1966::The Three Towers of Victoria, British Columbia

Three towers for Victoria that were never built.

"1946::X Marks the Spot - A View From Fisherman's Wharf Towards Songhees and Laurel Point"

Photo Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1946)

Victoria, British Columbia

In 1946, a pioneer family of Vancouver Island fishermen purchased a waterfront lot adjacent to Laurel Point in Victoria's Inner Harbour (marked 'X' in the photo above). They constructed a two-storey warehouse on this lot and launched their business of selling and shipping high-quality fish. One year later, a fire ravaged their neighbourhood and changed their business landscape, causing their business to shut down for good. They never returned.

"1966::The Site of the First Proposed Skydeck Tower on Belleville Street in Victoria's Inner Harbour"

Screenshot: Google Earth - Maxar Technologies (2012)

Twenty years later, in 1966, with Canada's 100th birthday fast approaching, Victoria's city council sought to breathe life back into their world-famous Inner Harbour. The city and its magnificent harbour had fallen silent over the years as newer and bigger ferries began shipping tourists to newer and bigger ports. But now it was time to bring the tourists back. As the provincial capital, Victoria was expected to lead British Columbia in Canada's country-wide centennial celebration.

"1966::An All-Aluminum Skydeck Tower For Victoria's Inner Harbour"

Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1966)

Victoria, British Columbia

In early March, a company called Skydeck approached Victoria's city council with a wild idea. Their spokesman proposed building the world's first all-aluminum observation tower on Victoria's Inner Harbour. It would stand 300 feet high from its proposed location on Belleville Street, soaring to more than twice the height of the city's world-famous parliament buildings. A pond featuring seals and other marine life would greet tourists as they entered the tower's base, and at its core, an enclosed elevator would transport them upward to two circular decks at the top of the structure. The lower deck would house souvenir shops and a small cafe for sipping hot tea or coffee while enjoying the view. The upper deck would feature an open-air observation deck, offering a 360-degree view of the city and the surrounding islands, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Mountains with Mount Baker and Mount Rainier beyond. It was a promising and unique attraction that could bring tourists back to the city's doorstep and breathe new life into the Inner Harbour.

"1966::A Proposed Skydeck Tower On the Grounds of Craigdarroch Castle"

Photo: BC Archives (I-67641)

Skydeck proponents made a compelling case for the tower, highlighting its potential to boost local tourism and comparing it to the success of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the new Space Needle in Seattle. However, while the city continued to ponder the idea, a local citizen offered an alternative suggestion of his own. He believed that the success of any observation tower would depend on its location, and as a neighbour of Craigdarroch Castle, he could think of no better spot for a tower than right beside the castle. Victorians called his idea hair-brained, outrageous, tasteless, and nuts! Nonetheless, his idea was given some thought when the School Board, a long-term tenant of the castle, announced they would be vacating the premises by the end of the year, leaving the historic structure empty and abandoned. Ultimately, however, the idea of building a tower on the Craigdarroch Castle property was rejected by an overwhelming majority and was heard of no more.

"1966::A New Kind of Tower and a New Proposal for Victoria's Inner Harbour"

Photo Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1966)

Victoria, British Columbia

The city council struggled to develop a solid revitalization plan, and it began to consider Skydeck's tower idea seriously. Council members all agreed on two things: that the tower should not be made of aluminum, and it should not be erected on Belleville Street's prime waterfront property. Hearing their concerns, Skydeck went about making changes to its proposal. In the meantime, a new proposal came forward from local businessman Charlie White. White had recently opened his wildly successful Undersea Gardens in Oak Bay and wanted to expand his horizons. He suggested that the city employ more passenger ferries and construct a new unloading dock closer to Laurel Point. He then targeted the dilapidated buildings lining Belleville Street's waterfront, suggesting they be replaced with adequate parking for the new ferries. The entire Inner Harbour could then be transformed with some Olde England charm. On the existing pier that extended into the centre of the harbour, White would build a 90-room Tudor-style hotel featuring a high-class restaurant, gift shops, and rooms with views of the Johnson Street bridge. He would erect a 100-foot clock tower next to the old Canadian Pacific Railway terminal on Belleville Street and call it Parliament Tower. There, tourists could enjoy a cocktail in its small lounge while taking in the view through the clear glass face of the clock itself. White's proposal was a 2.5 million dollar project that instantly received an informal blessing from Victoria's mayor and council.

