Ogden Point Breakwater - Victoria, BC
Posted by: 
The A-Team
N 48° 24.906 W 123° 23.088
10U E 471526 N 5362510
Located in southwestern Victoria, BC on the waterfront.
Waymark Code: WMHMQ2
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 07/23/2013
Views: 14
The Ogden Point Breakwater is one of the most significant engineering projects in the region.
In anticipation of increased shipping traffic after the opening of the Panama Canal, the City of Victoria decided to build the breakwater to allow for expansion of the nearby docks. Construction started in 1914 and continued until completion in 1916. The base of the breakwater consists of over a million tons of rock. On top of that are 10000 granite blocks, weighing a total of another million tons, which were quarried 158 km north on Hardy Island and barged to the site. Fifty three concrete caissons were then built on top to cap it off. The result is today's 2500-foot long, 20-foot tall feat of engineering.
The breakwater had no safety railings for almost 100 years until some were installed in the spring of 2013. A mural is also in the process of being installed on the north side of the breakwater.
The site was named a Canadian National Historic Civil Engineering Site in 2001. The coordinates are for the dedication plaque near the foot of the breakwater.
Location:
Ogden Point in southwest Victoria, BC
Type of structure/site: Breakwater
Date of Construction: 1916
Engineer/Architect/Builder etc.: Design engineer: Louis Coste, Supervising engineer: J.S. Maclachlan, Chief enginner: D. Lafleur
Engineering Organization Listing: Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE)
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Web Site: Not listed
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