The Oak Bay Encyclopedia ^TM
T . H . E . .. E . A . R . L . Y . .. Y . E . A . R . S

A listing of noteworthy
people, places and things from
Oak Bay's early years

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Click on any letter, above, to visit specific section of encyclopedia

	B
	B C Agricultural Association (1892 city directory) B C Agricultural & Industrial Association (1900 city directory) B C Agricultural Association (1948 city directory) Willows Park
	owners of the exhibition grounds at Willows Park
	see Agricultural Fair, Willows Fair
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	B C Craft House 2248 Oak Bay Avenue (1955–1956 phone books)
Previous location of Bryson Home Craft Subsequent location of Hudson's Leathercraft
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	B C Electric and Railroad Tennis Club
	see Oak Bay Tennis Club
	B C Electric Railway Athletic Grounds
	see Oak Bay Ball Park
	B C Ladies' College Oak Bay Avenue (1904 city directory)
Reverend Joseph McCoy, M A, principal. The college had no street address, but was located between Hampshire Road and Newport Avenue.
	B C Plumbing Co 2465 Cranmore Road (...1934... phone book)
	Sanitary Engineers. HEATING, FURNACE WORK, REPAIRS 2465 Cranmore Rd. . . . W.G.J. Haswell, prop, Office Oak Bay & St. Patrick . . .Empire-5512 — ad in 1934 phone book
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	B & K Food Market 2187 Oak Bay Avenue (1954–1956... city directory / phone books)
	One of a small chain of grocery stores developed by partners, Borthwick and Killick out of Vancouver, BC. The Oak Bay franchise was built in 1953 on the empty lot at the corner of Oak Bay Avenue and Hampshire Road.
	In 1956, as part of the celebration of Oak Bay's Golden Jubilee, a midway was established on the B&K parking lot.
	The B&K store became a Shop Easy, which was subsequently demolished to make way for Athlone Court.
Subsequent location of Shop Easy Stores
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Baldwin's Nurseries 2546 Cadboro Bay Road (1944–1946 phone books) 2545 Cadboro Bay Road (1947–1949 phone books)
	— ad in 1944 phone book Click on image to view enlargement
The 2546 address was the previous location of Victoria Floral Company The 2546 address ceased to exist in 1947 when a new service station was built on this spot, which was the entrance road to the greenhouses. Consequently, proprietor Charles Baldwin used his residence address (across the street) as the address of the greenhouses until 1949. In 1949 the business was called Uplands Greenhouses with the address, 2270 Kinross Avenue.
	see Uplands Greenhouses
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Bank of British North America, The 571 Yates Street (1909 Vancouver Island Directoriy)
	Oak Bay's first banker
	origal 1912 cheque 1912 municipality cheque drawn on The Bank of British North America Click on image to view enlargement
	Oak Bay's building boom from 1910–12 began to wane in 1913 and by mid-year unemployment was high and Oak Bay faced a financial crisis. The municipality's banker,The Bank of British North America, refused an additional overdraft which resulted in the stoppage of public work projects causing further unemployment.
	The Merchants Bank of Canada came to the rescue and, in 1915, established a branch office in Oak Bay at 2201 Oak Bay Avenue.
The Bank of British North America merged with The Bank of Montreal in 1918. In 1921The Merchants Bank of Canada merged with The Bank of Montreal, who then established an Oak Bay branch at the same 2201 Oak Bay Avenue address until 1954, when it relocated to mid-block at 2219 Oak Bay Avenue.
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Bank of Montreal 2201 Oak Bay Avenue (1924–1953 city directories / phone books) 2219 Oak Bay Avenue (1954–1970... phone books)
	After absorbing the Bank of British North America (Oak Bay's first banker) in 1918 and the Merchants Bank of Canada (Oak Bay's second banker) in 1921, the Bank of Montreal assumed the space occupied by the Merchants Bank of Canada at 2201 Oak Bay Avenue before establishing its Oak Bay branch at 2219 Oak Bay Avenue.