"1966::Skydeck's Second Proposal and White's Tower Proposal On Victoria's Harbour"

Screenshot: Google Earth - Maxar Technologies (2012)

With White's idea on the table, Skydeck returned with a new plan and design for a 325-foot steel and glass tower that they believed would vastly improve the look of the waterfront. However, its critics still felt that a space needle of any design would spoil the charm of the Inner Harbour and make it look like a fairground.

"1966::Skydeck's Second Proposed Tower On Montreal Street"

Photo Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1966)

Victoria, British Columbia

Even though observation towers were a big city trend thanks to the success of the Eiffel Tower in France, the Stuttgart Tower in Germany, and the brand-new Space Needle in Seattle, the concept didn't seem to fit Victoria's style. Even so, the city council liked Skydeck's new tower design and was once again giving it serious consideration. But Skydeck surprised everyone when they suddenly and unexpectedly withdrew their proposal, sensing their latest plan would be rejected.

"1966::Three Proposed Lots for Three Different Plans"

Photo Clip: Victoria Daily Times (1959) Victoria, British Columbia

To satisfy the concerns of the city's council members, Skydeck had searched for an alternative lot to the Belleville Street location and found the perfect spot on Montreal Street, next to Laurel Point. It was the site of the old fish factory, abandoned by the fish dealers in 1948 and now occupied by the successful Net Loft Seafood Restaurant. Without saying a word to anyone, Skydeck and the restaurant's owners collaborated to devise a new plan. Skydeck would build its new tower right where the restaurant stood, and the restaurant would move into the tower to become part of the attraction.

"1966::Victoria's New Skydeck Tower on Montreal Street"

Photo Clip: Vancouver Sun (1966)

Vancouver, British Columbia

With a new location and Victoria's best seafood restaurant in-house to attract visitors, Skydeck now had something to work with. They stretched the tower's height to 350 feet, and although they didn't need the council's approval thanks to the property's light industrial zoning at the time, they sought their blessing anyway. On June 24, 1966, Victoria's city council applauded Skydeck's new plan and approved its 5.5 million dollar project. Their persistence had finally paid off. Skydeck went to work without further delay, hoping to have their new tower ready by the following spring. With a plan in motion, Victoria was set to have a new space needle and a revitalized harbour. However, nobody could have predicted the tragedies that would soon unfold and forever alter the course of Victoria's new towers.

"1966::Tragedy and the Disappearing Towers"

Photo Clip: The Austin American (1966) Austin, Texas

Just weeks after Skydeck had won the council's blessing to proceed, Victoria's exciting new tower projects came to a complete halt. Headlines were flooding with news about a young man at the University of Texas who had laid down a deadly hail of rifle bullets from the campus tower. The disturbed young man had strategically perched himself on the tower's Observation Deck and began firing at innocent people on the ground below. His 96-minute killing spree finally ended when brave law enforcement officers climbed the tower and took him out in a gunfight. When it was all over, 15 lay dead, and 31 were injured. The bodies of the gunman's wife and mother were found later that day, increasing the number of victims to 17 and making it the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in U.S. history. When news of the tragedy reached Victoria, no words were said, and the buzz of the tower projects suddenly went quiet. Work on White's tower in the Inner Harbour and Skydeck's tower next to Laurel Point ceased to continue, and an official explanation was never offered... at least not in the news. Months after the tragedy of the Texas Tower massacre, Skydeck's spokesman died while fishing on the Cowichan River, and Victoria's Mayor passed away in his home. He had been mayor for less than a year. News of their deaths rocked the city for months, overshadowing the fate of Victoria's towers. By the end of the year, the city's tower projects had disappeared and were eventually forgotten.