Rambles Around Old Victoria
The Nature Writings of Rev. Robert Connell
This blog shares the weekly newspaper nature column writings and illustrations of Rev. Robert Connell (1871-1957) who loved, studied, and taught about the nature and history of Victoria, Canada.
Born to Scottish parents in Liverpool, England, Connell moved to Canada at the age of 17. In 1896 while living in Calgary he was ordained as a priest in the Church of England and in 1901 he moved to Victoria, BC, where he later became deeply involved in Provincial politics, serving as the first leader of the BC CCF (now NDP) from 1933-9. He taught art and botany classes at Victoria High and St. Michael’s University Schools and was a member of the Victoria Natural History and Island Arts and Crafts Societies. He was an accomplished artist and a life-long student and devotee of the natural world.
Recent Posts
On Foot in Santa Clara County
Connell lived and worked as a church minister in the two neighboring small northern California towns of Gilroy and Hollister from 1909-11. In this article he describes some of the differences and similarities of their natural environment to Victoria, as well as some observations of the people he encountered. From the Victoria Daily Colonist, AugustContinue reading “On Foot in Santa Clara County”
Old Paths My Feet Have Trod
Detailed and affectionate descriptions of the pastoral landscape, flora and fauna of the Burnside region make this article classic Connell. For him, farms and agricultural scenes were direct connections with a much older past than those of the individual farms themselves. It is also important to remember (a fact of which Connell was keenly aware)Continue reading “Old Paths My Feet Have Trod”
On the Edge of Urban Saanich
Connell gives a colorful and vivid account of his visit to Swan Lake. From the Times Colonist, October 13/20, 1928- The “yellow bus” dropped me at its Lake Hill terminus. Saturday afternoon in the fore part sees Saanich folk traveling city-wards so there were few passengers, and by the time the bus prepared to turnContinue reading “On the Edge of Urban Saanich”
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