In the centre of the front facade of the Parliament Buildings is the Ceremonial Entrance, used by the Lieutenant Governor, visiting heads of state, and Indigenous Chiefs when entering the Buildings on ceremonial or special occasions. Two statues flank each side of the entrance. To the left of the entrance is a statue of Sir James Douglas, and to the right is a statue of Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie.
Sir James Douglas was the Chief Factor of Fort Victoria for the Hudson's Bay Company and later the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Douglas founded Fort Victoria in 1843 and served as the second Governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island, and the first Governor of the mainland Colony of British Columbia. His legacy today is mixed, with many criticizing the vague language of the Douglas Treaties that he signed with 14 First Nations on Vancouver Island. There is another statue of Douglas located on the exterior of the Legislative Library, and in the front lawns of the Buildings, an obelisk was built and dedicated to him following his death in 1877.
Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie was appointed by James Douglas in 1858 as the first judge of the mainland Colony of British Columbia. Like Douglas, an additional statue of Judge Begbie is located along the exterior of the Legislative Library.
Located on the rooftops at either end of the front facade are statues of women that represent art and science. While they are the only statues depicting women on the front facade, other figures of women line the rooftops near the Legislative Library, where they represent the subjects of music, sculpture, painting, and architecture.
