Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites
603 Fort Rodd Hill Road V9C 2W8 Victoria, BC, Canada

Happy Online Learning Day! Take some time to visit the @FortRoddFisgardNHS website and get to know a little bit more about Fisgard Lighthouse, Sir General Arthur Currie, and many soldiers and families connected to Fort Rodd Hill who lived through times of war. http://ow.ly/nlfb50BhnUQ

From the Curators Corner GSW Kettle Here @FortRoddFisgardNHS we have many kitchen utensils in our collections, including this kettle. The GWS impression on its lid tells us it was manufactured by General Steel Wares, and allows us to date the artifact circa WWII. During wartime, this kettle may have been used to make tea for the soldiers after a long shift manning the guns at Belmont Battery, for the men operating one of the searchlights onsite, or for one of the Canadian Womens Army Corps serving inside the Fortress Plotting Room. This would have been especially welcomed by the service men and women as the season turned from summer to fall and the weather began to get cooler!

It has been an amazing summer in the Garry Oak Learning Meadow @FortRoddFisgardNHS! The #GrowingTogether team has #SPOTTED the Western Bumblebee (Bombus occidentalis) a total of 6 times this year! The Western Bumblebee is a rare species in Canada. What are some rare or endangered species youve seen? Comment below! #GrowingTogether #NatureforAll

From the Curators Corner British Mess Tin from 1918 D shaped mess tins, like the one pictures here, were used by British military from the Napoleonic wars until 1938. The shape allowed soldiers to carry individual kits close to their body, strapped in and secured while they were on the move. This style was phased out during WWII for a simpler, rectangular and more compact design. Like a modern lunch kit, this mess tin from our collections opens up giving the user two separate dishes, one for eating/ drinking out of and another with a handle that could be used for heating. During WWI, a British soldiers rations could include salted or tinned meat, stew or tea, all of which were vastly improved when eaten hot!

Have you ever wondered what scientists and researchers are working on in our national parks? Over the next few weeks, well hear from Parks Canada scientists ...as they share the answers to some frequently asked questions about Southern Resident Killer Whale research in Coastal BC! #AskAScientist Meet one of the researchers working on Southern Resident Killer Whale recovery in Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Riley Pollom. Q: How do you identify and track individual Southern Resident Killer Whales out in the field? A: Killer whales are identified by their saddle patch, which is a white pattern behind their dorsal fin. They can also be identified by unique patterns, scars, or wear on their dorsal fin. Similarly to how humans have unique fingerprints , killer whales have unique saddle patches. : As seen in the photo below, the team uses cameras with zoom lenses to take photos of the #SouthernResidentKillerWhale saddle patches from a distance. Back in the office researchers can identify individual whales to their saddle patch! Find out more about Southern Resident Killer Whale research and what you can do to help here https://www.pc.gc.ca//science/especes/epaulard-killerwhale #SRKW #SouthernResidentKillerWhales #Orca

Happy Labour Day from @FortRoddFisgardNHS !

Its Read a Book Day, and @FortRoddFisgardNHS is the perfect place to do so! Bring a book - Canadian historical fiction preferred! - and let our beautiful coastal location be your afternoon hangout.

Say hello to the Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)! This colourful bird is commonly spotted @FortRoddFisgardNHS in our Garry Learning Meadow. During your next visit see if you can spot some of its acrobatics. They climb down trees headfirst and can hang upside down on branches, looking for insects that others may have missed! What a strategy! #TheMoreYouKnow #NatureforAll

The days may be getting shorter, but that doesnt mean your visit to @FortRoddHillNHS has to! #DYK that most of our historic buildings are now open for you to explore? For more information, visit our website http://ow.ly/4nZC50Bhlra

Did you know Parks Canada manages 171 national historic sites? These sites allow visitors to learn more about Canadian history, including the diverse cultural... communities that make up our nations story. Our national historic sites include sacred spaces, archaeological sites, battlefields, heritage houses, historic districts, places of scientific discovery, and much more. Discover them here and let us know which of these sites youd like to visit next : http://ow.ly/VU3Y50Ba2eB Photo taken in Grand-Pr National Historic Site