The 2201 Oak Bay Avenue address was the subsequent location of S.R. Tyler & Son Exclusive Men's Wear
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Barkley Terrace see Street/Place Names section
	Bartlett Avenue see Street/Place Names section
	Bayley, Charles
	first manager of the Hudson's Bay Company's Cadboro Bay Farm, later called Uplands Farm
	Bayley arrived in Victoria aboard the Tory in 1851 and was assigned 17 men to develop the Hudson's Bay Company's farm overlooking Cadboro Bay. He was involved in the only-recorded Indian attack on whites in Oak Bay, in 1854, barely escaping with his life.
	Click on HISTORICAL NOTE for a brief accounting of the attack as reported by Governor James Douglas to the HBC office in London.
	Beach Drive see Street/Place Names section
	Beauty Salons originally listed as Hairdressing Parlors
	Beaverbrooke Place see Street/Place Names section
	Bee Street see Street/Place Names section
	Bellevue Court see Marine Chalet Apartments
	Beresford Street see Street/Place Names section
	Bett's Book Shop & Lending Library 2224 Oak Bay Avenue (1947–1948 city directory / phone book)
	Royal BC Museum and Archives | I-01408 Bett's Book Shop & Lending Library Click on image to view enlargement
	"The business was sold in the late 1940s and renamed Dogwood Book Shop which, by the late 1950s, evolved into Dogwood Gift Shop. The business eventually relocated to 2180 Oak Bay Avenue at Wilmot Place, the former site of Ryland Huntley Radiolounge." — Richard Goodall, OBHS class of 1960
	see Dogwood Book Shop
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Bicycle Licenses
	Early Undated License 1952 Bike License Click on either license to view collection of Oak Bay bike plates
	In 1911 the municipality passed bylaws to regulate bicycles and dogs in Oak Bay.
	"Being a kid in Oak Bay during the early 1950s was a relatively hassle-free experience, but we did have to ante up for an annual bicycle license. These were purchased from the police station at the back of the original municipal hall at 2200 Oak Bay Avenue." — Gary Wilcox, OBHS class of 1960.
	* * *
	"Sgt Green of the OB Police gave me a ticket for riding without a light." — Phil Johnston, OBHS class of 1960
	Recollections welcomed
	Billboards
	Oak Bay's ongoing crusade against visual pollution
	Robert Loewing photo Billboards Click on image to view enlargement
	On July 6, 1922, Oak Bay council passed a bylaw prohibiting the erection of billboards in the municipality. Advertisers responded by erecting billboards at the municipal border — aimed into Oak Bay.
Click on photo above: For many years, two huge billboards at the Fort Street and Foul Bay Road intersection (Victoria side) were aimed into Oak Bay. These two billboards formed a "V" with two other billboards that faced drivers approaching Oak Bay. Note the bridge railing over Bowker Creek.
	Photos / Recollections welcomed
	Billings, J M
	fourth principal of Oak Bay High (1930–1932)
	J M Billings Biographical material welcomed
	see Oak Bay High School Principals
	Bishop, Kenneth
	filmmaker who brought Hollywood to Oak Bay in the 1930s
	see Commonwealth Films, Northern Films, Central Films, Willows Park Studio
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Bishop and Clark Dairy Willows Beach (1909 Vancouver Island Directory)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Blair Gowie 2031 Runnymede
	1916 home of Harry Ross and Jennie (Butchart) Ross
	Oak Bay Archives Blair Gowie Click on image to view enlargement
	Blair Gowie1 was designed by Samuel Maclure and built in 1916 for newlyweds Jennie Butchart 2 and Harry Ross.3
	The original property was quite extensive and featured impressive gardens around the Italian Renaissance-style home.
	Harry and Jenny had a son, Ian Ross,4 in 1918.
