future. 

“I mean, I have an island now, so I definitely want to see it,” he said.

Though, Lopes added, he’s not thrilled at the prospect of paying property taxes, which don’t really exist in UAE.

According to the real estate site viewpoint.ca, the 2019 tax assessment for the island is $21,200, and it’s taxed at an annual rate of $129. 

Patel said Liv. Bank bought the island through a Germany-based private island real estate company for about $50,000 Cdn.

There’s little other than trees, rocks and sand on the 2.4-hectare island in Guysborough County. (Google)

Lopes said he’s been overwhelmed by the response from friends, the media and people he barely knows. 

“But the headlines around Dubai are ‘Indian Portuguese DJ who still lives with parents doesn’t know what to do with island’. I’m like, you guys, you guys are really killing me over this,” said Lopes.

23 Signs You’re a Serious Tennis Player

Posted on by
Reply

You only live once, but you get to serve twice.

23 signs you are a serious tennis player:

1. You have an entire section of your closet dedicated to your tennis clothes.

2. Nothing will ruin your day quite like a double fault.

3. You’re a member of the USTA.

4. After playing tennis outside, your tan lines are super awkward. There’s nothing pretty about a tennis sock and polo shirt tan.

5. You subscribe to the Tennis Channel and actually enjoy watching it.

6. If you’re in a rut on the court you ask yourself “What would Serena do?”, and conquer on.

7. There are loose tennis balls in your car, all over your home, and in your backyard.

8. Breaking a string is like a mini epiphany that you’re playing a strong game.

9. You actually have a preference on court surface. Personally, I’m on team #hardcourt.

10. The US Open is your version of the Oscars.

11. You know you’re not supposed to slam your raquet, but damn it feels good when you do.

12. You have a name for your strong go-to shot, mine is the “Mikiller cross court forehand”.

13. There’s no better smell in the world than a fresh can of new tennis balls.

14. Your hands are covered in callouses, and you actually think it’s kind of sexy.

15. Being in “the zone” on the court is the ultimate high.

16. You’d rather spend your Friday night playing “Queen of the Court” than going out.

17. There is nothing more annoying than playing against a “pusher” or “marshmallow hitter” AKA that opponent that gets EVERYTHING back.

18. You know the term “bagels” doesn’t refer to a breakfast item, but beating someone 6-0, 6-0.

19. You’re a brand loyalist when it comes to what kind of racket you use, and you’ll never change.

20. You have a mini anxiety attack just hearing the words tiebreaker.

21. There is no greater pressure than the feeling during match point.

22. You are superstitious when it comes to how many times you bounce the ball before you serve.

23. You know all the stats of the top 10 female and male players on the professional circuit.

Headstone Dedicated to Family That Died in Largest Maritime Disaster in West Coast History

Posted on by
Reply
A head stone was unveiled, there to commemorate the lives of William Peter Sr., 47, William Peter Jr., 17, and Roland Henry, 15, near the cemetery entrance at Memorial Crescent and May Street.

Friday, October 25th, marked the 101 anniversary of the sinking of SS Princess Sophia.

A group of about 20 people gathered in Ross Bay Cemetery on the morning of the anniversary, as the Maritime Museum dedicated an unmarked grave to the three members of the Smith family, who died in the wreck.

October 25th is the 101-year anniversary of the largest maritime disaster the West Coast has ever seen. On Oct. 25, 1918 the SS Princess Sophia, along with all 367 passengers on board, sank to the depths of the Lynn Canal north of Juneau, Alaska.

A group of about 20 people gathered in Ross Bay Cemetery on the morning of the anniversary, as the Maritime Museum dedicated an unmarked grave to the three members of the Smith family, who died in the wreck.

A head stone was unveiled, there to commemorate the lives of William Peter Sr., 47, William Peter Jr., 17, and Roland Henry, 15, near the cemetery entrance at Memorial Crescent and May Street.

