Craigflower Manor and Schoolhouse
An Original Hudson's Bay Company Farm
This was one of Vancouver Island's first farming communities,
established in 1853 along Victoria's Gorge Waterway to meet the
Hudson's Bay Company's obligations to Britain to support
colonization. On lands purchased from chiefs of one of the
indigenous aboriginal people, Kenneth McKenzie oversaw construction
of a self-sufficient settlement. The Kosapsom people still harvest
shellfish, salmon and herring from the tidal waters that separate
the Manor from the Schoolhouse.
Today, the original Georgian Manor house, built using the Hudson's
Bay Company post-and-beam method, still stands amid fields and
gardens, and across the bridge you'll find the oldest schoolhouse in
British Columbia.
Where You'll Find Us
Craigflower occupies several open hectares at the junction of
Craigflower Road (Old Island Highway 1A, almost parallel with the
main Trans-Canada Highway 1) and Admirals Road. It is just a
10-minute drive from downtown Victoria and directly accessible from
the Trans-Canada via Admirals Road for those approaching Victoria
from Duncan and Goldstream Provincial Park.
Want More Information?
Craigflower is managed by The Land Conservancy of British Columbia.
For further information, please visit the TLC website at:
http://www.craigflower.ca.
They can also be contacted by phone at (250) 386-1606.
Special web link:
Teaching, Learning and Farming at Craigflower Farm is a website that provides a detailed look at life at Craigflower Farm during the last half of the 19th Century.
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