New Year's Levée - a purely Canadian tradition - here is where to go in Victoria tomorrow

The New Year's Levée is a Canadian tradition where the viceroys, military and local government have special open houses on New Year's day.

In Canada the Levée is strongly connected with fur trading,  it was part of the New Year's day celebrations held at all the fur trading forts.    New Year's day was a long time big deal for the Hudson's Bay Company because most of the staff of the HBC were originally from Scotland and for many generations New Year's was a much bigger holiday there than Christmas.

For military Levees the expectation is for civilians to be well dressed - this means a jacket and tie for men.

Here is the list of all the Levees I can find any information about:

9 am start 

• HMCS Malahat - this is the naval reserve unit for this region.   The location is 20 Huron St, which is in James Bay.  The Levee runs till 10 am.

10 am start

• Lt Gov Judith Guichon will host a Levee till noon at Government House 1401 Rockland Ave till noon
• Municipality of Saanich - a free swim at Commonwealth Pool till noon - it is not being called a Levee as far as I can tell
• Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) and the 5th BC Field Artillery Regiment at the Bay Street Armoury  715 Bay St.
• District of Sooke at  2205 Otter Point Rd till noon

10:30 am state

• Lt.-Gen. E.C. Ashton Armoury, 724 Vanalman Ave. - Levee hosted by 11(Victoria) Service Company, 39 Service Battalion, 11 Victoria Field Ambulance, 39 Signal Regiment and 12 Military Police Platoon 

11 am Start

• Maritime Museum of BC is open to the public till 4 pm.   They will have Morris Dancers.....

 Noon Start

• City of Victoria has their Levee running till 1:30 pm
• Polar Bear Swim at Tulista Park - not actually a Levee, but close enough
• Sooke Branch #54 Royal Canadian Legion till 3 pm

12:30 am Start

• Price Edward Branch #91 - Royal Canadian Legion  761 Station Rd., Langford - runs till 2 pm
• District of Oak Bay community walk with Mayor and Council leaving from the lobby of the Oak Bay Rec Centre    

1 pm start

• Township of Esquimalt at City Hall 1229 Esquimalt Road till 2:30 pm   

1:30 pm Start

• Oak Bay will have many free events at the Oak Bay Recreation Centre till 7:30 pm

2 pm Start

• Esquimalt Dockyard Branch #172 Royal Canadian Legion - 
• Polar Bear Swim at Hamsterly Beach on Elk Lake