The father and two sons had gone north for the first time, working on the SS Dawson. The two boys were deckhands, while their father was a fireman on the vessel.

“[This family set off] for a trip of a lifetime that ended up being their last,” says David Leverton, executive director of the Maritime Museum.

Twenty-one other people, who died in the shipwreck, are also buried in the cemetery along with memorial stones for two others whose bodies were never found.

The Smith family was returning to Victoria at the end of riverboat season. William Peter Sr. had ranched at Shawnigan prior to moving to Victoria, where he was employed as an engineer at the Union Club for many years. His eldest son, William Peter Jr. had gone overseas with the 103 Battalion when he was 15 years old, only to be sent back home when his real age was discovered.

Leverton has trouble trying to imagine the chaos that must have unfolded on the ship followed the crash into the Vanderbilt Reef. The SS Princess Sophia ended up leaving the port in Skagway, Alaska about three hours late, four hours later the ship hit the reef.

“The sounds of the hull against the reef, the screaming steel, the speed in which the entire event happened, the actual sinking — it’s beyond words,” says Leverton.

The ship sat on the reef for 40 hours as rescuers tried to organize themselves in what would be deadly weather conditions. Thinking they would have better weather the next day, crews were sent home to rest up overnight only to have nothing to return to. Horrific winds, terrible storm conditions and even snow began to pummel the area.

“They basically had everything conspiring against them.”

The next morning, when the weather finally broke, crews returned to the SS Princess Sophia to find only the forward mast above the water. Lifeboats that had been launched in a effort to save some passengers, had no one alive on board — bodies were covered in a foot of snow.

It took months to retrieve the bodies of passengers and even still, some have never been found.

“These things can happen and when they do they ripple effect through so many people’s lives,” Leverton say, recognizing the importance of remembering those lost.

Last year during the 100th anniversary, the Maritime Museum dedicated another gravestone to William and Sarah O’Brien, along with their five children at Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver.

Random Acts of Kindness

Posted on by
Reply
Club member and Victoria Foundation CEO Sandra Richardson in her VF office.

Here at the Victoria Foundation, we talk a lot about community. In fact, building a “vibrant, caring community for all” is an essential part of our vision. The concept of community is at the core of everything we do.

With that, I believe it’s important to take stock from time to time and think about just what “community” really means, both to the organization, but also to myself, as a member of this community.

The Victoria Foundation promotes Random Act of Kindness Day, which returns to our region on Friday, Nov. 1. This is one of my favourite events we do, primarily because it’s not about any financial or organizational gains, there are no “deliverables” or “ROI” to worry about; it’s simply a day to encourage each of us to do something kind for someone else.

It puts a smile on my face each year to see organizations, businesses, elected officials, families, individuals — anyone and everyone — committing kind acts in the community simply to spread some joy and brighten peoples’ day.

Because what is a community if not the people that it’s made of and the commonalities that unite us all? This can be a divisive world we live in these days, but I’m still a firm believer that we have more in common with one another than we have differences. We may not all look the same or believe the same things or experience life in exactly the same way, but when you actually stop to talk to someone, to take the time to know them, it doesn’t take long to find what we all have in common.

And within a community, you have even more in common with the people you share it with. Here in Greater Victoria, for instance, we share this region’s history and stunning natural surroundings. We all breath the same fresh air, enjoy the same mild climate and gaze out at the same landscapes. We are but a blip in the world’s population and our region is a dot on the map, but there is nowhere else on earth like here and we are united by that which makes us unique.

Random Act of Kindness Day isn’t just about doing something nice for someone else and feeling good about it. That’s a part of it, certainly, but it’s also about seeing the people around you not as strangers, but as neighbours, with whom you share the common bond of our community.

On Friday, Nov. 1, we encourage you to celebrate and strengthen that bond by performing whatever small act you’re able to, because everyone responds to kindness. It brings us even closer together and helps to make this a kinder, caring community of all of us.

For more information on Random Act of Kindness Day, visit victoriafoundation.ca.

