Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Esquimalt Royal Naval Dockyard |
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| Esquimalt, British Columbia | |
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SS Islander in the Esquimalt graving dock in the 1890s
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| Coordinates | 48°25′52″N 123°25′54″W / 48.43111°N 123.43167°W |
| Type | Shipyard, dockyard |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  Royal Navy (1842–1905) Department of Marine and Fisheries (1905–1910) Royal Canadian Navy (1910–1968) Royal Canadian Navy (1968–present) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1842 |
| In use | 1842–present |
| Battles/wars | Oregon boundary dispute (1840s) Crimean War 1854–1856 Pig War 1859 Alaska boundary dispute 1821–1903 |
| Garrison information | |
| Past commanders |
Henry William Bruce (25 November 1854–July 1857) Robert Lambert Baynes (8 July 1857–5 May 1860) Andrew K. Bickford (1900–1903) |
| Garrison | Pacific Station (1865–1905) Royal Canadian Navy Pacific Command (1910–1968) Canadian Forces Maritime Forces Pacific (1968-present) |
| Occupants | George W. Courtenay (circa 1848) |
The Esquimalt Royal Naval Dockyard was a very important base for the British Royal Navy on Canada's Pacific coast. It operated from 1842 to 1905. After that, the Canadian government took over, and it became HMC Dockyard Esquimalt. Today, it is part of CFB Esquimalt.
This naval dockyard is located in Esquimalt, British Columbia. It's right next to Esquimalt Harbour and the city of Victoria. It was built to replace an older base in Valparaíso, Chile. Esquimalt became the main home for the Royal Navy's Pacific Station. It was also the only Royal Navy base in western North America.
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Choosing the Harbour
Around 1842, a survey ship called HMS Pandora explored the area. They found that Esquimalt Harbour was deep enough and well-located for a British naval port. The next year, James Douglas came to Vancouver Island. He wanted to set up a trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company.
Douglas looked at Esquimalt Harbour but thought the forests were too thick for building. So, he chose to build Fort Victoria on the shores of Victoria Harbour instead. This is how the city of Victoria began. Pandora Avenue in Victoria is named after the survey ship, which was named after Pandora from Greek myths.
In 1848, HMS Constance arrived at Esquimalt. It was the first Royal Navy ship to be based there. Captain George William Courtenay commanded the ship. The city of Courtenay, British Columbia is named after him.
From 1850 to 1854, Augustus Leopold Kuper was the Captain of HMS Thetis. He sailed his ship to Esquimalt. Kuper Island in the Strait of Georgia is named after Captain Kuper. He surveyed the area between 1851 and 1853. Thetis Island and Thetis Lake are named after his ship. In 1852, sailors from the Thetis built a path through the forest. This path connected Esquimalt Harbour with Victoria Harbour and Fort Victoria. Today, this path is a paved road called Old Esquimalt Road.
Building the Base
On November 25, 1854, Rear-Admiral Henry William Bruce became the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific fleet. When he arrived at Esquimalt, Bruce asked Governor James Douglas for a hospital. They needed a place for sick and injured sailors from the Crimean War.
In 1855, three wooden huts were built on Duntze Head. This area was also known as Hospital Point. These buildings were the very first permanent structures for the Royal Navy at Esquimalt.
In 1859, the British Colony of Vancouver Island began building lighthouses. These lights helped ships find their way into Esquimalt and Victoria Harbours. They were important for the Royal Navy and for civilian ships during the gold rushes. Fisgard Light was lit on November 16, 1860. Race Rocks Light was lit on December 26, 1860.
By 1865, the facilities in Esquimalt were recognized as an important backup base for the Pacific Station. The main base was still in Valparaíso. However, the United Kingdom's business interests were moving north. So, the base's focus started to shift more towards British Columbia. This move also helped the Admiralty avoid getting involved in a war between Spain, Chile, and Peru.
The First Dry Dock
In the late 1860s and early 1870s, any navy ship needing repairs at Esquimalt had to go to shipyards in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. To avoid depending on American shipyards, a special dock called a graving dock was built at Esquimalt. Construction started in 1876.
The graving dock opened in 1887. It cost over 1.1 million Canadian dollars to build. HMS Cormorant was the first ship to use this new dry dock on July 20, 1887. In its first seven years, the dock repaired 24 merchant ships and 70 navy ships. From 1887 to 1927, it worked on about 21 ships each year.
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This naval graving dock is still used today. It regularly services ships from the Royal Canadian Navy.
The British Royal Navy officially left Esquimalt on March 1, 1905. The Canadian Department of Marine and Fisheries then took control of the base. They became responsible for protecting Canada's interests at sea in the area.
In 1910, the Naval Service Act was passed. This created the Canadian Naval Service (CNS), which took control of the base. The CNS later became the Royal Canadian Navy in 1911.
Esquimalt Graving Dock Today
The first graving dock was big enough for the largest British Pacific fleet ships at the time. But by the early 1900s, ships were being built much larger. So, in 1924, the Canadian government built an even bigger graving dock. It was about 500 meters away and could fit ships larger than Panamax size (very large ships).
Today, this larger dock is a separate facility called Esquimalt Graving Dock. It is run by Public Services and Procurement Canada. It is the biggest non-military dry dock on the west coast of the Americas.
In February 1942, the famous ship RMS Queen Elizabeth spent two weeks in the Esquimalt Graving Dock. It was being refitted to carry 3,000 more troops during World War II. More recently, special pockets have been built into the dry dock's concrete walls. These allow cruise ships to extend their stabilizers for checks and repairs while in the dock.
The Dockyard Now
In the 1960s, Canada's defence forces were combined. This led to the dry dock becoming part of Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. It is now the home of the Pacific Fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy.
The dockyard, along with three nearby historical sites, was named the Esquimalt Naval Sites National Historic Site of Canada in 1995. These other sites include the old Royal Navy Hospital, the Veterans’ Cemetery, and the Cole Island Magazine.