#DYK there are 19 species of bats in Canada and six of them are #SpeciesAtRisk? This includes @FortRoddFisgardNHSs flying friend, the Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus). These cute critters face grave danger due to a disease called white-nose syndrome that has been wiping out their populations. To find out what you can do to help bats and prevent white-nose syndrome from reaching B.C., visit: http://ow.ly/51LJ50B00ZL

Join us in recognizing inspirational women in conservation! Every day, women across the globe take part in conservation projects that help protect #SpeciesAtRisk and their habitats. Today, we would like to recognize two strong and hard-working Parks Canada Species at Risk Engagement Officers: Susan MacIsaac and Aime Pelletier. For over 10 years, both women have dedicated their time to the protection and restoration of Garry Oak habitat - one of the rarest and most diverse ec...osystems in Canada - supporting approximately 100 species at risk! From outreach activities and on-site interpretive programs, to working with volunteers and collaborating with local Indigenous communities, these #SuperWomen truly do it all!

Eye-spy BDC Gin Pills for the Kidneys Pills such as these Gin Pills were advertised as a means of removing acid from the kidneys, alleviating back aches or even curing Brights Disease. The gin ingredient implies that these pills included juniper, but other ingredients could have been potassium nitrate or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). In the 1800- 1900s, juniper was believed to be beneficial for the kidneys.

Eye-spy a hussif On display on the bed, you can see outfits issued to a soldier: sweaters, shorts, puttees and other pieces of uniform. If you look closely, you may see a small khaki sewing kit nestled in between. This kit is called a housewife - or hussif - and was carried by a soldier to ensure that their uniforms always looked perfect. It contained buttons, thread and needles for repairing clothes. It may also have been personalized, or had small mementos tucked away to keep safe, rolled up tight and secured with a ribbon.

Eye-spy a bottle of Blue Ointment Although it is found in a white bottle, Blue Ointment gets its colour from the large amount of mercury it contains. While we now know that extended exposure to mercury - especially when used as an ointment - leads to poisoning, Blue Ointment was widely used in the early 20th century to treat lice and other skin irritations, including trench foot. For these reasons, Blue Ointment was thought to be an important part of the soldiers medical ki...t. The Ointment youll find in Casemates 1 was manufactured by Davis & Lawrence Co., who also produced and filed a patent for the first ever Pain-Killer!

Eye-spy a tin of Soldiers Friend Pearl Plate Paste Soldiers Friend Pearl Plate Paste was used by soldiers in both World Wars to polish brass and other metal pieces on their uniforms and equipment. Tins of Pearl Plate Paste were kept close at hand, especially at the barracks, to ensure uniforms and equipment looked spotless. One soldier in the British Army in 1914 had nearly 70 pieces of brass or metal that needed to be polished! Many tins of Pearl Plate Paste, including the red tin found in Casemates 1, were manufactured in England and shipped all over the world to British soldiers.

Eye-spy a metal shoe horn David Spencer Ltd. or Spencers was a department store founded in Victoria in 1873. The original flagship store sold many goods, including groceries, jewelry, china, homeware, hardware, clothing and shoes. After a number of successful years in business, a store opened in Nanaimo (1890), and another in Vancouver (1907). By the start of WWII, Spencers had five B.C. locations, and had moved the Victoria store to where the Bay Centre sits today.... In the early 1900s, Spencers was an important place for Victoria residents. Clothing and shoes were often bought from the downtown department store, and shoes often came with a complimentary shoe horn engraved David Spencer Ltd. Victoria, British Columbia.

#DYK the Casemates Barracks in Lower Battery @FortRoddFisgardNHS are open to explore? Follow us for the next few days as we challenge you in a game of eye-spy! Look closely at the post images, or jot down the items and visit us someday soon

Did you know that Parks Canadas #HometownHeroes program honours veterans for their sacrifices made through the Canadian war efforts? Today, were honouring #Ho...metownHero Lt Robert Hampton Hammy Gray. A B.C. native, Lt. Gray had intended to study medicine, but ended up enrolling in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve and became a sought-after pilot during the Second World War. He led an attack in Onagawa Bay and while his plane was on fire, sank a Japanese vessel. Lt Gray was the only Canadian naval recipient of the Victoria Cross medal (the highest decoration in the Commonwealth given for valor) in the Second World War. He is also the only person from a foreign military to have a war memorial on Japanese soil for his extreme act of heroism. Commander Royal Canadian Navy / Commandant de la Marine royale canadienne Royal Canadian Air Force Canada Remembers Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites

On August 15, 1945, Imperial Japan surrendered and WWII came to an end. Today, exactly 75 years later, we pay tribute to the sacrifice and service of local people whose efforts helped to bring Peace in the Pacific.

