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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T


Tait, Alexander George
1858–1936
pre-incorporation Oak Bay dairyman / signatory on 1906 petition to incorporate Oak Bay as a municipality
photo courtesy Carol Cannon, great, great niece of Alexander Tait
Alexander Tait
Alexander Tait owned and operated a dairy farm in Oak Bay before the municipality was incorporated in 1906. He was one of the signatories on the petition for incorporation, a founder of the Presbyterian Church and one of the elders who built Oak Bay United Church.
His property extended from Milton Street to Bowker Creek — immediately south of the junior high school. Tait's dairy farm operations continued into the early 1930s. A portion of his property was purchased by the school board to extend the junior high school playgrounds.
Alexander's older brother, James, also operated a dairy farm in Oak Bay. see following entry
Click BIOGRAPHY to learn more about the Tait brothers
"I remember crossing the bridge over Bowker Creek to play softball on former Tait property during phys ed classes at Oak Bay Junior in the mid 1950s."
.Gary Wilcox, OBHS class of 1960

Tait, James
1850–1901
pre-incorporation Oak Bay dairyman
photo courtesy Carol Cannon, great, great niece of James Tait
James Tait
James Tait owned and operated a dairy farm in Oak Bay before the municipality was incorporated in 1906.
His home at 2435 Musgrave Street, built in 1893/94, is still standing.
James' younger brother, Alexander, also operated a dairy farm in Oak Bay. see preceding entry
Click BIOGRAPHY to learn more about the Tait brothers

Tapley's Grocery
1175 Newport Avenue
(19401943.city directories)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Taplin TV & Radio Service
2280 Cadboro Bay Road
(1956–1957... phone books)
2067 Cadboro Bay Road (1970... phone book)
1956 ad
Click on image to view enlargement
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Taxi Cabs
Newport Taxi (1930 phone book)
Oak Bay Taxi (1930 phone book)
Charlesworth Taxi
(1930 phone book)
Community Cab Company (1947 phone book)
Ferriday's Taxi
(1947 phone book)
Willows Taxi
(1947 phone book)
Uplands Taxi
(1957 phone book)
Jubilee Cabs
(1957 phone book)

Taylor, Richard Ratcliffe
1884–1942
reeve of Oak Bay (1936–1940)
R R Taylor
Richard Ratcliffe Taylor served the municipality of Oak Bay in many capacities before being elected reeve in 1936.
In 1918-1920 he was Police Commissioner. From 1927 he served on the Zoning Appeal Board. Later he served as an Oak Bay municipal councillor (1933-1936) and as reeve (1936-1940). In the latter capacity he represented Oak Bay at the coronation of King George VI in 1937. In 1939, he and his wife were part of the parade carrying the King and Queen through Oak Bay.
His tenure as reeve saw the establishment of Oak Bay's fire department and the construction of the fire hall on Monterey Avenue, the purchase of the municipality's first Elgin garbage collector and compactor, and the addition to the municipal hall for police accommodation. Reeve Taylor also facilitated, with benefactor Ada Beaven, the creation of the Oak Bay Rose Garden at Windsor Park and the development of the Native Plant Park at Margate Avenue and Beach Drive.
In recognition of his work in establishing Oak Bay's fire department, Reeve Taylor was given an Honourary Fire Chief's badge, presented by the Fire Chief.
When he died in 1942 he was remembered as a man of high character and ideals. At Oak Bay Municipal Hall, he was held in high esteem by both council and staff.
Click on BIOGRAPHY to learn more about the life of Richard Ratcliffe Taylor

Tempest, Mrs M M gift shop
1171 Newport Avenue (...1948–1951... phone books)
(NEWPORT NOVELTY NOOK)
Gifts
. - . Novelties . - . Imported China
LUNCHES AND TEAS
1171 Newport . . . . . . . . . . . . . G arden 7909
ad in 1949 phone book
see Newport Novelty Nook
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Tempest, Paul V furniture
1179 Newport Avenue (1942 phone book)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Terry's Charm Beauty Salon
687 St Patrick Street (19511952 phone books)
see Charm Beauty Salon
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Tiarks, John Gerhard
1867–1901
architect / Victoria alderman (1896) / Oak Bay land developer
John Tiarks
Profile under development

Tilikum
dugout canoe that sailed around the world from Oak Bay in 1901
Royal BC Museum and Archives | A-06929
The Tilikum
Click on image to view enlargement
see John Voss
Profile under development

Tod, John
1794–1882
Hudson's Bay Company factor / member of Victoria's first legislative assembly / Oak Bay's first landowner and resident
RBCM & A | A-01618
John Tod
Click on image to view enlargement
Profile under development

Totem Pharmacy
2577 Cadboro Bay Road
(19551966 phone books)
Opening Day Newspaper Ad
Click on image to view enlargement
Totem Pharmacy was one of five stores that comprised the Willows Shopping Center on opening day, October 21, 1955.
see Willows Shopping Centre

Totem Super Service
2580 Windsor Road
(1931–1932... city directories)
1240 Newport Avenue
(from about 1934 until at least 1944)
1220 Newport Avenue
(some time after 1944)
Built in 1931, this is the only remaining service station in Oak Bay and is now designated a heritage site. It was named after the totem pole that once stood on the property
In 1976 it became Autohaus Victoria, Ltd — an automotive restoration facility that, after 1986, specialized in the repair of Mercedes-Benz, Rolls Royce, and other high-end European cars.
In 1995 Tom O'Keeffe purchased the company, which became known as O'Keeffe's, and expanded its services to all types of automobiles.

