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

	D
	Dalhousie Street see Street/Place Names section
	Dann & Parkinson confectioners 2665 Saratoga Avenue (1914 city directory)
This short-lived business appears to be the only occupancy of this space prior to the expansion of Newport Grocery, next door. After 1922 Saratoga Avenue was called Windsor Road.
	Darling, Mrs Dollie hairdresser
	see Oak Bay Beauty Salon
	Davenport Pharmacy 2012 Oak Bay Avenue (1946–1962... phone books) 2020 Oak Bay Avenue (...1964–1970... phone books)
	Oak Bay Archives Oak Bay Archives ...   2012 Oak Bay Avenue .2020 Oak Bay Avenue Click on image to view enlargement
	Successor to Charles Hudson Prescriptions Accurately Dispensed Prompt Delivery Service 2012 Oak Bay Avenue . . . . . . Empire-9731 — 1947 Yellow Pages ad
	In the larger premises at 2020 Oak Bay Avenue, Davenport Pharmacy also offered camera and projector rentals.
	Davenport Pharmacy Ltd .....Camera and Projector Rentals .....2020 Oak Bay Avenue . . . . . . 383-9731 — 1966 Yellow Pages ad
2012 Oak Bay Avenue was the former location of Chas Hudson, druggist 2020 Oak Bay Avenue was originally the 1898 home of the Townsend family sitting on a double lot extending through to Chaucer Street with a barn for a horse, cow and chickens. According to Betty Gordon Funke in her book, Tweed Curtain Pioneers, pioneer Annie Townsend died in 1958 and the old house was sold to next-door druggist Harold Davenport for "$5,000 less commission." After initially refurbishing the old house, Davenport built a new drugstore at the 2020 address. In 1982, 2020 Oak Bay Avenue became the address of Chef on the Run.
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Davies, W H jeweler 2225 Oak Bay Avenue (1953–1956 phone books)
Former location of Sunbeam Gifts Subsequent location of Oak Bay Jeweler
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Davis Hardware 2509 Estevan Avenue (1962–1970... phone books)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Davison, Mrs dry goods 1191 Newport Avenue (1914–1915... city directories)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Deal Street see Street/Place Names section
	Dean Heights Barber Shop 2857 Foul Bay Road (1955 city directory)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Dean Heights Beauty Salon 2877 Foul Bay Road (1952–1970... phone books)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Dean Heights Confectionery 2881 Foul Bay Road (1950 phone book)
	Dean Heights Confectionery opened in 1950 but lasted only one year. In 1951 this was the address of Rose Bowl Coffee Bar.
Mrs Mary Derraugh was the proprietor of Dean Heights Confectionery (called Dean Heights Coffee Shop in the Victoria directory). Her husband was a driver for Northwestern Creamery.
	see Rose Bowl Coffee Bar
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Dean Heights Food Market 2887 Foul Bay Road (1951 phone books) 2897 Foul Bay Road (1952–1957... phone books)
	Dean Heights Food Market began in 1951 when proprietor Frederick Ranson assumed the space of Dean Heights Meat Market at 2887 Foul Bay Road and advertised "groceries and meats."
	A year later, in 1952, Dean Heights Food Market was purchased by the Haylett family and relocated next door to 2897 Foul Bay Road.
	In 1954, the Hayletts sold Dean Heights Food Market to Ed Lewis and family, and the store expanded into the 2887 space.
	In 1956, Dean Heights Food Market expanded further into the 2881 space when the Rose Bowl Coffee Bar relocated to the building next door.
	In 1958/59, Dean Heights Food Market was renamed Lewis' Low Cost Food Market.
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Dean Heights Groceteria 2897 Foul Bay Road (1950 phone book)
	Dean Heights Groceteria opened in 1950 but lasted only one year.
Proprietor Hazel Hitchin and husband lived on the premises in 1950 through 1951. In 1952 they moved to the new apartment block next door. Mr Hitchin was a woodworker.
	see Dean Heights Food Market
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Dean Heights Meat Market 2887 Foul Bay Road (1950 phone book)
	Dean Heights Meat Market opened in 1950 but lasted only one year. In 1951, this space became Dean Heights Food Market.
Proprietor Lewis Kamann lived on the premises in 1950, but these living quarters yielded to expanded store space for Dean Heights Food Market in 1951.
	see Dean Heights Food Market
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Dean Heights Pharmacy 2851 Foul Bay Road (1955 city directory)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Death Goes North
	1936 movie produced by studio in Oak Bay featuring Rin Tin Tin Jr
	... Production Still Lobby Card Click on image to view enlargement
	This film is available in dvd format.
	see Willows Park Studio
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Del'c Hairdressing 2261 Oak Bay Avenue (1957–1970... phone books)
	.Del'c Hairdressing. . . . . .2261 Oak Bay Avenue. . . . . Victoria, B.C. ,— text from ad in 1958 OBJHS OBEJAY yearbook.
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Del's Handy Store 947 Monterey Avenue (1962 phone book)
Former location of McCurrah's Grocery Subsequent location of Jackson's Grocery & Confectionery
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Denison Road see Street/Place Names section
	Devon Road see Street/Place Names section
	Dewdney, Edgar 1835–1916
	fifth Lieutenant-Governor of B.C. / early Oak Bay resident
	Edgar Dewdney
	Twenty-three-year-old Edgar Dewdney arrived in B.C. in 1859 seeking work as a Civil engineer. In 1860 he won the contract to build "a good mule road from Hope to Similkameen" to enable the Douglas government to control the new gold mines. Although the Royal Engineers (Sappers) oversaw the construction of the route, it became known as the Dewdney Trail.