Indigenous Peoples In WWII, more than 3000 Indigenous Canadians voluntarily enlisted to serve overseas in the military. Of them, more than 200 were killed in battle or died of wounds, and 18 of them earned decorations for bravery in action. Thousands more were enlisted in the reserve forces. Though Indigenous Canadians served in all major theatres of the war, they were particularly prominent in the Pacific theatre and many ended up in horrendous POW camps in Hong Kong. Indi...genous people were also active in fundraising and Red Cross work, and many communities volunteered parts of their reserve land for airports, rifle ranges and defence posts. All of this was done in defence of a country that did not permit Indigenous people the right to vote in federal elections until 1960. To learn more: http://ow.ly/mkYE50AZXJf Pictured: Mary Greyeyes, a member of the Canadian Womens Army Corps, during the Second World War. Photo: Library and Archives Canada PA-129070.

Great news! @FortRoddFisgardNHS just got a little greener, and visiting our places in your #ZeroEmission vehicles just got easier! Thanks to Tesla, weve installed two electric vehicle charging stations with both Tesla-specific and J1772 connectors in our parking lot! These charging stations have been installed at more than 28 national parks and national historic sites across the country! Learn where to find them here: http://ow.ly/EgIh50AZWji

Pacific Command This diamond-shaped piece of felt and its colourful wagon wheel is a WWII shoulder patch from our collection, indicating that the serviceman or woman wearing it was part of Pacific Command: a formation of the Canadian Army created to administer home defences on the west coast against possible Japanese attack and train troops to go overseas. Its command headquarters was originally located in Esquimalt, but was moved to Vancouver in 1942. When the U.S. joine...d the war in December of 1941, the American Western Defence Command and Alaskan Defence Command worked together with the Canadian Pacific Command to protect the whole coast. Most of the Canadian Pacific Command troops were located in Victoria, Vancouver and Prince Rupert.

Force 136 At the outbreak of WWII, most Chinese Canadians who attempted to enlist were rejected due to prevailing racist attitudes, but by 1942 they were being recruited for a special mission. Britains Special Operations Executive (SOE) had a branch known as Force 136, which combined the skills of spy and soldier into one covert mission: to infiltrate South and Southeast Asian communities behind enemy lines. Chinese Canadians, who spoke English and Cantonese, were perfect ...candidates. Although about 150 enlisted and served their country, they did not have the right to vote in a federal election until 1947. Want to learn more? Check out this video: http://ow.ly/wlgx50ATQyK Pictured: Force 136 training at a British camp in Poona, India, in 1945. Courtesy of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum

Happy International World Indigenous Peoples Day! Today we celebrate the rich cultures of an estimated 370 million indigenous people worldwide! @FortRoddFisgardNHS we are honored to work with many local Indigenous communities. In particular, we would like to thank Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation for their continued collaboration in restoring rare Garry Oak habitats, also known as Kwetlal Food Systems. We have learned so much and are grateful for all that has been shared with us. hysxq. Thank you.

#DYK that the largest submarine of WWII was also an aircraft carrier? Japans I-400 series used a giant catapult to launch three Aichi M6A Seiran floatplanes. They measured 122m in length, carried torpedoes, and had a complement of up to 157 submariners who lived onboard without air conditioning or flush toilets. Originally, eighteen I-400s were planned, but only three were ever built. ... Read more here: http://ow.ly/fKND50ATPDI Pictured: an I-400 at sea. Courtesy of the World War Two Database

Fu-Go balloon campaign One of the most interesting things in the whole Fort Rodd Hill collection is a Japanese Fu-Go balloon (currently on display at the BC Aviation museum). It is one of 93,000 that were launched at North America during WWII. Inflated with gas like hydrogen or helium and loaded with incendiary devices and/or 15 kg bombs, they were carried by jet stream winds across the Pacific, and took about 3 days before landing on the western part of the continent. ... They largely hit the ground in forested areas and caused little material damage, apart from an incident that killed 6 people in Oregon, U.S.A. Rather, their effect was mostly psychological, reminding North Americans that a global war could affect even them. Pictured here: a diagram of a Fu-Go

