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Index:

1. Introduction
2. History
3. Cultural Significance
4. Ecological Sensitive Areas
5. Recommendations
6. Conclusion
7. References

Section 1. Introduction:

Section 2. History:

A Spanish explorer, Manuel Quimper, was the first European to arrive in 1790 when his ship anchored briefly outside the lagoon (Lover, 1990). The next European visitor to arrive was Capt. Henry Kellet of H.M. Surveying Vessel Herald. The name Royal Roads came from the name Royal Bay which was given to the area by the British Captain in honor of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The property was the site of some early industry upon the Island which included a tannery and shoe factory and a sawmill (RRU Archives, 1998).

The property was purchased in the 1890s’ by an Englishman, Roland Stuart, who named the area Hatley Estate. He built a home, which was destroyed by fire in 1905, upon what is now the lower playing field (RRU Archives, 1998).

In 1906, the 650 acre property, which included the Hatley Estate, was purchased by James Dunsmuir (1851-1920), who was both Premier and Lieutenant-Governor of B.C. One of BCs’ more colorful personages, he commissioned the well-known architect, Samuel Maclure, to build a “castle” which was completed in 1909. The Dunsmuir family resided in this castle until 1937 when his widow Laura died. The castle stood vacant until 1940 when it was purchased by the federal government for $75,000 (Royal Roads, 1998).

The Naval Officer Training Establishment, known as HMCS Royal Roads, was commissioned to train officers to serve in World War II. The military school underwent many changes and became the Royal Roads Military College (RRMC) in 1968. The federal government closed the school in 1994. The staff and faculty of RRMC established the Royal Roads University Planning Committee (RRUPC) which was dedicated to converting the property into a civilian University. Despite the disinterest of the provincial government, the RRUPC prevailed, and in June 1995, Royal Roads University was legislated (Boutilier, 1996). The Department of Defense (DND) leased the 140 acres around Hatley Castle to the Province and retained jurisdiction over the other 510 acres (Royal Roads, 1998).

Several of the original buildings remain standing. These include the greenhouses, stable, dairy, carriage house, and gate house. There is strong pressure from heritage societies to retain these buildings and include their historical value within any LUP for the property (RRU Archives, 1998).

Section 3. Cultural Significance:

The use of the land by Straights Salish peoples has left shell middens near the lagoon. As well, culturally modified trees (CMT) can be found at various places throughout the property and there are seven documented archeological sites on the property. The possibility exists that previous land uses included a village site and burial grounds, beginning about 300 AD (Griffiths & Barnett, 1988) (Stranix in Castle, 1995).

The Songhees Band has unresolved land claims over the area. This was confirmed by Mr. Eric Woodhouse who acts as attorney for the Band. They recognize that Hatley Park and the surrounding lands have cultural significance for their heritage (Woodhouse, 1998).

The legacy of early settlement by Roland Stuart is signified in the name Hatley Park, after the name he gave the property as Hatley Estate (Stranix & McTavish in Castle, 1995). Stuarts’ house burned down in 1905, and physical evidence of his occupation of the land no longer exists (RRU Archives, 1998) (Castle, 1995).

Prior to and during Stuarts’ residence at Hatley Park, two industries operated at the mouth of Colwood Creek. A sawmill operated from 1863 until the early 1870s when a tannery and shoe factory replaced it. The tannery was powered with a water wheel, and a small concrete wall remains at the mouth of Colwood Creek (Stranix & McTavish in Castle, 1995). This is likely the only physical evidence that represents the legacy of these industries.

The Dunsmuirs’ legacy, which followed Stuarts’, is evident in the castle, the gardens, and many of the buildings. Hatley Castle is designated as a heritage building (MTR, 1995). The Italian and Japanese gardens not only represent something of James Dunsmuir’s worldly tastes, but also reflect the diverse cultural influences on the landscape. This diversity has created an unusual and beautiful collage of cultures represented in a small area.

The legacy of the Royal Roads Military College is signified by some of the military artifacts displayed in the Castle. There is also the large military sculpture outside the Millward building. As well, there is the living legacy of the peacocks, of which two pairs were presented to the college in 1965 by a couple from Penticton, B.C. (Castle, 1995). Many of the buildings represent the cultural significance of the property’s’ military occupation. The Grant Block has been designated as a heritage building (MTR, 1995).

Many of the trees in Hatley Park have been designated as heritage trees. These include native and exotic species found in the gardens, near the ponds, and, around the buildings (Griffiths & Barnett, 1988).

Presently, the land base is occupied by Royal Roads University, which over time, will create and deposit some of its’ own cultural artifacts.

