James Bay, Greater Victoria

James Bay is a high density neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is the oldest residential neighbourhood on the west coast of North America that is north of San Francisco. It occupies the south side of the Inner Harbour close to downtown. Access to the neighbourhood is along Belleville Street, Government Street, Douglas Street and Dallas Road.

History

The original inhabitants of James Bay were the Swenghwung people who were part of the

In addition to government offices, the James Bay area was also home to a number of industries, including Sehl's furniture factory at Laurel Point, Pendray's Soap Factory, and later Bapco Paint. Marine-oriented industries have included Laing's shipyard (where Fisherman's Wharf is located today) in the 1860s as well as a shipping terminal, flour mill, chemical plant and warehouses along the water between Laurel Point and Ogden Point.[2] At the Inner Harbour the Canadian Pacific Railway had a steamship terminal, designed by Rattenbury and Percy James, built in 1924 in a Greek temple style^[7] and occupied since 1969 by the Royal London Wax Museum.

The Canadian Government maintained immigration facilities in the late nineteenth century, replaced with the Dominion Immigration Building, a brick building at Dallas Road and Ontario Street, in 1908.^[8] This building has been demolished.

In 1900 the wooden bridge across the tidal flats of James Bay was replaced with a stone causeway, allowing the mud flats to be filled in and the

The construction of

Victoria has a Mediterranean climate (Csb),^[9] with mild rainy winters and cool dry summers.

The weather in the City of Victoria may vary greatly from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. For instance, James Bay which is surrounded on three sides by the ocean, is typically 3 to 5 degrees Celsius (5 to 10 °F) cooler in summer than more inland areas of Victoria. In winter, James Bay is typically a few degrees warmer than other parts of Victoria. It therefore receives significantly less snow than other parts of Greater Victoria. Current weather temperatures are reported by the University of Victoria School-based weather station located at James Bay elementary school on Oswego Street.

Places of interest

Parks

City

• Beacon Hill Park
• Fisherman's Wharf Park including Fisherman's Wharf (fishing vessels, fresh fish, fish and chips, etc.)
• Holland Point Park, ocean side of Dallas Road below the foot of Government St. (between Lewis St. and Paddon Ave.)
• Irving Park
• Laurel Point Park
• MacDonald Park
• South Park

Historic buildings and attractions

The James Bay neighbourhood has many historical landmarks and a number of tourist attractions:

• British Columbia Parliament Buildings, Belleville St. between Government St. and Menzies St.
• Emily Carr House
• Helmcken House, pioneer doctor's residence, 638 Elliott St. (immediately east of the Royal British Columbia Museum)
• Mile '0' of the Trans-Canada Highway, Douglas Street at Dallas Road
• Orchard House (Michigan Street), currently the tallest building in
  Greater Victoria^[10]
• HeliJet
  terminal
• Royal British Columbia Museum, Belleville St. between Government St. and Douglas St. (just east of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings)
• United States ferries terminal:
  Victoria Clipper
  , etc.

Other points of land

• Clover Point, processed waste water and storm water outfall ocean side of Dallas Road between Moss St. and Bushby St.
• Finlayson Point, ocean side of Dallas Road due south of Beacon Hill Park lookout
• Horseshoe Bay, a small sandy cove immediately to the west of Finlayson Point
• Victoria Point, a small point of land ocean side of Dallas Road below the foot of Douglas St.

References