I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Victoria over the past few years but primarily in Oak Bay and the downtown area so living in Vic West, close to Esquimalt, is a new experience for me. My best discovery so far is Macaulay Point Park. It’s not a big park – walking all the trails would take roughly an hour at a relaxed pace – but its location gives you a wide-open view of the ocean and across the bay to Colwood and Metchosin or back towards downtown Victoria. It reminds me of the ocean-view paths along Dallas Road but on a smaller, less populated scale.
There is a sheltered harbour for pleasure craft, a grassy picnic area, and a rock bluff enjoyed by climbers (check for the chalk marks). You can also walk out along the breakwater.
My favorite part of the path is along the cliff overlooking bays filled with seaweed and driftwood and out further to container ships and naval vessels. On a windy day it’s an exhilarating experience. Head up the hill a short distance and there’s a path through a wooded area and past the Macaulay Point Pump Station. There is a house pole, an art panel, and a chief’s bench with interpretive panels about the local First Nations at the end of the path.
Macaulay Point has a long and varied history. It was part of the Coastal Defence Fortification System from 1878 to 1956, and you can still spot the remains of defensive structures used during the Second World War. The Lekwungen First Nations had a salmon reef net fishing station here and anchor stones have been found on the reef by divers. Head further back in time and archaeologists have found evidence of camps dating as far back as 4200 years ago with defensive trenches at the back and sides of the peninsula.
Further Information
Welcome to Historic Fort Macaulay, Township of Esquimalt
The Archaeology and History of Macaulay Point, Royal BC Museum