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Naval History on the West Coast
The Beginnings
 In
1778, the Pacific Northwest was extensively documented by
Captain James Cook on board HMS Discovery. The voyage
was very profitable because of the fur trade between the
Discovery and the natives and interest in the region rose
quickly.
In 1790, on behalf of Spain, a Spanish naval officer claimed
much of the land around what is known as CFB Esquimalt.
The territory was soon returned to the British and later
renamed Esquimalt Harbour, after the native description
meaning "place of shoaling waters."
The Early 19th Century
The early to mid-1800s were strained by a territorial tug of
war between the Americans and the British. To
consolidate their claim, the British established Fort
Vancouver in 1825 and Fort Victoria in 1843, and sent the
Royal Navy (RN) in 1846 to ward off American ambition in
what is known as the Oregon Boundary Dispute. The
squadron consisted of Her Magesty's Ships HERALD, CORMORANT,
FISGARD and PANDORA, and today, many Victoria streets and
landmarks are named for these ships and her sailors.
The dispute was settled in 1846 by the Treaty of Washington,
giving the Americans much of the land that now makes up the
State of Washington.
The arrival of the RN resulted increased naval presence in
Esquimalt when HMS PANDORA conducted the first survey of the
harbour and concluded that the narrow entrance and deep
harbour presented an ideal port. In 1848, the port was
christened when HMS CONSTANCE dropped its anchor for the
first time.
The British Presence Continues
Ongoing tension with the United States, combined with the
fervent pace of colonization and trade, made Esquimalt a
regular stopping point the RN. In 1855, in support of
the Crimean War (1854-55) the RN embarked on the development
of a base in Esquimalt when Governor James Douglas was
allotted a sum for the construction of three hospital huts.
This was done in preparation for a British attack against
the Russians. The attack produced no casualties, but the
huts were the first step toward a permanent shore facility.
In 1865, the Royal Naval Establishment at Esquimalt was
created, giving the RN an alternate home for its Pacific
station. The station had first been established at
Valparaiso, Chile, in 1837.
 During
the 1860s, Esquimalt was home to a squadron of about 15
vessels, including a frigate as flagship, and several
corvettes, sloops, gun vessels, and gunboats. By the 1880s,
the squadron had dwindled to half-a-dozen vessels.
Nonetheless, Esquimalt had become an important support base
for the RN, and by 1887 it possessed a drydock capable of
holding the largest British warship in the Pacific.
Meanwhile, Britain was consolidating its West Coast
territory: in 1849 Vancouver Island formally became a
colony, followed by British Columbia in 1858; the island and
mainland were united in 1866; and in 1871 British Columbia
joined the Canadian confederation begun in 1867.
Canada Takes Over
The RN presence in Victoria further waned at century's turn
as Britain looked for ways to save money by reorganizing the
Imperial Fleet. In 1902, Britain resolved to decommission
its two North American naval bases at Halifax and Esquimalt,
devolving maritime defence to the fledgling dominion. At
sunset on March 1, 1905, Commodore J.E.C. Goodrich, RN,
struck his pennant, terminating a Pacific command dating to
1837. The transfer of Esquimalt and Halifax to Canada was
formalized in 1910 when, the Naval Service Act inaugurated
the Naval Service for the Dominion of Canada.
The World Wars
When World War I broke out in 1914, the RCN consisted of two
ships and roughly 250 officers and ratings. At the end of
the war, the RCN numbered more than 100 warships and 5,500
personnel. This same pattern was repeated during World War
II, as the RCN grew from a dozen vessels to the fourth
largest Allied navy, comprising 100,000 personnel and 373
fighting ships.
Although for the RCN both wars were fought mainly on the
Atlantic, Canada saw significant naval activity in the
Pacific during World War II. In 1942, five RCN ships aided
the American recapture from the Japanese of the Aleutian
islands of Kiska and Attu. In support of Pacific convoys,
Canada had seven corvettes and seven minesweepers operating
from Prince Rupert and Esquimalt, British Columbia. And two
RCN cruisers, UGANDA and ONTARIO, served with Britain's
Pacific Fleet.
Korea and the Cold War
In the 1950s, the RCN was again active in the Pacific: on
July 5, 1950, 11 days after the outbreak of hostilities, HMC
ships CAYUGA, ATHABASKAN, and SIOUX sailed from Esquimalt
and headed to the Korean Conflict. Eight Canadian warships
served in that war. After Korea came the Cold War and the
RCN (later the Canadian Navy), working closely with the
United States Navy, joined the watch over the surface and
subsurface fleets of the Soviet Union. Indeed, Canada was
and is renowned for its prowess at anti-submarine warfare.
The Establishment of Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt
Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt came into being on April 1,
1966 as part of the organizational changes in the program to
integrate the navy, army and air force into the Canadian
Forces.
The Navy on the West Coast Today
With the end of the Cold War, and with the tremendous
economic growth in the Asia-Pacific, Canada has continued to
show its commitment to the region's peace and security. This
was marked in 1993 by the Canadian Navy's activity on the
rivers of Cambodia in support of the United Nations
Transitional Authority, and in 1995 with the launch of a
long-term program of annual visits with the navies of
Asia-Pacific nations.
CFB Esquimalt Today
 Now,
CFB Esquimalt encompasses 6,000 acres and 1,500 buildings,
from the Naval Radio Section on the mainland in Aldergrove,
British Columbia to the Rocky Point Ammunition Depot west of
Victoria, and north to the Canadian Forces Maritime
Experimental Test Ranges at Nanoose Bay. The main role of
CFB Esquimalt is support and administration for the Canadian
Pacific Fleet.
Visitors are welcome to visit the base museum, browse the
displays and speak with staff on the history of CFB
Esquimalt and Maritime Forces Pacific. As well, guided bus
tours of Naden and Dockyard are available and there is a
self-guided walking tour of Naden.
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