“It’s a message to our neighbours, to the West Shore and to people in general that we are not a penitentiary … we are a place of learning,” said Steenkamp, the university’s president. “Barbed wire sends the wrong message.” Royal Roads is on the site of Hatley Castle, a National Historic Site with a long and colourful past, dating to the late 1800s, when it was built by the coal-baron Dunsmuir family. It was sold to the federal government in 1940 as a possible refuge for the royal family, who had picnicked there in 1939, or the king who had abdicated, but the main use was churning out officers for the Second World War.
The repertoire includes the choruses And the Glory of the Lord and His Yoke Is Easy, both from Part 1 of Messiah. “This virtual concert is a way of music-making together under the present circumstances,” Fairbank said. “We’re creating a performance that can reach far and wide, bringing joy to families this holiday season.” Donations the the Sooke Philharmonic Ochestra and Chorus are encouraged. Contributions over $25 will receive a tax receipt.
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