Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard

Esquimalt Royal Naval Dockyard
Esquimalt, British Columbia
SS Islander in the Esquimalt graving dock in the 1890s
Coordinates	48°25′52″N 123°25′54″W / 48.43111°N 123.43167°W / 48.43111; -123.43167
Type	Shipyard, dockyard
Site information
Controlled by	Royal Navy (1842–1905) Department of Marine and Fisheries (1905–1910)  Royal Canadian Navy (1910–1968)  Royal Canadian Navy (1968–present)
Site history
Built	1842
In use	1842–present
Battles/wars	Oregon boundary dispute (1840s) Crimean War 1854–1856 Pig War 1859 Alaska boundary dispute 1821–1903
Garrison information
Past commanders	Henry William Bruce (25 November 1854–July 1857) Robert Lambert Baynes (8 July 1857–5 May 1860) Andrew K. Bickford (1900–1903)
Garrison	Pacific Station (1865–1905) Royal Canadian Navy Pacific Command (1910–1968) Canadian Forces Maritime Forces Pacific (1968-present)
Occupants	George W. Courtenay (circa 1848)

Esquimalt Royal Naval Dockyard was a major British Royal Navy yard on Canada's Pacific coast from 1842 to 1905, subsequently operated by the Canadian government to the present day.

The naval dockyard was located in Esquimalt, British Columbia, adjacent to Esquimalt Harbour and the city of Victoria, to replace a base in Valparaíso, Chile as the home of the Royal Navy's Pacific Station and was the only Royal Navy base in western North America.

A hydrographic survey carried out by HMS Pandora around 1842, determined that the location and depth of the Esquimalt Harbour would make it acceptable for use as a British naval port on the west coast of North America. The following year James Douglas went out to Vancouver Island intending to set up a trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company. After looking at the shores of Esquimalt Harbour he decided they were too densely wooded for development so he opted to build what would become Fort Victoria on the shores of the adjacent Victoria Harbour and thereby establish what would become the city of Victoria. Pandora Avenue in Victoria is named in honour of the survey ship, which in turn was named after Pandora of Greek mythology.

In 1848 HMS Constance arrived at Esquimalt and became the first Royal Navy vessel based there. She was commanded by Captain George William Courtenay, after whom Courtenay, British Columbia is named.