Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Many people view the city for the first time from the Inner Harbour, coming in by boat the
way people have for almost 150 years; as the boat rounds Laurel Point, Victoria sparkles
into view. Ferries, fishing boats, and seaplanes bob in the harbor, with a backdrop of man-
icured lawns and flower gardens, quiet residential suburbs, and striking inner-city architec-
ture. Despite the pressures that go with city life, easygoing Victorians still find time for a
stroll along the waterfront, a round of golf, or a night out at a fine restaurant.
Victoria doesn't have as many official sights as Vancouver, but this isn't a bad thing.
Once you've visited must-sees like the Royal BC Museum and Butchart Gardens you can
devote your time to outdoor pursuits such as whale watching, a bike ride through Oak Bay,
or something as simple as enjoying a stroll along the beach. You will be confronted with
oodles of ways to trim bulging wallets in Victoria. Some commercial attractions are worth
every cent, others are routine at best, although the latter may be crowd-pleasers with chil-
dren, which makes them worth considering. Discovering Victoria's roots has been a long-
time favorite with visitors, but some locals find the “more English than England” reputation
tiring. Yes, there's a tacky side to some traditions, but high tea, double-decker bus tours,
and exploring formal gardens remain true joys in Victoria.
In 1792, Captain George Vancouver sailed through the Strait of Georgia, noting and naming
Vancouver Island. But this had little effect on the many indigenous communities living
along the shoreline. Europeans didn't see and exploit the island's potential for another 50
years, when the Hudson's Bay Company established control over the entire island and the
mainland territory of “Columbia.”
Fort Victoria
Needing to firmly establish British presence on the continent's northwest coast, the Hud-
son's Bay Company built Fort Victoria—named after Queen Victoria—on the southern tip
of Vancouver Island in 1843. Three years later, the Oregon Treaty fixed the U.S.-Canada
boundary at the 49th parallel, with the proviso that the section of Vancouver Island lying
south of that line would be retained by Canada. To forestall any claims that the United
States may have had on the area, the British government went about settling the island.
In 1849, the island was gazetted as a Crown colony and leased back to the Hudson's Bay
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