Prince Charles wears a Coast Salish blanket and cedar head band as well as holds a walking stick given to him by Lieutenant Governor Steven Point at Government house where a reception was held. Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall are in Victoria until Monday
Photograph by: Debra Brash, Times Colonist
Prince Charles applauded B.C. on its leadership in fighting climate change before a feast fit for royalty at Saturday night's reception and dinner at Government House.
B.C. has showed “remarkable leadership” by setting legally binding targets for greenhouse gases, Charles said during a 10-minute speech that focused on the environment after a round of thank-yous to Lt.-Gov. Steven Point and Premier Gordon Campbell.
“In every aspect of life we have forgotten that we are part of nature,” he said. “We cannot have our own economy without nature's economy. First Nations people understand that better than everyone else.”
Charles has long spoken passionately about the importance of global leadership in reversing the effects of climate change.
Before his speech, Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, were presented with gifts by Point and Campbell. They were each draped in an aboriginal blanket and cedar wreaths were placed on their heads.
“We are reaffirming the strong and special bond we have with Her Majesty, with England,” Point said in a speech before the gifts were given. “[A bond] that I’m sure, after this visit, will only get stronger.”
About 110 people were invited to the dinner including politicians, First Nations leaders, local monarchists and members of the public. Guests stood and clapped with the rhythm of the bagpipes that accompanied the royal couple’s entrance into the ballroom.
Charles said he has many happy memories of his past visits to Canada and this latest trip is no different.
“We shall remember the events of this evening with enormous pride.”
Earlier in Vancouver, Charles and Camilla toured the Vancouver Olympic Games athletes’ village.
Later, Charles spoke to members of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, then the Duchess of Cornwall planted a Garry oak tree as part of her tour of Van Dusen Botanical Gardens. The moment she entered the garden with her security staff, four-year-old Aria Levitt spontaneously ran up to the duchess to give her a handful of hydrangea flowers picked by her dad from their home garden in the morning.
Charles later headed to the downtown SFU campus for a seminar on urban studies, another of the prince’s interests.
Sunday, Charles and Camilla will attend a remembrance service at Christ Church Cathedral at 10:30 a.m.
Monday, they will visit CFB Esquimalt before flying to Ottawa.
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
Prince Charles wears a Coast Salish blanket and cedar head band as well as holds a walking stick given to him by Lieutenant Governor Steven Point at Government house where a reception was held. Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall are in Victoria until Monday
Photograph by: Debra Brash, Times Colonist
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obit
November 09, 2009 - 9:03 AM
Ah you poor man. Modern monarchies are fun. We get the pomp and circumstance and along with it we get all the warts and twitches. How can anyone knock poor defenseless Charles who didn’t ask for the job and had better not bloody quit after getting this far and not been done in. (Mind you I think they came pretty close with that avalanche). Would you seriously want some political hack like Obama or Bush being head of state? Its bad enough we have to put up with the present GG a political appointee. Never mind that an election to attain some sort of head of state would cost a fortune every few years. No go out and cheer our blundering prince. He is a damn sight better than anything else you could think up. Unless you think I could do the job? All hail King Obit.
Sara Carr-Harris
November 08, 2009 - 6:35 PM
Thank you for bringing this to us. I fortunately found it on my husbands computer (he is in Uganda with his dental clinic there) and I was very impressed by your beautiful photography and portraits of all our people including our distinguished guests Thank you again. Sara C-H
Matthew
November 08, 2009 - 3:54 PM
Why is it that when Victoria has any form of leadership present, the public only hears about it on the news? Like only the rich and famous are good enough, while the rest of us are like street people.
Ted Waugh
November 08, 2009 - 1:29 PM
That "walking stick" looks to me to be a "talking stick". I believe it is used in a circle to allow only the person holding the stick to talk.
Corrections?
Proud Canadian
November 08, 2009 - 12:34 PM
While the fact that one of Charle's ancient relatives managed to murder another one of his ancient relatives is historically significant....it does not make him "royal". We are 142 years old now.....when do we get to move out of our mother (country)'s house?
Mike
November 08, 2009 - 12:02 PM
Charles should shut his yap on "climate change". Royals should not be commenting on controversial matters. While climate change itself is not controversial,as such (duh ...it's been happening in periodically varying cycles as long as there's been an earth) there is absolutely no scientifically acceptable proof linking it to human activity - as Charles's enthusiasm for emission targets implicitly implies.
Bob
November 08, 2009 - 11:03 AM
It is time to have the Lt. Govenor officially elected by the people , not by the Premier. However if we get rid of the snobs from England we don't need a Lt. Govenor. It is time for all the ethnic exposure to be eliminated once and for all. I feel this is a slap in the face to every Canadian who built this Country.
Peter
November 08, 2009 - 10:36 AM
Seeing any member of England's "royal family" dressed in any traditional aboriginal clothing makes my stomach turn. Even more disgusting than a Canadian Politician like Campbell doing the same. I hope whatever first nation the Lt. Governor was from has banished him for the duration of his term.
sober
November 08, 2009 - 10:34 AM
Prince lives in la-la land, he is not real person. His opinion doesn't mean anything.
James Bay Resident
November 08, 2009 - 10:23 AM
It is unfortunate that Prince Charles will not be in Victoria this Wednesday. If he was, he would be invited to a discussion on air quality and its relevance to human health and the environment.
The James Bay Neighbourhood Association will be discussing information from VIHA air quality test results conducted this last summer. Cruise ship emissions from Ogden Point have increased levels of SO2 to record high levels second to that of a smelter operation, Trail Butler Park, located on the BC mainland.
It is hoped that media members and anyone else with a genuine concern will attend this meeting this Wednesday, Nov 11, 7-9 PM at the New Horizons 234 Menzies.
Please do not censor this posting.
Rose
November 08, 2009 - 8:45 AM
Why were the gifts strictly Aborginal? What about the things that honor English, Chinese, Portuguese etc culture here in BC? I'm not a bit racist, but I get rather tired of being treated like a no one in my own country. This comment deserves to be posted.
Ken
November 08, 2009 - 8:36 AM
the province is in bed with bc's biggest polluters is more like it, campbell's love the oil and gas sector, and here we the carbon tax which does nothing to fight pollution if it did you'd think the province would have had a parade by now celebrating its effectiveness, and then we have the aircare program which keeps some of bc's polluting vehicles off the roads which they might cancel that program by 2012 the only thing green are the dollar signs in our politicians eyes with industry and foreign investors.
Grace
November 08, 2009 - 1:59 AM
Poor Diana must be spinning in her grave.
jim
November 08, 2009 - 1:06 AM
how well informed Prince Charles & Co is when it comes to what First Nations understand.too bad he's about two hundred years late.
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Poor Charles ... nobody told him about the run-of-the-rivers scheme ... or Gordo's newest idea ...
to chop down BC's sacred forests and use them as firewood to create electrical power for export ... which Gordo says is GREEN ENERGY ...
Obviously it was either Gordo's massive Public Affairs Bureau ... or it was Lara gossiping to Camilla ... that gave poor Charles the idea that Gordo is concerned about protecting the environment.