Up and Down the Gorge

Above is the view you see if you stand on the bridge pictured yesterday and look up the Gorge westward. On the left bank is Gorge Park. Below is the view from beneath the bridge looking down the Gorge eastward towards the Selkirk Waters.

Tillicum Bridge

The Gorge is bridged in a number of places but its narrowest width is crossed by the Tillicum Bridge pictured above and below. The Gorge here is very narrow. The direction of water flow changes with the tide and it is sometimes called "reversing falls" and has a very strong current here. Protected in a fenced off area to the right beneath the bridge is large midden - the refuse of many centuries of shellfish harvesting here by First Nations People.

Selkirk Trestle 3 - Looking Northwest

Here is the view from the middle of the Selkirk Trestle looking up The Gorge north and west. On the left the green lawns and trees are part of Banfield Park where the Vic West Community Centre is located. Just beyond where The Gorge curves out of sight on the right is the Tillicum Bridge where The Gorge narrows in width to only a few meters and gives rise to a waterfall that reverses direction depending on the tidal flow. Below is the same view taken from a little closer to the southern shore of the Gorge.

Gorge Waterway

One of the main roadways in Esquimalt is Tillicum Road, which includes Tillicum Bridge. It crosses the Gorge Waterway and I have often wanted to stop and take pictures but am usually in too much of a rush. However, tonight I made a special trip to do this and while my timing was somewhat off due to the setting sun, I think it shows off Esquimalt-Gorge Park (Formerly Gorge-Kinsmen Park) quite nicely. For a view of the bridge this was taken from, click here. - Fern

Tillicum Bridge

Last month I posted some photos of the Bay Street Bridge, noting that it was the second bridge to cross The Gorge when moving away from the harbor. The next bridge is the Selkirk Trestle, used exclusively by cyclists and pedestrians. The next bridge for automotive traffic is the Tillicum Bridge which crosses the Gorge at a very narrow place called Reversing Falls because of the vigorous tidal currents that change directions there according to the ebb and rise of the tides. In this photo the water is still at nearly high tide. Beneath the bridge on the right is an ancient shell midden.