McLoughlin Point: a case study of changing nature
Chris McAulay
Summary
McLoughlin Point is situated on the western entrance to Victoria Harbour, in the municipality of Esquimalt. Presently, there are two plots of land; a large one owned by the Department of National Defence (DND) as an extension of the Work Point Barracks, and a much smaller one purchased from Imperial Oil by the Capital Regional District in 2013 that is on the eastern side of the point. The origins of the Point are unclear, but it is believed to be named after John McLoughlin of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and appears as early as 1855 on maps. The original inhabitants of the land, the Lekwungen peoples, managed Garry oak ecosystems for burial and subsistence purposes. From 1880 until just after World War Two, McLoughlin point was a part of the Coastal Defence System. Presently, the area is used by the DND for training and recreation, as well as for married personnel living quarters. It is unmanaged and host to a number of invasive species, as well as being highly degraded from its historical state as a Garry Oak ecosystem. The parcel owned by the CRD previously had a petroleum storage facility on it, but now is a fully fenced highly degraded brownfield site. A tertiary wastewater treatment facility for the site is slated to be constructed and operational by 2020. |
Genealogy
McLoughlin Point is located at the entrance to Victoria harbor on the western side, situated between Work Point and Macaulay Point. The majority of the area is currently owned by the Department of National Defense (DND) (Work Point, n.d.), with a small private lot under Capital Regional District (CRD) ownership (Treatment Plant, n.d.). The original inhabitants of the area where the Lekwungen, the First Nations now known as Esquimalt and Songhees (Lutz, 2008).
In 1850 a verbal agreement was made between James Douglas, representing the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and the Imperial Crown, and the Lekwungen First Nations for control of what is now known as Victoria and Esquimalt (Esquimalt First Nation, 2016). This verbal treaty was supposed to ensure the First Nations continued control of natural resource use, such as fishing and agriculture (Esquimalt First Nation, 2016). On February 9th, 2016 the Esquimalt First Nation made a civil claim filed in the Supreme Court of B.C. for the DND Work Point property, which encompasses McLoughlin Point (Esquimalt First Nation, 2016). They claim that this area was traditionally used for burial and sustenance resource purposes (Esquimalt First Nation, 2016), and McLoughlin Point would likely have been a key area for marine resources
In 1850 a verbal agreement was made between James Douglas, representing the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and the Imperial Crown, and the Lekwungen First Nations for control of what is now known as Victoria and Esquimalt (Esquimalt First Nation, 2016). This verbal treaty was supposed to ensure the First Nations continued control of natural resource use, such as fishing and agriculture (Esquimalt First Nation, 2016). On February 9th, 2016 the Esquimalt First Nation made a civil claim filed in the Supreme Court of B.C. for the DND Work Point property, which encompasses McLoughlin Point (Esquimalt First Nation, 2016). They claim that this area was traditionally used for burial and sustenance resource purposes (Esquimalt First Nation, 2016), and McLoughlin Point would likely have been a key area for marine resources
The colonial history of this site is rather vague, especially with DND ownership restricting civilian access to historical records. The earliest mention of the geographic location being referred to as McLoughlin point is from a map commissioned by the Hudson’s Bay Company, and made by Joseph Despard Pemberton, in 1855 (The south, 1855). Although, the spelling seems to vary without any consequence between McLoughlin and MacLaughlin. The origin of the name likely comes from John McLoughlin (1784-1857) who was the Superintendent and Chief Factor of the HBC’s Colombia District for two decades (Lamb, 2008).
Because of its close proximity and association to Work Point and Rose Bay, it has been useful to investigate McLoughlin Point’s relationship to this area. Work Point Barracks were established in the 1880’s under joint commission with the Royal and Canadian Navy as part of the coastal defence system (Work Point, n.d.). In 1887 the barracks became the quartering, administrative, and command centre for the Canadian artillery company assigned to the batteries at adjacent Macaulay Point1. By |
1893, Work Point was the command headquarters, as well as overseas training centre, for an expanded coastal defence system that endured through both World Wars (Work Point, n.d.). During World War Two, the Work Point territory was expanded to include the land between Work Point and Macaulay Point (Work Point, n.d.). The majority of this land, including McLoughlin Point, was left vacant for training, recreation, and potential future expansion (Work Point, n.d.). Private married quarters where built at this time at McLoughlin Point (Work Point, n.d.), and are still in place today. In addition, there are two abandoned artillery emplacements at the southern tip of the point (Work Point, n.d.).
