Victoria West, Greater Victoria
Encyclopedia
Victoria West, commonly called Vic West, is an historic neighbourhood of the city of Victoria, British Columbia
, Canada
, located just west of downtown
across Victoria Harbour, bordering on the Township of Esquimalt
.
When the Hudson's Bay Company
arrived in Victoria in 1842 to establish Fort Victoria
, the neighbourhood now known as Victoria West was the site of a village of the Songhees
, the aboriginal people of the Victoria area. The Songhees called the Gorge waterway Camossung, named for a girl who turned to stone at the Gorge waterfall. Songhees longhouses once extended from Songhees Point to beyond the present day Johnson Street Bridge
. The Songhees people were relocated in 1911 to permit industrial development of Victoria West.
Much of the residential and early commercial development of Victoria West occurred in the 1890s up until 1913. Residential development was facilitated by the arrival of streetcar service in 1890. While a few expensive homes were located in the neighbourhood, particularly in the area of the Gorge waterway, much of the development in the area was for working class families. The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway line passes through Victoria West, and the roundhouse was located in the neighbourhood. In addition, at one time there were as many as seven shipbuilding companies in the area.
The largest and grandest of the homes built along the Vic West shore of the Gorge was Burleith, the residence built in 1892 by James Dunsmuir
, son of Robert Dunsmuir
and set among 20 acres (8.1 ha) of lawns and gardens. While Burleith has been demolished, Roslyn, another smaller grand home remains on Catherine Street. Built in 1890 in the Queen Anne style for Andrew Gray, manager of the Albion Iron Works, Roslyn made an appearance in the movies when actor Bruce Dern
leapt from an upstairs balcony.
In 1924 the Johnson Street Bridge
bascule bridge
was constructed linking Downtown Victoria with Vic West. A second bridge, the Bay Street Bridge, stands where the Point Ellice Bridge was located. On May 26, 1896 an overloaded streetcar of holidaymakers celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee caused the Point Ellice Bridge to collapse, killing 55 people. The Point Ellice Bridge Disaster
is the worst transit accident in Canadian history.
As industry left the area in the latter part of the 20th century, an opportunity for redevelopment of the former Songhees lands presented itself, and from the late 1980s condominium development along the harbour facing Downtown Victoria
has resulted in an influx of population and spurred redevelopment of other parts of Victoria West, a process that continues with developments such as Dockside Green
and the Railyards project.
In 1984 Spinnaker's brewpub opened on Catherine Street. The Westsong Way, a pedestrian walkway, winds along the shore around Songhees Point, offering views of Downtown Victoria and James Bay
across the harbour. Parks and open space also include Victoria West Park and Banfield Park.
The area is served by Victoria West (Vic West) Elementary School.
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located just west of downtown
Downtown Victoria
Downtown Victoria is a neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia that acts as the commercial and entertainment hub of the city and surrounding region....
across Victoria Harbour, bordering on the Township of Esquimalt
Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
.
When the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
arrived in Victoria in 1842 to establish Fort Victoria
Fort Victoria (British Columbia)
Fort Victoria was a fur trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the headquarters of HBC operations in British Columbia. The fort was the beginnings of a settlement that eventually grew into the modern Victoria, British Columbia, the capital city of British Columbia.The headquarters of HBC...
, the neighbourhood now known as Victoria West was the site of a village of the Songhees
Songhees
The Songhees or Songish, also known as the Lekwungen or Lekungen, are an indigenous North American Coast Salish people who reside on southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the Greater Victoria area...
, the aboriginal people of the Victoria area. The Songhees called the Gorge waterway Camossung, named for a girl who turned to stone at the Gorge waterfall. Songhees longhouses once extended from Songhees Point to beyond the present day Johnson Street Bridge
Johnson Street Bridge
The Johnson Street Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the harbour of Victoria, British Columbia. It is commonly referred to as the "Blue Bridge" because of its distinctive blue colour....
. The Songhees people were relocated in 1911 to permit industrial development of Victoria West.
Much of the residential and early commercial development of Victoria West occurred in the 1890s up until 1913. Residential development was facilitated by the arrival of streetcar service in 1890. While a few expensive homes were located in the neighbourhood, particularly in the area of the Gorge waterway, much of the development in the area was for working class families. The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway line passes through Victoria West, and the roundhouse was located in the neighbourhood. In addition, at one time there were as many as seven shipbuilding companies in the area.
The largest and grandest of the homes built along the Vic West shore of the Gorge was Burleith, the residence built in 1892 by James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir was a British Columbian industrialist and politician. Son of Robert Dunsmuir, he was heir to his family's coal fortune. The Dunsmuir family dominated the province's economy in the late nineteenth century and were a leading force in opposing organized labour...
, son of Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir was a Scottish-Canadian coal miner, railway developer, industrialist and politician. -Origins in Scotland:...
and set among 20 acres (8.1 ha) of lawns and gardens. While Burleith has been demolished, Roslyn, another smaller grand home remains on Catherine Street. Built in 1890 in the Queen Anne style for Andrew Gray, manager of the Albion Iron Works, Roslyn made an appearance in the movies when actor Bruce Dern
Bruce Dern
Bruce MacLeish Dern is an American film actor. He also appeared as a guest star in numerous television shows. He frequently takes roles as a character actor, often playing unstable and villainous characters...
leapt from an upstairs balcony.
In 1924 the Johnson Street Bridge
Johnson Street Bridge
The Johnson Street Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the harbour of Victoria, British Columbia. It is commonly referred to as the "Blue Bridge" because of its distinctive blue colour....
bascule bridge
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
was constructed linking Downtown Victoria with Vic West. A second bridge, the Bay Street Bridge, stands where the Point Ellice Bridge was located. On May 26, 1896 an overloaded streetcar of holidaymakers celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee caused the Point Ellice Bridge to collapse, killing 55 people. The Point Ellice Bridge Disaster
Point Ellice Bridge Disaster
On May 26, 1896 in Victoria, British Columbia, a streetcar crowded with 143 holidaymakers on their way to attend celebrations of Queen Victoria’s birthday, crashed through Point Ellice Bridge into the Upper Harbour. 55 men, women and children were killed in the accident, making this one of the...
is the worst transit accident in Canadian history.
As industry left the area in the latter part of the 20th century, an opportunity for redevelopment of the former Songhees lands presented itself, and from the late 1980s condominium development along the harbour facing Downtown Victoria
Downtown Victoria
Downtown Victoria is a neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia that acts as the commercial and entertainment hub of the city and surrounding region....
has resulted in an influx of population and spurred redevelopment of other parts of Victoria West, a process that continues with developments such as Dockside Green
Dockside Green
Dockside Green is a mixed-use community in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada owned by Vancity Credit Union.Dockside Green is notable for its developers' insistence on adhering to the strictest possible path in following the tenets of sustainable architecture or green building.- Objectives...
and the Railyards project.
In 1984 Spinnaker's brewpub opened on Catherine Street. The Westsong Way, a pedestrian walkway, winds along the shore around Songhees Point, offering views of Downtown Victoria and James Bay
James Bay, Greater Victoria
James Bay is a high density neighbourhood of Victoria, BC. It is the oldest residential neighbourhood on the West coast of North America that is north of San Francisco. James Bay occupies the south side of the Inner Harbour close to downtown...
across the harbour. Parks and open space also include Victoria West Park and Banfield Park.
The area is served by Victoria West (Vic West) Elementary School.