Old Victoria Customs House National Historic Site

The Old Victoria Customs House stands out with its heavy, rusticated sandstone blocks and the prominent, gilded coat of arms mounted above the main entrance. When the building opened in eighteen seventy-five, it served as the bustling gateway for gold seekers and shipping merchants entering British Columbia. Inside, officials collected duties on everything from mining equipment to fine silks. One clerk once recorded three thousand separate entries in a single week, working by oil lamp long after the harbor went dark.