Centennial Square — Attraction in Victoria

Centennial Square is a plaza in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Victoria. The Victoria Police Station, city hall and McPherson Playhouse are adjacent to the square. There is a fountain in the square. Centennial Square was erected to honour the City of Victoria and to commemorate the first century of its existence. On August 2, 1862, at the time of the City’s founding, the remnants of the Hudson’s Bay fort still existed within the City. Cormorant Street, between Government and Douglas, where the Fountain sits today was a dirt road with residences on either side. One hundred years later, after a century of progress, Centennial Square was created to commemorate the efforts of the citizens; a place to meet, socialize and reflect on the past while looking to the future. The focal point of the Square is the Centennial Fountain, The fountain consists of three monoliths measuring 20 feet (6.1 metres), 23 feet (7 metres) and 28 feet (8.5 metres) in height. The monoliths are decorated with Italian glass mosaics in a palette of reflective gold tiles depicting scenes and imagery representing “three fundamental elements of life”. The smallest of the panels symbolically faces Oak Bay and depicts “youth” and the “experience of physical life capped by the shield of knowledge”, represented by the University of Victoria crest (The University of Victoria had just attained the status of a University in 1963). The second monolith faces Esquimalt and depicts themes of procreation and representations of womanhood. The tallest monolith faces Saanich and depicts the legend of St. George & the dragon, symbolizing humankind’s struggle against evil. The fountain was meant to be the unifying symbol...

A welcoming place for those who do not want to live in cheaper smaller towns or in the outskirts of Victoria, where affordable housing is not as scarce. People from all over the country and the world can camp here right in the centre of the City for free. Meals and needles are also delivered, all for free. You then have your full welfare cheque to spend on important things like drugs and cigarettes. The adjacent parkade can be used as a toilet area, or you can subsidize your income by stealing stuff from the cars parked there. Walk a little further away and camp for free in beautiful Beacon Hill Park and you will have free staff to clean up after you and deliver your meals, needles and naloxone kits. The adjacent parking garage would be better suited to camping, especially when it rains and the park soil gets contaminated with toxins and used needles, but the weather in Victoria is great for camping most of the year. And if you stay long enough you will you will be given a free hotel room. Mayor Lisa Helps welcomes everyone to live for free in Victoria, and live free without a need to follow any pesky rules. She has no concern for costs, city beauty, citizen safety or long...

This plaza SHOULD be the jewel of Victoria's downtown area.

Unfortunately, it's mainly just a hangout for people to smoke their weed and cigarettes. What a turnoff for anyone who would just like to sit in the sun and enjoy the flowers, fountain and some FRESH air!

My suggestion, make the whole area a smoke free zone. Healthier for people AND for the environment. If you need a smoke or some drugs that much, the scenery is not really first priority, is it?

I've noted several tourists rushing by this area, cameras in hand, hesitating whether it's even safe enough to stop long enough to take a trip photo. That is not a positive thing for Victoria and it's tourism trade. Hardly conducive for getting visitors or shoppers in the area to linger.

This park, plaza should be a safe, attractive, relaxing area for all residents and tourists. It certainly isn't right now.

One more thing, it appears that the security "guards" who are supposedly patrolling the plaza area spend a lot of their time visiting, chatting... and not keeping an eye on what's happening around the whole area. Why bother using taxpayers' money with so little accountability and actual work being...