Article

Fort Victoria

Published Online February 7, 2007

Last Edited December 16, 2013

In 1842, James DOUGLAS of the HUDSON'S BAY CO selected the port of Camosack (the harbour where Victoria now stands) as a new fur-trade post - eventually to replace FORT VANCOUVER as the company's Pacific headquarters and to bolster the British claim to VANCOUVER ISLAND.

Fort Victoria

In 1842, James DOUGLAS of the HUDSON'S BAY CO selected the port of Camosack (the harbour where Victoria now stands) as a new fur-trade post - eventually to replace FORT VANCOUVER as the company's Pacific headquarters and to bolster the British claim to VANCOUVER ISLAND. Known first locally as Fort Albert, the original intention was to name the site Fort Adelaide, but on 10 June 1843 it was officially christened Fort Victoria after Queen VICTORIA. The OREGON TREATY of 1846 effectively terminated Fort Vancouver as Columbia district headquarters, and in 1849 it was superseded by Fort Victoria. The crown colony of Vancouver Island was also established in 1849 and Richard Blanshard, who became its first governor in 1850, resided at Fort Victoria. VICTORIA townsite was surveyed adjacent to the fort in 1851-52 and during the FRASER RIVER GOLD RUSH of 1858 its population soared. Fort Victoria eventually became an anachronism and by 1864 its last remnants had disappeared.