Tour - CZC Trip 1 Victoria Inner Harbour

CZC Trip 1 Victoria Inner Harbour

Victoria, British Columbia V8W, Canada

Created By: NRCan

Tour Information

The Victoria Inner Harbour walking trip offers insights into the history and development of the working harbour. Development in the harbour over time has significantly altered the natural environment. Dredging, for instance, has resulted in the loss of important intertidal habitats, including wetlands, mudflats, and eelgrass beds that support a diverse range of plant and animal species. Industrial, commercial, and residential activities have contributed to water pollution, such as heavy metals from industries, wastewater effluent, and microplastics.

Tankers, cruise ships, ferries, tugs and barges, water taxis, kayaks and canoes, and seaplanes can be seen in this active part of the harbour. Initiatives are underway to address these issues and reduce pollutants in the harbor including habitat restoration and the protection of wildlife.

Tour Map

Loading Tour

What You'll See on the Tour

Stop 1 Inner Harbour Walkway

Begin your tour at Bastion Square, once the location of the city’s jail and courthouse that opened in 1853. This historic site served as important social and cultural centre for settlers at the time and was part of the former Fort Victori... Read more

Stop 2 Empress Hotel

This site was once home to Fort Victoria. Fort Victoria, was established in 1843 by the Hudson's Bay Company as a fur trading post. The fort served as an important hub for the trading company to ship goods from the land to the sea. A plaque... Read more

Stop 3 Parliament House

At the site of British Columbia Parliament Buildings, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, established in 1897, is a place where elected officials gather to pass laws and oversee activities of the Provincial government. Guided tour... Read more

Stop 4 Laurel Point (sč̓əmaθən | Peter Pollen Waterfront Park)

A Lekwungen burial ground was once located at the tip of this narrow rocky peninsula, which featured a burial site with carved mortuary figures in front of the graves until 1850. Since that time the area was infilled and from 1906 to 1975, ... Read more

Stop 5 Fisherman’s Wharf

Laing’s Way was one of the first shipyards to be established in the middle of Victoria Harbour, which was known as Major Bay at the time. During the 1850’s at the start of the gold rush, the shipyards constructed several steamers, the l... Read more

Stop 6 Shoal point

Shoals are sandbanks, sandbars or gravel bars that are formed by ocean currents or streams depositing sediment and creating shallow areas. Such areas can pose hazards for navigation purposes. In Victoria harbour, these shallow areas prevent... Read more

Stop 7 Ogden Point Breakwater

The Ogden Point Breakwater is a historic structure built to protect the piers of the Victoria cruise terminal and entrance to Victoria Harbour. Completed in 1916, the 762-metre-long breakwater was designated a national historic civil engine... Read more

Stop 8 Holland Point Seawall

The area between Holland Point and Padden Avenue is characterized by an original concrete and riprap seawall built in the 1960s to protect the shoreline from erosion. Adjacent to the seawall, there is a narrow beach beside a steep bluff. De... Read more