59-813: Hatley Park National Historic Site is located in Colwood, British Columbia , in Greater Victoria. It is the site of Hatley Castle, a Classified Federal Heritage Building. Since 1995, the mansion and estate have been used for the public Royal Roads University . From the 1940s to 1995, it was used for the Royal Roads Military College , a naval training facility. The extensive grounds of the historic site have formal gardens, former farmland, and trails through mature stands of first and second-growth forest, including large Douglas fir and western red cedar . In 1906, B.C.'s Lieutenant Governor, James Dunsmuir , who
118-454: A National Historic Site of Canada . In September 1995, Royal Roads University was opened as a public, degree-granting university. It leases the campus from the Department of National Defence for $ 1 per year. The university manages all stewardship responsibilities related to the site, including site management, operations, heritage preservation and restoration, and educating the public about
177-481: A $ 15 four-month summer garden pass for residents of Greater Victoria , in addition to the free pass offered to residents of Colwood . As of 2019 the fee was cancelled and the gardens are free to visit. Hatley parks and castle has been the venue for dozens of films and T.V. shows for over 80 years. The Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings lists nine recognized buildings and one classified building on
236-558: A federal plaque of the same style, but the markers do not indicate which designation a subject has been given. For example, the Rideau Canal is a National Historic Site, while the Welland Canal is a National Historic Event. Emerging Canadian nationalist sentiment in the late 19th century and early 20th century led to an increased interest in preserving Canada's historic sites. There were galvanizing precedents in other countries. With
295-466: A garden curator, seven seasonal gardeners and groundskeepers, and one manager. As the university does not receive any federal, provincial or municipal funding to maintain the site, the gardeners must make choices about the areas that can be best presented. They have made the Japanese, Rose and Italian gardens the showcase areas of the property. In June 2006, citing the unfunded costs of heritage preservation,
354-449: A keeper here since the light was automated in 1929, but every year many thousands of visitors step inside a real 19th century light and capture some of the feeling of ships wrecked and lives saved. Built by the British in 1860, when Vancouver Island was not yet part of Canada, Fisgard's red brick house and white tower has stood faithfully at the entrance to Esquimalt Harbour . Once a beacon for
413-499: A more ambitious program with more attention paid to architectural preservation. In 1955, the Historic Sites and Monuments Act was amended to allow the designation of buildings due to their age or design, resulting in a new focus on the designation of Canada's built heritage. The 1950s also marked the beginning of the "big project" era, which reached its apogee in the 1960s, in which the federal government invested significant funds in
472-696: A noted authority on the War of 1812 and the history of Ontario , was chosen as the Board's first chairman, a post he held for twenty years. The first place designated and plaqued under the new program was the "Cliff Site" in Port Dover, Ontario , where two priests claimed sovereignty over the Lake Erie region for Louis XIV of France in 1670. Due to a lack of resources, the HSMBC limited itself to recommending sites for designation, and
531-651: A park. Fort Anne in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia was also designated in 1917. In 1919, William James Roche , the Minister of the Interior, was concerned over the fate of old fur trade posts in Western Canada, and he was also being lobbied by historical associations across Canada for federal funds to assist with the preservation and commemoration of local landmarks. At the same time, the Department of Militia and Defence
590-470: A population of 18,961 living in 7,428 of its 7,688 total private dwellings, a change of 12.5% from its 2016 population of 16,859. With a land area of 17.66 km (6.82 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,073.7/km (2,780.8/sq mi) in 2021. The median household income in 2015 for Colwood was $ 85,688, which is above the British Columbia provincial average of $ 69,995. According to
649-522: A population of approximately 19,000 people. Colwood lies within the boundaries of the Greater Victoria area or Capital Regional District , in a region called the Western Communities , or the West Shore. Set along more than 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of oceanfront, this fast-growing seaside community is one of the 13 component municipalities of Greater Victoria . A small plaque on a concrete cairn in
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#1733086262111708-531: A series of nine formal 'garden rooms' near Hatley Castle, to recreational spaces, then to agricultural lands, and finally to the forest surrounding the estate. During the Dunsmuir era, approximately 100 gardeners and groundskeepers tended the estate. During the years when the cadets attended Royal Roads Military College , the Department of National Defence employed approximately 50 gardeners and groundskeepers to maintain
