Victoria, British Columbia

Photo exhibit features a view of Victoria’s Gate of Harmonious Interest and the city’s harbour ferries to Canadians

The National Capital Commission (NCC) and Canadian Geographic are proud to announce that the photo exhibit Perspectives: Scenes of Canada’s Capitals is touring the country and is being featured in different capital cities of Canada.

The exhibit will make a stop in Victoria, British Columbia, on August 2, 2012 at the Centennial Square, downtown Victoria and on August 6, 2012 at St. Ann’s Academy and will feature two winning artists from Victoria: Katrina Strickland, winner in the Children Category and James C. Patterson.

Katrina Strickland says “it was very, very rainy,” on the day she photographed Victoria’s Gate of Harmonious Interest. “My mom and I got soaked, but it made the light reflect better off the wet pavement.”

It was a mild December night in Victoria when James C. Patterson, Victoria, British Columbia winner, photographed the city’s harbour ferries all decked out for the holiday season. “Every year, the ferries do a water ballet in the Inner Harbour to Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker,” says Mr. Patterson.

Over 2,000 Canadians from across the country submitted photographs for this national competition organized by the NCC and Canadian Geographic. The winning photographs illustrate points of interest and features that reflect the uniqueness of each of the capital cities of Canada — something that symbolizes their role in our country, our provinces and territories. Thousands of visitors to Canada’s Capital Region have seen the photo exhibit during the 2011 summer season.

The winners in each of the capital cities are:

Jordan Camponi, Edmonton (Alberta) (Grand prize winner)
James C. Patterson, Victoria (British Columbia)
Julia Coombs, Edmonton (Alberta)
Wes Tollefson, Regina (Saskatchewan)
Ken Gillespie, Winnipeg (Manitoba)
Sean Ivans, Yellowknife (Northwest Territories)
Ewa Kaczor-Santos, Whitehorse (Yukon)
Lan Hu, Iqaluit (Nunavut)
Thomas Lee, Ottawa (Ontario)
Doug Bisson, Toronto (Ontario)
Philippe Reno, Québec (Québec)
Emily Jackson, Fredericton (New Brunswick)
Derrick Hefford, St. John’s (Newfoundland)
Gilles Chamberland, Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island)
Chris Gidney, Halifax (Nova Scotia)
Katrina Strickland, Victoria (British Columbia) (winner: children category)

The winning photos are published on the Canadian Geographic website.

The NCC and Canadian Geographic wish to thank the City of Edmonton and the Canadian Capital Cities Organization for their contribution to this national initiative that helps build stronger ties between Canada’s capital cities, their residents and visitors.

About the National Capital Commission

The NCC is a federal Crown corporation whose mandate is to create pride through Canada’s Capital Region by making the Capital a meeting place that communicates Canada to Canadians. Towards this goal, the NCC organizes large-scale events such as Winterlude and Canada Day celebrations. It also takes great pride in developing and planning a capital for future generations.

About Canadian Geographic

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society is dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada — its people and places, its natural and cultural heritage and its environmental, social and economic challenges. The Society is one of Canada’s largest non-profit educational organizations and is funded primarily by membership fees and generous donations. The Society’s Board of Governors and its program committees are comprised entirely of volunteers.

About the Canadian Capital Cities Organization

The Canadian Capital Cities Organization (CCCO) is composed of representatives from Canada's provincial and territorial capitals, as well as from the national capital. Its goal is to foster an exchange of ideas among participants from different areas. The CCCO provides many opportunities for representatives — and capitals — to benefit from the skills of other members, and to combine efforts to promote the capitals, both culturally and economically. 

For more information about the NCC, the public may contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1-800-465-1867, 613-239-5090 (TTY).

Media Information:              

National Capital Commission                                   

Jean Wolff                               
NCC Media Relations                                     
613-239-5703 (office)                                    
613-797-0265 (cellular)                            
jean.wolff@ncc-ccn.ca

City of Victoria

Susan McLean
Communications Officer
250-953-8826 (office)
susan.mclean@bcpcc.com