Esquimalt Harbour is a
natural harbour in
Greater Victoria 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 ...
in
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. The entrance to Esquimalt Harbour is from the south off the
Strait of Juan de Fuca through a narrow channel known as
Royal Roads. Esquimalt Harbour is situated west of
Victoria Harbour, another major harbour in the region. Esquimalt Harbour is home to the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
's
Maritime Forces Pacific, based at
CFB Esquimalt.
Esquimalt Harbour is bounded by the municipalities of
Colwood to the west,
View Royal to the north, and
Esquimalt to the east. The entrance is marked by the historic
Fisgard Lighthouse on the Harbour's west shore in Colwood. CFB Esquimalt is situated at the harbour entrance's east shore.
History
In the summer of 1790
Manuel Quimper,
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. Control of the dockyard was transferred to the
Canadian Department of Marine and Fisheries 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 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 () is the Ministry (government department), department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, Policy, policies and Public services, services of road, rail, marine and air Transport in Canada, tra ...
transferred responsibility of the harbour to the
Department of National Defence. As a result, ship movement in Esquimalt Harbour requires the approval of the Esquimalt KHM.
References
External links
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Bays of British Columbia
Ports and harbours of British Columbia
{{BritishColumbiaCoast-geo-stub