767-490: A sign in the centre of the square thus uncovered." In the early years of the program, National Historic Sites were chosen to commemorate battles, important men, the fur trade and political events; the focus was on the "great men and events" credited with establishing the nation. Of the 285 National Historic Sites designated by 1943, 105 represented military history , 52 represented the fur trade and exploration, and 43 represented famous individuals (almost entirely men). There
826-503: A survey of historic sites in Canada, with the objective of creating new recreational areas rather than preserving historic places. Fort Howe in Saint John, New Brunswick was designated a national historic park in 1914, named the "Fort Howe National Park". The fort was not a site of significant national historic importance, but its designation provided a rationale for the acquisition of land for
885-502: A two-story framed, square-shaped building was rebuilt by the proprietor, Mr Campbell. He later enlarged the building and sold it to Mrs Miller, who became the owner of the Goldstream Inn. 1910: Colwood Women's Institute formed. As it lies geographically to the south of Victoria, Colwood is Western Canada 's southernmost city. Neighbourhoods of Colwood: In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Colwood had
944-534: Is also home to Royal Roads University . National Historic Sites of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada ( French : Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada ) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being of national historic significance. Parks Canada , a federal agency, manages
1003-547: The 2021 census , religious groups in Colwood included: Colwood is home to abundant forests, parks and trails, as well as several historic sites including Fort Rodd Hill, Fisgard Lighthouse and Hatley Castle. One of Colwood's best known landmarks is Hatley Castle , now home to Royal Roads University . It is a Scottish Baronial mansion and grounds originally built as a residence for James Dunsmuir , Premier and later Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia . Colwood almost became
1062-484: The North-West Rebellion has gone through at least three phases to date. In the 1920s, plaques erected at these sites trumpeted the expansion of Canada and western civilization across North America. Due to local pressures, changes at the HSMBC and evolving historiography , texts introduced in the 1950s avoided the previous triumphalist version of events, but also avoided any analysis of the causes or consequences of
1121-554: The St. Lawrence ", and in Niagara, promoting a loyalist doctrine of imperial unity with Britain, while commemorating resistance to "Americanism". Proposals to designate sites related to the immigration of Jews , Blacks and Ukrainians to Canada were rejected, as were attempts to recognize patriots of the Rebellions of 1837 . Such was the view of Canadian history by the Board in the first half of
1180-440: The 20th century. The HSMBC at the time has been described by historian Yves Yvon Pelletier as a "Victorian gentlemen's club", made up of self-taught historical scholars, whose decisions were made without public consultation and without the benefit of a secretariat to further investigate the recommendations of Board members. The following have served as members of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada: As time passed and
1239-526: The Branch's park improvements were incompatible with the heritage attributes of Fort Anne, the second historic park. On Harkin's recommendation, the government created the Advisory Board for Historic Site Preservation (later called the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada) in 1919 in order to advise the Minister on a new program of National Historic Sites. Brigadier General Ernest Alexander Cruikshank ,
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#17330862621111298-760: The British Royal Navy 's Pacific Squadron, today Fisgard still marks home base for the Maritime Forces Pacific of the Royal Canadian Navy . Colwood is also home to historic Fort Rodd Hill , another Canadian National Historic Site. Built by the British in the 1890s, this coast artillery fort was designed to defend Victoria and the Esquimalt Naval Base . Visitors come to explore the three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements that are
1357-461: The Canadian armed forces in 1940, Hatley Park evolved to meet the needs of Royal Roads Military College in a manner that has preserved its essential Edwardian character. The Royal Roads Military College band consisting of 15 pipers and drummers and 30 brass-and-reed musician recorded an LP in 1983–1984. Petty Officer First Class Gabby R. Bruner, RRMC bandmaster from 1979 to 1985, composed "Hatley Park" as
1416-592: The Land, Governing Canada, Developing Economies, Building Social and Community Life, and Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life. To be commemorated, a site must meet at least one of the following criteria: Designation as a National Historic Site provides no legal protection for the historic elements of a site. However, historic sites may be designated at more than one level (national, provincial and municipal), and designations at other levels may carry with them some legal protections. Most National Historic Sites are marked by
