School tours in Victoria

Distinctive tours, lectures and programs in Victoria, B.C. Canada

School Tours in Victoria, British Columbia

Our walking tours for schools are curriculum-based, inspirational, educational and fun. Choose one from our selection of most popular tours to suit your grade or subject. Or, work with us to develop your own program to cover diverse needs and interests. Many of the tours are also available as an illustrated talk in your classroom.

To see John Adams in action, check out Victoria Vignettes, produced by Shaw TV in conjunction with the Victoria City Archives.

Victoria History School Tour

Victoria's downtown, harbour and residential neighbourhoods are like a living museum waiting to be discovered. Historian John Adams and his experienced guides help students to explore this rich resource and to appreciate how interesting history can be. Each tour will be geared to the class's specific requirements, but a typical tour might start by the edge of the harbour where the Hudson's Bay Company's annual supply ships arrived and where the historic mooring rings are a reminder of

that bygone era. We can climb the incline to the site of Fort Victoria's main gate, then discuss what life was like there for the HBC workers, their wives and children. We can include a visit to a well once used during the 1858 Gold Rush and trace the

letters on cast iron building columns brought from San Francisco in 1861. A visit to the site of the colonial jail and a walk through the narrow alleys and courtyards of Old Town and Bastion Square always help students visualize Victoria's colourful past. A photo opportunity in front of the Customs House, the oldest surviving federal building in British Columbia, can be included. Here the story of BC's entry into Confederation comes to life. The ideal time for a Victoria History tour is 90 minutes, but times can be adjusted to suit individual timetables and transportation arrangements. Convenient drop off and pick up points, whether for cars or buses are easily arranged.
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Chinatown School Tour

John Adams brings Victoria's historic Chinatown to life for students of all ages. He addresses the questions of where the Chinese came from and why. He discusses the occupations that brought them here and the hardships and successes they experienced in the land they called Gum Shan (Gold Mountain). He introduces the topic of racisim against the Chinese and how it developed in 19th century British Columbia and how the situation gradually changed in the 20th century. Students will have the chance to

walk through Fan Tan Alley and to learn the truth behind popular myths, such as the famed "secret tunnels." They will find out that fan tan was a popular gambling game in Chinatown and learn how it was played. Symbolism, religion, foods and pastimes are included in a typical tour, but each tour can focus on the places and

specific topics appropriate to the class. Historical people (Chan Dun, Lee Mong Kow, Lim Bang and others) who once lived or worked in Chinatown are used to illustrate different lifestyles. A tour of 60-90 minutes is ideal. Some classes schedule their tour to finish at lunchtime so they can eat in a Chinatown restaurant. John Adams can assist with these arrangements, if needed.
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White Jade Tiger School Tour

White Jade Tiger is the title of Julie Lawson's popular novel for young readers. It is the story of Jasmine, a teenager whose class visits Victoria's Chinatown. Passing through a doorway in Fan Tan Alley, she mysteriously finds herself in the Chinatown of the 1880s and from there she begins an adventure that takes her to the railway camps of the Fraser Canyon. The tour in Chinatown stops to identify and discuss many of the places mentioned in the book, and includes hands-on activities. Students will develop a good understanding of Chinatown's social history and see places they know from the book.
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Ghostly Walks School Tour

A good ghost story, expertly told, will capture the attention and fuel the imagination of most students. Ghostly Walks do just that, and not just at Halloween. The stories are based on documented ghost sightings, some going back to newspaper accounts in the 1860s. A lot of solid history is included in every story, but even students who hate the subject will listen intently as the tales unfold. They are very popular with classes staying overnight in Victoria and with students who are learning English, but they are appropriate for any class, day or night.
Click here for more about Ghostly Walks
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Christmas in Old Victoria School Tour

Stories of how Christmas was celebrated from the 1840s through to 1900 are included in this tour that will captivate students of all ages. Stories are told at the locations where they actually took place through Old Town and Bastion Square. Stories included are: the native legend of Christmas Hill, Emily Carr's Christmas memories, the Helmckens' wedding, a Gold Rush church service and a Christmas Day shipwreck. The tour is based on John Adams' book Christmas in Old Victoria.
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Gold Rush School Tour

In 1858 Victoria was overwhelmed by 20,000 gold seekers from California, heading for the Fraser River Gold Rush. Vestiges of the city they built still survive and form the basis for this popular walking tour. Visit the site of Fort Victoria, explore Bastion Square (the heart of the gold-rush city) and Chinatown (the oldest in Canada). Discuss the commerce, social life and activities of those who lived in and built Victoria during the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s.
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This is a caduceus, symbol of commerce, on a gold-rush era building in Victoria.

British Columbia and Confederation School Tour

British Columbia joined Canada in 1871. This school tour examines the attitudes of people in Victoria to Confederation in the 1860s, including those who supported annexation to the USA. Stories are told about the Canadian Pacific Railway, Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, Sir John A. MacDonald and how Victoria became the capital of the province.
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In-Class Presentations for Schools

Presentations by John Adams in your classroom or school on any of the above topics, or many other Victoria history topics, can be arranged at any time of the year.

To make a booking or inquiry, please contact John Adams at:
tel: (250) 384-6698; fax: (250) 384-2833
discoverthepast@telus.net
634 Battery St., Victoria BC Canada V8V 1E5