Wearing a non-medical mask or a face covering is an effective way to protect others! We strongly encourage all visitors to wear a non-medical mask or face covering when visiting indoor public spaces @FortRoddFisgardNHS. http://ow.ly/b5ZS50ATKcH

Shelling of Estevan Lighthouse On June 20, 1942, enemy shells fell on Canadian soil for the first time since the War of 1812. A Japanese submarine serviced and fired upon the Estevan Point Lighthouse, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Imperial sub I-26 fired twenty-one 5.5 inch rounds, though their real target was likely the Naval radar/radio-detection-finding station located near Hesquiat. No one was injured, but it brought the reality of war home to locals and impact...ed shipping in the area. Pieces of these shells are held in the Maritime Museum of BC collection. Pictured here: Estevan Point Lighthouse

Japanese Internment Camps In early 1942, following Canadas declaration of war on Japan, the Canadian government began to detain Japanese Canadians (most of whom lived along the west coast), confiscate their property and move them inland to fenced internment camps where they had no electricity or running water. Families were often separated and put to work. A year later, confiscated businesses, homes, properties and fishing boats etc. were liquidated by the government. More ...than 21,000 Japanese Canadians were uprooted from their homes during WWII. Most of them were Canadian citizens. Canada already had a long history of anti-Japanese sentiment, including excluding them from the right to vote until 1949, and passing laws forbidding them from certain kinds of work. Pictured here: Tashme Internment Camp, BC. Courtesy of SEDAI: Japanese Canadian Legacy Project

With summer blooms in full swing, there is no better time to get familiar with beautiful #GarryOak #flowers. Explore scenic views and panoramic images of the Garry Oak Learning Meadow @FortRoddFisgardNHS from where you live by checking out our updated street view on Google Maps: http://ow.ly/fI7i50AQRYT http://ow.ly/BRK950AQRYS

Canadians in Hong Kong In late 1941, nearly 2000 Canadian troops were shipped to Hong Kong (then held as a British colony) in an effort to boost the islands small garrison of defensive troops. Only a few weeks after the members of the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers arrived in Hong Kong, and 1 day after Pearl Harbour, Japan launched a surprise attack on Hong Kong. The British and Canadian troops were overwhelmed by the massive number of Japanese troops, an...d though they fought fiercely - Sergeant-Major John Osbourne of the Winnipeg Grenadiers was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his bravery in throwing himself on a grenade - on Christmas Day the Allied forces surrendered. 290 Canadians died in battle, and those that remained were held in POW camps for the duration of the war, where they faced horrific conditions and abuse. 264 more men died while incarcerated. Pictured here: Canadian POWs awaiting liberation. Photo taken by PO Jack Hawes, via Library and Archives Canada- PA114811

War on Japan Canada declared war on Japan on December 7th, 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbour. Though Pearl Harbour is the most notorious, that same month Japan also launched offensives against a variety of targets in Southeast Asia, including the then-British colonies of Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and Borneo, and the American-held Philippines and Guam. ... Japan had invaded northern China in 1937 and was intent on increasing their sphere of influence in Asia. Canada had originally joined WWII by declaring war on Germany on September 10, 1939. Pictured here: the front page of the Victoria Daily Colonist on December 8, 1941

Peace in the Pacific On August 15, 1945, Imperial Japan surrendered, effectively bringing WWII to an end. The surrender documents were signed on September 2nd of that year. Follow us in the coming weeks to learn more about the Pacific campaign, from battlefield to homefront.... Pictured here: the front page of the Victoria Daily Colonist on August 15, 1945

Its International Friendship Day! Who do you want to visit @FortRoddFisgardNHS with?

Its World Conservation Day. What choices do you make to help conserve our natural world?

Have you visited Fort Rodd Hills Fitters Shop? Peek in and see the tools and anvils once used onsite! While you can no longer see the smith busily working away, you may be able to smell the coal fire used to heat the metal http://ow.ly/w3q150AGGeW