John Olson

In 1964 Capital City Tallyho was sold to John Olson, who was well known in Victoria.  His father, Barney Olson, owned and operated the Strathcona Hotel from 1946 to 1962, at which time he gave the keys to his sons, John and Keith.  That year, they built Big Bad John’s (BBJ’s), a hillbilly hideaway out of what was then the Strathcona Lounge.  BBJ’s was the province’s first post-prohibition cocktail lounge, and it made a distinctive mark in the city’s hospitality industry.  John started adding farm equipment and ancient gear to the walls and shelves in anticipation of a stream of visitors in the wake of the Seattle World’s Fair.  The bar remains highly popular today, famous for peanuts strewn across the floors, burlap-sack upholstered benches, and a wild collage of IDs, underwear, money and memorials tacked to the walls and tabletops.

Grant Olson, John’s nephew, says of John: “He loved to create.  He loved to build.  And he loved to have fun.”  John was also a sportsman who excelled at rugby and loved fishing, hunting and horses, which led him to own and run Tally-Ho Sightseeing for 11 years.  (See newspaper advertisement c July 1967.)

In the 1980s there were so many tourists and families travelling to Victoria that thirteen Tally-Ho wagons would operate each day.  They became synonymous with Victoria, with people from around the world adding a Tally-Ho ride to their must-do list while in the city.  Many locals still tell tales of sneaking a ride on the back steps as the horses meandered through the city streets.