They're baaack!

"Scooter People" on rental mini-motorbikes herald the official start of the tourist season in Victoria.

The stone ship

In the northwest corner of the grounds of St. Ann's Academy rests a curious pile of stone and iron.
Click on images to enlarge.It takes a few minutes to realize that this is not a haphazard pile of rocks but is in fact a ship. A ship of stone.The ship (bark or barque, barchetta) has been a symbol of the Christian church since the first century. It represents the Church tossed on the sea of disbelief, worldliness, and persecution but finally reaching safe harbor with its cargo of human souls.Saint Anne, on whose Academy grounds this stone ship rests, is the patron Saint of among other places, Canada.

Traffic Watchers

When the city engineers need to find out details about how traffic intersections are working - or not - they will send out cadres of folks with diabolical appearing gadgets to monitor traffic patterns.
At the push of a button, these Jamar Technologies devices can collect information such as turning movement data while classifying up to 14 groups of vehicles. Measure delay and queues at stop sign controlled intersections and do speed studies to find running speeds on signalized intersections.

Apparently very exciting information for city engineers to ponder while considering changes in intersection design.

In Ross Bay Cemetery

Ross Bay Cemetery has become as much a garden park as a cemetery. It relies on the dedication of its caretakers and volunteers like The Old Cemeteries Society to conduct cleaning and restoration of graves on a regular basis.

Recently, The Old Cemeteries Society placed grave site markers in the extreme south east corner of the cemetery where there was an informal path cutting through an apparently unused portion of the cemetery. This was done as a reminder to people visiting the park that, although there may appear to be unused areas on the grounds, in fact the cemetery is quite full. So, where pathways have been created by the cemetery's many visitors, they often trace a course over unmarked grave sites.

According to the Society's President Wilf Bruch, it is hoped that eventually the grounds will be restored to that of a traditional gated cemetery rather than as it is now - an open park-like setting.

More information about Ross Bay Cemetery can be found by visiting its website: http://www.oldcem.bc.ca/

Google Street View Victoria now in 3D

The 3D craze has hit Google Street View in Victoria!

Get your 3D glasses out for Google Maps! Google Maps has released a new 3D version of Street View. Of course you will need to have a pair of 3D glasses handy to appreciate this new Google Maps feature

Once you are in street view mode a new icon appears under the navigation graphic of a chap with 3D glasses pushed back on his forehead.
Click on the fellow and presto - his glasses drop in front of his eyes and the view is now in 3D!

Gonzales Bay residents awake to low tide shocker

An exceptionally low tide early this morning revealed a city engineering secret - an experimental drain to flush sewage away from the city.
"It was the roar of water draining from our beloved bay that woke me this morning" said long time resident Miss. D. Ouse."I just don't know what to say. It was exciting. Would you like a cup of tea?" she offered.

On the other hand, Washington State visitor Mr. Mark Mighwurds noted: "Typical! Too much government interference in private affairs - and nothing is more private than a man's relationship with his bowel movements. Keep sewage in private hands I say."
By the time the news media arrived, the incoming tide had hidden the engineer's secret solution to Victoria's sewage problem.
"Well, I it took me a while to figure out what to wear to a draining" said local TV channel reporter Ms. T. Drinkaton."I wonder where it's draining to? Well, at least it's out of here."