	Harry died in 1930 at the age of fifty-two and Jennie, in 1934, married an impoverished Russian Prince to become Princess Chikhmatoff. The Prince and Princess lived at Blair Gowie for a period, but the marriage was short-lived. The Prince soon left for the night life of New York and Paris. Jennie remained at Blair Gowie until the early 1940s.
1 Blair Gowie undoubtedly derives from Blairgowrie, Scotland, where Harry Ross' family originated. 2 Jennie Butchart (1885-1971) was the daughter of Robert and Jennie Butchart, whose home and property developed into Butchart Gardens from the property's original attraction as a limestone quarry for Robert's pioneering and extremely successful cement company, the Vancouver Portland Cement Company. 3 Harry Ross (1878-1930) was treasurer of the Butchart's cement company. It's here that he met Jennie, whom he married in 1917. 4On his twenty-first birthday, Ian Ross (1918-1997) inherited Butchart Gardens from his grandfather. He subsequently moved to the former D.M. Rogers home at 1069 Beach Drive. (Sitting on 2.86 acres of Oak Bay waterfront property, this house was on the market in 2014 for over eight million dollars.)
	see Princess Chikhmatoff
	Blake's Confectionery 2284 Cadboro Bay Road (1950–1954 city directories / phone books)
Previous location of Goring's Confectionery Subsequent location of Hindson Upholstery & Draperies
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Blakey, H A grocer 2509 Estevan Avenue (...1941 phone book)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Blay's Pharmacy 2522 Estevan Avenue (1947–1955 city directories / phone books) 2525 Estevan Avenue (1956–1970... phone books)
	PRESCRIPTION SPECIALISTS FREE DAY & NIGHT DELIVERY Phone 3-8934 DRUGS - TOILETRIES - STATIONERY "Your Neighbourhood Druggist" 2525 Estevan . . . . . . . . . . 3-8934 — ad in 1957 phone book
	"In 1950-1951 I worked for Bruce Blay. At age 10, I delivered prescriptions all over the community on a bicycle. I suspect that it would not be safe to allow a ten year old to cruise around on a bike with valuable drugs nowadays. But life then was much simpler. I was never robbed or rolled. I was well paid earning a fabulous 17.5 cents per hour. Later, I delivered groceries for McLure's Food Market next door for BIG MONEY -- 35 cents per hour Bruce Blay was a very nice man. The store was quite small and much of his inventory was stored in a garage behind the store. His wife was an optometrist, Pauline Gill Blay, who ran her practice out of their home on Dunlevy Street." — Terry Murphy, OBHS class of 1958
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Blueberry Hill (Anderson Hill) see Street/Place Names section
	Bob's Cycle Shop 2067 Cadboro Bay Road (1967–1968 phone books)
Previous location of Cliff's Cycles
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Boland's Bakery 1163 Newport Avenue (1968–1970... phone books)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Bongate 1159 Beach Drive
	seven-acre waterfront property of William E Oliver, Oak Bay's first reeve (1906)
	Oak Bay Archives Bongate 1912 Click on image to view enlargement
	Bongate was the name of the 7-acre waterfront property owned by William E. Oliver, Oak Bay's first reeve (1906).
	His home once stood where Hampshire House stands today.1 Bongate later became the home of the Merston family 2 until it was demolished for the Hampshire House Apartments in the 1960s.
	Oliver and his Chinese gardener built the sea water pool that became part of the original Oak Bay Beach Hotel's garden.
1 Also now standing on Oliver's former property are Harrogate Apartments and Oak Bay Beach Hotel. .. 2 Builder/original owner.of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in 1927
	see William Oliver, Hampshire House
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Borrowman's Corner Grocery 1199 Newport Avenue (1920–1923 city directories)
	Gloria (Borrowman) Crawford Borrowman's.Grocery Winnipeg store
	Borrowman's Grocery was first established in Winnipeg before the Borrowman family moved to Oak Bay and established Borrowman's Corner Grocery on Newport Avenue in 1920.
