HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Esquimalt Harbour is a natural harbour in
Greater Victoria Greater Victoria (also known as the Greater Victoria Region) is located in British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. It is usually defined as the thirteen municipalities of the Capital Regional District (CRD) o ...
on the southern tip of
Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
in
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
. The entrance to Esquimalt Harbour is from the south off the Strait of Juan de Fuca through a narrow channel known as
Royal Roads Royal Roads is a roadstead or anchorage located in Strait of Juan de Fuca near the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour in Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territo ...
. Esquimalt Harbour is situtated east of
Victoria Harbour Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbor, harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrume ...
, another major harbour in the region. Esquimalt Harbour is home to the
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack subma ...
's Maritime Forces Pacific, based at CFB Esquimalt. Esquimalt Harbour is bounded by the municipalities of Colwood to the west,
View Royal View Royal is a town in Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. View Royal has a population of 10,858 residents. With over of parkland, View Royal includes Thetis, McKenzie, Pik ...
to the north, and
Esquimalt The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esqui ...
to the east. The entrance is marked by the historic Fisgard Lighthouse on the Harbour's west shore in Colwood. CFB Esquimalt is situtated at the harbour entrance's east shore.


History

In the summer of 1790
Manuel Quimper Manuel Quimper Benítez del Pino (c. 1757 – April 2, 1844) was a Spanish Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naval officer, and colonial official. He participated in charting the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Sandwich Islands in the late 18th ...
, Gonzalo López de Haro, and Juan Carrasco aboard ''Princesa Real'' explored the Strait of Juan de Fuca where they claimed Esquimalt Harbour for Spain, naming it Puerto de Córdova. From 1842 to 1905, the Royal Navy's Pacific Station was based at
Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard Esquimalt Royal Naval Dockyard was a major British Royal Navy yard on Canada's Pacific coast from 1842 to 1905, subsequently operated by the Canadian government as HMC Dockyard Esquimalt, now part of CFB Esquimalt, to the present day. The nav ...
. Control of the dockyard was transferred to the
Canadian Department of Marine and Fisheries Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sci ...
in 1905, who later transferred control of the dockyard to the Naval Service of Canada after its creation in 1910. The dockyards remains in use as HMC Dockyard Esquimalt at CFB Esquimalt, a
Canadian Forces base A Canadian Forces base or CFB (french: links=no, base des Forces canadiennes, BFC) is a military installation of the Canadian Armed Forces. For a facility to qualify as a Canadian Forces base, it must station one or more major units (e.g., army r ...
built around the dockyards. The King's Harbour Master (KHM) for CFB Esquimalt has served as the harbour authority for the entire Esquimalt Harbour since
Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transporta ...
transferred responsibility of the harbour to the
Department of National Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...
. As a result, ship movement in Esquimalt Harbour requires the approval of the Esquimalt KHM.


References


External links

* * Bays of British Columbia Ports and harbours of British Columbia {{BritishColumbiaCoast-geo-stub