Clover Point Park

Clover Point Park in Victoria is a historic waterfront park known for outdoor recreation, rich military history, and scenic views.

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Location

Victoria
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About

Clover Point is in the Fairfield area of Victoria and is approximately 4.21 hectares in size.
Popular activities in the area include paragliding, wind surfing, and kite flying. The annual Swiftsure Yacht Race’s starting line is near the point and people line the shores to take in the action.
It used to be owned by Canada’s Department of Defence and was leased to the City of Victoria for park use, but in 1988 ownership was transferred to the city (source).

History

In the spring of 1842, James Douglas, Chief Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, surveyed the southern shores of Vancouver Island. He was searching for the ideal site for a new British settlement. Three locations stood out, each offering a strong natural harbour: Sooke, Esquimalt, and Victoria.
Douglas came ashore just east of what is now Beacon Hill Park. Struck by the red clover carpeting the land, he named the spot Clover Point (source). He was most likely referring to Springbank clover.
A hotel was built near the point in the mid-1800s. Named Henley’s Hotel, it was owned by Henry Henley. Henley leased just over six hectares of land from James Douglas to build the two story hotel complete with hitching posts and stables (source).
Henley died in 1892, aged 77. His sons took over the hotel and renamed it Cliff House. Sadly it burned down in 1905.
Henley’s daughter later described her time looking after the family’s cattle. She said she would run them along the cliffs of Beacon Hill Park. She described a trip into town as a treat, riding through the park past the pits containing live bears which were part of the zoo (Nesbitt, J. 1951 - source).
From 1900 to 1931, Clover Point served as a rifle range operated by the Victoria Rifle Association, with targets stretching nearly to Cook Street.
The site was later used for military training, and during WWI, soldiers marched from nearby camps to practice shooting and trench warfare along the waterfront.
As Fairfield grew, concerns over noise and safety mounted. In 1931, the range was finally closed and Clover Point was leased to the City of Victoria for use as a public park, following years of cleanup and restoration (source).
Sewage operations at Clover Point date back to 1892, when Victoria built its first brick sewer beneath Dallas Road, discharging just offshore. That original outfall marked the beginning of more than a century of continuous sewer use at the site.
As the city grew, pollution along the shoreline became an increasing concern, prompting calls for improvements. In the 1970s, the Capital Regional District constructed a largely underground sewage pumping station at Clover Point, expanding the system while attempting to preserve the surrounding parkland.
Despite ongoing debate, Clover Point has remained a key hub in Victoria’s sewage infrastructure since the nineteenth century (source)

A Millennium Peace sculpture, carved from Vancouver Island marble, was installed near the top of the hill above Clover Point for Earth Day, April 22, 2000. Donated by Maarten and Nadina Schaddellee, the artwork was set within a concrete oval marked with compass points, along with a base, bench, and foundation provided by the City of Victoria (source).
While you’re visiting and if you’re lucky, you’ll catch glimpses of Mount Baker and the Olympic mountains in Washington state and maybe even a whale or two.
It’s also a great place for storm watching which brings large waves crashing to shore.
The beach trail is best traversed at low tide and connects up to Spiral Beach.
Some of the birds you may find here include Bufflehead, Black oystercatcher, Common loon, and Short-billed Dowitcher.
Standing at the edge of land and sea, Clover Point offers a window into Victoria’s past and continues to serve the community today.