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


J

Jack Burgess Men's Wear
2201 Oak Bay Avenue (...1959... phone book)
QUALITY CLOTHES FOR MEN & BOYS
CUSTOM TAILORING & ALTERATIONS.
2201 Oak Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EV 4-7924
— ad in 1959 phone book
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

James, Percy Leonard
1878–1970
Renowned Oak Bay architect
Living and working in the same community as fellow architects Samuel Maclure and Francis Rattenbury, Percy Leonard James doesn't often get the full recognition he deserves. Working alone or in partnerships, James designed some of the city's most noteworthy buildings, many in Oak Bay.
P. Leonard James was born into an artistic family on December 7, 1878, in London, England. He studied architecture, articled in 1893, and worked for several firms in London.
Ambitious and desiring more opportunity, he emigrated to Canada in 1906 and within two years had settled in Oak Bay. In 1910 he was joined by his architect brother, Douglas, and together they formed the firm James and James.
James and James built Oak Bay's first high school (1912), Oak Bay's first Municipal Hall (1912), Oak Bay Grocery (1912) and St. Mary's Church (1912). The James brothers also built some of the most beautiful homes in the city before the partnership was dissolved in 1914 when both brothers enlisted to serve in World War I.
Upon returning from the War, P.L. James entered into a working relationship with Francis Rattenbury that would last four years. They teamed on several projects, most notably the Crystal Garden and the CPR Steamship Terminal building. But working with Rattenbury wasn't worth the headaches, so he terminated this relationship. In 1928 James teamed with Hubert Savage to work on high-end homes in Oak Bay and throughout the city. This partnership lasted until 1933, when James closed his office to travel in Europe for a year.
He returned home and re-opened his office in 1934. In 1938 he designed the Oak Bay Firehall.
While abroad he was influenced by the new International Style of architecture — "function dictates form" — an influence he expressed in later commissions such as the Federal Building and Post Office* (1948) and, most notably, Oak Bay Junior High School (1951).
James died on January 2, 1970 at the age of 92. His biography — The Life and Times of Victoria Architect, P. Leonard James — was published in 2005 by his daughter, Rosemary James Cross.
* In 1996 the refurbished Federal Building was officially named "P.L. James Place."

Jeanne's Harper Method Beauty Salon
2541 Estevan Avenue (...1956–1959... phone books)
One of several Harper Method franchises throughout the city

Click on image to see display ad in 1957 phone book
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Jimmy Chicken (Jimmy Chickens)
? – January 27,1901
Songhees native and local character
RBCM(F-03795)
During the 1890s many Songhees lived on Chatham Island and, for the most part, avoided contact with Oak Bay residents except, perhaps, to dig for clams on local beaches.
But there was one notable exception — Jimmy Chicken. Jimmy lived in a little shack on Mary Tod Island with his wife Jenny.
According to Bea Hamilton, who lived in Oak Bay during the 1890s, Jimmy Chicken got his name, well, by stealing chickens. In her recollections, written in 1965, she stated:
My sisters would see him scuttling into his canoe and paddling away in a hurry and they knew that someone in the neighbourhood was minus a bird or two that day.
Jimmy and Jenny also harvested the sea, and did business with John Virtue of the Mount Baker Hotel. The proceeds of their enterprise went, sadly, to alcohol. T.W. Paterson in Capital Characters says
This amazing eccentric and his wife Jenny lived in their little shack during the rare intervals between enforced stays "inside the precincts of the durance vile on Comorant Street or the brick mansion on Topaz Avenue" (the city and provincial jails).
Commenting on Jimmy's court appearances, one official speculated that
it has taken more than three gallons of ink and four boxes of steel pins for the city's clerk to register the entries in which the classic name Jimmy Chickens appears, while the liquour that Jimmy and his wife punished so far in their life time would fill the Esquimalt [dry] dock three times, floating two such boats as the Westmore, or keeping 18 dudes, of ordinary capacity, drunk for a decade!
Despite their antics, Jimmy and his Jenny were loved by all.
After Jenny died, Jimmy seemed to find solace within the four walls of a jail cell. He was a model prisoner, and was often released for short periods to run errands afterwhich he would faithfully return to his cell.
When Jimmy died in 1901 there was a massive Indian funeral. Early residents recall over one hundred canoes on Oak Bay Beach as Songhees attended ceremonial dances to the beating of drums. Then his body was put aboard a large canoe which led the procession to Chatham Island where, with further ceremonies, he was laid to rest beside his beloved Jenny.
Mary Tod Island is remembered by many as Jimmy Chicken Island.
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Jimmy Chicken Island (Mary Tod Island)
see Street/Place Names section

Joan's Beauty Salon
2530 Estevan Avenue (1949 phone book)
2519 Estevan Avenue (1950–1954... phone books)*
2527 Estevan Avenue (...1956–1959... phone books)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Johnston's Pharmacy
2067 Cadboro Bay Road (1953–1954... phone books)
2043 Cadboro Bay Road (...1956–1957... phone books)
PRESCRIPTION SERVICE
FREE DELIVERY 9 A.M. – 9 P.M.
2067 Cadboro Bay Rd . . . . . . . . . 2-7831
— ad in 1954 phone book
PRESCRIPTION - DRUGS - FREE DELIVERY
Next to Oak Bay Junior High School
2043 Cadboro Bay . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7831
or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9687
— ad in 1957 phone book
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

"Jolimont"
1936 Hampshire Road
Built: 1892
Original owner: William Herbert Bainbridge
OAK BAY HERITAGE BUILDING
Winner of 1986 Hallmark Society Heritage Award

Jones' Corner Shop confectionery
2000 Oak Bay Avenue (...1930–1934... phone books)
Popular confectionery during the 1930s
Subsequent location of Henderson's Corner Store and Frost's Corner Store
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Jones TV
2248 Oak Bay Avenue (...1959... phone book)
Guaranteed Repairs To All Makes Of
TV – RADIO – APPLIANCES
EV 5-8222
SERVING OAK BAY & DISTRICT
25 Years Canadian & English Experience
2248 Oak Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EV 5-8222
— ad in 1959 phone book
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Juan de Fuca
Profile under development

Juan de Fuca, Strait of
see Street/Place Names section

Jubilee Cabs
2019 Oak Bay Avenue (...1957... phone book)
Also listed at this address were Oak Bay Taxi, Uplands Taxi and Ferriday's Taxi
see W.E. Ferriday
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Jubilee Florist
2067 Cadboro Bay Avenue (1950–1952 phone books)

1952 AD COMING
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Junction Road
see Street/Place Names section



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