Hmmm...Victoria itself is 'historical' in that it was the main British outpost and Hudson's Bay trading center in the 1800's, when this are was being eyed by the Brits as a future colony. Ft Victoria was the centre of the British sphere of influence from the Yukon down to the Columbia River (hence the name British Columbia), until the international boundary was decided at 49 degrees. It was also the chief staging point for the Cariboo gold rush.
The observatory where I worked was the largest in the world back in 1918, and the original 72" telescope is still in operation today. There is a pretty cool museum up there with many of the original instruments on display.