Vicaille. Ch Vessel of David Kirke, 178.
Victoria (1819-1901). Granddaughter of George III, and only child of George III's fourth son, Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, by Mary Louisa Victoria, daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Cobourg-Saalfield; born at Kensington Palace, May 24, 1819. Succeeded to the throne on the death of her uncle, William IV, 1837. Married to Prince Albert of Saxe-Cobourg 1840. Index: Sy Accession of, 48. Md Selects Ottawa (Bytown) as seat of government, 85; jubilee address to, 283. Bib.: Works: Leaves from a Journal of our Life in the Highlands; Letters of Queen Victoria; Royal Correspondence. For biog., see Fawcett, Life of Queen Victoria; Gurney, Childhood of Queen Victoria; Holmes, Queen Victoria Lee, Queen Victoria: a Biography; Oliphant, Queen Victoria: a Personal Sketch.
Victoria. Capital of British Columbia, and formerly capital of the colony of Vancouver Island. Founded in 1843 as Fort Camosun, afterwards Fort Victoria, the latter name in honour of the queen. The city was incorporated in 1862, and the old fort finally demolished, 1864. Index: D Founded by James Douglas in 1843, 146; built on site of Indian village, known as Camosun, 175; McNeill's exploration, 1837, 176; Sir George Simpson's approval of the site, 176; Douglas examines locality, 1842, and reports favourably, 176; establishment of fort at Camosun approved, 176; advantages of the site, 177; Douglas sails, March 1, 1843, from Fort Vancouver with an expedition to establish the post, 177; lands at Clover Point, 177; site selected and building operations begun, 178; fort and stockade completed, 179; Charles Ross in command with Roderick Finlayson as assistant, 180; natives attack the fort, 182; early shipping, 183; name of port changed to Fort Victoria, 183; visit of frigate America, 183; American whalers touch at, for supplies, 184; H.M.S. Constance arrives at Esquimalt, 184; visit of frigate Fisguard, 184; surveying ships Herald and Pandora, 184; trade gravitating from Fort Vancouver to Victoria, 184; farming operations, 185; dairying, 185; supplying Russian ports, 186; momentous events of 1849, final removal of chief emporium of company from Fort Vancouver to Victoria, 188; Helmcken, afterwards Douglas's son-in-law, arrives, 189; effect of gold discoveries, 189-190; coal mining, 190-191; the Hudson's Bay Company and colonization, 192-195; early settlers of, 196-197; town laid out in streets, 1852, 198; population in 1853, 198; during the gold fever, 224-225; gold-miners boom the town, 225; population rises and falls with the fortunes of the gold-fields, 271; proposed waterworks, building of wagon roads, education, first newspaper, British Colonist, 1858, 271. Bib.: Walbran, British Columbia Coast Names; Begg, History of British Columbia.
Victoria Bridge. At Montreal, over the St. Lawrence. Built by Robert Stephenson, for the Grand Trunk Railway, 1854-1859, at a total cost of $6,300,000. Opened by the Prince of Wales (afterwards King Edward VII), May 25, 1860. It was enlarged and remodelled in 1897. Index: E Built by Grand Trunk Railway, 115. Md Opened in 1860 by Prince of Wales, 87. Bib.: Ency. Brit.
Victoria University. In affiliation with the University of Toronto. Formerly located at Cobourg, but later moved to Toronto. Founded in 1830; opened 1836. Index: BL Refuses to come into the provincial university, under terms of Baldwin's bill, 295. R Founded, 86; Ryerson president of, 126-127, 143; eminent graduates, 143-144; its curriculum, 144; legislative grant, 148. E Proposal to make it part of a provincial university, 94. Bib.: Burwash, Historical Sketch of Victoria University in Canada: An Ency., vol. 4.
Vidal, Alexander (1819-1906). Born at Brocknell, Berkshire, England. Educated at Christ's Hospital, London, and in 1834 came to Canada with his parents. Served in the militia during the Rebellion of 1837; and afterwards lieutenant-colonel of the Lambton Reserve militia; member of the Legislative Council for the St. Clair division, 1863-1867; in 1873 appointed to the Senate. President of the Dominion Alliance for the Suppression of the Liquor Traffic. Index: B His resolution in favour of prohibition, 249. Bib.: Morgan, Can. Men.
Viel, Father Nicolas. Ch Récollet, 139; arrives and proceeds to Huron country, 149; drowned, 209. L Missionary labours of, 3.
Vieux-Pont, Father. Ch Jesuit, landed at Grand Cibou, 200; wrecked at Canseau Island, 200; in charge of Cape Breton, 237.
Viger, Denis Benjamin (1774-1861). Born in Montreal. Educated for the legal profession. Practised in Montreal for some years; and in 1808 elected to the Legislative Assembly. Took an active part in the discussion of the grievances of the French Canadians, and in 1828 and 1831 sent as a delegate to London to represent their views to the Imperial authorities. In 1837, when the Rebellion broke out, arrested and charged with sedition, but soon afterwards released. In 1843, on the resignation of the La Fontaine-Baldwin government, premier for a short period. Appointed to the Legislative Council, 1848. Index: BL Member for Richelieu, relations with Reform party in Upper Canada, 79; opposes municipal government, 102; attacks government, 130; deserts La Fontaine-Baldwin party, 215; in provisional government, 216, 235; his pamphlet, 236; president of the Council, 247; defeated by Wolfred Nelson, 252; Draper to throw him over, 259, 260, 261. C In Draper government, 17; opposed in election by Cartier, 17; defeated in St. Hyacinthe, 18. P Delegate to England to present grievances of French Canadians, 63; at meeting of Constitutional Committee, 1834, 88; ridiculed by the Mercury, 123; at St. Charles meeting, 1837, 125. Md Represents Lower Canada in Metcalfe's government, 19. Bib.: Bibaud, Pan. Can.; Dent, Last Forty Years; Christie, History of Lower Canada.
Viger, Louis Michel. E Called to Cabinet by Metcalfe, 35, 66; receiver-general in La Fontaine-Baldwin ministry, 53; a leader of the Parti Rouge, 108. BL Receiver-general in second La Fontaine-Baldwin ministry, 284. Bib.: Dent, Last Forty Years.