Did you know that every time you drive by the Castle building, you’re driving past a piece of Sooke’s history? Part of the Castle building was the Riding Academy for the Belvedere. It is always interesting to learn about the buildings in Sooke since you never know the history behind them.
Starting in 1912, ground broke on the (then) Sooke Harbour Hotel by a Seattle syndicate who owned a large parcel of land in the area. The hotel wasn’t finished until just before World War I. By 1919, Major George Nicholson took over managing and things started to pick up. By 1923, the Robillard Family bought the Sooke Harbour Hotel and renamed it as “The Belvedere”. The hotel gained a reputation for sportsmen in the region. Sadly in 1934, a fire put an end to the Belvedere. When the hotel burnt, Andre Robillard took some of the original 10, 000 pieces to his house. Some of the pieces made it into the museum’s collection and is on display today!
Contributing to the Belvedere’s legacy today are the stories which surround it. There are tales of rumrunning activity in the nearby waters during the Prohibition Era in the 1920’s. As well, some famous faces frequented the Belvedere including renowned artist Emily Carr and HRH Edward, Prince of Wales.
In the museum collection, we carry an original chair (1977.101.002), several dishes (1977.020.001a-k) and various other items. Additionally held in our storage are four wicker chairs (1977.006.001a-d) and some iron railings (2011.015.001) which are originally from the Belvedere. Then, in the museum’s art collection we have a painting (2001.010.003) by Paul Robillard, one of the brothers who managed the hotel.
Currently, we are working on revamping the Belvedere display, the chair and some of the dishes are in the display! We hope with the new display that the memories surrounding the Belvedere will continue into the future. The legacy of the Belvedere continues to this day, and it is nice to know that the remains of the Belvedere are kept in the community and serve a purpose.
