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Colwood
Colwood is located 14 km (9 miles) west of Victoria
using the Trans-Canada Hwy 1 and Sooke Road/Hwy 1A.
West
Shore
Colwood is situated in the Western Communities or West Shore, a
commercial, business and recreation association that, besides Colwood,
includes the Highlands, Langford,
Metchosin and View
Royal. These five communities, which are the part of the Capital
Regional District (CRD), share various services, facilities and
organizations including the RCMP, Chamber of Commerce and the Juan
de Fuca Recreation Centre.
Hatley
Castle
One heritage building that you have to visit in Colwood is Hatley
Castle, once home to coal baron and former BC premier, James Dunsmuir,
the son of Robert Dunsmuir who built and lived in Craigdarroch Castle
in Victoria. Hatley Castle, completed
in 1908, also at one time served as Royal Roads Military College
but, since 1995, has been transformed into Royal Roads University.
Hatley Castle has a small museum with a number of interesting artifacts
and some beautiful gardens for you to view.
Esquimalt
Lagoon
Situated on the west end of Hatley Castle is a fantastic beach and
wildlife preserve called the Esquimalt Lagoon. At the Esquimalt
Lagoon there is a thin spit of sand that separates the ocean beach
from a salt-water lagoon, all with a stunning view of the Royal
Roads University in the background. The beach along the spit is
an excellent place for you to relax and enjoy the peaceful sounds
of the waves crashing onto the shoreline.
Fort
Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse
Other areas nearby to the Esquimalt Lagoon include Fort Rodd Hill
and the historic Fisgard Lighthouse. Fort Rodd Hill, a National
Historic Site, built in 1890's by the British, served as an artillery
fortification protecting the Esquimalt Naval Base. The Fisgard Lighthouse,
also a National Historic Site which was built in 1860 by the British
Navy, has faithfully served maritime traffic starting as Canada's
first lighthouse on the West Coast of British Columbia.
Business
Section
Colwood's main commercial and business section called Colwood Corners
is located near the intersection of Sooke Road (Hwy 1A) and Goldstream
Avenue. Here you can find a number of stores including a Thrifty
Foods grocery store, a London Drugs, White Spot, fast food restaurants
and a Serious Coffee. A local favourite, the Cross Roads Bar &
Grill, is located right near this intersection.
Juan
de Fuca Recreation Centre
Colwood is home to the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre - a large
facility that serves the West Shore communities. Some of the recreational
facilities found here include an eight-lane, 25-metre (83-feet)
long indoor swimming pool, tennis, weight room, skating, hockey,
curling, seniors' centre and a 9-hole, par three golf course, a
jogging trail and BMX Track.
Bear
Mountain Arena
Also situated adjacent to the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre is
Bear Mountain Arena - a modern facility with a seating capacity
for 2,300 people. The Bear Mountain Arena is the home to the Victoria
Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and the Victoria
Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) and also serves
as a venue for trade shows and performing artists in the CRD region.
Bear
Mountain Arena Curling Classic
One event well worth visiting at Bear Mountain Arena is the very
exciting Bear Mountain Arena Curling Classic. This annual tournament
happens during the end of March and presents a world classic curling
performance that includes some of Canada's best performing in perhaps
the highest-ranking Canadian Curling Association tour series.
Galloping
Goose
For cycling trails in Colwood, try doing the Galloping Goose Regional
Trail which takes you either east through Colwood,
Langford, View
Royal through Saanich to downtown
Victoria or going west through Colwood to Langford
then through Metchosin, eventually to
the Sooke
Potholes.
Veterans
Memorial Parkway/Hwy 14
For major shopping and big box stores, Colwood is also next door
to Langford and, by using Veterans Memorial
Parkway/Hwy 14 or Goldstream Avenue, you can access a fantastic
array of stores. When travelling you will first come to Westshore
Town Centre, then pass a Superstore, a large Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart,
restaurants, coffee shops then you will pass services on Goldstream
Avenue.
Millstream
Road
If you continue on Veterans Memorial Parkway/Hwy 14 over Hwy 1,
the name changes to Millstream Road. Once on Millstream you will
come to Millstream Village and the turnoff to Costco, Home Depot,
Future Shop, Tim Hortons and a Starbucks.
From here Millstream Road can take you to the turnoff to Bear Mountain,
the Highlands and Mount Work and Lone
Tree Hill Regional Parks.
Colwood
Entertainment
Other entertainment in Colwood includes the Country Rose Pub on
Ledsham Road. Then nearby in Langford there are the pubs near Goldstream
Avenue plus, in View Royal, the casino, the Six Mile Pub and the
Four Mile House, all situated on the Island Hwy 1A.
RV
Camping
For RV Camping close to Colwood there is Fort Victoria situated
just off the Island Hwy 1A right before Helmcken Road in View
Royal. Also All Fun Recreation situated on Millstream Road in
Langford has a large selection of RV
serviced sites.
Information
on Colwood
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click map for larger image
Colwood
Map - Google
Hatley Castle
Beach at Esquimalt
Lagoon
Fisgard Lighthouse
Royal Roads
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