The Fountains at Parliament - Virtual Reward -
Victoria, BC is one of Canada's most beautiful cities. Nestled on the southern tip of Vancouver Island the city's landscape is surrounded by breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and the Olympic Mountains. Centered in the heart of the inner harbor the BC Parliament buildings dominate the surrounding landscape and draws in thousands of visitors each year.
The First People
Before the arrival of Europeans in Victoria the area was home to several communities of Coast Salish peoples. There are many areas of the city where you can see totems, signs and plaques dedicated to the Salish Peoples and their traditions. Many areas surround the parliament building feature art, sculptures and totems, including a small fountain located behind the Parliament Buildings.
The Property
The lawn of the Parliament Buildings has attracted many people over the years from tourist, protesters and people attending the many events held through the year including; Canada Day fireworks to the free Symphony Splash concerts in the summer.
The Building
The 500ft Classic Romanesque east-west facade of the Parliament Buildings that faces Victoria harbor is intended to express the confidence of the Legislature in the promising future of the Province. The building’s exterior construction is Haddington Island quartz-andesite, which is noted for its carve-ability and durability. The foundation and steps were from a quarry on Nelson, Island, the slates for the roof came from Jervis Inlet and the brickwork was made locally at James Baker brickyards. The buildings construction started in 1893 and was completed in 1897. The cost of the building was a point of contention for governments of the day and in 1983 as a cost saving measure the design of the interior of the rotunda was changed from Carrara marble to a more affordable alternative. When the government changed in 1895, the architect, Francis Rattenbury wrote to the government;
“The Marble is so urgent a matter, and the omission of it would be so serious an injury to the building, that I trust you will reconsider this matter.”
In the end the Marble was installed and the building was officially opened in 1889.
To claim this geocache you must;
1. Visit the fountain in front of the parliament buildings at N 48° 25.211' W 123° 22.199' and take a picture of yourself with the fountain;
Option 1: if you do not wish to have your face in the photo, you may submit a photo of a GPS display (phone, GPSr or other devices) as long as it otherwise meets the requirement to show the fountain.
Option 2: if you do not wish to have your face in the photo, and you cannot take a photo of a GPS display as you don't have enough devices or hands to do so, you may submit a photo of any other Geocaching-themed item (ie., travel bug, Signal the Frog stuffy, cache container, etc...), as long as it otherwise meets the requirement to show the fountain.
2. Locate the statue of Queen Victoria 33 meters south of the fountain and determine who this statue was commissioned by.
3. Locate the fountain at N 48° 25.109' W 123° 22.235' and find a bird on the edge of the fountain and provide; the name of this bird and the islands that are mentioned on this plaque.
Post your picture and send answers to me, through my profile.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.