Downtown Victoria Tour
Belleville Street

396-470 Belleville Street – Steamship Terminal

The Steamship Terminal at 396-470 Belleville Street is a City of Victoria Heritage Building. It was built in 1924 by architects Francis Rattenbury and Percy Leonard James for the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.), which used it as the terminal for its steamships and coastal ferries until 1960.

It is listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.

The Steamship Terminal, 396-470 Belleville Street, built in 1924 by architects Francis Rattenbury and Percy Leonard James.

The Steamship Terminal, 396-470 Belleville Street, built in 1924 by architects Francis Rattenbury and Percy Leonard James. Seen from the Inner Harbour.

The Steamship Terminal, 396-470 Belleville Street, built in 1924 by architects Francis Rattenbury and Percy Leonard James.

The Steamship Terminal, 396-470 Belleville Street, built in 1924 by architects Francis Rattenbury and Percy Leonard James. Seen from Belleville Street.

The Steamship Terminal, 396-470 Belleville Street, built in 1924 by architects Francis Rattenbury and Percy Leonard James. Seen from Belleville Street.

The Steamship Terminal, 396-470 Belleville Street, built in 1924 by architects Francis Rattenbury and Percy Leonard James. Seen from Belleville Street.

Here is a map showing the location of the Steamship Terminal:

Here is a Google Street View image of the Steamship Terminal:

Additional Information About the C.P.R. Steamship Terminal

  • Assessed Value (July 2015): $3,855,900; Land $3,767,000 Buildings $88,900
  • Assessed Value (July 2014): $3,701,900; Land $3,613,000 Buildings $88,900
  • Canadian Register of Historic Places – formally recognized in 1995, listed in 2005

A Brief History of the Steamship Terminal

The Steamship Terminal was built in 1924 by architects Francis Rattenbury and Percy Leonard James for the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.), which used it as the terminal for its steamships and coastal ferries until 1960.

After the C.P.R. ceased operating its steamships from this location, this building was divided between provincial government offices and commercial uses. From 1969 the primary commercial tenant was the Royal London Wax Museum.

In 2010, the building’s owner, the Provincial Capitol Commission, decided to renovate the interior of the building in hopes of converting it to more profitable uses.

There was a lengthy public debate about the use the Steamship Terminal would have after its renovation. Proposals ranged from a new site for the Maritime Museum of B.C., to a public market modeled on Seattle’s Pike Place Market, to a high tech tourist attraction highlighting local First Nations history.

The present configuration was arranged in 2013.

The Steamship Terminal was formally recognized by the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 1995 and was listed in 2005.

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