A Brief History
A. J. Morley, a former Mayor of Victoria, was credited with the idea of lighting Victoria's city streets with cluster lights. He got the idea during a visit to Seattle's 1908 Pacific Exposition. The first cluster light was installed in 1910 after much debate and opposition. Some considered the lights expensive and extravagant at the time but as time passes (thanks to Mayor Morley) Victorian's have come to love their lights. These lights have now become a symbol of Victoria. Cluster lights were not the first streetlights to appear in Victoria. The first streetlight was actually gas and it was installed on the north side of Yates St. in front of the J. D. Carroll liquor store in 1862. In October 1960, City council proposed a plan to install 400 new mercury lights at downtown intersections and side streets to supplement the cluster lights.
During the early part of the 1900's, the Street Lighting Department was operated out the Swift Street site now known as the Canoe Club Restaurant. The department was responsible for generating electricity to operate the streetlights in the City of Victoria. A report of the City Electrician (M. Hutchison) in Jan.2, 1915, indicates that the plant inventory consists of:
- Four 80 hp Multi-tubular boilers.
- One 300 hp Tandem compound engine.
- One independent jet condenser.
- One 150 kW 2 phase generator, complete.
- Four 50-light regulating transformers, complete with mercury rectifiers.
Total street light inventory at that time was 840 Arc lights
Dennis Galisky, Supervisor Street Lighting 250.361.0403
Mike Bolch, Manager Streets Division 250.361.0406
