New Audio Tour at the Cathedral

In the past year, the Cathedral has welcomed 49,000 visitors. Some are locals looking for a place to take a break en route to appointments and meetings. Many are newcomers or tourists, soaking in all the city has to offer. There is now one more way these visitors can learn about the Cathedral building and some of its history: a self-guided audio tour. 

Upon entering the upper level on weekdays, visitors will see a sign welcoming them and letting them know they can learn more about the cathedral by scanning several discreetly placed QR codes around the sanctuary. 

The tour begins with the Tree of Life window and Golden Threads from Heaven weavings. Entering the sanctuary guests walk counterclockwise. Discreetly placed QR codes play audio clips about the heritage roof and the work that went into restoring it, Henry Cambie, the organ, music at the Cathedral, and the regimental alcove, chancel and west alcove. The tour concludes with clips about the west memorial windows, the crucifixion window and the windows dedicated to faith, hope, and charity. Bonus QR codes lead visitors to view the bell tower and the William Morris windows in the lower Burrard St. vestibule. 

The skilled narthex greeters, of course, have much more information and are available to answer questions. Indeed, at the end of the tour, visitors are directed to the greeters for more information. In turn, the greeters have a companion book so they know what visitors have heard on the tour. 

The idea for the tour first came up some time ago, during a so called “water cooler moment.” Staff were casually chatting about the ties between the history of the Cathedral and the history of the city. Wouldn’t it be great to have a way to collect some of those stories in a way visitors can enjoy? What about an audio tour, like in some of the grand Cathedrals in Europe? Inspired by self-guided tours seen in museums, and international cathedrals, the Communications team had the idea to use QR codes for visitors to access audio clips about the building. 

This remained an idea for some time as staff mulled over logistics. Circumstances made it possible to bring on a summer student who brought a fresh set of eyes to the project. The summer student, Bev, examined existing materials and talked to Cathedral parishioners knowledgeable about specific aspects of the building and its history. Out of that research, she developed 14 scripts. 

There were stops and starts in the development process, but eventually, the scripts were recorded and necessary signage was created. 

When the Communications team received notice their jobs were being eliminated from the Cathedral organization due to financial constraints, they decided the audio tour would be their gift to the Cathedral community. The team’s main priority while wrapping up their roles was completing and installing the audio tour.  

While by no means exhaustive, the tour gives visitors a taste of what the Cathedral does, how it does this, and what this community holds dear. For some visitors - especially tourists -  it might be all they have time for, while for others it could be the spark that opens the door to deeper conversation with greeters and further exploration. It is one more way the Cathedral can live into its philosophy of “Open Doors” in the digital age.