Did you know ... ?
- Fort Victoria was founded in 1843 by James Douglas of the
Hudson's Bay Company but the first
governor was Richard Blanshard.
- Fort Victoria was situated as follows: N.E. corner Bastion and Government;
N. W. corner Bastion and Commercial Alley; S.W. corner Wharf and Broughton (almost);
S.E. corner Government and between Fort and Broughton (closer to Broughton).
[see a
1913 map showing the Fort's location]
- Victoria was an important seaport for whaling
and the seal trade at the turn of the century.
- Operating an opium firm was legal in Victoria until 1908 - and was a large cash draw
for the government!
- Between 1917 and 1921, Emily
Carr raised 350 English Sheepdogs at Hill House (later to become famous as the House
of All Sorts) in Victoria.
- Francis Rattenbury, architect of many
of Victoria's
most distinct buildings was murdered by his chauffeur.
- Victorians drove (and cycled, and streetcars ran) on the left side of the street (like other members of the British
colonies) until midnight on December 31, 1921!
- Every February since 1976, Victorians check their gardens for flowers and phone the
Chamber of Commerce for the annual
Flower Count so the city can "gloat" to the rest of the world.
Wanna find out more?
Try these sites:
- The City Archives offers a great FAQ
including information about the City Crest and other tidbits plus you can search most of their holdings (though
they aren't digitized).
- Schoolnet's Historical Building Site for
Victoria. Includes an overview of the city's history plus lists and photos of heritage buildings
and a how-to guide to researching your home's (or any building's) history.
- History of Victoria according to the fine folks at Ocean Island Backpacker's Inn.
A little irreverent, but covers some good ground.
- Brief History of Transit in Victoria and the Lower Mainland. Includes
archival photos that show some of the original streetcars and one of "the worst streetcar
accident in Canadian history" which killed 55 people after a crowded car crashed through the
Pt. Ellice Bridge.
- From Outpost to City
this website, designed by Melissa Quantz to fulfill a History 345B project, examines the
streetscape of Wharf st. in 1881.
- Bruce Hallman's History of the NW Coast
includes accounts of early Euorpean explorers and information about First Nations.
Site designed and maintained by Cheryl DeWolfe.
All site contents and photos © 1997-2007 Cheryl DeWolfe unless otherwise noted.