On the eastern side of McLoughlin point there is a 1.4-hectare parcel previously under industrial zoning and private ownership (Treatment Plant, n.d.). The area was owned by Imperial Oil, best known for their Esso gas (Company Overview, n.d.). Imperial Oil operated an oil tank farm used for the storage of bulk petroleum. The date that this site was acquired by Imperial Oil is currently undetermined, but a photograph by Duncan Macphail from 1947 shows the industrial operations are fully established (Macphail, 1947). Imperial Oil has been active in Canada since the 1880’s (Company Overview, n.d.). On April 19th, 2013 the CRD purchased the 1.4-hectare lot from Imperial Oil for $4.6 million, and in July of the same year it was rezoned to allow for a waste water treatment plant (Treatment Plant, n.d.). Recent environmental assessment has labeled the lot as a heavily disturbed brownfield site (Treatment Plant, n.d.).
On the eastern side of McLoughlin point there is a 1.4-hectare parcel previously under industrial zoning and private ownership (Treatment Plant, n.d.). The area was owned by Imperial Oil, best known for their Esso gas (Company Overview, n.d.). Imperial Oil operated an oil tank farm used for the storage of bulk petroleum. The date that this site was acquired by Imperial Oil is currently undetermined, but a photograph by Duncan Macphail from 1947 shows the industrial operations are fully established (Macphail, 1947). Imperial Oil has been active in Canada since the 1880’s (Company Overview, n.d.). On April 19th, 2013 the CRD purchased the 1.4-hectare lot from Imperial Oil for $4.6 million, and in July of the same year it was rezoned to allow for a waste water treatment plant (Treatment Plant, n.d.). Recent environmental assessment has labeled the lot as a heavily disturbed brownfield site (Treatment Plant, n.d.).
Military maps from 1990 of the Work Point DND property show that adjacent Rose Bay contained a 6.152-acre water lot owned by the Greater Victoria Mill Operations Association (Work Point, n.d.). This signifies that the Bay was used for forestry operations, likely the mooring and sorting of raw lumber. Before 1850, the Lekwungen First Nations traditionally used McLoughlin Point for burial and sustenance purposes. Historically, the whole area was an expansive Garry oak ecosystem, and contained many native species utilized by first nations (Historical, n.d.). From 1880 onward, the area served national coastal defence purposes as DND land, with artillery escapements and married quarters. During the last half of the twentieth century a small parcel of land on the point was used for the storage of petroleum, and was rezoned for waste water treatment facilities in 2013. |
Socio-ecological characterization
McLoughlin Point can be split into two distinct parcels. The larger parcel is owned by the Department of National Defence (DND) as an extension of the Work Point Barracks (Work Point, n.d.). The second 1.4-hectare parcel is owned by the Capital Regional District (CRD), having purchased it from Imperial Oil on April 19, 2013 for $4.6 million (Timeline, n.d.).
The 1.4-acre lot owned by the CRD is fully enclosed with chain-link fence, with gates that are locked to restrict all access. All infrastructure from its previous use as an oil tank farm, or bulk petroleum storage has been removed (Treatment Plant, n.d.). A few concrete foundations, walls, and slabs remain in various states of decay (Figure 3). Environmentally, the site has been described as heavily disturbed brownfield (Treatment Plant, n.d.), and is mostly gravel and rock outcrops. My direct observation shows that the species composition is mainly invasive weeds and grasses, but not limited to: Himalayan
The 1.4-acre lot owned by the CRD is fully enclosed with chain-link fence, with gates that are locked to restrict all access. All infrastructure from its previous use as an oil tank farm, or bulk petroleum storage has been removed (Treatment Plant, n.d.). A few concrete foundations, walls, and slabs remain in various states of decay (Figure 3). Environmentally, the site has been described as heavily disturbed brownfield (Treatment Plant, n.d.), and is mostly gravel and rock outcrops. My direct observation shows that the species composition is mainly invasive weeds and grasses, but not limited to: Himalayan
blackberry (Rubus armeniacus[ESH1] ), Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota), common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), and Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) (Invasive Plants, n.d.). I also observed two small Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) saplings growing on site standing approximately one meter, otherwise no trees are present. Because of its exposed location, and no trees for shelter, the site is particularly vulnerable to prevailing weather conditions. The previous industrial activity has resulted in soil contamination (Treatment Plant, n.d.); Scotch broom also actively alters the nutrient composition of the soil (Shaben & Myers, 2009), coupled with the gravel cover, making it tough for native plants to grow. As such, the site has no ecological or cultural value in its present state. But the site does hold significant potential for providing a social service; it was rezoned in July of 2013 to permit accommodation of a waste water treatment facility, and it currently the only parcel of land in the Capital Region that has this zoning (Timeline, n.d.; Treatment Plant, n.d.).