Totem Super Service was originally accessed off Windsor Road before the Windsor House apartment block was built in 1932. As the new Windsor House building blocked access to Totem Super Service, a "drive-through" was incorporated into the apartment block allowing Totem Super Service to retain its 2580 Windsor Road address for another two years, afterwhich it was assigned 1240 Newport Avenue.
In 1944 Newport Pharmacy expanded to include both the 1210 and 1220 Newport Avenue addresses, At some point, Totem Super Service was given the 1220 address.
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Trial Islands
see Street/Place Names section

Tugboat Princess
1936 movie produced by film studio in Oak Bay
...
Production Still
Lobby Card
Click on image to view enlargement
see Willows Park Studio
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Tune & Trend
an unlikely Oak Bay legacy from the "Summer of Love"
see Off Beat

Tupper, Sir Charles Hibbert
18551927
son of Canadian Prime Minister Charles Tupper / federal minister (1888–1896) / Solicitor General of Canada (1896) / pioneer Oak Bay landowner and resident (1898) / signatory on 1906 petition to incorporate Oak Bay as a municipality
RBCM & A | G-05858
Sir Charles H Tupper
Click on image to view enlargement
Charles Hibbert Tupper was born into a political Nova Scotian family in 1855.1
He entered politics and became a Conservative MP in 1882.
In 1888, he was appointed Minister of Marine and Fisheries by Prime Minister Sir John A Macdonald, a position he held under different administrations until 1894.
In 1893, he was co-counsel with The Honourable Frederick Peters2 in the Bering Sea Arbitration between Canada and the United States. The outcome was favourable for Canada, for which England awarded Tupper a knighthood.3
1n 1896, he served as Solicitor General of Canada in his father's short-lived Conservative government that fell to Wilfred Laurier and his Liberals that same year.
In 1897, after pondering his options in a Liberal environment, he headed out west to establish a law firm in Victoria with Frederick Peters.4
In 1897, both men met with architects/developers Francis Rattenbury and John Tiarks to discuss purchasing land and building two homes.
They purchased property adjoining the Tiarks/Rattenbury development in Oak Bay upon which Tiarks built matching homes for both men — Annandale5 for Tupper and Garrison House for Peters, which were completed in 1898.

1 His father, Charles Tupper, served as premier of Nova Scotia, was a Father of Confederation, and served briefly as prime minister of Canada.
2 Then-current premier of Prince Edward Island
3 Tupper's co-counsel in the arbitration, The Honourable Frederick Peters, was a Liberal, so didn't receive a knighthood.
4 Both Tupper and Peters spent time in Victoria with the Bering Sea Arbitration.They undoubtedly saw opportunities for men of their qualifications in a young, developing city.
5 Annandale is of Gaelic derivation meaning "a river valley (dale) on the River Annan" in Scotland.
see Annandale, The Honourable Frederick Peters

Tyler, S R & Son
see S R Tyler & Son Exclusive Men's Wear
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Tyrrell's of Oak Bay beauty parlor
2571 Cadboro Bay Road
(1956–1970... phone books)
Oak Bay branch of Victoria operation
Opening Day Newspaper Ad
Click on image to view enlargement
Tyrrell's was one of five stores that comprised the Willows Shopping Center on opening day, October 21, 1955.
see Willows Shopping Centre

Tyson, Ian CM1
1933 — 2022
half of folksinging duo, Ian and Sylvia / songwriter of "Four Strong Winds" / recipient of the Order of Canada
album cover
Ian Tyson
& Sylvia Fricker
Country singer/songwriter legend, Ian Tyson, spent his first twenty years in Oak Bay. As a youth, Ian was totally captivated by the cowboy lifestyle. In the 1930s, he read stories of his cowboy hero, Will James and, in the 1940s, rode his father's horses through the Uplands and galloped along the beach at Cadboro Bay. In his late teens and early twenties, in the 1950s, he participated in rodeo events until he fractured an ankle while bronco busting in 1957. While convalescing in the hospital he learned guitar and then pursued musical interests, forming successful folk duo, Ian and Sylvia, and writing "Four Strong Winds" — voted "greatest Canadian song of all time" by a CBC Radio One listeners' poll in 2005.

1 Order of Canada
Click on BIOGRAPHY to learn more about the life of Ian Tyson


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