Section 4. Ecological Sensitive Areas:

This diverse ecosystem is threatened by anthropogenic development and introduced exotic species. The British Columbia Conservation Data Center identified four ESA’s within the area that are endangered, threatened, or vulnerable. (BC Conservation Data Center, 1997). These sensitive ecosystems are described as: Douglas fir/Grand fir/ Oregon grape; Red cedar/Grand fir/ Foamflower; Red cedar/Skunk cabbage; and, Douglas fir/Salal. In addition to these four ESA’s, there are three other specific ESA’s worthy of note; the Garry oak ecosystem, the Colwood Creek ecosystem, and, the Salt Marsh ecosystem.

The Garry oak ecosystem is the rarest and most endangered ecosystem in the coastal Douglas-fir zone (Hebda, 1998). There are three small Garry oak communities on the South East corner of the property that are threatened by natural succession and introduced Scotch Broom (Ryan, 1995). Conversely, the Colwood Creek riparian zone is described as the only remaining undisturbed small cutthroat trout/coho salmon stream in the Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone on Vancouver Island (Bauer, 1976). This portion of the creek remains the finest undisturbed riparian zone in the Capital Regional District (CRD Parks, 1996). Similarly, the lower salt marsh is also considered an ESA and should be protected (Bauer, 1976). The lower salt marsh area currently forms part of a long-term study, under the Canadian Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network, to monitor threatened ecosystems as part of the 1992 international UN Convention on Biodiversity agreement.

Section 5. Recommendations:

5.1 History:

The tours could be expanded to include the grounds. A tour of the property that pointed out historic sites would be valuable to all visitors. The addition of signs and maps would make the tour self-guided and information boards could be included to provide interesting background commentary. Such a tour would be inexpensive to set-up and maintain, and would greatly improve public access. The historic video of the grounds available in the LRC could also be made available to the public in a viewing room set aside for that purpose in the castle. Perhaps a video that incorporates parts of the historic film could be commissioned about the historic and cultural values of the park.

Much of the value of the property is derived from its’ historical significance. To preserve this value, the heritage buildings should be maintained and the gardens and lands should be preserved.

5.2 Culture:

There are plans to develop a museum in the basement of the castle. The museum should include a chronological display of the areas’ history and different cultural influences. Wherever possible, examples of the remnants of these influences could be included. For example, a commentary about the gardens, could detail not only how Dunsmuir had them created, but also the cultural influences that they represent and their symbolism with regard to the heritage value of the site and Canada’s greater cultural heritage. The Italian and Japanese cultural influences of the gardens represent significant components of Canada’s cultural heritage.

The addition of cultural information signs and displays throughout the property would greatly benefit visitors and increase their knowledge of the area. This can be coordinated with information on other aspects of the land base, such as historical and ecological information. For example, a display located next to the boathouses beside the Colwood Creek estuary, could describe the sawmill, and subsequent tannery and shoe factory that were once located on the site. The sign could indicate the small concrete wall that remains as a visible remnant of these activities. It could explain how pioneer activities contributed to the development and colonial settlement of Vancouver Island. Similar signs could be created for some of the CMTs’ and shell middens on the property.

The stakeholders associated with each cultural value must be involved in the creation of a heritage program to ensure their authentic representation. It would also ensure that sensitivities regarding cultural representation be handled by the stakeholders themselves. For example, First Nations may desire to represent their cultural heritage in the context of their choice. A Canadian Japanese historical organization may wish to be involved with providing a cultural context to the gardens. Such participation would help RRU develop a cooperative working relationship with the greater community.

It should be noted, that although First Nations were not included in the stakeholder research groups for this LUP exercise, the research process itself has indicated that it is crucial that they participate in any actual LUP. There are a number of outstanding land claims on the RRU property. The Songhees’ claim is confirmed at the time of this report. There have been past land use decisions, such as the transfer of the 140 acres of University land from federal to provincial government jurisdiction, made without the participation of the Songhees (Woodhouse, 1998). It is imperative that all stakeholders participate effectively in any future LUP decisions.

5.3 Ecological Sensitive Areas:

All of the sensitive areas identified and discussed should be preserved. The four ESA’s that were identified by the British Columbia Conservation Data Center should be preserved. Furthermore, the trails that traverse ESA’s should be designed to guide people around, rather than through, these sensitive zones. The presence on the public trails of signs that describe the significance of ESA’s, would increase public awareness and promote respect towards these treasures. Programs to implement the construction of the trails and signs could be accomplished through work study programs or youth volunteer programs. Furthermore, these ESA’s could form the basis of a complete biophysical inventory study for the Environmental Science Projects in the future. This would provide a meaningful project for the learners and contribute towards enhancement of the biophysical baseline data of this area. This data would be a valuable addition to the CRD regional baseline data.

