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    Finn Slough Heritage Site

    4.0 (3 reviews)

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    17 years ago

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    Fan Tan Alley - 09.04.23 Fan Tan Alley

    Fan Tan Alley

    3.9(49 reviews)
    78.1 km

    Fan Tan Alley, one of the narrowest streets in Canada and is only three to six feet wide and 240…read morefeet long, that runs between Fisgard Street and Pandora Avenue (formerly Cormorant Street). It came into being between 1885 and 1920 as Chinese and Western landowners initially constructed buildings fronting on Fisgard and Cormorant, then over time filled in the spaces behind with new building. "Fan Tan" is named after a game played in gambling dens above the alley. The lower storefronts housed opium dens, restaurants, and shops. Opium was legal in Canada until 1908, but gambling was not. Trap doors to second floors and locked gates at each end of the alley helped slow down police during raids on the illegal gambling dens. Today, Fan Tan Alley is a neat shopping street with several locally owned stores. The shops are small in size, but each offers something different. Products available in Fan Tan Alley range from ice cream and other treats to vintage records and trendy clothing. Another key feature of Fan Tan Alley is its architecture. A significant amount of the exterior has a brick finish. The old buildings appear extra tall thanks to the street's narrow width.

    fan tan alley feels like a secret the city almost doesn't want you to find…read more you can wander through victoria's chinatown without noticing it, then suddenly there it is: an impossibly narrow passage wedged between old brick buildings. stepping in feels less like entering an alley and more like slipping behind the curtain of the city. its name comes from fan tan, a gambling game once played in hidden rooms nearby. a century ago, this alley was alive with apartments, businesses, clan halls, gambling dens, and opium rooms, all connected by stairways, courtyards, and passageways mostly invisible from the street. while some activity was secretive, the bigger story is the community that thrived here despite discrimination and exclusion. for generations of chinese immigrants, fan tan alley offered work, friendship, support, and a sense of belonging. the buildings and hidden courtyards weren't just functional, they were the backbone of a community carving out its own space in a world that often shut them out. the narrow alley, tiny doorways, upper windows, and unusual fractional addresses like "1/2" all hint at the dense, layered way life was lived here. today, fan tan alley hums with a quieter energy. independent shops, galleries, studios, and cafés occupy spaces that once hid games, meetings, and everyday life. the history isn't confined to plaques or museum displays, it lingers in the narrow passage, the hidden courtyards, and the oddly numbered doorways. for all the stories of gambling dens and opium rooms, what remains most striking is the sense that this was, above all, a place where people built lives. walking through it feels less like seeing a landmark and more like stumbling across a piece of history that never quite disappeared.

    Photos
    Fan Tan Alley
    Fan Tan Alley - 09.04.23

    09.04.23

    Fan Tan Alley

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    Steveston Fishermen's Memorial - The Fishermen's Needle.

    Steveston Fishermen's Memorial

    5.0(1 review)
    5.6 kmSteveston

    In the southeast corner of Garry Point Park is the most wonderful - and imposing! - art…read moreinstallation devoted to the fishermen of Steveston - and BC in general. Also known as the "Fishermen's Needle", the work is made of aluminum, stone, bronze and concrete, and it depicts an enormous "needle" (the commonplace tool used by fishermen to repair their fishing nets) standing on high, on end, vertically reaching up to the sky. The enormous needle sits on a base on which is embossed scenes of the sea, with a boat perilously navigating angry waves, and a lone fisherman is seen on the deck. These sea scenes are essentially a bas relief encircling the round, dark stone base. On the ground, in a wide circle surrounding the base holding the needle is a "compass rose" etched into the concrete cement ground. My friend and I initially thought this ground engraving was a sundial of sorts, but no, it's a special type of maritime compass which, we learned, is a primary navigation tool for seamen and women. Lastly, there are rounded panels around 2-3 feet high, encircling the needle and base. On the exterior of these panels are engraved the names of all the fishermen "of our community who have lost their lives" while fishing. On the interior is the dedication plaque (the work was installed on May 4, 1996) and a touching poem by John Skapski titled "Spawning Cycle". The artists who created this work George Juhasz and Georg Schmerholz. This work is equally powerful and moving, and IMO it is a fitting memorial to those Steveston fishermen who were lost at sea. I have attached photos of the work but I really encourage folks to see this piece in person, as it loses something when seen online.

    Photos
    Steveston Fishermen's Memorial - View of wok at sunset.

    View of wok at sunset.

    Steveston Fishermen's Memorial - Bas relief scenes of the sea on the central base.

    Bas relief scenes of the sea on the central base.

    Steveston Fishermen's Memorial - Descriptive plaque on interior panel.

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    Descriptive plaque on interior panel.

    Finn Slough Heritage Site - localflavor - Updated August 2026

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