Terry Fox and Mile 0 in Victoria
I was born and raised in Victoria, and Mile 0 has always been a familiar landmark at the south end of Douglas Street. The Terry Fox statue beside it gives the spot much more meaning than a highway marker.
Terry planned to finish his Marathon of Hope in Victoria after running across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He never reached the west coast, so the statue at Mile 0 marks the finish line he was working toward.
Mile 0 at a glance
- Where: South end of Douglas Street beside Beacon Hill Park and Dallas Road
- Cost: Free outdoor landmark
- Good to combine with: Beacon Hill Park, the waterfront and James Bay
- Allow: About 15 minutes for the monument, longer if you add a waterfront walk
Who Was Terry Fox?
Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg in 1958 and grew up in Port Coquitlam, BC. He was active in sports as a teenager and was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at 18. After treatment, he decided to raise money for cancer research by attempting to run across Canada.
That run became the Marathon of Hope. Terry started in St. John’s, Newfoundland, on April 12, 1980, with Victoria planned as the western end of the route.
Why Mile 0 in Victoria Was the Planned Finish
Mile 0 marks the western end of the Trans-Canada Highway in Victoria. It sits beside Beacon Hill Park and the Dallas Road waterfront at the southern end of Douglas Street.
Terry began his run at the Atlantic Ocean and intended to reach the Pacific. That made Victoria a natural symbolic finish for a coast-to-coast run.
Terry had to stop his run near Thunder Bay after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres. He died the following year at age 22. By then, his run had already brought national attention and major fundraising support to cancer research.
Visiting the Terry Fox Statue at Mile 0
The Terry Fox statue is easy to include in a walk along Dallas Road or a visit to Beacon Hill Park. It stands beside the Mile 0 marker at the south end of Douglas Street, with the waterfront only a short walk away.
I’ve stopped there many times over the years, sometimes on my own and sometimes while showing someone around Victoria. I usually spend a minute reading the plaque rather than treating it as a quick photo stop.
Why Terry Fox Is Still Remembered
Terry Fox Runs are still held in schools and communities across Canada. The Terry Fox Foundation continues to support cancer research in his name, which means the Marathon of Hope is still connected to active fundraising rather than being only a historical story.
For Canadians of my generation, Terry Fox is also one of those people we learned about early in school and continued hearing about as adults. That makes the Victoria monument feel familiar even if you’ve never visited it before.
Victoria’s Connection to the Marathon of Hope
Terry was from Port Coquitlam and didn’t reach Victoria during the run, so Victoria’s connection is really about the planned finish. Mile 0 represents the point he intended to reach after crossing the country.
Victoria also has a local Terry Fox Run, and the Foundation continues its cancer-research work across Canada. I keep the official Foundation and City links below because event details can change from year to year.
Why I Included Mile 0 on a Moving-to-Victoria Site
A moving guide can’t be only about home prices, schools and weather. If you’re trying to decide if you’d like living somewhere, local history and familiar landmarks matter too.
Mile 0 is also a useful place to visit because it connects several parts of Victoria in one outing. From the monument you can walk along Dallas Road, cross into Beacon Hill Park or continue toward James Bay and the Inner Harbour.
A Personal Note
The Terry Fox statue is one of the Victoria landmarks I still stop and look at even though I’ve lived here all my life. I like that it sits in an ordinary public place rather than behind an admission gate or inside a museum.
If you’re there, read the plaque and look at where the statue stands in relation to the road and the Pacific. Knowing that this was the intended finish changes the way I see Mile 0.
Official Information
What Else Is Near Mile 0?
If you’re already at Mile 0, I’d keep walking rather than getting straight back in the car. Beacon Hill Park is beside you, Dallas Road follows the water, and James Bay is close enough to see on foot.
- Beacon Hill Park: easy paths, gardens, ponds and open lawns
- Dallas Road: ocean views and a long waterfront walking route
- James Bay: one of Victoria’s older residential neighbourhoods
- Inner Harbour: a longer walk if you want to keep going toward downtown
If you’re visiting Victoria before deciding if you want to move here, you can also continue with my pages on the beaches around Victoria and smaller local stops.
Thinking about moving here?
Use part of your visit to compare neighbourhoods and everyday routes, not just the visitor stops.