Victoria’s Inner Harbour could soon have another floating attraction.
The Maritime Museum of BC has been searching for a new home for several years now and has been eyeing the iconic Steamship building in the Inner Harbour as a prospect.
In an effort to attain this space, the Maritime Museum has been working collaboratively with the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations to put together a proposal that would serve all parties and add a new landmark to the Inner Harbour.
The purpose of this collaboration is to create a new, dual-purpose historical site that would reshape how coastal history is presented, according to the museum.
This project has been dubbed the ‘Future of History’ by the Nations and museum.
The scope of this project would see a re-imagined maritime museum move into the Steamship Building, and alongside this, a floating structure adjoining the Steamship Building would be dedicated to the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.
This floating pavilion would offer a Lekwungen welcome centre and exhibit space that would emphasize the local Nations’ presence and deep connection to coastal waters, which dates back thousands of years.
“By including Lekwungen maritime history, we can show that settler [sic] and First Nations people have shared experience and intertwined histories,” said Songhees Nation’s Chief Ron Sam.
If the proposal is approved, and receives adequate funding to be built, the project would provide locals and visitors alike with a more comprehensive account of Victoria’s history.
The Maritime Museum says that narratives of Lekwungen and settler experiences would be able to stand side-by-side to give a fulsome historical account and offer interconnected educational experiences.
Currently, the project is still in its early stages of development, but the Maritime Museum’s ultimate hope is that the Future of History project could become a tangible symbol of reconciliation in Victoria.
“Today, history is predominantly known and told through a colonial perspective in places like museums,” stated Jamie Webb, Board Chair at the Maritime Museum of BC.
“The current significant imbalance will be addressed over time as the public experiences the work of reconciliation through the Future of History project.”
According to the museum, the estimated cost of the project is around $38 million.
Potential funding sources for this large sum could include private, philanthropic and corporate sponsors, as well as contributions from all levels of government.
“This opportunity returns the Lekwungen Nations to a place of prominence here in our traditional territory, where residents and visitors will be welcomed and come to understand our proud history,” says Esquimalt Nation’s Chief Jerome Thomas.
According to the Maritime Museum, the Steamship Building and the associated water lease are provincially owned. Discussions about utilizing these spaces are ongoing with the BC government.
The Future of History project would be planned to open in 2029,which would coincide with the completion of the Belleville Ferry Terminal redevelopment next door.
Currently, the Maritime Museum of BC is located at 744 Douglas Street, and before that it was housed in the former provincial courthouse in Bastion Square.
