The First Trans-Canada Auto Trip

Halifax: August 27, 1912 <<<    >>> Victoria: October 17, 1912

Daily News: October 18, 1997

Victoria: Into the Pacific

Previous day Back to Daily News Next Day

Today's Statistics: Travelling from Victoria, British Columbia to Vancouver, British Columbia
Distance: 15 km Driving Hours: .5 h Fuel: 4 l Weather: Sunny Temperature: Min. 8 Max. 15

On this final day of the 1997 cross-Canada tour, all that remained for the Reo was a few formalities. The car attended several receptions at important locations around Victoria before making its way to the B.C. Ferries and sailing back home to the lower mainland of British Columbia.

Victoria is a very historic B.C. city. It was originally established as Fort Victoria by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1843. At that time there was an on-going dispute between Canada and the United States to determine where the boundary should be drawn. Fort Victoria was needed to ensure that the Hudson's Bay would have a major trading post north of Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River. James Douglas chose the site because of its strategic location overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. In 1846 the Oregon Treaty set the boundary at the 49th parallel (with a slight jog to include southern Vancouver Island) and Fort Victoria became the company's major west coast fort. By 1871, when British Columbia became part of Canada's confederation, Victoria was the capital of B. C.

Victoria had a boom period during the gold rush days of the 1800s, when it was a major port for ships entering or leaving British Columbia waters. Another boom ocurred early in this century when the building of the Panama Canal promised increased trading possibilites. Victoria's chinatown had also been growing rapidly and was the largest Chinatown north of San Francisco.

Today, Victoria is a peaceful city with a definite "old English" flavour. At the inner harbour the double decker tour buses wait in front of the Empress Hotel to take sightseeing tourists past the Parliament Buildings, the Royal British Columbia Museum, Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada highway, through Chinatown and on out to the world famous Butchart Gardens. Each year hundreds of thousands of people come from around the world to visit Jenny Butchart's beautiful gardens.

After a morning visit to the Victoria Speedy Auto Centre, the Reo was escorted by members of the Victoria Chapter of the Vintage Car Club of Canada on a brief tour around Victoria. The first stop was at Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada Highway. There, the Findlays and John Nicol received presentations from the British Columbia Automobile Association and the Victoria Chapter of the Vintage Car Club, in recognition of the completion of the cross-Canada trip. Mile 0 marks the Pacific end of the Trans-Canada Highway, which is the longest paved highway in the world. Although Wilby and Haney crossed the country in 1912, the Trans-Canada was not officially completed until 1962, fifty years later.

Before reaching Cattle Point, the long line of cars stopped at Government House, home of the B. C. Lieutenant-Governor, where the Findlays and John Nicol signed the guest book. The Lieutenant-Governor serves as the Queen's representative in the provincial legislature.

Finally, around 12:15 PM, the Reo and its entourage reached Cattle Point, where the final event of the trip would take place. The Reo was carefully positioned on the boat ramp leading into the Pacific in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Then the car was loaded with a group of men to re-create the historic 1912 photo of Thomas Wilby pouring his Atlantic water into the Pacific (see Photo Gallery: 1912. The crowd cheered and many cameras clicked as John Nicol, perched on the hood of the Reo, poured out his water.

With this final re-creation, the 1997 cross-Canada tour was officially over. The Reo was then loaded onto its trailer for the ferry ride back home to Vancouver.

The Findlays and John Nicol would like to extend a sincere thank you to the many people who helped out through the course of this trip. To those who organized events, contributed goods and services, escorted the Reo, stopped to wave or say hi, they say, "Thanks so much." To the students and seniors they visited along the way, they say, "It was our privilege to visit you." To those who stayed home and followed the web page, or sent words of encouragement and support by email, they say, "Thanks for your support and prayers." The trip was more successful than they could have imagined. They are also extremely grateful to Speedy Auto Service, for major corporate support, and to Istar Internet and the Vancouver School Board for Internet Support.

Watch for John Nicol's book on the 1997 cross-Canada tour. It should be available in the fall of 1998 and is tentatively titled "The All-Red Route. Halifax to Vancouver in a 1912 Reo." The book will be published by Little Brown Canada.

Empress Hotel



Victoria's most elegant hotel is the Empress, designed by Francis Rattenbury in 1908.












Mile 0 marker





Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada highway - the longest paved highway in the world.











Cattle Point




The Reo wheels were dipped in the Pacific for a final time at Cattle Point in this re-creation of a 1912 photo.










Picture of the Day ... Goodbye! From Irene, Lorne, Peter, and John


On this day in 1912 ...

Previous day Back to Daily News Next Day