What is the history of Victoria BC?
In 1849 Vancouver Island became a British crown colony with Fort Victoria as its capital. More settlers arrived, and a small village arose near the fort. By the early 1850s the village site had been formally surveyed, and in 1852 the settlement was named Victoria.
What happened to Fort Victoria?
After a brief population boom in 1858 due to the Gold Rush, the fort property was sold, the palisade was torn down and within a few years, the last of the buildings were demolished. Sources: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Plaque Text, 1949, 1972.
How old is Victoria British Columbia?
The City of Victoria was founded by the Hudson’s Bay Company on March 14, 1843, as a trading post and fort at the location the Lekwungen People called “Camosack” meaning “Rush of Water.”
What is the oldest town in BC?
Triquet Island – BC, Canada More than just a few bones or tools, this ancient settlement represents the oldest village discovered so far in North America.
What was Victoria BC originally called?
Erected in 1843 as a Hudson’s Bay Company trading post on a site originally called Camosun (the native word was “camosack”, meaning “rush of water”) known briefly as “Fort Albert”, the settlement was renamed Fort Victoria in November 1843, in honour of Queen Victoria.
Why is it called Victoria?
Origin and meaning forms Victoria is the Latin word for ‘victory’ and is used as the feminine form corresponding to the name Victor. In Roman mythology, Victoria was the name of the goddess of victory, corresponding to the Greek goddess Nike.
Who built Fort Victoria?
Share this article: Fort Victoria was formerly known as ‘Phipp’s Tower’ after its builder: the English Governor Phipps. It was constructed in 1712. It was one of a chain of 3 lookout posts built on the hills in the town of Cape Coast around Cape Coast Castle.
What is the most populated city in British Columbia?
Vancouver
List
| Rank | Population centre | Population (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver | 2,268,864 |
| 2 | Victoria | 337,235 |
| 3 | Kelowna | 160,095 |
| 4 | Abbotsford | 122,163 |
Why is Victoria BC so warm?
Victoria claims the mildest climate in Canada because the Pacific ocean in this region maintains a constant temperature of 50 degrees F. Prevailing westerly ocean winds provide a buffer to warmer summer and cooler winter temperatures.
When was Victoria discovered?
Capt. James Cook made the first recorded sighting of the Victorian coast at Point Hicks in 1770. George Bass (1798), James Grant (1801–02), John Murray (1802), and Matthew Flinders (1802) explored and charted Victorian waters and penetrated Western Port, Portland, and Port Phillip bays.
Is the name Victoria Italian?
Meaning “victory,” Victoria is of Latin origin and the feminine variant of the masculine name, Victor. In Roman mythology, Victoria is the goddess of victory, equivalent to the Greek goddess Nike.
What is Fort Victoria?
Fort Victoria began as a fur trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company and was the headquarters of HBC operations in the Columbia District, a large fur trading area now part of the province of British Columbia, Canada and the U.S. state of Washington.
What was life like at Fort Victoria?
Life at Fort Victoria was typical of most Hudson’s Bay Company posts. Men (mostly French Canadians) lived in large barracks. Local native people came to trade at the “Indian Store.” Furs from throughout British Columbia were collected and stored in large log warehouses.
In 1860 Victoria was declared a free port and the success of its established free trade was reflected in the commercial district of Wharf St. By 1862 Victoria was established as a city, making it one of the oldest in the Pacific Northwest, and three years later Esquimalt would become, and has remained, the west coast home of the Royal Navy.
Fort Victoria eventually became an anachronism and by 1864 its last remnants had disappeared.