The Oak Bay EncyclopediaTM
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
Willows Park (...1930–1947 phone books)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

B.C. Craft House
2248 Oak Bay Avenue (...1956... phone book)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

B.C. Electric and Railroad Tennis Club
see Oak Bay Tennis Club

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
Oak Bay Avenue
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. The B&K store became a Shop Easy, which was subsequently demolished to make way for Athlone Court.
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Baldwin's Nurseries
2546 Cadboro Bay Road (...1944–1946 phone books)
2545 Cadboro Bay Road (1947–1950 phone books)
Shrubs, Bedding Plants, Bulbs, Cut Flowers, Etc.
Nursery between Willows Stables & Uplands Garage
Beacon-3314
— ad in 1947 phone book
Subsequent location of Uplands Greenhouses.
Despite two addresses noted above, this is the same location with an address change, although even/odd addresses present a puzzlement. It would appear that the municipality flipped the odd/even street number alignments on some Cadboro Bay Road addresses in 1947 and adjusted the numbers. Also affected in 1947 was Arena Service Station.
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Ballam, Chas plumbing
2296 Cadboro Bay Road (...1942... phone book)
"We lived on Fort Street — now known as Cadboro Bay Road — where the Casanave building is located, presently the office of Pacific Coast Credit Union. The building we lived in was a combination storefront and dwelling.
— Phil Ballam
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Bank of Montreal
2315 Oak Bay Avenue (1924 Clarke's Handy Guide)
2201 Oak Bay Avenue (...1930–1953 phone books)
2219 Oak Bay Avenue (1954–1970... phone books)
After absorbing Merchants Bank of Canada (Oak Bay's first bank) in 1921, the Bank of Montreal assumed the space occupied by Merchants Bank at 2315 Oak Bay Avenue and subsequently relocated to 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.
The HISTORICAL NOTE, below, gives 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
Hilda Hairdressing Parlors (1930 phone book)
Maison Dudley Hairdressing (1930 phone book)
Mrs Dollie Darling, hairdresser (1934 phone book)
Melita Hairdressing Parlors (1934 phone book)
Charm Beauty Salon (1947, 1957 phone books)
Oak Bay Beauty Salon (1947, 1957 phone books)
Bowker Beauty Salon (1957 phone book)
Dean Heights Beauty Salon (1957 phone book)
Del'c Hairdressing (1957 phone book)
Jeanne's Harper Method Beauty Salon (1957 phone book)
Joan's Beauty Salon (1957 phone book)
Tyrrell's of Oak Bay (1957 phone book)

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 phone book)

Click on image to see 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
In 1911 the municipality passed bylaws to regulate bicyclists and dogs in Oak Bay. Any bicycle license stories out there?

"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

Click on image to see 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. Note the bridge railing over Bowker Creek.
Photos / Recollections welcomed

Billings, J. M.
Fourth principal of Oak Bay High (1930–1932)
Biographical material welcomed

Blake's Confectionery
2284 Cadboro Bay Road (1950–1954... phone books)
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 (...1947–1954... phone books)
2525 Estevan Avenue (...1956–1959... 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
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Blueberry Hill (Anderson Hill)
see Street/Place Names section

Borrowman's Grocery Store
1175 Newport Avenue (...1930–1934... phone books)
Subsequent location of Morgan's Grocery. (...1947–1957... phone books)
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 (...1930... phone book)
Subsequent location of Lowe Bros Fruits and Vegetables. (...1934... phone book)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Bowker, John Sylvester
Oak Bay pioneer
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 Beauty Salon
2279 Bowker Avenue (...1941–1970... phone books)

Click on image to see display ad in 1957 phone book
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 (...1950–1954... phone books)
Children's Wear / Handicrafts
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Bryson's Children's Wear
2041 Cadboro Bay Road (...1956–1959... phone books)
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) and realtor
Burdick served as Oak Bay reeve 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

Byng Street
see Street/Place Names section

Byron Street
see Street/Place Names section



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The Oak Bay Encyclopedia™
Contents copyright © 2004-2012 Gary Wilcox Studios Incorporated.
Selected material may be used for research and non-commercial projects with proper credit given.
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