The British Columbia Legislature is by far the most imposing building in James Bay. It has stood overlooking the Inner Harbour for over 110 years, and in that time it has become such an intregral part of the landscape that it is hard to imagine a time when it wasn't there.

But, before there was a legislature the Songhees camped nearby to take advantage of the bounty of James Bay's tidal mud flats, and to cultivate the Camas growing in nearby meadows. In the 1840's James Douglas built his house on the South side of James Bay. Other local elites followed and James Bay became the first upper-crust neighbourhood of this small colonial outpost.

For several years Douglas represented the interests of both the Hudson Bay Company and the Crown in his dual role as Governor of Vancouver Island and agent for the HBC. But as the colony slowly grew it became clear that Douglas and his appointed council were not in a position to fairly govern the colony.

The Colonial Office decided it was time to have a more formal and accountable system of governance in the colony. And so, The first legislative assembly of the colony of Vancouver Island, consisting of seven members, was elected in June 1856. The meetings of the newly formed legislature were conducted in the Bachelors' Hall at the HBC Fort and much government business was still conducted at Douglas' home for several years after the legislative assembly was formed.

But when the discovery of gold in the Fraser River Valley in 1857 brought a flood of treasure hunters streaming through Victoria on their way to 'the diggings', it became apparent that more suitable facilities for government business were required.

In 1859 Assistant Surveyor H.O. Tiedemann drew up plans for the first group of capital buildings that would occupy the site of the legislature. The plans called for a legislative assembly, a supreme court, a governor's residence, a fire-proof vault for the treasury, a land registry, an office for the colonial secretary, as well as a military barracks. Unfortunatley before the project could be completed the gold rush petered out, the population declined and tax revenues dried up. Construction was stopped in 1860 due to lack of funds. Only one of the six structures was complete enough to be opened. The legislature and the Supreme Court had to share cramped quarters until the rest of the project was finally completed in 1864.

The six low slung structures with curving roofs and verandas were dubbed 'The Bird Cages' by the Gazette because of their appearance, and the name stuck. It was not exactly an affectionate label. The Bird Cages showed signs of cheapness and cost-cutting in their design and construction. Bricks were painted to look like stone, pine used in doorways was grained to look like oak, and cheaper imitations were used to stand for real marble on the mantle pieces.

At the about the same time that the Bird Cages were being constructed the first bridge was built across James Bay, extending Government Street and providing easy access to the new government headquarters. The transition from trading post to colonial capital was further enhanced when Douglas began the dismantling of the Fort's pallisades in 1860.

Except for a brief period when the capital was moved to New Westminister in the 1860's, the Bird Cages served as the legislative and administrative capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island, then the combined colony of British Columbia, and finally for the province of British Columbia. In the late 1890's the government decided to hold a competition to build a new legislature that would instill pride in the citizenry, and hopefully, restore some vigour to the ailing local economy.

But, the new legislature didn't spell the ultimate end for the Bird Cages. The new building was sited to fit the alloted space while leaving room for some of the older buildings to remain, others were actually moved out of the way. The main building, where the legislature had sat, was used by the Department of Mines until 1957 when it was finally destroyed by fire. Bricks from the other Bird Cages were used to pave the front carriageway leading to the new legislature.

Thanks for reading, In my next few posts I'll look into the building of the new legislature and the brash young architect who arrived to build it.

To see more Images of the Bird Cages Visit the BC Archives Website:
Victoria Legislative Buildings, ca. 1862.
Central Legislative Building, Rear View, 1866.
Assembly House, Victoria, 1860s.
The Birdcages in Victoria after a snowstorm, ca. 1870.
Photo Collage: The legislative buildings in Victoria, 1888.
A function at the legislative buildings in Victoria, 1889.

Further Reading:
The Legislature has an interesting interactive website about the history of the legislature. Click here to Visit

Robin Ward, Echoes of Empire: Victoria and its Remarkable Buildings, Maidera Park, BC: Harbour Publishing, 1996.

Martin Segger and Douglas Franklin, Exploring Victoria's Architecture, Victoria: Sono Nis Press, 1996.

Terry Reksten, Rattenbury, Victoria: Sono Nis Press, 1978, 1998.

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