Stop 1 Inner Harbour Walkway
Begin your tour at Bastion Square, once the location of the city’s jail and courthouse that opened in 1853. This historic site served as important social and cultural centre for settlers at the time and was part of the former Fort Victoria founded by the Hudson’s Bay company in 1843. The plaque is mounted outside the old Victoria Customs House on the west side of wharf street. The first Legislative assembly met at the fort in 1849. Adjacent to Bastion Square is the Victoria Harbour tide station, established in 1905 to monitor and collect data on tide and water levels at regular intervals. The station provides valuable information on environmental factors such as water temperature, salinity, current speed and direction, in addition to monitoring tides. The highest recorded water level of 3.76 metres was recorded on January 1, 2003, while the lowest recorded water level is –0.46 metres recorded on June 20, 1951. The tide station’s Information collected is an important resource to generate tide tables and forecasts for boaters, the general public and scientists alike. With future projections of relative sea level rise, the site estimates an increase of 84 cm in water level by the year 2100. This gauge has recorded 32 historic tsunamis. The highest recorded event was generated from a Mw 9.2 earthquake in Alaska in 1964 with a maximum recorded a wave crest of 70cm and a trough of 77cm
Stop 2 Empress Hotel
This site was once home to Fort Victoria. Fort Victoria, was established in 1843 by the Hudson's Bay Company as a fur trading post. The fort served as an important hub for the trading company to ship goods from the land to the sea. A plaque near the Empress Hotel provides a historical account of the Fort’s significance. Prior to the 1900s this site was a wide tidal mudflat, known by the Lekwungen speaking people to have some of the “best clam beds on the coast”. In the 1900s, the inlet was filled in to expand land available for residential and commercial development. A wooden bridge was built in 1900 across the James Bay tidal flats connecting the James Bay neighbourhood with downtown Victoria, and subsequently, a stone causeway built in 1903 to allow the tidal flats to be infilled for the construction of the Empress Hoteli. Over time, the infill of James Bay transformed the natural shoreline of marshes and tidal flats into the neighbourhood we see today with parks, shops and residences, see Figure X. A tidal creek once connected James Bay to Ross Bay (see Trip 2 stop 6) providing First Nations in the area with a passage that avoided the rough outer waters of the harbour. However, the tidal creek has since been channelized in culverts and pipes and built upon over time. As a seismically active region, where parts of the harbour have been infilled, the development in this area is more vulnerable to ground shaking during an earthquake. This can result in increased damage to buildings and infrastructures located on these sites. While at this stop, take a detour to the Empress Hotel to enjoy a special experience of tea at the Empress: https://www.teaattheempress.com/menu/afternoon-tea/.
Stop 3 Parliament House
At the site of British Columbia Parliament Buildings, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, established in 1897, is a place where elected officials gather to pass laws and oversee activities of the Provincial government. Guided tours of Parliament House can be taken to learn more about the history, architecture and workings of the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Chambers are at the heart of Parliament House where the Members of the Legislative Assembly meet to pass laws.In the 1946 Vancouver Island Earthquake, significant damage occurred to the parliament buildings including cracking and shifting of masonry walls and damage to the roof and tower. Due to the site being built on infill, buildings in this location are more prone to shaking during an earthquake. Recent seismic upgrades were undertaken in 2010 to reinforce the structure including the installation of seismic isolation bearings and reinforcement of key structural elements.To arrange a tour and visit the legislature, see the website for further details.If you have time, be sure to stop at the Royal BC Museum. The museum is currently offering a free exhibit on ocean-going canoes and the importance to Indigenous peoples in BC.
Stop 4 Laurel Point (sč̓əmaθən | Peter Pollen Waterfront Park)
A Lekwungen burial ground was once located at the tip of this narrow rocky peninsula, which featured a burial site with carved mortuary figures in front of the graves until 1850. Since that time the area was infilled and from 1906 to 1975, the BAPCO paint company occupied the site. This was at one point one of the largest paint manufacturers west of Toronto, making paints, varnishes and lacquers. Unfortunately, paint and raw materials were stored underground and in above-ground storage sites discharging into the ocean and contaminating the nearby marine environment. From 2018 to 2019, a remediation plan was established by Transport Canada with SLR consulting to remove 35,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and leachable metals.Today the site has been transformed into a beautiful green space, providing visitors with views of the coastline and parliament buildings. The area serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of the Lekwungen people and the importance of environmental stewardship.
