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 Victoria has a unique
inner harbor which extends right into the downtown area. The inner harbor is alive with tourist
attractions and activities.
However, Victoria has not forgotten its
heritage. Fort
Victoria was built by Hudson’s Bay Company in
1843 as a fur trading post. In 1849 Vancouver Island became a Crown Colony. In 1858 it was British Columbia’s only port and became
the main gateway to the Cariboo goldfields on the mainland. In 1868 the Crown Colony of British
Columbia was formed and Vancouver Island was
included. Victoria became the capital of the newly
formed Crown Colony.
When the British first settled
here and English settlers came here for the cheap land there was a large
native American population here. The
diseases the settlers brought with them, like small pox, decimated the native
population. To their credit many of
the Indian tribes (called First Nations in Canada) have gift shops, museums,
and other facilities that commemorate their history, art, and culture. One fantastic display of not only the
“First Nations” culture but also the history of British
Columbia is the Royal British Columbia Museum
that is located across Government
Street from the Parliament Buildings on the Inner Harbor. On the northeast corner of the campus is a
fantastic display of “First Nation”
totem poles.
Modern Victoria has long been a tourist
destination. It would take a week to
use the tourist facilities available around the Inner Harbor. In short, for the normal vacation you will
have to pick and choose what you want to do while in Victoria.
You’ll just have to come back later to see the rest.
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