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”

Telegraph Road to Cowichan Head

From the Victoria Daily Colonist, April 28th, 1940- Across the highway from Keating Hall a road runs downhill to the east and an elderly signboard still bears the inscription: “Telegraph Road”. This is the way to the seashore at Island View Park. It drops rather steeply from the long gravelly ridge followed by the highwayContinue reading “Telegraph Road to Cowichan Head”

Cordova’s Wooded Cliffs

Originally called “Tseleethch” by the Indigenous inhabitants, in this article Connell visits Cordova Bay’s stunning coastline and muses upon some of its geographic, as well as more recent, histories. From the Victoria Times Colonist, April 2, 1932- Cordova Bay is one of the few places in the vicinity of Victoria with a Spanish name. Yet,Continue reading “Cordova’s Wooded Cliffs”

Esquimalt’s Natural Park

Connell takes a ramble across some undeveloped parts of Esquimalt and to the top of High Rock Park. From the Victoria Times Colonist, March 28, 1931- Everyone knows the charm of Esquimalt’s waterfront. Fortunately the golf-links have preserved a large portion of it to which the public has access. With but the narrow harbor entranceContinue reading “Esquimalt’s Natural Park”

“Sweetest of All Things”

This article is Connell’s ode to springtime in Victoria and to the botanical realm in particular. Strongly reflecting Connell’s own cultural roots, it is also a nod to one of his biggest literary inspirations, English nature writer Richard Jefferies (1848-87). From the Victoria Daily Colonist, March 7th, 1937. I am going to write today aboutContinue reading ““Sweetest of All Things””