Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Victoria BC is one of the older cities in the Pacific Northwest and the capital of B.C., Canada. World-renowned for its gardens, Victoria is often referred to as the garden city, a city of gardens. There are ocean vistas and a mild year-round West Coast climate.
The City and its surrounding communities are a mix of cityscapes, towns, and farmland, set amid world-famous landmarks, and historical attractions. There is an abundance of natural settings filled with wildlife and birds. The many shops, little boutiques, and hidden alleyway shops are fun to explore. Victoria’s Chinatown is the second oldest in North America.
The City was founded by the Hudson’s Bay Company on March 14, 1843. It was built as a trading post and fort. It was at a location the First Nations called Camosack The name means Rush of Water. The Hudson’s Bay Company moved its fort from Vancouver on the mainland to the southern end of Vancouver Island, to ensure that Vancouver Island remained in Canadian Hands.
The Oregon treaty was just being drawn up, and the states had said that they wanted Vancouver Island. For a short time, the fort was known as Fort Albert, but by a resolution passed by the Vancouver Island Council of the Northern Department of the Company meeting at Fort Garry on June 10, 1843, it was officially named Fort Victoria, in honour of the British Queen.
Settlers were coming to Vancouver Island in waves, and Victoria grew rapidly.