Victoria_Park_Re port Final.pdf - City of Charlottetown

Final Report • June 2013
VICTORIA PARK COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
In 1745, the British raided Louisbourg, resulting in the British seizure of the fort and their
attack on Ile-Saint-Jean. Many settlers relocated to Quebec due to rumors of expulsion,
but in 1748, the Island was once again under French control through the Treaty of Aixla-Chappelle.
In 1751, Colonel Franquet, Officer of Engineers, visited Ile-Saint-Jean and
left a description of principle settlements. He describes Port la Joye as surrounded
by forest, with houses located along the sides of the valley. In 1755, the fall of Fort
Beausejour and the Acadian deportation prompted the arrival of approximately 2,000
Acadians to the Island. In July 1758, Louisbourg capitulated and the French and Acadians
living on Ile-Saint-Jean were also deported. A map dated to 1760 depicts Port-la-Joye,
identifying the location of the fort with settled land along the shores of the harbour and
rivers. However this postdates the deportation in 1758. It is unclear whether the map
was begun prior to the deportation or is a depiction of what Port-la-Joye would have
looked like before 1758. The map does not depict any settlement in the specific area of
Charlottetown and Victoria Park, although settlement is depicted all around the area.
Charlottetown was officially designated the Island’s capital in 1768, at which point, the
garrison was moved from Fort Amherst to Fort Edward which at this time was located
on Great George Street. In 1769, the Island was separated from Nova Scotia and given
its own government, including a Governor. The first Governor, Walter Patterson was
appointed in 1769. A map tentatively dated to 1771 shows the layout of the city as
designed by surveyor Thomas Wright for Governor Patterson, with a standard grid of
town plots surrounded by common lands. The study area is clearly included in the land
set aside for common land and the watercourse described by Captain Holland in 1764
can also been seen. Governor Patterson’s tenure on the Island was short-lived, due
to scandal over the seizure and sale of lands, which lead to his eventual removal from
office. His successor, Colonel Edmond Fanning was installed as the new Governor in
1786. Colonel Fanning was responsible for the appropriation of approximately 100 acres
of the commons for use as an estate and residence for the Lt. Governor. He also allowed
the rest of the commons to be divided into private plots.
The land which he set aside for use by the Governor became known as Fanning Bank or
Fanning’s Bank and also as the Government Farm. The actual residence was designed
by Isaac Smith and was not constructed and inhabited until 1834. In addition to the
residence itself, a coach house, stables, farmer’s cottage and military guard house were
also construction on the property. Although an 1835 estimate for the coach house and
stables originally suggested brick material, the Lieutenant Governor lobbied for wooden
material, citing the lesser expense and already wooden composition of the Government
House. Fencing was also erected around the garden area of the property.
After the deportation, Port-la-Joye was named Fort Amherst and a British fortification
was constructed. Ile-Saint-Jean was renamed St. John Island and it officially became a
colony of Britain in 1763. In 1764, Captain Holland conducted a survey of the island and
recommended that the capital, Charlottetown, be built in Port-la-Joye Harbour, on a point
of land between the York River and Hillsborough River. A “fine rivulet” was described
as running through the town and this was probably referring to the body of water that
would later become the Government Pond. His map of the island depicts the future site
of Charlottetown, showing no structures or buildings in the area of the park.
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