Featured archival displays

Earth Day: Our Shared Connection with Nature

This online exhibition showcases a selection of archival photographs that reveal the strong bond between our community and the natural environment. Rivers, mountains, coastlines, forests, and neighbourhood scenes appear throughout these images, reminding us of the beauty that surrounds us and the shared moments Esquimalt residents have experienced with nature over time.

These photographs demonstrate how residents have explored, enjoyed, and coexisted with nature. walking along the waterways, gathering by the sea, and finding peace in the mountains and green spaces of our region. They reflect eco-friendly human interventions  and many ways nature enriches our lives and strengthens our sense of place.

Check out Earth Week events in Esquimalt

As we mark Earth Day 2026, we invite you to reflect on your relationship with the environment. The landscapes preserved in these archives remind us that nature not only sustains us but also depends on our care and responsibility. Through these images from the past, we encourage our community to renew its commitment to protecting the natural world ensuring that the rivers, forests, mountains, and neighbourhoods we cherish today will continue to thrive for generations to come.

archives-995-11-55.jpg
Group in wooded area, likely Goldstream Park , CA PR263-995-011-055, 1896 , Pooley Family Col.
archives-025-071-015
Man sitting on log crossing stream, CA PR523-025-071-015, ca. 1925, Mark Campion Col.
archives-025-071-024.jpg
Footpath along a Stream, CA PR523-025-071-024, ca. 1925, Mark Campion Col.
archives-025-071-027.jpg
A couple sitting on the rocks near Fleming Beach in Esquimalt ca. 1925, Mark Campion Col.
archives-025-071-025.jpg
People standing on rock ledge over Beaver Canyon on the Fraser River, BC., CA PR523-025-071-025, ca. 1925, Mark Campion Col
archives-995-11-54.jpg
Group in Goldstream Park with bicycles , CA PR263-995-011-054 , 1896  ,Pooley Family Col.
archives-v989-20-18.jpg
Saxe Point forest, CA PR012-v989-020-018, ca. [194-] , James Findlay Col. 
archives-995-11-79.jpg
Blossoming cherry tree in gardens at "Lyndhurst" , CA PR263-995-011-079, ca. 1928 , Pooley Family Col.
archives-v992-13-1.jpg
Log bridge across the Gorge, CA PR164-v992-013-001, ca. 185-?, Mike Aitken Col.
archives-995-36-9.jpg
Girl on bicycle on a pathway in Gorge Park, CA PR250-995-036-009, ca. 1905, Mike Aitken Col.
archives-995-36-5.jpg
Gorge Park, CA PR250-995-036-005, ca. 1905, Mike Aitken Col.
archives-996-015-028.jpg
Skinner's Cove in 1921, Site of new Dry Dock, CA PR012-996-015-028, 1921, James Findlay Col. 
archives-025-071-084.jpg
Massive Tree Stump, CA PR523-025-071-084, ca. 1910, Mark Campion Col.

Making Women Visible: Correcting Gender bias in Archival Photo Records

These photographs from our archives feature people whose names and stories have yet to be identified — especially women who have long remained unseen in the historical record. 

We invite you to help us recognize them, reclaim their identities, and add their stories back into our shared history. 

Every face tells a story, and every story matters. 

If you ‘re familiar with any of these individuals, place, or any relevant information, please comment or share that information with archives (archives@esquimalt.ca). So, we can update our database and online collection to provide a more accurate picture. 

Let’s build our history together! 
Woman wearing "Esquimalt" sash, 1923
Woman wearing "Esquimalt" sash, 1923. Donor purchased album of photos from "Time Buying Services" Government St., Victoria, B.C.
Archives: St. Paul's Naval and Garrison Church with unidentified women ca. 1925
St. Paul's Naval and Garrison Church with unidentified women wearing choir gown in front. Ruth Craven Fonds, ca. 1925
Archives- PR341-015-001-127
Group of women 1940 (Creation) Spencer Family Fonds. CA PR341-015-001-127
Three unidentified women, Japanese Tea Gardens, ca. 1915, Toyo Takata Fonds
Three unidentified women, Japanese Tea Gardens, ca. 1915, Toyo Takata Fonds
"Woman and children at Memorial Park" c. 1935
"Woman and children at Memorial Park" c. 1935
“ Women walking down a street” –Archives photo
“ Women walking down a street” – Emily Harrop Fonds, ca. 1950 (Creation)