Ever been curious about the history of our great city? Me too! So I did some research and this folks, is everything you need to know in 2 minutes or less.

WELL IT ALL STARTED WHEN…

Captain Hook – I mean Cook arrived! Victoria had been home to a diverse array of First Nations groups for thousands of years. One source has named three key bands: Songhees, Saanich and Sooke First Nations as the original settlers on Vancouver Island. In 1778, during an exploration voyage, Captain James Cook arrived on our shores. He was the first non-aboriginal person to set foot on our soil. He did not explore the area now known as Victoria until over a decade later in 1791. He liked it here. A lot.

AND THEN SHOPPING…

James Douglas was charged with the task of finding the next great area to establish an HBC trading post (that’s right, we’re talking about the Bay). In 1843 he found what is today’s Inner Harbour, and named it Camosack. It was later renamed Fort Victoria in honour of the Queen. At this time there were about 300 people living in Fort Victoria, and they traded in pelts and other raw materials.

Fun Fact: Mr. Douglas originally settled on Esquimalt as the site for Fort Victoria, but later changed his mind because the area was too heavily treed.

AND THEN WE WERE GOLD DIGGERS….

The literal kind, not the figurative kind.

The year was 1858, and gold was discovered on the lower Fraser River. In the blink of an eye Victoria’s population jumped from 300 to 5,000 – the city was bursting at the seams. But in classic Victoria fashion, the population pressure was handled magnificently and Victoria quickly grew to support the numbers. You may ask “but gold was found on the Fraser, why are people in Victoria?” Well, curious reader, people would move to Victoria as it was a port, a supply base, and a mining licensing location. And as a result of all of this traffic, Victoria became diverse. And it was awesome.

AND WE BECAME BC’S TOP DOG…

By July of 1871, we were a buzzing city in the official province of British Columbia, and shortly after were named the capital city. Our rise to the top could only be thwarted by one event – the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. And it happened in 1886. As the railroad construction drew to a close, Vancouver grew into the commercial hub of the province, overshadowing Victoria. But never fear!

NOW WE ARE HERE…

In the iconic outdoorsman capital, with incredible brunch and booming tourism. We pride ourselves on our rich history and our natural beauty.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the history of our city.

 

 

Featured Image: marketas.com