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Willows Fair
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The annual fair in Oak Bay was a highlight of the year
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courtesy Royal BC Museum and Archives
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B-02702
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Willows Fair
(circa 1895)
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Horse judging at the Willows Fair
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| The Willows Fair began in 1891 when the provincial agricultural exhibition relocated from Beacon Hill Park to Oak Bay. A magnificent exhibition hall* was constructed adjoining an existing racetrack (the Driving Park) to create a new recreation centre for the city — the Willows. |
| With the incorporation of Oak Bay as a municipality in 1906, urban growth soon started to encroach upon the exhibition grounds. Its days were numbered. |
| The old livestock buildings were considered fire and health risks to the community through the 1940s and by 1948 all the buildings were gone. |
| The fairgrounds stood vacant until the Carnarvon Park subdivision proceeded in the early 1950s. |
| * This remarkable building burned to the ground in 1907 (a year after Oak Bay's incorporation as a municipality) and was replaced by an unremarkable, warehouse-style structure |
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PHOTOGRAPHS
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Click on any photo to view enlargement
 M.R. Smith & Co 1898 |
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 Opening Day 1928 |
 Parade of Cows 1930s |
 Midway 1 1931 |
 Midway 2 1931 |
 Fruit Display 1937 |
 Edenbank Ayrshires late 1930s |
Do you have any photos of the Willows Fair?
If yes, please specify in the form below
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ARTIFACTS
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Click on image to view enlargement
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Horse Show Program
1937 |
Do you have any Willows Fair artifacts?
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RECOLLECTIONS
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Click on image to view enlargement
of this incredible sketch from the recollections
of Dave Unwin
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General Layout of Willows Fair
1940s |
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| A note or two about the Willows Fair . . . | ||
| I can't recall the years, but my grandfather, Jesse Kirk, worked at the fair as, among other things, a sword swallower. He also ran a hotdog/hamburger stand and travelled to Washington state fairs with his hotdog business. | ||
| From approximately 1921 to 1924 my other grandfather, William Carysford Proby and his son Bill taught horse riding at the "academy" on the fair grounds — in one of the unidentified buildings to the left of the Carnarvon Street entrance. [See Dave Unwin's sketch, above.] The riding students were from St. Margarets School, corner of Fern and Fort streets. My mother's recollections are that there was an oval ring with seating at the sides. | ||
| Bill demonstrated horse riding skills learned from his father when they lived on the Prairies. He would often ride two horses "gladiator style" — a foot on the back of each horse. | ||
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| Bill had a younger brother, John, who decided one day that he was going to learn how to fly. So, he made a pair of wings from some plywood and climbed to the top of the grandstand at the fair grounds and jumped. He was not hurt too badly but learned his lesson and never tried to do that again. | ||
| As for me, I don't remember the fair grounds. I do, however, recall being at the site of the ice rink, the one built by one of the Patrick brothers? | ||
| — Dick Kirk, OBHS class of 1960 | ||
Further to Dicks recollection of the ice rink: The Patrick Arena, on Empress (Epworth) Street burned to the ground on November 11, 1929. In 1941 the Horse Show Pavilion building on the fairgrounda was converted to a skating rink known as the Willows Arena, which burned to the ground in 1944. |
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| My memory of the Willows race track goes back to the age of four. I can remember watching the races from the second turn behind the railing where there was easy access from the road. |
| About that time (the mid 1940s) I also attended an event at the track and remember sitting in the grandstand watching, among other things, some daredevil stunts involving a motorcycle riding through a flaming barrier. |
| In the early 1960s I happened to be chatting with renowned antique car collector Phil Foster. During our conversation, he recalled his early racing career competing at the Willows track in his Model T Ford. He said that in those days no one had much money so you made do with what you had and what you could devise. The cars were basically stock frames and running gear with hand crafted sheet metal and wood bodies. |
| — Richard Goodall, OBHS class of 1960 |
Do you have any recollections of the Willows Fair?
If yes, please share them by using the form below
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SUBMISSIONS
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Do you have any
photos, artifacts or recollections of the annual Willows Fair? |
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PLEASE CONTACT US Your contribution may become part of Oak Bay history! |
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You can email us, with attachments if available |
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OR
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You can use the Online Submission Form, below
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Thank You!
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A CENTENNIAL LEGACY PROJECT