The Royal British Colombia Museum was founded in 1886; the result of 30 of Victoria’s most prominent citizens’ petition to preserve the province’s history for future generations. As the city experienced prosperity in the late 1800s, so did the museum. An average of 3,700 people visited every year. In 1894, provincial archives were added to the museum, the first west of the Great Lakes. A year before the outbreak of the First World War, the museum was given formal operating authority by the province.
The prosperous and cultured city, qualities that were accentuated by the museum, attracted many Canadians at the turn of the century. One of them, a schoolteacher from Ontario named Arthur Currie, arrived in 1894. Soon thereafter Currie joined the local artillery as a gunner, and enjoyed equal success as businessman and militiaman. At the outbreak of war, he was given command of the 50th (Gordon Highlanders of Canada) Regiment, one of two First World War-era Victorian regiments. In four short years, Currie rose to become commander of the entire Canadian Corps. A grateful city renamed the street on which he lived Arthur Currie Lane in recognition of his contribution to the country.
Canadian Troops Marching - Victoria, BC, circa 1914. Credit: University of Victoria, WWI and Victoria/
During the Second World War, the city once again rose to the occasion. Victoria Harbour played an important role in safeguarding the Canadian Pacific coast from enemy attack, and the Victoria Machinery Depot launched 25 ships over six years of war, including in 1942 the HMCS Quesnel. Throughout all of these years of turmoil, the Royal British Colombia Museum continued to grow by leaps and bounds and to professionalize its staff. Today, hundreds of thousands of visitors explore the museum every year and enjoy the many permanent and temporary exhibits on display.
Sources:
1. http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/about/museum-history/
2. "WWI and Victoria: A city goes to war," University of Victoria.
Featured Image: Credit: University of Victoria/