Fort Victoria, National historic site in Victoria, Canada
Fort Victoria was a trading post established by the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1840s, located at the intersection of Fort Street and Government Street. Remnants of the original palisade and bastions remain visible, showing the layout of this early commercial and administrative center.
The Hudson's Bay Company founded the post in 1843 to counter American expansion in the Pacific Northwest and strengthen British control over the region. It served as a crucial center during the early formation of Vancouver Island Colony.
The site became a meeting ground where European traders and local First Nations people conducted business and exchanged goods on a regular basis. This interaction shaped the character of the young colonial settlement that grew around it.
The site is located in downtown Victoria on easily accessible streets, with original mooring rings and anchor points in Victoria Harbour marking the historic waterfront. Visitors can explore the remains on foot while viewing the harbor and surrounding historic district.
Workers from local First Nations received Hudson's Bay blankets as payment for cutting wooden pickets during construction, with a set number of blankets per pickets delivered. This payment method reveals how trade goods became currency in the early colonial economy.
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