In 1842, the Beacon Hill Park was selected as the site for Fort Victoria. In 1878, over fears of war with Russia, batteries were placed on the hill that had two 64-pound guns mounted.
Beacon Hill Park is one of those wonders that abound on Vancouver Island; it is a place of beauty. The park has a long history that goes back many thousands of years and was a gathering place for the Lekwungen people, who we now know as the Songhees People. They would harvest camas roots here, in amongst the Garry oak forests.
There are numerous burial mounds here where the people would bury their dead. During the ’70s, some of these mounds were destroyed to make it easier to mow the lawns. In the ’90s, the museum helped recreate these burial mounds.
Beacon Hill Park, Photo By Bud Logan
Now we have so much more on the grounds, some very beautiful lakes, streams, waterfalls, and stone bridges. The flowers and trees are such wonderful displays of colour and form, they can just take your breath away. There is a wonderful children’s petting zoo that has many wondrous animals, with the favourites being the goats, especially the baby goats. There is a bowling green and clubhouse here, along with many trails to walk about on; the birds will eat from your hand, and the squirrels will climb right up to see if you have any tidbits in your pockets.
There is a restored bandstand here and plenty of controversy over its use, as many people find it to be a form of commercialism. It’s the fact that they charge for events that use it. So the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island is hard at work creating a management plan for the park and all it entails. I think that offering outdoor concerts and charging a fee to see them is a fine use for the park, but that is only my opinion, and I live 200 miles from it. The city did win a Hallmark award for the bandstand in 2011.