We owe much to Waddington
Among those who will leave us tomorrow for the new dominion and England is Alfred Waddington, a gentleman who, since his first arrival in the colony, has been associated with every scheme and enterprise having for its object the advancement of the country and the welfare of its inhabitants.
Landing in Victoria early in 1858, Waddington at a time when others doubted, gave a solid proof of his faith in the permanence of the place by investing his means in the importation of a cargo of general merchandise, and by the erection of the first frame building, which may still be seen standing on what is now the northwest corner of Yates Street and Waddington Alley.
From that day to the present, Waddington’s career has been one of untiring industry, enterprise and zeal in all that would contribute to the material progress of the country. Never faltering in his belief that the colony is destined to become one of the most important appendages of the British Crown — through evil and good report — when many who owed to the colony everything they possessed hastened to realize upon their investments and abandon our shores, Waddington remained firm throughout and assisted with example and precept to guide us through the late severe commercial crisis.
During the past nine years, the name of Alfred Waddington has been associated with every great and good project that has originated here. The fire department still counts him, notwithstanding his age and infirmities, among its most useful and active members; the gas company owes its successful establishment mainly to his exertions; the Royal Hospital — where hundreds of the needy sons of every nation have found a home and kind treatment — has numbered him among its directors from its opening. The extension of Victoria harbour and the erection of the new bridges were due entirely to Waddington’s exertions.
A warm advocate of the Free School system, he became the first superintendent of education under the Island government. As a member of the legislative assembly from one of the most important constituencies, Waddington will be remembered as an eloquent and consistent leader of the Opposition — generally successfully combating such of the government schemes with which he honestly differed; and many wholesome laws that since union have been adapted to the requirements of the united colony were promoted and carried through his exertions.
His latest and noblest conception was a project for the construction of a transcontinental wagon road through British territory. Years ago — before even the boldest of Canadian statesmen had fairly entertained the scheme of confederating the North American colonies under one strong central government — the projector of the Bute Inlet Wagon Road was employed, at his own expense, in equipping and dispatching bodies of explorers who were charged with the duty of examining and reporting upon the practicability of constructing a road through the coast range of mountains to Cariboo.
After a considerable outlay of time and money, the idea became a reality.
The exertions of one of the exploring parties were attended with success. A feasible pass to the open country was discovered lying at the head of Bute Inlet, and the inlet was ascertained to be the best natural harbour on the mainland between San Francisco and the North Pole.
Since that period, Waddington has not been idle. After combating the arguments of a government systematically opposed to the fulfilment of this great enterprise — as it is to that of every project having for its aim the advancement of the country — Waddington has at last secured a new charter and important grants of land; and the object of his visit to the East is to form a joint stock company, with capital sufficient to complete the first link in the Overland Wagon Road to the great gold fields of Cariboo, with the ultimate object of extending it to the base of the Rocky Mountains, where it will meet the working parties from the East.
The route via Bute Inlet is the only feasible one for overland communication through British North America. The idea is a great and grand one. It may be that the good man who is about to leave us to prosecute his philanthropic design is destined not to live to see it consummated — it may be that he will not be spared to return to the scene of his sacrifices and his triumphs; but if the good wishes of his fellow colonists will effect anything, he will not only live to see the great Overland Wagon Road — the proudest monument that can be erected to his memory — an accomplished fact, but will live to cross the continent in the first mail coach. The Daily British Colonist and Victoria Chronicle,
Oct. 18, 1867