Ogden Point — the site of Victoria’s cruise-ship terminal — is about to get a new name and focus, while distancing itself from the man it’s named for.
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority has confirmed it plans to change Ogden Point’s name to the Breakwater District in September.
“This is about celebrating the space and creating a sense of place,” said harbour authority chief executive Ian Robertson, noting the name change and rebranding of the area had been in the works for more than a year before the name leaked out.
Robertson said the leak was disappointing, but they intend to go ahead with a ceremony Sept. 18 to reveal the change, which could include new colours and signage.
The harbour authority is being tight-lipped about what else might be unveiled that day.
Robertson said the new name comes at the right time — after some changes to the cruise-ship terminal, breakwater walk and Helijet helicopter terminal and before the harbour authority’s master redevelopment plan goes into action.
“We have been working hard over the years to open up Ogden Point to make it more accommodating and inviting,” he said. “Look at the step we took with the Friday night Breakwater Barge with a band and beer. It’s become a great community event and we want to do more of that and celebrate what goes down at Ogden Point.”
What won’t be celebrated is the man who gave the breakwater its name.
The Ogden Point breakwater, constructed by the federal government in 1913 at a cost of $2.26 million, was named for Peter Skene Ogden of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Ogden was a fur trader and explorer who had a reputation for violence. He was reported to have had several violent clashes with HBC traders when he was with the North West Company, and was charged with murder after it was reported he killed an Indigenous trader in 1816.
In the 1820s, despite opposition, Ogden would be named chief trader for the Hudson’s Bay Company and lead several expeditions south of the Columbia River.
He held various posts in B.C. until the mid 1840s, before retiring to Oregon City, where he died in 1854.
Robertson said the controversial and often violent part of Ogden’s fur-trading career played no part in triggering the name change.
“We didn’t know about that and no one brought that to our attention,” said Robertson, noting it was only when they started researching the name that they found details of Ogden’s life.
“It was purely a coincidence that we found out he had a bit of a checkered past,” he said. “So to me, that was not the reason we changed the name. However, in my opinion, that is a positive outcome of the process we’ve gone through to change the name.”
The harbour authority has not decided how, or if, Ogden will be remembered at the site.
The new name is likely the first of many changes for the area.
The harbour authority has plans for a major redevelopment of the site that will take decades and cost more than $300 million.
Plans unveiled to the public in 2016 suggested the site could include a hotel, stores, cruise-ship and other marine services, parks, walkways, First Nation displays and an educational component.
Robertson wouldn’t say if any part of that master plan will be included in the September reveal, but he said they are considering a new approach to the massive project.
He said it’s likely they will take a piecemeal approach to the project instead of trying to redevelop all at once.
“There will be more on that in the next few months,” he said. “But it’s no secret the GVHA board has paused the process to have a review done of the master plan to date.”
That review might identify possible gaps and opportunities, said Robertson, which could lead to some development on site relatively soon.
“The changing of the name doesn’t have much to do with the development, but it’s really about celebrating the space and potentially what could happen and be down there in the future.”
