A classic, corner grocery store, still open and serving the local neighbourhood.
Dominion Market, Victoria, British Columbia 2015
All posts tagged: British Columbia
The Travellers Hotel, Ladysmith, British Columbia 2012
The Travellers Hotel on the main street in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island has seen better days. The construction of the hotel was completed in 1913 when the town was an important coal shipping port. although a miner’s strike in 1912 had halted the economic boom that had been underway.
Former Victoria Public Library Victoria, BC 2015
The former Victoria public library building, constructed for $53,000, was financed by American Andrew Carnegie. The neo-Classical stone building was completed in 1905. A four storey addition was added later, that construction was finished in 1951. The structure which served as a library for over 75 years, and now known as the Carnegie building is used for office space. Businessman Andrew Carnegie donated money to build …
Impulse Foods, Saanich, BC 2015
This family corner grocery store closed right at the end of December 2014. It sits across from a small garage and hair stylist, a small pocket of neighbourhood commercial enterprises. When this photo was taken there was someone inside the premises cleaning and packing up. The details in the window already attest to a time in history especially the sign referring to the DVD sale …
Bus Depot on Douglas Street, Victoria, BC 2014
The current bus depot, located behind the Fairmont Empress Hotel, is soon to be torn down and replaced with high end condo units. No replacement location has yet been announced for the depot. The current location is ideal for visitors as it is right downtown and a very short distance from most attractions and the Inner Harbour.
Totem and Architecture, Duncan, British Columbia 2014
Duncan, on Vancouver island, is known for the totem poles displayed around the town. Duncan is actually nicknamed The City of Totems. The very walkable downtown is a nice mix of older small town architecture and this unusual circular office building next to the courthouse. I like this view of the one pole and the office tower.
Remembering Artist Rachel Berman
Artist Rachel Berman died in Victoria on May 28. I can’t claim to have known her very well but I had really liked her work and two years ago she agreed to let me photograph her. After that, we’d often run into each other on the street and have a chat. She would encourage me to photograph other artists, making suggestions about possibilities, and chiding …
Kamloops Daily News Kamloops, BC 2014
This is the Kamloops Daily News building on Seymour Street in Kamloops, British Columbia. The News ceased publication on January 11, 2014, another victim of the declining fortunes of the newspaper industry. The man in the suit pictured on the wall is long time editor and former Mayor Mel Rothenburger. The News survived when the Daily Sentinel newspaper folded and is itself survived by Kamloops …
Alpine Motel, Hope, British Columbia 2014
The thing about older hotel/motels, much like independent corner grocery stores, is that they have a uniqueness and really do tie in to their surroundings, history and place. This photo was taken while standing in the parking lot of the ultimate in generic commercial property, a McDonalds but the view from there was very much a local one.
Cowboys and Cattle, Merritt, British Columbia 2014
Cowboys on horses work among cattle along just off the highway between Kamloops and Merritt. A scene seemingly from the past but just another work day for cattlemen in British Columbia’s interior.
British Columbia Photography Archive
We’re lucky to have images held in a variety of archives (the BC Archives in Victoria, the Vancouver Public Library’s holdings etc.) although they are general archives holding documents, objects as well as photographs. It is too bad there is no one British Columbia Photographic Archive or BC Photography Archive, whatever you’d call it, where one could view all the images held in collections.
Surfer and van, Jordan River, BC 2010
A surfer walks past a van and board at Jordan River, British Columbia on Vancouver Island.
Canada For Sale, Port Alberni, British Columbia 2011
Even the Canadian flag hanging from the building seemed dejected by its current status
North Park Bicycle Shop Victoria, British Columbia 2013
The North Park Bicycle Shop is a community fixture along Quadra Street in Victoria, in the North Park neighbourhood. The building always looks, to me, wonderfully scruffy and invitingly homely.
Tongs Grocery Nanaimo, BC 2012
A traditional neighbourhood grocery store in Nanaimo, they are getting harder and harder to find, replaced by 7-11s and Mac’s style stores.
