The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority presents a vision for The Breakwater District at Ogden Point— a new brand and visual identity for the city’s deep-water terminal and surrounding area.

The new visual identity was selected to best reflect what residents know and love most about the facility while inspiring them to explore further when visiting. The brand is designed to celebrate the history of the deep-water terminal and set the stage for the future.

The small point of land immediately adjacent to where the Breakwater Barge is anchored is named in honour of Peter Skene Ogden. Subsequently, the deep-water terminal carried this name for decades while many people knew little about him.

There is limited information about Peter Ogden on the various interpretive and educational signage located along the breakwater and throughout the community-focused areas. The Breakwater District at Ogden Point will allow for the introduction of new signage and visual markers on the property, and an informed and detailed account of Peter Skene Ogden will be introduced on Ogden Point. His story will be told within the context of his time, his place in history, and today’s reflections on history for future generations.

The Breakwater District at Ogden Point is the last waterfront property of its size and potential left in Victoria, a critical piece of the city’s working-harbour infrastructure with spectacular views across the Salish Sea to the Olympic Range.

The Ogden Point Breakwater has existed for more than a century and is one of the most loved and well used places in the city; in 2018, an estimated 400,000 people walked or ran along the Breakwater, and the Victoria Cruise Ship Terminal welcomed more than 700,000 cruise visitors and 330,000 crew members. Combined with community events such as the Island Equipment Operators Association Truck Light Convoy, and many privately-booked events mean that the facility welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors each year.

Our vision for The Breakwater District is a vibrant and accessible multi-use hub, a welcoming gateway for travellers, sustainably integrating the working harbour and the community through contemporary planning, placemaking, design, and landscaping.

The Breakwater structure and piers have been in operation for more than 100 years, and the cultural heritage of the location goes back much further – for centuries it was a key meeting place for the Lekwungen people. When the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority was established in 2002 as owners and managers of Victoria’s significant divested harbour lands and marinas, plans began to take shape of a vision for the deep-water terminal. Between 2014 and 2016, we worked with Stantec to develop the Function and Facilities Plan, and the final draft of the Master Plan, through more than 40 engagement sessions with public and stakeholders.

The development of The Breakwater District at Ogden Point will set forward the plan for the next 100 years.

The development will be a key contributor to a sustainable economic future for Victoria. As a space that combines employment lands and community amenities, The Breakwater District will support job creation and economic growth, create a space for continued community gatherings, and enhance Victoria’s status as a key player in the international visitor economy.

Ultimately, The Breakwater District at Ogden Point is a dynamic vision for the future, enhancing the community experience for residents, maintaining a vibrant working harbour, and providing a gateway to Victoria for hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

We have one chance to develop the largest section of employment, marine industrial, and community space left in Victoria, so we are ensuring that we walk through the process at the right speed, with the right decision-making criteria in place.

The long-term development of The Breakwater District at Ogden Point is an active file for our organization, with a detailed peer review of the current and future transportation and market-readiness currently underway. Along with the strategic guidance of its board of directors and member agencies, the organization’s leadership team continues to assess the immediate, short, and long-term opportunities for the facility.

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