Fort Victoria

Founded by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1843, Fort Victoria became after 1846 the headquarters of the Company’s trade in British territory west of the Rocky Mountains. When the Colony of Vancouver Island was formed in 1849, Victoria was the capital, and the first Legislative Assembly met in the fort. The Gold Rush of 1858 led to the development of the City of Victoria, and the early history of the city and the colony was closely intertwined with that of the fort. The last of the original buildings was demolished in 1862.

British Columbia · Canada