Victoria Terminal Railway and Ferry Company Station -
Fisherman's Co-op Hall
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Victoria Terminal Railway and Ferry Company Station is a one-storey, wood-frame structure located in the Port Guichon neighbourhood of Delta. Purpose-built as a railway station, this simple, rectangular building has been extended with a linear rear addition. The structure is now used as a community hall.
****An interesting tidbit when it comes to the rich history of the building is that crooner Michael Buble’s grandparents were among those involved with setting it up in the early years.****
Plaque at N49 05.155 W 123 06.268
Originally located on the Victoria Terminal Railway and Ferry Company wharf at the mouth of the Fraser River, the station was moved in 1924 to its present location adjacent to the company's 1914 spur line. (VTRF- Port Guichon to Colebrook. Opened 1903 and operated until Aug. 10, 1935. Officially abandoned and the tracks lifted in 1938.)
Due to the competition of the Canadian Pacific Railway's direct steamer service between Vancouver and Victoria, and the cancellation of an operating subsidy from the City of Victoria, the VTR never achieved its anticipated success. Initially the line served both passengers and freight, but within a few years passenger service was cut substantially, and eventually eliminated, and the line was used mainly to transport cattle. Though the line between Port Guichon and Cloverdale functioned until 1935, the Station was last used by the railway in about 1929.
The Station was purchased in 1943 by the Ladner Fisherman's Co-operative Association for use as a meeting hall, was substantially enlarged in the 1960s, and for years has been used as a community hall, serving the general public as a venue for events, ranging from wedding receptions to public meetings. It remains at the centre of the historic Port Guichon neighbourhood.
To log this virtual you must answer these 2 questions and submit a photo with a thumbs up at the Fisherman’s Hall with the ‘FISH’ sign in it. Do not post answers- photo may be included in your log.
- From the back of the hall look up and down the alley and tell how many SMOKEHOUSES you can see(no photos of these please) *** What is a smokehouse??? Kind of looks like a 2 storey outhouse (LOL)***
- At the plaque include the 2 dates at the top of it. - (It is a short walk to the plaque or you could drive over-- limited parking there - Park on NORTH side of road)
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.