Canucks Jerseys, Coombs, BC 2011
Canucks jerseys, protected from the rain in plastic, hang outside a shop in Coombs on Vancouver Island. An image from the ongoing Salt Water & Rain series and the British Columbia photographic archive.
Unicyclist and Legion Branch #28, Cumberland, British Columbia 2011
An image from one of my ongoing projects, Salt Water & Rain, which looks at west coast life, in particular the small town urban landscape. This photograph was taken on the main street in Cumberland on Vancouver Island. The photograph is also part of the British Columbia photographic archive.
Smile Restaurant 400 Block West Pender Street Vancouver British Columbia 2013
Photographer Wendell Phillips introduced me to this cafe when he met me here for breakfast one morning. The cafe’s street sign now reads Smile Diner rather than restaurant.
BC Almanac – 1970s Vancouver Photography
I finally found a copy of the 1970 publication BC Almanac, a library copy. Quite unique for the time, it consists of 15 booklets printed on newsprint and inserted into a cardboard folder. On the negative side, this copy only has nine of the booklets. On the positive side the booklets by Roy Kiyooka and N. E. Thing Co. (Iain and Ingrid Baxter) are in …
Derelict Boat, Coopers Cove, Sooke BC 2008
I was at Coopers Cove last week. The derelict boat in long gone although, for now at least, the former naval ship seen in the background is still anchored in the cove. It’s a reminder how photographs, while they must stand on their own as visual images, also serve as historical records, a document of time passing. This was one of the first group of …
BC Ferries, Tsawwassen arrival, British Columbia
From a series of inter-linked photo based projects examining the natural, social and manmade landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. This image from Salt Water & Rain which looks at island and coastal British Columbia.
Galaxy Motors Dinosaur, Colwood, British Columbia 2013
The inflatable giant dinosaur shows up now and then on the roof of Galaxy Motors. It’s certainly an eye catcher
Vancouver Art Gallery FUSE July 2013
Took in the Vancouver Art Gallery’s July FUSE event on July 19, this one produced in conjunction with the Arrival Agency. Lots going all evening on the various floors.
Vancouver Island Weather
The beautiful thing about the weather here on the southern tip on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island is that this photo could have been taken this week as I saw lots of golfers on the links while driving around. The unfortunate thing about the weather here is that this image was actually taken last June.
Joe Keithley – DOA farewell tour / BC Legislature visit
DOA front man Joe Keithley was in town playing a gig during the band’s farewell tour. Joe has decided to seek the NDP nomination in Coquitlam – Burke Mountain in order to run in the upcoming May provincial election. We decided to take a few portraits in front of the BC Legislature building in the afternoon. Here’s a few images from that shoot and one …
Fishing Boat and Fire Hydrant, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
One of the things I like to do is find other photographers who use the Pacific Northwest as a subject. Lately I’ve been looking at the images of Missy Prince, a Portland based photographer who seems to divide her time between Portland and the southern USA. She’s interesting as well in that she doesn’t have regular website but appears to simply use Flickr as …
Bucking The Trend, Printing Photographs Small
A couple of weeks off which has been good for some travel, Kamloops, Maple Ridge, Vancouver and Portland, and now I’ve been doing some printing. I know everyone seems to be going for big photographs but I’m enjoying making small prints.
Photo Group Talks
BC Ferries, Swartz Bay, BC 2012 I’ve spoken to a number of photo groups lately, showing some of my images and talking about the projects. The audiences have been great, very appreciative and always lots of questions and discussion afterwards. It’s a two way street though. I get lots of feedback on my images which is so helpful and it’s often a surprise which photographs …
Saturday Night – Chinatown
Downtown at dusk hoping for the late evening sunlight slanting through but clouds drifting in ended that. Settled for the bright colours of the umbrellas and the neon signs coming on in Victoria’s Chinatown district.
Rain
Another damp west coast day, crossing the Alex Fraser bridge .