George “Rebel” Mowat (died September 1968, full name: George Neilson Mowat) was a sightseeing tour bus driver for Gray Line of Victoria who regularly drove sightseeing trips to Butchart Gardens for several decades. By all contemporary accounts, he was Jennie Butchart’s favorite tour bus driver. He became friendly with Jennie Butchart and his stories of …
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My Butchart Gardens History book has gone to the copy editor. I will keep you posted on its progress. I’m thinking of using this photo of Jennie Buchart (taken by Victoria photographer Harry Upperton Knight) as the cover photo of the book. Any thoughts? Here is a photo of Jennie Butchart’s Private Garden today. Would …
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In the early 1950’s the Butchart Gardens started hosting evening concerts. Here is a July 1955 newspaper advertisement for Butchart Gardens concerts on 14 July 1955 and 21 July 1955 featuring Canadian Opera Company singer Bernard Turgeon (1931-2016). This concert was also the first time the Victoria Symphony Orchestra performed at Butchart Gardens. Here are …
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On 22 May 1991, Canada Post Corporation issued a collection of five 40 cent postage stamps known as the “Public Gardens” series. These postage stamps honoured five Canadian public gardens, including the Butchart Gardens. The other four gardens commemorated in the Public Gardens series stamps were: the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario; the …
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Robert Butchart was in the Portland Cement business and the land that is now the Butchart Gardens was used by the Vancouver Portland Cement Company to produce Portland Cement between 1904 and 1921. For those who don’t know the difference between cement and concrete, here is a video which should clear it up for you: …
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