50 Years Ago: the Apollo Moon Landing

Posted on by
Reply

During the Apollo program of the 1960s and ’70s, NASA sent nine missions to the Moon. Six of them landed astronauts safely on the surface, the only times humans have visited another world. 

July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first humans landing on the Moon on July 20, 1969  as part of NASA’s Apollo 11 lunar mission. 

Union Club member, Henri van Bentum was featured in Canadian Art Magazine in July 1969. In many ways, his comments are still timely today:

You Are Invited to: MODERN CITY – The Legacy of Architectural Modernism in Victoria (1945-1970)

Posted on by
Reply
The Executive Hotel (1965), Douglas and Humbolt Streets (photo by Hubert Norbury)

The Union Club’s Honorary Art Curator and long-time Club member, Martin Segger, will be an integral part of the following program. Club members are encouraged to attend:

July 10 – July 18

Public Exhibition at 1515 Douglas Street

~~~

July 11 at 7pm

Public Lectures at 1515 Douglas Street

Don Luxton “Mid-century Modernism in Victoria”

Terence Williams “Architecture of the John Wade Practice”

No tickets required

~~~

July 13 and 14 from 12pm – 1pm

Free Walking Tour:

“Modern City”

Guided by architectural historian Martin Segger

Meet in the Rotunda at 1515 Douglas Street at 12pm

~~~

July 18 at 7pm

Public Panel Discussion

at 1515 Douglas Street

“The Future of V ictoria’s Modernist Legacy”

Panelists: Chris Gower, Steve Barber, Pam Madoff, Franc D’Ambrosio

Moderator: Martin Segger

~~~

Hosted by Jawl Properties Limited.

In collaboration with D’Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism.

Curated by Martin Segger.

Special Thanks to City of Victoria Archives, Saanich Municipal Archives and University of Victoria Libraries Special Collections.

Contemporary photos by John Taylor, Sama Jim Canzian and Sandy Beaman.

Light Sprang Forth: Celebrating Light Through the Eyes of an Artist

Posted on by
Reply
“Light Sprang Forth”, Henri van Bentum, 1964, acrylic on canvas

The International Day of Light (#IDL2019) is an annual event, a global initiative held on May 16th, providing an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education, and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications, and energy.

The broad theme of light allows many different sectors of society worldwide to participate in activities that demonstrates how science, technology, art and culture can help achieve the goals of UNESCO – education, equality, and peace.

Why May 16th?
May 16th is the anniversary of the first successful operation of a laser in 1960. The laser is a perfect example of how a scientific discovery can yield revolutionary benefits to society in communications, healthcare and many other fields. The International Day of Light however is not just about science – the themes cover all areas of light in its general sense including art, culture, and development.

Light Sprang Forth 2
Celebrating the work of Netherlands-born artist and colorist Henri van Bentum, and to mark the International Day of Light 2019.

https://vanbentum.wixsite.com/lightsprangforth

“Perhaps his background as a diamond-faceter’s son is responsible for the almost crystalline aspect of van Bentum’s work. His paintings have a luminosity, a radiance, that emanates from within.” By clicking the link above, you will be taken to a rotating gallery of some 21 “micro-macro” paintings, all created in the years before microphotography or images from space were available — all inspired from an inner vision. (For the title and year of each painting, hover your mouse over the bottom of the image.)

About Henri van Bentum

“The art of Henri van Bentum reminds us of organic processes on the cosmic and microcosmic levels.  There are many organic processes embodied in the work; they help me sense the vastness, complexity and beauty of the cosmos.” Leslie Mezei 

Artist Henri van Bentum was born in the Lowlands. His work is represented worldwide.  He has travelled extensively, including three circumnavigations by ship as lecturer and art instructor, and also has made several snorkel expeditions to coral reefs.  He is a member of the international Circumnavigators Club.  Henri collaborated with NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory on a project called “Coloring Space”, juxtaposing images from space with his “Organiverse” Starry Night edition.