1475-784: The National Historic Sites program. As of November 2023, there were 1,005 National Historic Sites, 171 of which are administered by Parks Canada; the remainder are administered or owned by other levels of government or private entities. The sites are located across all ten provinces and three territories , with two sites located in France (the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial and Canadian National Vimy Memorial ). There are related federal designations for National Historic Events and National Historic Persons . Sites, Events and Persons are each typically marked by
1534-668: The Themopylac Club 1973. Colwood was originally one of four large farms established by the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1850s to supply the steadily increasing population of Fort Victoria. In 1851, the Puget Sound Agricultural Company , a subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company, appointed Capt. Edward E. Langford 'bailiff' of the 600 acre Esquimalt Farm lying between Esquimalt Harbour and the present Langford Lake. The farmhouse
1593-534: The class of larger National Historic Sites operated by Parks Canada and deemed to be of "extraordinary value to Canadian history", was phased out. Changes were not limited to new designations, as the interpretation of many existing National Historic Sites did not remain static and evolved over time. For example, the commemoration of National Historic Sites on the Prairies related to the Red River Rebellion and
1652-486: The designations accordingly. Saoyú-ʔehdacho in the Northwest Territories was designated in 1997, becoming the first National Historic Site both designated and acquired on the basis of consultation with Aboriginal peoples, and the largest National Historic Site in land area (approximately the size of Prince Edward Island ). It was at this time that the use of the term "National Historic Park", then still used for
1711-418: The events. Commencing in the 1970s, a changing approach to heritage conservation at Parks Canada , coupled with growing regionalism and a more assertive Aboriginal rights movement, led to the next generation of interpretative documents, one that included a focus on the societies which Canada's 19th-century expansion had displaced. National Historic Sites are organized according to five broad themes: Peopling
1770-455: The federal level. Although the HSMBC took little interest in these efforts, limiting itself to a commemorative role, the Parks Branch made wide use of government relief funds to hire workers to assist with the restoration of old forts. In 1943, the interim chairman of the HSMBC, Frederic William Howay , urged his fellow Board members to consider a broader range of designations, and to correct
1829-497: The focus of the program was on commemoration rather than on preservation. Benjamin Sulte , a member of the HSMBC, wrote to Harkin in 1919 about the significant ruins at the Forges du Saint-Maurice , demonstrating his preference for the installation of a plaque over restoration: "All that can be done in our days is to clear away the heap of stones, in order to reach the foundation walls and plant
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1888-562: The geographic and thematic imbalance in the designations. In particular, Howay encouraged the HSMBC to pay more attention to economic, social and cultural history, and he urged a moratorium on additional designations related to the War of 1812. In 1951, the Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences highlighted the imbalances of the National Historic Sites program, urging
1947-485: The grounds of the Hatley Park National Historic Site. 48°26′03″N 123°28′21″W / 48.4343°N 123.4724°W / 48.4343; -123.4724 ( Hatley Park National Historic Site ) Colwood, British Columbia Colwood is a city on Vancouver Island to the southwest of Victoria , capital of British Columbia , Canada. Colwood was incorporated in 1985 and has
2006-642: The library facilities for the Western Communities. Colwood is a part of the School District 62 Sooke . There are six elementary schools: John Stubbs (in Belmont Park), Colwood, Hans Helgesen, David Cameron, Sangster, and Wishart. There is one middle school: Dunsmuir. There is also an alternative school program called Pacific Secondary School (formerly WON western opportunity network). A new high school, Royal Bay Secondary School , opened in 2015. Colwood
2065-650: The mansion as a naval training facility. From 1948 it was known as the Royal Roads Military College. It is named for the Royal Roads body of water, which forms the entrance into Esquimalt Harbour from the Strait of Juan de Fuca , lying to the east of the facility. The military college was closed in 1995 and the estate leased to the Province of British Columbia. That same year, the castle and grounds were designated
2124-519: The mansion's contents totaling 927 lots. A Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque reads: Hatley Park. This superb example of an Edwardian park was laid out for James and Laura Dunsmuir in the early 20th century. At its centre stands a Tudor Revival mansion, whose picturesque design is enhanced by a rich array of decoration and fine craftmanship. The grounds, featuring a variety of native and exotic vegetation, unfold from formal gardens to recreational spaces, farmlands and forests. Acquired by