The rare Garry Oak Ecosystems should be preserved and restored. Invasive Scotch Broom, which poses a threat to this unique ecosystem, should be eradicated. The eradication project could be researched and completed by either Environmental Science learners as part of a learning exercise or a work study project, or by volunteer youth organizations. The Garry Oak Preservation Society would be a valuable participant in the implementation of an effective program to preserve these last few remaining pockets of Garry Oak in Canada. The use of planned trails to minimize disturbance and educational signs to enhance public awareness is also appropriate in these ecosystems.

The salt marsh ecosystem is very sensitive to disturbance and should be preserved and protected. The current study plot in this ecosystem was used by a large number of groups of Environmental Science learners as an outdoor laboratory which caused significant disturbance to this ESA during the study period. It would be optimal to restrict the study of this area to a single group of students, possibly as one of the Major Project studies. The study would enhance the biophysical baseline data available for this ecosystem and the limited number of participants would reduce the magnitude of the disturbance to the ecosystem. The Environmental Science learners can use the other monitor plot, which has been established in an upper field, for the ecology lab exercise as it is not an ESA.

Similarly, the Colwood Creek riparian zone should be both preserved and protected from human disturbances. Again, engineered trail design and signs that enhances the publics’ respect for the finest and last ecosystem of its’ kind on the island is optimal.

Section 6. Conclusion:

The University should take full advantage of the Major Project groups in the Environmental Science program to develop studies to collect and analyze ESA baseline data. This would benefit RRU, the learners, the CRD, and the British Columbia Conservation Data Center.

In conclusion, it would be valuable for the reports generated by this project to be compiled and published in a hard copy volume and placed in the LRC where it would be available to interested parties. A compiled electronic version could be placed in the public folders accessible through the RRU web page and available to Internet users.

Section 7. References:

Bauer, W. 1976. Marine Shore Resource Inventory and Analysis: Western Community Component. Regional Coastal Study. Capital Regional District. F. Bauer Consulting Engineers. Seattle, Washington.

B.C. Conservation Data Center. 1997. Rare Element Occurrence Report - Royal Roads Campus. Wildlife Branch. Ministry of the Environment. Victoria, British Columbia.

Boutilier, Jim. 1996. Welcome to Royal Roads University. Victoria Peace Centre. Webpage. URL: http://www.islandnet.com/~emerald/vpc/update48/royal.htm

Castle, Geoffrey Ed. 1995. Hatley Park: an Illustrated Anthology. The Friends of Hatley Park Society. Victoria, British Columbia.

Chaster, G.H., D.W. Ross, and W.H. Warren. 1998. Trees of Greater Victoria: A Heritage. A Fieldguide to the Arboreal Riches of Greater Victoria. Edited by J. W. Neil. Heritage Tree Book Society. Victoria, British Columbia.

Colwood City Council. February 13, 1995. Motion of Colwood City Council RE: Royal Roads Site. in Preliminary Sites Investigation for Royal Roads Military College. September, 1995. Department of National Defense Headquarters. Ottawa, Ontario.

CRD Parks. 1996. The Distribution and Conservation Significance of Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory Sites in Greater Victoria : Results of a CRD Parks Analysis of Preliminary SEI Data for Greater Victoria. Capital Regional District/Provincial Capital Commission Green Spaces Strategy. Victoria, British Columbia.

CRD Roundtable. 1997. Report on the Environment: Monitoring Trends in the Capital Regional District. Phase 1. Roundtable on the Environment. Victoria, British Columbia.

Griffiths, Phyllis & Christine Barnett. 1988. City of Colwood: Heritage Inventory. Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture.

Hebda, Richard. March 9, 1998. Seminar. “Ecosystem Restoration Strategies for the Garry Oak Meadow”. Environmental Seminar Series. Royal Roads University. Victoria, British Columbia.

Lover, John. Jan. 4th, 1990. Victoria Times Colonist. C4.

McLeod, B.C. and L.J. Reynolds. 1996. Report of Environmental Site Investigation for Royal Roads University Property. Levelton Associates Consulting Engineers. Victoria, British Columbia. MTR Consultants Ltd. 1995. Provincial College Parcel-Royal Roads.

National Defence. 1995. Preliminary Site Investigation for Royal Roads Military College. National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, Ontario.

Royal Roads Archives. July 10th, 1998. Interview and unreferenced literature.

Royal Roads University. 1998. RRU webpage. http://www.royalroads.ca/rls/calendar/97_98/history.htm.

Ryan, Michael et al, 1995. Ecological Assessment of Royal Roads Property. Madrone Consultants Ltd. Duncan, British Columbia.

Woodhouse, Eric. July 9th, 1998. Telephone Interview.

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Articles	Projects	Resume	Cartoons	Windsurfing	Paintings	Album