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The area as a whole lays within the Coastal Douglas Fir Zone, and historically was a Garry Oak ecosystem (Coastal Douglas, n.d.; Historical, n.d.). As of 1997, only two small, spatially separated plots of Garry Oak ecosystem remain in the vicinity (Historical, n.d.). The majority of the DND property has been set aside vacant for training and recreation for military personnel, and potential expansion of the Work Point Barracks (Work Point, n.d.). In addition, there are two houses on the western side of the point that are designated as private married quarters for military personnel (Work Point, n.d.). The majority of the DND land on the point is highly disturbed, and the dominant tree species in the forested sections is Paper Birch (Parish & Thomson, 1994). Paper birch is typical of disturbed sites and is often on of the first trees to emerge in successional habitat (Parish & Thomson, 1994). In addition, there are a few large douglas fir trees that loom over the site, crooked and snarled by the weather (Parish & Thomson, 1994). At the tip of the point, in the coastal bluff zone, there are a handful of squat Garry Oaks (Quercus garryana) remaining, their morphology typical of shallow soil and high exposure (What are Garry, n.d.; Dunster, 2009). The bluff zone also contains a thicket of Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana), Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), and some sparse Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) (What are Garry, n.d.; Dunster, 2009). In addition, there are patches of shallow soil covered in exotic grasses that may contain some native wildflowers typical of Garry Oak ecosystems (Dunster, 2009), but it is not possible to observe and identify them during this time of year. The site also contains numerous exotic species, such as Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), and Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) (Invasive Plants, n.d.). But of particular concern is an unidentified invasive vine species that run rampant through the birch forest, using the trees as structural support in the upper canopy. The vine has lots of large green leaves, and forms thick matts that choke out other plants. The site is culturally significant because it was a part of the Coastal Defence System, but the historical structures have been removed, leaving only the married quarters (Work Point, n.d.). In addition, McLoughlin Point is only accessible by Victoria View Road, but because it is DND property only authorized personnel are allowed on site. There is even signage on the beach warning that of this, and that there is no trespassing. As a result, there is very little connection to the site by the general public.
Future trajectory
The future of McLoughlin Point is promising: the majority of the area remains under Department of National Defence (DND), and continues to be undeveloped for military recreation and training (Work Point, n.d.). The lot owned by the Capital Regional District (CRD) has been approved and is moving forward on a tertiary sewage treatment plant (Current Plan, n.d.).
It is very unlikely that the DND owned portion of McLoughlin Point will go through significant changes in the foreseeable future; most current plans have the area remaining undeveloped for training, recreation, and potential future development (Work Point, n.d.). In addition, its history as a component of the Coastal Defence System have garnered the associated buildings and Work Point the recognition of “national historic importance”, and to be preserved (Bates, n.d.). Recently appointed Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, along with the new Liberal federal government, have begun a review of Canadian defences that will likely include McLoughlin Point (Berthiaume, 2016). What the outcome of this will be in uncertain, but the Liberals have promised to maintain military budget increases, suggesting they will hold on to the strategic property (Berthiaume, 2016).
Because the land is largely uninhabited, with no plans for development (Work Point, n.d.), it would be a suitable area for restoration to its previous state as a Garry Oak Ecosystem (Historical, n.d.). Another military site of national historic importance, Fort Rodd Hill, is located 14 km west of Victoria City and is characterized by its Garry Oak ecosystem. The site has been successfully going through continual ecosystem restoration and conservation since 2008 (Fort Rodd, n.d.), showing the potential for restoration at McLoughlin Point. Also, disturbance regimes such as controlled burning are crucial to maintain mixed age class Garry oak ecosystems over the next century (Gedalof & Pellatt, 2014), and the rich history of First Nations groups in the area is a strong incentive for the incorporation and engagement of traditional ecological knowledge and the wider community in these practices.
In September 2015 the CRD Board approved the recommendations from the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Board for wastewater treatment on the 1.4-hectare lot acquired by the CRD from Imperial Oil in 2013 (Timeline, n.d.). Currently, wastewater from the Capital Region only goes through preliminary treatment, where grit and coarse solids are screened down to six millimetre sized particles, and is then discharged through two deep ocean outfalls into the Juan de Fuca Strait (Why Treat Wastewater?, n.d.). A Ministry of Environment report from 2006 found that the seabed around the outfalls was contaminated by pollutants in the wastewater (Why Treat Wastewater?, n.d.), and mandated in the same year that the CRD plan for and initiate secondary treatment (Penner, 2006). The newly approved treatment plant will best this with tertiary treatment, the highest level of wastewater treatment (Current Plan, n.d.; IPCC, 2006).
