An Open Letter in support of the retention of the Centennial Square Fountain 

September 2, 2023

Dear Mayor and Council,

We are a group of Greater Victoria citizens who are declaring an interest in Council’s intention to undertake a renewal of Centennial Square. 

First and foremost, we want to express our wish and primary concern that the pivotal feature of the Square, the Centennial Fountain, be preserved and restored. We value the fountain as a gift of our three adjacent municipalities to mark the building of the Square in 1963 to celebrate the first 100 years of Victoria’s incorporation as a city. To this day the fountain remains Victoria’s primary example of modern public art, an emblematic landmark that has found a place in the hearts of citizens of the region and visitors alike. 

We appreciate your observations that the Square requires repair, restorations and updating. We note that the Square was feted in its day and achieved national acclaim for its design excellence. It is one of our major heritage legacies from Victoria’s rapid post-war build out, on par for in-stance with another major project of that period, the University of Victoria Gordon Head Campus. Indeed, the two projects shared the same group of architects and designers. 

Photo by Michal Klajban, Creative Commons license, via Wikimedia Commons

Centennial Square and the fountain are a vital community gathering place (Photo: David Broadland)

Centennial Square, with its iconic fountain, marked the start of Victoria’s urban renewal project for Old Town. A significant moment in our modern history! The project combined both the conservation of historic buildings and a forward-looking contemporary design for the new. 

In retrospect the Square can now be seen as a critical marker of the Centennial era that culminated in the 1971 Centennial of the union of British Columbia and Canada. This intent was further reinforced in 2007/8 with the addition of the Spirit Garden totem poles and Spirit Beach to recognize the First Nations cultural legacy which underpins the City. 

To summarze, we urge retaining the crucial focus of the Fountain as an effective way to maintain a link between the original spirit of Centennial Square, and its evolving future. 

We are concerned that forthcoming public consultation might be minimal. We urge you to require a wide and well-considered discussion within our current regional community. The Friends look forward to helping inform and encourage creative, practical upgrades for Centennial Square. However we remain absolutely dedicated to the retention of its superb and much-loved centre-piece, the Centennial Fountain. 

Sincerely,
Friends of Centennial Square: 

John Adams, historian, author Kathleen Aitken
Mark Aitken
Angela Andersen

Hon. David Anderson, Q.C
Adrea Ashton, teacher (ret.)
Steve Barber, former heritage planner, City of Victoria Jennifer Barr, former director Victoria Heritage Foundation Donna Blyth
Edyth Bradley BID, Banfp Design Group Ltd
Hon. Patricia Bovey, historian, author, former Canadian Senator
Marilyn Bowering, author
Edyth Bradley
Gregory Brown, artisan, restorer period antiques
Judy Brownoff, Saanich Councillor and CRD Director
Kirk Buhne, B. Arch.
Mrs. A. A. Byers
Trevor Calkins, educator
Alix Campbell
Chris Causton, former Mayor of Oak Bay
Bridget Clark, former executive director, Victoria Heritage Foundation Ben Clinton-Baker, curator Wentworth Villa Architectural Heritage Museum
Allan Collier, design historian and exhibition curator
Lisa Cowan, Lawyer (ret.)
Bruce Davies, Emeritus President, Victoria Society of America
David Daum
Linda Daum
Gerry Duckitt
Helen Edwards, author
Brenda Firestone, artist
Douglas Franklin, architectural historian, Parksville Soressa Gardner
Monique Genton, MFA
Harold Gillis
Martin Golder, architect (ret.)
Imogen Goldie, heritage planner
Rick Goodacre, former executive director, Heritage BC Chris Gower, Architect , urban design planner
Wilya Graham
Ronald Greene MGC (BC), historian, downtown merchant (ret.)
David and Liza Harris, lifelong residents
Michael F.H. Halleran, civil servant (ret.)
Dave Helm
Kim Hollingsworth, artist
Sheila C. Hodgson, citizen
Ray Hunt, architect (ret.)
Ken Johnson, Hallmark Society
Mary Doody Jones, seriously concerned citizen
Ms. Bev Kallstrom
Dr. Hal Kalman, O.C. architectural historian, heritage advocate
John Keay, architect (ret.)
Brian Kendrick, designer
Alastair Kerr, Adj. Associate Professor, U.Vic. 

Jim Kerr, architect
Rina Langford
Douglas Lee, architect (ret.)
Jim Lee, CPA (ret.) heritage building owner
Valerie Lindholm, businessperson & heritage advocate Don Lovell, architect (ret.)
Juiie Lovitt
Dr. John Lutz, historian
Richard Mackie, publisher and editor
Regan R. Macleod, film producer
Pamela Madoff, Past City Councillor & BC Governor, Heritage Canada Foundation
Dr. Dan Marshall, historian
Rick Marshall, Oak Bay
Claude Maurice, architect (ret.)
Martha McNeely
Kathleen Milany
Gene Miller, Principal, New Landmarks Design
Betty Molnar
Sheila Munro, author
Steve Murphy, high school principal (ret.)
Nancy Noble, Director/CEO Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Michael James O’Connor, KC
Pat O’Neil, businessman
Tom Palfrey, exhibit designer (ret.)
Marilyn Palmer, architect
Margaret Palmer
Ray Parks, Executive Director, Provincial Capital Commission (ret.)
Joan Peggs
Denton Pendergast, historian, graphic designer
Carl Peterson, architect (ret.)
Dr. Michael Prince
Karan Wallace Prince
Jane Ramsay
Avis Rasmussen, artist
Mrs. E. L. Richards
Caroline Riedel, Director, UVic Legacy Art Galleries Patrick Rollins, Citizen, Art History student
Barry Rolston, Past Chair of Maritime Museum of BC. school administrator (ret.)
Carole Sabiston, artist
Daniel Sali
Vicki Sanders, Councillor, District of Saanich
Doug Scott, architect, AIBC
Cara Segger, project manager
Martin Segger, architectural historian
Jim Stark AIBC (hon.) Old Town Study Report organizer Ian Sutherland, downtown property developer/owner Bronwyn Taylor, heritage advocate
Alexander Teliszwesky, architect (ret.)
Helen Tuele, concerned citizen
Lisa Tyler
Priscilla Tumbach
Wendy Lovitt Warren
Zuhree Zimmerman
Prof. Bill Zuk, artist