After some uncertainty, one of Victoria’s iconic landmarks has returned to the Inner Harbour after all – and it is a welcome sight for many.
In early February, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) announced Victorians would see the impact of lost revenues from the cruise ship industry, which included the possibility that they would be unable to plant and maintain the ‘Welcome to Victoria’ garden.
The Inner Harbour lower causeway and landscaping areas are owned and managed by GVHA as part of the group of community amenities in their portfolio.
That announcement had come after the 2021 cruise ship season in Victoria was officially cancelled, after Canada extended the ban on ships carrying more than 100 people until February 2022.
“For our not-for-profit organization, cruise represents more than 70% of our annual revenues, or more than $12.5 million in 2020,” said the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA).
Now, with the support of Horizon Nurseries and CHEK News, the Welcome to Victoria flower garden has been planted.
Hanging baskets, which were also originally trimmed from the budget, have reappeared along the causeway.
The colourful sign has been a staple of the Inner Harbour since 1954, a symbol of Victoria as a tourism destination, though it still remains uncertain exactly how many tourists, if any, will be welcomed this summer.
BC health officials are expected to lift travel restrictions in the province as of June 15th, as long as vaccination numbers stay as expected and cases keep declining.
