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


U

Undersea Garden (Oak Bay)
1964–1969
1327 Beach Drive
In 1962, when the municipality decided to replace the old boathouse with a modern marina complex, word went out to developers for their ideas. Several proposals were submitted and the contract (and an unprecedented 30-year lease) was given to Bob Wright for his Oak Bay Marina/Restaurant concept.
The municipality also received an interesting proposal from local entrepreneur, Charlie White, for his unique underwater aquarium facility called Undersea Garden. White was given a tentative six-month lease at the new marina complex.
When the Oak Bay Marina officially opened in 1964, the Undersea Garden proved to be a great success and became a popular attraction at the marina for the next five years, afterwhich it relocated to Victoria's inner harbour in 1969.
The relocation of the Undersea Garden to the inner harbour left a huge void at the Oak Bay Marina that Bob Wright quickly filled with his Sealand (subsequently Sealand of the Pacific) aquarium attraction, which opened in 1969. Wright and White, once colleagues, now became competitors.*
* Ultimately Sealand of the Pacific closed in 1992 and Bob Wright purchased Charlie White's Undersea Garden franchise, renaming it Pacific Undersea Gardens.
see Oak Bay Boathouse, Oak Bay Marina, Sealand (of the Pacific)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

United Service Golf Club
Former name of Uplands Golf Club before 1922.
The United Service Golf Club originated at McCauley Point in 1887. It was built as a recreational nine-hole facility for servicemen stationed in Esquimalt. The name relects this patronage. After relocating to Oak Bay in 1912 it was also called the Municipal Golf Club before incorporating as the Uplands Golf Club in 1922.
see Uplands Golf Club

Uplands, (The)

"The Uplands residential development was originally started by a French development company. The streets and sidewalks were built by a young paving contractor from Spokane, Washington. He later became famous as a great American industrialist — Henry J. Kaiser.
During World War II the Canadian military conducted training manoeuvres in the area of Uplands Park and Cattle Point."
— Terry Murphy
Profile under development

Uplands Farm
The Hudson's Bay Company farm in Oak Bay
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Uplands Garage & Motor Co (1930, 1934, 1950–1959 phone books)
Uplands Service Station & Garage (...1941–1949... phone books)
2590 Cadboro Bay Road
COMPLETE AUTO REPAIRS
SHELL PRODUCTS - GOODYEAR TIRES
Cadboro Rd at Estevan
2590 Cadboro Bay . . . . . . . . . 3-4742
— 1957 Yellow Pages ad
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Uplands Golf Club
3300 Cadboro Bay Road
Originating at McCauley Point in Esquimalt in 1887 as the nine-hole course of the United Services Club, the organization relocated to Oak Bay in 1912 as the Municipal Golf Club before incorporating as the Uplands Golf Club in 1922.
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Uplands Grocery
2491 Cadboro Bay Road (...1941 – present day)
OPEN EVENINGS - FREE LOCAL DELIVERY
Corner of Cadboro Bay and Todd
A GOOD STORE IN A GOOD TOWN
2491 Cadboro Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-0903
— 1957 Yellow Pages ad
The spelling of Tod is incorrect in the ad.
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Uplands Greenhouses
2275 Estevan Avenue (office) (1954–1956 phone books)
 2270 Kinross Avenue (1957–1967 phone books)
Flowers & Bedding Plants
Entrance at 2270 Kinross Ave.
Near Cadboro Bay Rd.
K. JOHANSEN
2270 Kinross . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-0689
— 1957 Yellow Pages ad
Click here to see aerial photo of greenhouses, 1954
Former location of greenhouses of Baldwin's Nurseries
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Uplands Park
Deeded to the Municipality in 1946 "for the purpose of a public park in perpetuity"
This 75-acre site was part of the original Uplands subdivision laid out in 1912. In 1946 this property was deeded to the Municipality in lieu of back taxes accumulated through the difficult economic times of two World Wars and the Great Depression.
The original plans for this showpiece subdivision envisioned all streets radiating from Midland Way, the intended grande boulevard of this "garden community." However, with the deeding of land for Uplands Park to the municipality, the original concept lost its symmetry and Midland Way was reduced to Midland Road, a dead-end street.

Uplands Streetcar
Built in 1913 to help developers market an upscale "garden community" subdivision

Click on image to see enlargement
Uplands was one of three streetcar lines to service Oak Bay in the early years. The other two lines were Oak Bay and Willows. see Wards
The Uplands line started on February 3, 1913 and served the community until December 1, 1947.
Click on the MEMORABILIA button to view or contribute recollections, photographs and artifacts

Uplands Taxi
2019 Oak Bay Avenue (...1952–1959... phone books)
Also listed at this address in 1957 were Oak Bay Taxi, Ferriday's Taxi and Jubilee Cabs.
see W E Ferriday
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Uplands Telephone Company
Manhole Cover
 Click on image to see enlargement
Until 1935, the Uplands was an entity unto itself. The development of its infrastructure proceeded outside the bylaws and jurisdiction of the municipality and the city.
Unlike elsewhere, telephone poles were not used to carry power and phone lines. All lines ran underground — to preserve the aesthetic of a garden community.

"A few years ago I learned from a Telus repairman that there used to be an Uplands Telephone Company. He also told me that it was still possible to find manhole covers with "Uplands Telephone" on them. I finally managed to find one (in the 3000 block of Midland) last week [May 2010]. I'm attaching a photo."
— Bruce Kapron
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Uppingham House School
1543 York Place (1930 phone book)
1647 Hampshire Road (1934 phone book)
Photos, artifacts and recollections welcomed

Usher's Confectionery Store
2205 Oak Bay Avenue (...1930–1957... phone books)
Newspapers, magazines and a soda fountain. Popular through the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s
Former location of plumbing store Ashton and Farrow. (1918 phone book)
Subsequent location of Fisher's Confectionery (1959 OBHS yearbook ad)
Click on the MEMORABILIA button to view or contribute recollections, photographs and artifacts



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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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