2183-546: The new designations, with the "Battle of..."-type commemorations being overtaken by sites associated with federal politics. The largest group of designations (43 percent) pertained to historic buildings. By the 1990s, three groups were identified as being underrepresented among National Historic Sites: Aboriginal peoples , women, and ethnic groups other than the French and the English . Efforts were subsequently made to further diversify
2242-708: The official quick march for the RRMC and "Dunsmuir Castle" for the Visit of Queen Elizabeth to RRMC in 1983. In 2008, the 100th anniversary of Hatley Castle was celebrated. At the outbreak of the Second World War , contingency plans were made for King George VI , his wife, Queen Elizabeth ; and their two daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret , to reside in Canada in the event of an invasion of Britain. The family's primary options were stately homes in England, but Victoria, BC,
2301-463: The property; a testimony to their commitment to retain the integrity of the estate. The Edwardian estate is located on southern Vancouver Island and has views of the Olympic Mountains in the U.S. The gardens are an 565-acre (2.29 km) estate, including the house's park, and are also a popular wedding location. Today, Royal Roads University employs five full-time gardeners, one arborist,
2360-558: The restoration and reconstruction of high-profile National Historic Sites such as the Halifax Citadel , the Fortress of Louisbourg , the fortifications of Quebec City and the historic core of Dawson City . The 1970s marked the start of a new shift in the nature of the designations. Of the 473 National Historic Sites designated between 1971 and 1993, the formerly dominant category of political-military events represented only 12 percent of
2419-536: The same time, the federal government was looking for ways to extend the National Park system to Eastern Canada . The more populated east did not have the same large expanses of undeveloped Crown land that had become parks in the west , so the Dominion Parks Branch (the predecessor to Parks Canada) looked to historic features to act as focal points for new national parks. In 1914, the Parks Branch undertook
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2478-682: The seat of the Crown of the Commonwealth realm in 1940, when, after the start of World War II , the government planned to relocate King George VI , Queen Elizabeth , and their children, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret , to the castle for protection. But they decided to stay in London and Windsor, near the European front. The government transferred the estate to the Canadian Armed Forces . It adapted
2537-591: The shore of the Esquimalt Lagoon outlines its history: Royal Roads - To seaward lies an anchorage or roadstead first used in 1790 by the Spanish and named in 1846 for its location between Albert Head and Victoria. Unloading place for large vessels serving Victoria in days of sail, it was once a scene of disaster. On April 1, 1883 a southeasterly gale swept the haven, beaching the ships Southern Chief, Gettysburg, Connaught and Tiger. Province of British Columbia. Erected by
2596-445: The site for use as Royal Roads Military College , a naval training facility from 1941-mid-1990s. The military college was closed in the 1990s, and the estate is now the campus of the public Royal Roads University , which opened in 1995. The original residence is surrounded by extensive formal gardens, including a featured Japanese garden. The Fisgard Lighthouse in Colwood is one of Canada's National Historic Sites . There hasn't been
2655-580: The site's history and natural resources. In 1912, the Dunsmuirs engaged the American landscape architects Franklin Brett and George D. Hall of Boston, students of Frederick Law Olmsted , to develop a landscape for the entire site. They prepared a classic design for an Edwardian park that included the overall layout for the entire property. The plan organized the estate into four distinct landscape zones, progressing from
2714-587: The support of notables such as Victor Hugo and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc , the Commission des monuments historique was created in France in 1837; it published its first list of designated sites , containing 934 entries, in 1840. In the United Kingdom , the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty was created in 1894 to protect that country's historic and natural heritage. While there
2773-652: The system grew, the scope of the program and the nature of the designations evolved. By the 1930s, the focus of the heritage movement in Canada had shifted from commemoration to preservation and development. The change was most marked in Ontario, where the Niagara Parks Commission was restoring Fort George and the Department of Highways was restoring Fort Henry . It took the Great Depression to create opportunities for significant heritage preservation projects at
