VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 146

Company. Gradually land around Fort Victoria was opened up by groups of British set-
tlers brought to the island by the company's subsidiary, Puget Sound Agricultural Company.
Several large company farms were developed, and Esquimalt Harbour became a major port
for British ships.
The Growth of Victoria
In the late 1850s, gold strikes on the mainland's Thompson and Fraser Rivers brought thou-
sands of gold miners into Victoria, the region's only port and source of supplies. Overnight,
Victoria became a classic boomtown, but with a distinctly British flavor: Most of the com-
pany men, early settlers, and military personnel firmly maintained their homeland traditions
and celebrations. Even after the Gold Rush ended, Victoria remained an energetic bastion of
military, economic, and political activity, and was officially incorporated as a city in 1862.
In 1868, two years after the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia were united,
Victoria was made the provincial capital. Through the two world wars, Victoria continued
to grow. The commencement of ferry service between Tsawwassen and Sidney in 1903 cre-
ated a small population boom, but Victoria has always lagged well behind Vancouver in the
population stakes.
SIGHTS
Inner Harbour
Walk along the lower level of the Inner Harbour and then up the steps in the middle to
come face to face with an unamused Captain James Cook; the bronze statue commemorates
the first recorded British landing, in 1778, on the territory that would later become British
Columbia. Be sure to return to the Inner Harbour after dark, when the parliament buildings
are outlined in lights and the Empress Hotel is floodlit.
MM FAIRMONT EMPRESS
Overlooking the Inner Harbour, the pompous, ivy-covered 1908 Fairmont Empress (721
Government St., 250/384-8111 or 800/257-7544, www.fairmont.com ) is Victoria's most re-
cognizable landmark. Its architect was the well-known Francis Rattenbury, who also de-
signed the parliament buildings, the CPR steamship terminal (now housing the wax mu-
seum), and Crystal Garden. It's worthwhile walking through the hotel lobby to gaze—head
back, mouth agape—at the interior razzle-dazzle, and to watch people-watching people par-
take in traditional afternoon tea. Browse through the conservatory and gift shops, drool over
the menus of the various restaurants, see what tours are available, and exchange currency if