Robert Porter Park

Located in Victoria's Fairfield neighbourhood, Robert J. Porter Park is a historic 1.75-hectare Garry oak meadow featuring a playground, a unique community food forest, and a rich local legacy.

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Location

Victoria
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About

Located in Victoria's Fairfield neighbourhood, Robert J. Porter Park is a beautiful 1.75-hectare Garry oak meadow accented by natural rocky outcrops.

Park features

The park is an ideal spot for families and nature lovers, offering picnic tables, benches, and a large grass-covered field on its western end.
Nearby community amenities include the Fairfield Community Garden and the Fairfield Community Centre (source).

A layered history of the land

The land that makes up the park has a rich and varied history that long predates its dedication.
Indigenous heritage & early settlement
- The park is hosted on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen and WSANEC Peoples, who may have used this specific site as a camas harvest area for thousands of years. Following the arrival of European settlers and the construction of the Hudson’s Bay Company fort in 1845, colonists began using this area as farmland.
From city substation to public park
- In the early 20th century, this land served several utilitarian functions for the growing city. It was initially used as a City Garbage Department substation, then listed as the City Barn in 1913, and later transitioned into the Woodland Dairy in 1926. Eventually, this historic parcel of land was graciously donated to the city for use as a public park (source).

The Fairfield Food Forest

Located within the park on Thurlow Road (between Kipling and Durban Streets) is the Fairfield Food Forest. This unique permaculture garden grows a wide variety of small trees, berry shrubs, and herbs.
The Food Forest was brought to life after several years of volunteer efforts and community consultation, with the current design approved by City Council in 2012. The very first batch of edible trees, bushes, and irrigation went into the ground in 2013. Today, it is managed by the Fairfield Gonzales Garden Committee, a dedicated group of neighbourhood volunteers supported by the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association.
Rather than functioning as a standard, individual-plot vegetable garden, the Food Forest is an open, communal space where everyone is welcome to visit, cultivate, and harvest food using permaculture techniques for the whole community to enjoy. (source).

History: Who was Robert J. Porter?

Robert J. Porter Park is named in honour of Robert John Porter Jr. (1867 – April 24, 1922), a prominent local businessman, public servant, and former Mayor of Victoria. In May 1922, shortly after his death, the City of Victoria dedicated this new public park in his name (source, source).

Pioneer roots and the family business

Robert John Porter Jr. was born in Victoria in the year of Canada's confederation to pioneer parents Robert Porter Sr. and Alice (née Kerr). His father arrived in Fort Victoria aboard the barque Tory in 1851 at age 16. Robert Sr. worked for the Hudson's Bay Company as a brickmaker and later moved to Saanich, where he established a cattle farm that eventually grew to 1,000 acres (source).
In 1871, the elder Porter established a highly successful butcher business at Douglas and Johnson streets, supplied directly by the family's farms. Robert Jr. grew up learning the trade, and in 1886, he and his four brothers joined their father as partners in Robert Porter & Sons. At its peak, the business had two stores in Victoria (operated by Robert Jr., Henry, and George) and two in Vancouver. The business was eventually sold to P. Burns and Company in 1909 (source, source).

Civic leadership and mayoralty

Following in his family’s footsteps, Robert Jr. maintained a keen interest in agriculture and served as a director, and later president, of the British Columbia Agricultural Association. He also served on the board of directors for the Royal Jubilee Hospital and was a member of the Victoria-Columbia Masonic Lodge (source, source).
He entered civic politics in 1912 as a City Council member for Ward V and was eventually elected Mayor of Victoria, serving from 1919 to 1921. During his time in office, he helped guide the city through complex post-World War I challenges. Known for his tireless industry, he personally welcomed returning overseas troops at the wharf, oversaw the completion of the Sooke waterworks, completely reorganized trades licenses, and saw the commencement of the long-debated Johnson Street Bridge project (source).

A controversial defeat and untimely death

Porter's political career ended in late 1921 when he was defeated for re-election by William M. Marchant. The loss was largely attributed to a smear campaign by prohibitionist Christopher Rowland "Joe" North, who falsely accused Porter of involvement in gambling and rum-running. After the election, North was successfully sued for his accusations and later arrested for making slanderous remarks against the local police (source).
Just four months after the election, Porter tragically passed away from pneumonia at St. Joseph's Hospital at the age of 55, leaving behind his wife, Flora (whom he married in 1898), and their six children. The city mourned his loss deeply, flying flags at half-mast and closing City Hall so employees could attend his funeral at Ross Bay Cemetery (source, source).

The Robert Porter house legacy

Today, Porter's legacy also lives on through his former family home at 649 Superior Street (adjacent to South Park School).
Built in 1896, the residence was designed by renowned architect Samuel Maclure. A landmark design showcasing a beautiful blend of classical and colonial elements with distinctive half-timbering, it remains one of Maclure’s earliest surviving works.
Once home to a Shetland pony for the Porter children, the beautifully restored heritage home now operates as a modern bed and breakfast (source).

Lands