2832-516: The tradition of British and European private estates. The castle became a landmark and was occupied by descendants of the Dunsmuir family until after the Great Depression , in 1937. Following the death of Laura Dunsmuir in 1937 the estate was sold to the Government of Canada in 1939. The government sold off some of the land and during five days in June 1939, "Maynard & Sons" conducted a public auction of
2891-418: The university started charging admission fees to its main heritage gardens, an area that makes up less than five per cent of the 565-acre (2.29 km) campus. This prompted some public controversy for the $ 12 for adults in the summer and $ 6 during the winter fees, which helped subsidise $ 550,000 yearly maintenance costs (a fee which since risen), but the garden fee only brought $ 40,000 a year. It also introduced
2950-617: The vestiges of a bygone era. Set on a wide open waterfront park near the Fisgard Lighthouse, visitors can see the sea and mountain views, go for bird watches and investigate the tide pools along the shoreline. The city has many regional amenities, including the City's waterfront at Esquimalt Lagoon, which includes a National Migratory Bird Sanctuary , the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre, The Q Centre , Royal Colwood Golf Club, Olympic View Golf Club, and
3009-575: Was also a strong bias in favour of commemorating sites in Ontario over other parts of the country. At one point, some members of the HSMBC concluded that there were no sites at all in Prince Edward Island worthy of designation. The then prominence of sites in Ontario related to the War of 1812 and the United Empire Loyalists has been attributed to the influence of Cruikshank, resulting in a "veritable palisade of historical markers along
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#17330862621113068-426: Was anxious to transfer old forts, and the associated expenses, to the Parks Branch. Roche asked James B. Harkin , the first Commissioner of Dominion Parks, to develop a departmental heritage policy. Harkin believed that the Parks Branch did not have the necessary expertise to manage historic resources; he was troubled by the relatively weak historic value of Fort Howe, the country's first historic park, and feared that
3127-418: Was built on Sooke Road on land donated by Arthur Peatt, a local farmer. The building was later transferred across the road and became the home of the Ross family. 1892: William John Wale leased the old 600-acre Colwood Farm for the sum of $ 400 per year. 1895: Fort Rodd Hill installation was armed. The Fort guarded the entrance to the Royal Navy yards at Esquimalt. The original Colwood Hotel was burned down and
3186-430: Was called 'Colwood' after his home in Sussex, England . The first stone dairy on the island was built on this farm as was a lime kiln, homestead and barn. Kanakas (Hawaiian Islanders) were employed as shepherds for the herd of Southdown sheep. Mrs. Langford gave birth to the first white male child born in the colony. Capt. Langford's sister opened a School for Young Ladies at 'Colwood' Farm. In 1860, Fisgard Lighthouse
3245-413: Was constructed at the mouth of Esquimalt Harbour. It was 14 metres (47 ft) high, and visible for 10 nautical miles. In 1950, it was connected by a causeway to the shore at the base of Fort Rodd Hill. 1863: A sawmill was opened on Colwood Creek above the Indian burial site on Esquimalt Lagoon, on what is now Royal Roads University land. John Gilmore owned the sawmill. 1874: The original Colwood school
3304-470: Was instrumental in stopping the demolition of the fortifications of Quebec City , and he was the first public official to call for the creation of a park on the lands next to Niagara Falls . The 1908 tricentennial of the founding of Quebec City , and the establishment that same year of the National Battlefields Commission to preserve the Plains of Abraham , acted as a catalyst for federal efforts to designate and preserve historic sites across Canada. At
3363-467: Was no National Park Service in the United States until 1916, battlefields of the Civil War were designated and managed by the War Department : Chickamauga and Chattanooga (created 1890), Antietam (1890), Shiloh (1894), Gettysburg (1895), Vicksburg (1899), and Chalmette (1907). Domestically, Lord Dufferin , the Governor General from 1872 to 1878, initiated some of the earliest, high-profile efforts to preserve Canada's historic sites. He
3422-487: Was of Scottish descent, purchased the property. He and his wife Laura commissioned the renowned Canadian architect Samuel Maclure to build a 40-room mansion in the Scottish baronial style ; the Tudor revival style was popular in the Edwardian period. The Dunsmuirs created many beautiful formal gardens using the services of renowned American garden designers Franklin Brett and George D. Hall of Boston, Massachusetts . The Dunsmuirs named their estate "Hatley Park", in
3481-404: Was the backup site in the event that German troops reached the Midlands. The federal Crown-in-Council purchased Hatley Castle in 1940 for use as the King's royal residence. The royal family and British government decided against the former leaving the UK during the war and the King and Queen stayed in London, while the Princesses were located at Windsor Castle . The Canadian government adapted
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