Cordova Bay is one of the communities of the greater Victoria area on Vancouver Island. This area was covered in ice during the last glaciation which ended 14, 000 years ago1. Vancouver Island was compressed from the weight of the glaciers, which made the surrounding sea level quite high in comparison to other areas around the world. Isostatic rebound after the glaciers melted resulted in significant sea level drop, and an eventual settling near its current level, roughly 4500 years ago. The Coast Salish people had settled in the British Columbia Coastal islands, including Vancouver Island, in great numbers directly after the last ice age and there is very little land in the Victoria/ Cordova Bay area that would not have had a house built on it. Sadly, most of these coastal settlements were buried and lost with the uplift and changing sea level2.

Prior to contact with European settlers, extensive land burning transformed the once-dense forests of coastal Vancouver Island into an open savannah landscape3. Fossilized pollen records found in Cordova Bay indicate the presence of many tree species still found today including: Alnus macrophyllum, Arbutus menziesii, Pseudotsuga menziess4, various sub-alpine fir, spruce, hemlock tree species along with sedges and grasses5.

The arrival of the European settlers in 1778 sparked the beginning of significant changes that would occur in this area. Fort Victoria was established in 1843 as a trading post for the Hudson’s Bay fur trading company. Colonization took off when the HBC acquired the land title for all of Vancouver Island in 1849. Settlement boomed with the beginning of the gold rush in 1858, as Victoria was the only legal port of entry6. The first colonists depended on local indigenous people to acquire sea otter pelts (trapping industry) and this new industry was responsible for early settlement. Other industries, including fishing, mining and forestry, flourished, which influenced further settlement7. Fishing is the only industry left in the Greater Victoria area, as significant urban development has forced the extermination of forests and virtually all land has been developed, with the exception of protected park areas. Cordova Bay beach has recently seen the real estate listing for a beach front lot that was privately owned but was being utilized as a park. The sale of that lot will likely result in one more beachfront mansion.

Minimal urban development is ongoing in Cordova Bay. The area is primarily large houses, but there has been some subdivision of exceptionally large lots and relatively few condo complexes added to the community. British Columbia is a relatively supportive province for environmental protection and stewardship actions. The Victoria area has extensive stormwater management systems with over 250 kilometers of stormwater pipes. Traditional stormwater pipes and drains are filtered through rehabilitation units that filter out contaminants, sediment and unnatural objects. Alternative stormwater management projects include rain barrels, rain gardens, bioswales, green roofs, infiltration chambers and cisterns that all work to slow and clean water before it reaches the water table, creeks and ocean8. Community gardens have been constructed in various communities in Victoria9, but none in Cordova Bay. Four different compost facilities10 can be accessed by residents, and household compost is picked up on a weekly basis along with garbage and recycling.

Wildlife species have been identified from fossil remains discovered during urban building. Many species of clams, freshwater snails and bison have been found during development2 along with ammonite, mammoth and mastodon remains11. Victoria and Cordova Bay contain a variety of birds; canada geese, mallard ducks, eagles, hawks, turkey vultures, hummingbirds and song birds. There is a wide range of sea life that can be observed from the sandy Cordova Bay beach, including grey, humpback, killer and minke whales, river otters and seals. There are also many ocean species lurking just below the surface, including crabs, clams, scallops, anemones, nudibranchs and a multitude of fish species.

With the expansion of settlement and introduction of non-native species, there are now 65 invasive plant and 45 invasive animal species12 threatening native species on Vancouver Island and in Cordova Bay. Plant species such as English holly, Canada thistle, foxglove, Himalayan blackberry, oxeye daisy and scotch broom are listed on the BC Invasive Species website13. Animal species such as Asian clam, Asian giant hornet, black slug, common snapping turtle, eastern grey squirrel, European wall lizard, European starling, mute swan and feral pigs are also listed. Not all of these species are being sought out for management, but one that is causing particular concern, and which I had the pleasure of viewing while scuba diving at Ogden Point is the European green crab. Invasive plant species grow quickly, choke out native ones and can be harmful to local wildlife. Invasive animal species also threaten native species by introducing new competition for habitat and resources, diseases and can have negative impacts on local industries.

Victoria and Cordova Bay have undergone significant changes in the last 14, 000 years. The physical land was subject to compression and rebound from glaciation, destruction from indigenous groups and settlers and continues to be heavily modified by people. The once-abundant wildlife has changed and the continual introduction of invasive species threatens native populations. Stewardship programs have been implemented to protect and restore natural areas and allow sustainable environmental use. These protected areas continue to grow and develop to enhance the local environment.

1 Robin Rowland, “The End of the Ice Age in Coastal British Columbia May Indicate What Will Happen to Shrinking Ice Sheets in Greenland, Study Indicates,” Northwest Coast Energy News, November 9, 2017, http://nwcoastenergynews.com/2017/11/09/8158/the-end-of-the-ice-age-in-coastal-british-columbia-may-indicate-what-will-happen-to-shrinking-ice-sheets-in-greenland-study-indicates/.

2 Grant Keddie, “Victoria Underwater: Staff Profiles,” Staff Profiles Victoria Underwater Comments, 2019, https://staff.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/2019/01/17/victoria-underwater/.

3 Gordon McIntyre, “Salish Sea Basin Was One of Continent’s Most Densely Populated Areas When Europeans Arrived,” vancouversun (Vancouver Sun, April 19, 2020), https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/salish-sea-basin-was-one-of-the-most-densely-populated-areas-of-north-america-at-time-of-contact#:~:text=The%20Salish%20Sea%20Basin%20was,populations%20began%20crashing%2C%20he%20said.

4 Kristen Rhea Miskelly (University of Victoria, 2012), pp. 44.

5 Kristen Rhea Miskelly (University of Victoria, 2012), pp. 105.

6 “History,” https://www.victoria.ca, accessed May 4, 2022, https://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/about/history.html.

7 Arthur Green et al., “Urbanization in British Columbia,” British Columbia in a Global Context (BCcampus, June 12, 2014), https://opentextbc.ca/geography/chapter/2-3-urbanization-in-british-columbia/.

8 “Stormwater Management,” https://www.victoria.ca, accessed May 4, 2022, https://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/water-sewer-stormwater/stormwater.html.

9 “Story Map Series,” vicmap.maps.arcgis.com, accessed May 4, 2022, https://vicmap.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=ddc77630f1cc4ce297f546d7dc4b793d.

10 “Yard & Garden Waste Drop-Off,” https://www.victoria.ca, accessed May 4, 2022, https://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/garbage-kitchen-scraps/saturday-garden-waste-drop-off.html.

2 Grant Keddie, “Victoria Underwater: Staff Profiles,” Staff Profiles Victoria Underwater Comments, 2019, https://staff.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/2019/01/17/victoria-underwater/.

11 “Natural History Gallery,” Royal BC Museum and Archives | Victoria, BC, Canada, March 31, 2022, http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/visit/exhibitions/natural-history-gallery.

12 “Invasive Species,” https://www.victoria.ca, accessed May 4, 2022, https://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/residents/parks/natural-areas/invasive-species.html?media=screen.

13 “Identify,” Invasive Species Council of British Columbia, January 19, 2021, https://bcinvasives.ca/take-action/identify/.