Stop 5 Fisherman’s Wharf
Laing’s Way was one of the first shipyards to be established in the middle of Victoria Harbour, which was known as Major Bay at the time. During the 1850’s at the start of the gold rush, the shipyards constructed several steamers, the largest 110-foot ship built in the 1860s. The shipyard was active in building and repairing ships until 1897. Following this, the area became overgrown and a refuge for the first float homes.In 1947, Major Bay was filled in to allow for the development of the Fisherman’s Wharf facility, which could accommodate up to 60 large fish-packing vessels. In 1948, the wharf was further expanded by adding a 390-foot-long float that ran parallel to the shore with six-finger floats perpendicular to the main float. Over time, the fishing fleet decreased, and the boats were replaced with float homes.To improve navigation for ships entering the Harbour, dredging and blasting was undertaken. The removal of Dredger Rock in 1902 allowed larger ships access to the inner and middle Harbour. Soil removed from the dredging process was used to infill parts of the coastline for future development[i]. Today, the Fisherman’s wharf facility serves as a popular destination for tourists and locals, while the float homes provide unique options for residents.[i] Pendergast, Denton. 2016. “Dredging the Harbour.” Victoria Harbour History. March 22, 2016. https://www.victoriaharbourhistory.com/transportation/sea-transportation/attractions/.
Stop 6 Shoal point
Shoals are sandbanks, sandbars or gravel bars that are formed by ocean currents or streams depositing sediment and creating shallow areas. Such areas can pose hazards for navigation purposes. In Victoria harbour, these shallow areas prevented large ships from entering the inner Harbour. The wharves were built in 1883 to allow deep-sea ships to access the inner Harbour. Located near Shoal point, Rithet’s piers (Figure Xa) were built in 1883 as part of the sugar trade and for general export and import, establishing the area as a commercial and industrial hub. Shoal Point is home to the largest eelgrass beds in Victoria Harbour. Historically, eelgrass was abundant in the Harbour, but dredging, pollution and boat traffic have contributed to its decline. Eelgrass provides essential ecosystem functions, such as providing habitat for aquatic species, reducing wave energy and erosion during storms and filtering pollutants in the water while storing greenhouse gases. Industrial and commercial buildings were located on this site including the Victoria Machinery Depot yards, located at Ogden point manufactured specialized equipment for the oil and gas industry, steamers and some of the first BC ferry vessels some of which are still in service today. However, the Ogden Point shipyard was closed in 1994. The Victoria Chemical company established in 1893 until 1917 when they were relocated. The plant manufactured acids, fertilizers and tree sprays. Industrial waste from these plants would likely have contributed to pollution in the outer part of the Harbour.Much of this low-lying portion along the foreshore is prone to flooding and erosion from wave action in this active Harbour. Riprap has been added in the past to protect the point from erosion but with sea level rise, these areas will need to adapt to rising seas.
Stop 7 Ogden Point Breakwater
The Ogden Point Breakwater is a historic structure built to protect the piers of the Victoria cruise terminal and entrance to Victoria Harbour. Completed in 1916, the 762-metre-long breakwater was designated a national historic civil engineering site in 2001. It was built to protect Victoria's harbour from waves and shelter boats. In 2004, strong winds from a severe winter storm caused a cruise ship to impact the 1km Ogden Point concrete breakwater damaging the ship. Fortunately, no lives were lost in this incident. Following the event, the Victoria Harbour Association employed AXYS Technologies Inc to develop a weather monitoring station that reports wind data every 10 minutes, improving safety for incoming vessels.Ogden Point is not only an important site for maritime history but also a popular destination for sightseers and scuba divers. Divers can see sightings of Giant Pacific octopus, wolf eels, kelp, sea anemones, nudibranchs and multiple fish and crustacean species. Just east of the breakwater 92 Reef Balls were placed on the seafloor in 2009 to enhance habitat for sea life.
Stop 8 Holland Point Seawall
The area between Holland Point and Padden Avenue is characterized by an original concrete and riprap seawall built in the 1960s to protect the shoreline from erosion. Adjacent to the seawall, there is a narrow beach beside a steep bluff. Despite the seawall's purpose, it has suffered significant damage and required extensive repairs over the years due to undercutting action from waves. To combat erosion of slope material on the bluffs in the 1980s, a retaining wall was constructed on the seawall.A notable landmark in the vicinity is the Brotchie ledge, a submerged reef located 1 ½ miles off the coast, marked by a green buoy. In 1891, the San Pedro ship ran aground on the ledge, and six years later, the wreck was removed by blasting it into many pieces to facilitate its removal. Nowadays, the Brotchie ledge is a popular destination for divers who can observe a variety of marine life, including octopuses, wolf eels, crabs, and fish, as well as the remaining scrap metal pieces from the wreck. From 1908 to 1958, the City of Victoria dumped garbage into the ocean off of Brotchie ledge with tugs, divers indicate that the area is still littered with old bottles and ceramic wares.During low tide, Glimpse reefs can be seen just off the coast east of Holland Point Park and south of Government and Douglas streets. In 1938, the Santa Maria Union oil tanker ran aground on the reefs due to heavy southwesterly winds that struck the 460-foot tanker. Again in 1994, a 38-foot pleasure boat, Grand Slam sank after running into the reef. These events are a reminder of the hazards for ships navigating the waters around the outer Victoria area.
