- Built
- 1856
- Recognized
- 1994
- By
- Province of British Columbia
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Fanny Shipwreck provincial heritage site consists of the remains of the Fanny, a wooden sailing ship built in Quebec in 1856. The vessel foundered off the east side of Discovery Island, immediately east of Victoria, British Columbia, on March 19, 1868. The Fanny is broken into three distinct sections: the bow lies in 12 meters of water at the entrance to the channel between Chatham and Discovery Islands, while the stern and midship sections are found within the bay to the west.
British Columbia's Heritage Conservation Act automatically protects all heritage wrecks, including the remains of all wrecked vessels and aircraft once two or more years have passed since the date of loss. It is illegal to damage, alter or remove a heritage object from a heritage wreck except under a permit issued by the Archaeology Branch.
Heritage value
The Fanny is one of the most fascinating and archaeologically significant shipwrecks in British Columbia. Unknown to local divers until 1988, this shipwreck comprises one of the province's most important underwater collections of nineteenth-century marine artifacts. It is significant as a heritage site because many of the ship's artifacts remain on site and include: brass fasteners, rigging material, the best bower anchor, and the windlass, as well as one of only three cannons ever found on shipwrecks on Canada's west coast.
Additional artifacts, such as yellow metal, iron deck knees, drift bolts and buried hull material are important because they are the only remains which reflect the Eastern Canadian shipbuilding techniques used in Quebec in 1856.
It is notable that although the ship's cargo of coal and its major artifacts were salvaged soon after its loss at Discovery Island near Victoria in 1868, much of the material used in the hull construction remains on site.
Character‑defining elements
The character-defining elements of the Fanny Shipwreck include:
- The shipwreck's location as a relatively undisturbed, underwater heritage site lying in close proximity to the city of Victoria
- The remains of the vessel and associated marine artifacts, such as fasteners, rigging material, bower anchor and windlass
- The small cannon found on site
- The remaining evidence of the vessel's Eastern Canadian construction, especially the White Oak used in her hull, and the iron knees and yellow metal
End of the register’s text
Location
None, Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada
48.43155° N, 123.23241° W
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Nearby
All 76 places in Oak Bay
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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.