Where History Meets The Sea

The Fisgard Lighthouse, situated at the entrance of Esquimalt Harbour near Victoria, British Columbia, is the oldest lighthouse on the west coast of Canada. The British colonial government of Vancouver Island built it between 1859 and 1860, and on November 16, 1860, its light first shone. When it was constructed, British Columbia was not yet part of the Canadian Confederation, which happened in 1871. The lighthouse was an essential navigational tool for the British Royal Navy and merchant vessels during the Fraser River gold rush. It was also a symbol of British sovereignty in the region. Military activities at the site ended in 1956 as the facilities became outdated, and it is now a National Historic Site managed by Parks Canada.