	Dewdney later served as both a member of the Legislative Council and as a Member of Parliament. In 1881 he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the North West Territory, serving through the Riel Rebellion. He was federal Minister of the Interior, 1888-92, and became the fifth Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, 1892-1897.
	Dewdney became one of Oak Bay's earliest settlers when he purchased his home at 2840 Cadboro Bay Road in 1912. This historic building was demolished in 1938.
	Edgar Dewdney is remembered by Dewdney, B.C., the Dewdney Trail, Mount Dewdney, Dewdney Peak, Dewdney Creek and, in Oak Bay, Dewdney Avenue, renamed from Alexander Avenue in 1921.
	Dewdney Avenue see Street/Place Names section
	Dinsmore's Grocery 2509 Estevan Avenue (1942–1950 phone books)
	"As a small child I remember shopping there with my mother and using food ration coupons -- it was wartime. I remember that the store, which was on the corner of Estevan and Musgrave, had a high ceiling and always had curly strips of FLYPAPER hanging down." — Terry Murphy, OBHS class of 1958
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Discovery Island see Street/Place Names section
	Dog Tags
	1935 Dog Tag
	In 1911 the municipality passed bylaws to control dogs and bicycles in Oak Bay.
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Dogwood Book Shop (1950–1957... phone books) Dogwood Gift & China Shop (...1959–1961 phone books) Dogwood Gift Shoppe (1962–1970... phone books) 2224 Oak Bay Avenue
	LENDING LIBRARY GIFTS AND GREETING CARDS BOOKS & STATIONERY 2224 Oak Bay . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4552 — ad in 1957 phone book
	"This was the site of Bett's Book Shop until the late 1940s. By the late 1950s, Dogwood Book Shop evolved into the Dogwood Gift Shoppe. It eventually relocated to 2180 Oak Bay Avenue at Wilmot Place, the former site of Ryland Huntley Radiolounge." — Richard Goodall, OBHS class of 1960
Former location of Bett's Book Shop and Lander's Book Shop
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Donehy, P J grocer & confectioner 947 Monterey Avenue (1936–1939 city directories)
Former location of Monterey Store Subsequent location of Donehy's Grocery
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Donehy's Grocery 947 Monterey Avenue (1940–1947 city directories / phone books)
Former location of P J Donehy, grocer & confectioner Subsequent location of Hansford's Grocery
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Domus Studio Interiors 2252 Oak Bay Avenue (1960 phone book)
	DOMUS STUDIO INTERIORS .Complete Home Furnishings .2252 Oak Bay Avenue . . . . . . . . . . Phone EV 2-5241 — text from ad in 1960 OBHS Oak Leaves yearbook
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Don Adams Interiors 2259 Oak Bay Avenue (1957–1959 phone books)
	CONTEMPORARY DANISH FURNITURE FABRICS – LIGHTING 2259 Oak Bay . . . . . . . . . . . EV 2-3200 — ad in 1959 phone book
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Don's Sharpening & Repair Service 2067 Cadboro Bay Road (1969 phone book)
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Douglas Treaties
	Oak Bay is purchased from the First Nations inhabitants
	Douglas Treaty
	The Douglas Treaties consisted of fourteen land treaties negotiated by James Douglas (HBC chief factor and governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island) between 1850–1854 to extinguish aboriginal land claims near Hudson's Bay Company forts on Vancouver Island. These included treaties with the Che-ko-nein and Chilcowitch, which ceded Oak Bay to the HBC for the price of a few blankets.
	Dorset Road see Street/Place Names section
	Dover Road see Street/Place Names section
	Downes, Gordon
	second principal of Oak Bay High School (1923–1929)
	G Downes Biographical material welcomed
	see Oak Bay High School Principals
	Mrs Drake's Bakery 2249 Oak Bay Avenue (1930–1936 phone books)
	This was one of seven Mrs Drake's Bakery franchises operating throughout Greater Victoria during the 1930s.
Subsequent location of Oak Bay Bakery
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Drake, S J
	reeve of Oak Bay (1920–22)
	S J Drake
	see Drake Hardware
	Biographical material welcomed
	Drake Hardware 2213 Oak Bay Avenue (1920–1921 city directories)
	Drake Hardware was a short-lived Oak Bay branch of a Victoria company owned by S J Drake, initiated while he was reeve of Oak Bay.
Previous and subsequent location of Oak Bay Hardware
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Drill Team
	see Oak Bay Girls' Drill Team
	Driving Park, Victoria
	Horse racing began in Oak Bay during the 1880s when the BC Jockey Club purchased a parcel of land on the former Tod property for a race course. The track — the Victoria Driving Park — was soon called The Willows or Willows Park after facilities expanded in 1891 to accommodate the annual Willows Fair.
Urban development forced both horse racing and the annual fair from Beacon Hill Park during the 1880s. Horse racing was the first to relocate, probably in the mid-1880s. Oak Bay landowner John Tod died in 1882, leaving most of his property to his daughter Mary and son-in-law John Bowker. Bowker sold the property and is said to have helped prepare the land for a race course.
	see Willows Park, Willows Fair
	Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed
	Dryfe Street see Street/Place Names section
	Dufferin Avenue see Street/Place Names section
	Dundrum Road see Street/Place Names section
	Dunlevy Street see Street/Place Names section
	Dunn, Johnny shoe repairs 2240 Oak Bay Avenue (1935–1944 city directories / phone books)
	see Johnny Dunn shoe repairs

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