It is perfect that our weekend is also an excellent opportunity to explore the south of Vancouver Island, and we did it by discovering Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse Historic Site.
How to get there?
It is really simple, actually. We didn’t plan to go there, but we were on our way to the Butchart Gardens, and I just saw the sign, and I knew J. would love it (he’s the one loving history and learning history in another country…)
Here is the address (you can put it in your GPS):
603 Fort Rodd Hill Rd, Victoria, BC
A little more details if you need to:
From the TransCanada Highway 1 (Douglas Street downtown), exit to #10 towards View Royal and Colwood (Island Highway), continue for 2.8 kilometers and turn left at a set of lights onto Ocean Boulevard. Follow the Parks Canada directional signage. Continue for 1.5 kilometers, and the entrance to Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites is on your left.
Drive down the entry lane (Fort Rodd Hill Road) and always keep to the right. At the bottom, you will find the parking lot, public washroom, and Welcome Centre.
How much does it cost?
As Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse Historic Site are part of Park Canada, you must pay a fee. The fees will be different as if you want an annual pass, or just for the day (we went for the annual pass as we plan to travel Canada this summer!)
- Discovery Passes $139,40 for the whole car (you can be up to 7 people). Trust me, with this one; you can’t go wrong as there are many Park Canada in Canada.
- Daily: $ 7,90 for an adult
What are you going to see?
As for Fort Rodd Hill’s name, Fort Rodd Hill is a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s to defend Victoria and the Esquimalt Naval Base. The fort includes three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks, and searchlight emplacements. In addition, there are numerous interpretive signs and audio-visual stations, as well as period-furnished rooms.
Fisgard Lighthouse was built in 1860 as the first permanent lighthouse on Canada’s west coast. The former keeper’s house now contains exhibits and a video station.
Why should you go and visit this place?
It is interesting to learn more about Canadian history and learn how this site managed the war, understand the importance of Indigenous People, discover their knowledge about plants, and really acknowledge what they did during this time.