It is very unlikely that the DND owned portion of McLoughlin Point will go through significant changes in the foreseeable future; most current plans have the area remaining undeveloped for training, recreation, and potential future development (Work Point, n.d.). In addition, its history as a component of the Coastal Defence System have garnered the associated buildings and Work Point the recognition of “national historic importance”, and to be preserved (Bates, n.d.). Recently appointed Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, along with the new Liberal federal government, have begun a review of Canadian defences that will likely include McLoughlin Point (Berthiaume, 2016). What the outcome of this will be in uncertain, but the Liberals have promised to maintain military budget increases, suggesting they will hold on to the strategic property (Berthiaume, 2016).
Because the land is largely uninhabited, with no plans for development (Work Point, n.d.), it would be a suitable area for restoration to its previous state as a Garry Oak Ecosystem (Historical, n.d.). Another military site of national historic importance, Fort Rodd Hill, is located 14 km west of Victoria City and is characterized by its Garry Oak ecosystem. The site has been successfully going through continual ecosystem restoration and conservation since 2008 (Fort Rodd, n.d.), showing the potential for restoration at McLoughlin Point. Also, disturbance regimes such as controlled burning are crucial to maintain mixed age class Garry oak ecosystems over the next century (Gedalof & Pellatt, 2014), and the rich history of First Nations groups in the area is a strong incentive for the incorporation and engagement of traditional ecological knowledge and the wider community in these practices.
In September 2015 the CRD Board approved the recommendations from the Core Area Wastewater Treatment Project Board for wastewater treatment on the 1.4-hectare lot acquired by the CRD from Imperial Oil in 2013 (Timeline, n.d.). Currently, wastewater from the Capital Region only goes through preliminary treatment, where grit and coarse solids are screened down to six millimetre sized particles, and is then discharged through two deep ocean outfalls into the Juan de Fuca Strait (Why Treat Wastewater?, n.d.). A Ministry of Environment report from 2006 found that the seabed around the outfalls was contaminated by pollutants in the wastewater (Why Treat Wastewater?, n.d.), and mandated in the same year that the CRD plan for and initiate secondary treatment (Penner, 2006). The newly approved treatment plant will best this with tertiary treatment, the highest level of wastewater treatment (Current Plan, n.d.; IPCC, 2006).
Based on the description and artist rendering (Figure 5), the new treatment plant will be aesthetically pleasing, especially from the harbor, where it will be one of the first views for tourists coming to port at the busiest cruise ship port in Canada, Ogden Point Terminal (Ogden Point, n.d.). The sides of the building will be reflective glass reminiscent of modern skyscrapers, and will feature a tiered green roof which in itself offers a magnitude of environmental and economic benefits (Current Plan, n.d.; Why Green Roofs, n.d.). Also, the approved plan includes a substantial budget for landscaping, which will help transform the currently highly degraded brownfield site (Treatment Plant, n.d.) into a lush green space (Current Plan, n.d.). Historically, the area was part of a wider Garry Oak ecosystem (Historical Garry Oak, n.d.), so the use of native flora typical of these ecosystems would be ideal for the landscaping. But currently no specifics have been given in this regard. Lastly, a waterfront pathway is planned for the shoreline for residential recreation, potentially boosting community support by allowing them to engage with the site more directly (Current Plan, n.d.).
Total costs for the project have been set at $765 million, and meets the zoning and design requirements so the Esquimalt Council cannot block this project like they did the previous one (Cleverly, 2016). In an effort to reduce wear and traffic associated with the construction, all building materials are to be stockpiled at a leased Rock Bay lot, and then barged in across the harbour (Cleverly, 2016; Current Plan, n.d.). The facility is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2020 (Current Plan, n.d.).
Total costs for the project have been set at $765 million, and meets the zoning and design requirements so the Esquimalt Council cannot block this project like they did the previous one (Cleverly, 2016). In an effort to reduce wear and traffic associated with the construction, all building materials are to be stockpiled at a leased Rock Bay lot, and then barged in across the harbour (Cleverly, 2016; Current Plan, n.d.). The facility is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2020 (Current Plan, n.d.).
References
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Berthiaume, L. (2016, February 18). Liberals reject cutting the size of Canadian military. Instead, they’re looking to expand. National Post. Retrieved from http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/liberals-reject-the-idea-of-cutting-the-size-of-canadian-military-instead-theyre-looking-to-expand
Cleverly, B. (2016, September 14). CRD directors OK sewage plant for McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt. Times Colonist. Retrieved from http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/crd-directors-ok-sewage-plant-for-mcloughlin-point-in-esquimalt-1.2344138
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