Buildings of massive stone tower above the waters of this pristine harbor. Tourism and local life bustle together along the flower-bordered streets nearby.

This year the band stayed in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, during April 25-26 as part of its Pacific Northwest tour. The band embarks on such a long-distance trip every three to four years.

Victoria, the capital city of B.C., is known as “The Garden City”, so called because of its large and many parks. The parks give this municipality of 74,000 a suburban air.

The peaceful aura of the locals makes obvious who the tourists are most of the time. The tranquility of the people is in harmony with the climate and landscape of the nearby countryside.

Named after Queen Victoria, the influence of British culture is felt greatly in the tourist region. The tourist region of the capital, centered on Government Street, has a great number of shops selling goods relating to national and cultural symbols. This area tends to be very crowded with tourists, mostly from either Great Britain or the United States.

When walking east from the seaboard of Government Street, one enters into the part of Victoria that gives a better portrayal of Canadian culture. In this area lie a mall, a library and numerous offices.

At the end of Courtney Street in this upper downtown district, there is a large Anglican cathedral in the English Gothic style called the Christ Church Cathedral, with small parks located around it. Five blocks to the south is the large, wilderness-like Beacon Hill Park.

On Belleville Avenue, one can find the stone Parliament building, one of the largest buildings in the downtown district.

Although they did not perform in Victoria, the Band did perform at schools in Salem, Oregon and Gig Harbor, Washington. Band will perform next during the Jazz Band Desert Auction in Ground Zero at 6 p.m. Jazz Band will also join the choir and ensemble and perform in the Spring Concert on May 8 at Riverpark Bible Church at 7 p.m.