	" This was my grandfather's store. My father worked there [Oak Bay store] when he was 15 for a few years." — Gloria (Borrowman) Crawford, granddaughter of owner
	see Borrowman's Grocery Store
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Borrowman's Grocery Store 1175 Newport Avenue (1924–1939 city directories)
	see Borrowman's Corner Grocery
Subsequent location of Tapley's Grocery.
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Boundary B/A Service 2035 Cadboro Bay Road (...1959... phone book)
	B-A PRODUCTS & BATTERIES Corner Cadboro Bay Rd. & Fowl Bay E. J. Bent 2035 Cadboro Bay . . . . . . . . . . EV 3-0441 — ad in 1959 phone book BOUNDARY B/A SERVICE E. S. BENT 2035 Cadboro Bay Rd. . . . . . . . . . .EV.3-0441 — ad in 1959 OBHS Oak Leaves yearbook
	This service station was not in Oak Bay, but in Victoria — just across the Foul Bay Road border. It's included here because it's interesting for several reasons:
	. note Cadboro Bay Road address, although in Victoria . note "odd" address on "even" side of street . note spelling of "Foul Bay" in phone book ad . proprietor E.J. Bent previously operated Cranmore Service, in Oak Bay
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Bourke Hardware & Paint Co 2003 Oak Bay Avenue (1928–1930 city directories / phone book)
Subsequent location of Lowe Bros fruits and vegetables.
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Bowker, John Sylvester
	Oak Bay pioneer / son-in-law of John Tod
	John Bowker was an American sheep rancher who lived and worked on San Juan Island during the 1850s and 1860s. He befriended John Tod, Oak Bay's first landowner, and married his daughter Mary in 1864. After their marriage, John and Mary lived on San Juan Island for many years. Bowker eventually aquired 40 acres of waterfront property on John Tod's land and developed Oak Bay Farm between Bowker Creek and Bowker Avenue. His house is still standing at 1931 Bowker Place
Bowker Avenue was originally called Oak Bay Road as it was the access road to Bowker's Oak Bay Farm.
	Bowker Avenue see Street/Place Names section
	Bowker Beach see Street/Place Names section
	Bowker Beauty Salon 2279 Bowker Avenue (1941–1970... phone books)
	— ad in 1957 phone book Click on image to view enlargement
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Bowker Creek see Street/Place Names section
	Bowker Place see Street/Place Names section
	Brighton Avenue see Street/Place Names section
	Brodie's Bakery (store #2) 2296 Cadboro Bay Road (1950–1952 phone books)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Broom Road see Street/Place Names section
	Bryson Home Craft 2248 Oak Bay Avenue (1949–1954 city directories / phone books)
	children's wear / handicrafts
Previous location of Henry Oliver, women's clothing Subsequent location of B C Craft House
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Bryson's Children's Wear 2041 Cadboro Bay Road (1955–1970... phone books)
	BRYSON'S Children's wear & crafts infants to 14 yrs. "YOU'LL DO BETTER AT BRYSON'S" Phone 3-0833 . . . . . 2041 Cadboro Bay Rd. — ad in 1956 OBJHS OBEJAY yearbook
	Bryson's CHILDREN'S WEAR and NOTIONS EV. 3-0833 . . . . . 2041 Cadboro Bay Rd. Isabel Hunt — Proprietor — ad in 1959 OBHS Oak Leaves yearbook
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Burdick, Newton Townley
	reeve of Oak Bay (1918) / realtor
	N T Burdick
	Burdick served as reeve of Oak Bay for just over three months in 1918 and is remembered by Burdick Avenue. He was a partner in the real estate firm of Green & Burdick Bros Real Estate.
	Biographical material welcomed
	Burdick Avenue see Street/Place Names section
	Busby, Joe barber
	see Joe Busby
	Button 'n Bows 2867 Foul Bay Road (1967–1970... phone books)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Byng Street see Street/Place Names section
	Byron Street see Street/Place Names section

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