Open Letter

Written by Maclean Kay | 10 August 2010

An open letter to the BC provincial capital commission.

Dear Mr. or Ms. Commissioner,

I won’t beat around the bush, I have an ulterior motive.  I hear – with some regret – the wax museum has to leave the old CPR Steamship Terminal building in the Inner Harbour.  You know, the faux-Roman temple in the impossibly great location on the waterfront.  No?  Up the stairs from the waffle wagon?  Yeah, that’s the one.

I know why the museum has to leave – seismic upgrading – even if I don’t quite understand it.  It’s been there for 40 years, and some are quite upset about their imminent departure. I agree, it’s quite a shame; I remember going there when very young, more than a little intrigued by the chamber of horrors.  No matter what my mother or your signs said, the chamber was by no means “optional.”  (Even though there’s no mention of it on your website.)

Seismic upgrading – whatever that entails – surely takes time, longer than the museum is prepared to wait.  It’s hard to blame them; like ferry schedules and government deficit projections, construction time estimates are works of fiction. 
So they’re moving.  I hope they find an alternate location and wish them well, but this means you eventually have to find a new tenant.  This is no small task; overlooking the Inner Harbour, adjacent to the legislature, the space is among the most desirable locations in the world, much less Greater Victoria.  When I heard the museum decided to go, I assumed it would end up as condos or a rabbit sanctuary.  Last week, however, I read you’re considering a pub or restaurant.

That interests me.  Enough to write you this letter. I feel quite strongly about this, so I don’t want there to be any confusion when I say: PLEASE, SIR OR MADAME, MAKE IT A PUB.

For the record, Victoria is a phenomenal place to live, with many (many, many) wonderful attributes.  I really, really like living here.  It is, however, sadly deficient in one vital area – one many residents have come to accept, but newcomers, visitors and aficionados rightly find perplexing:

Victoria is sadly deficient in patios.

You’re shocked, I know.  Oh, we have a few, notably in Bastion Square, and I should mention the rooftop patio above the Sticky Wicket – especially on country & western night.  Good times.  But for a city that boasts incomparable views and natural beauty to stagger even the stoniest heart, there are precious few places to have a pint and soak in the view.

Why?  Excellent question.  If you ask – and I have – the best and most honest answer you get is “it’s not a patio town.”

That’s ridiculous.  In every other respect, Victoria is pub heaven.  Good food, lots of local beer, and great atmosphere – indoors.  This is doubly frustrating, given the climate here.  One could enjoy a patio pint on New Year’s Day without three inches of wool, not something you could say about any other city in the country.  Well, except Vancouver, but it doesn’t count.

Mr. or Ms. Commissioner, you’re in a position to change all that.  The old wax museum site is literally perfect for a pub.  Just picture it:  you’re relaxing on Victoria’s best patio, enjoying the view on four sides: the legislature; the Coho coming in or out of port; Government Street; and the Empress.

But it’s not just that pub, which I’ll take the liberty of suggesting the name “Waxed.”  More importantly, it’d be the kind of place we can take our out-of-town guests and nonchalantly show off.  Now, now, don’t be embarrassed – we all do this.  We pick them up at the airport, go downtown, and find a place they can look around and weep from jealousy.  This would be best of all.

Honestly, now – isn’t that the reason we all live here?

Sincerely,

Maclean Kay