Air Raid Sirens
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Already a fabulous site! I love the "Did You Know," as I didn't know most of it.
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Does anyone else remember the air raid sirens being installed around 1962 ish? I know that pertained to all of Victoria, not just Oak Bay, but I think is an interesting part of our history.
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I will look around for memorabilia and send it on to you.
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Thanks for doing this.
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Katharine Wilson
North Vancouver
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| "I do not know when the sirens were installed — perhaps after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. Black-out blinds were a must. Some residents had gas masks. I just met a lady who still has her gas mask (and its original box) which she had to carry to school and everywhere she went.
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| Occasionally, when at Monterey school (1949-1956) the siren which was nearby (or perhaps on the school) would be tested. Sidney Volunteer Fire Fighters, up until about 2009, had the same sounding siren----eerie. |
| I remember poppies given out just before Remembrance Day at school with an expected donation of ten cents for the red poppy and twenty-five cents for the fancy maple leaf and poppy. |
| — Dianne Kersey Zanichelli, OBHS class of 1961 |
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| I remember an air-raid siren at Allenby and Foul Bay Road (on the Saanich side) in the early 1950s. |
| — Gary Wilcox, OBHS class of 1960 |
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| I lived on Tinto Street in the late '50s, attended Monterey School. There was an air raid siren close to the intersection of Monterey and Tinto Street. It was tested frequently. |
| — Dave Watson, former Oak Bay resident |
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Patrick Arena / Victoria Cougars / Stanley Cup |
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1924/25 Cougars
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| OK, are there any diehard NHL fans who would know whether or not the Montreal team that lost to the Victoria Cougars was actually named the Montreal Maroons? |
| That is my recollection of the name which I read somewhere many years ago regarding Stanley Cup winners going back to 1892. I do believe the Maroons were formed sometime in the '20s and replaced the previous Canadiens whose arena was destroyed. The Canadiens resurfaced a few years later. The Maroons disappeared in the late '30s I think. Montreal had a number of hockey teams (perhaps as many as seven) that came and went from the NHL. Maybe not the NHL, but were involved in winning the Stanley Cup. |
| We could use some serious historical sleuthing. History was never my strong suit. Is there someone out there who might want to dig into this? |
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The Victoria Cougars of the Western Canada Hockey League defeated the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL to win the Stanley Cup in 1925. The games were played in Victoria and Vancouver, alternating with eastern and western rules. The cup-winning game was played in the Oak Bay arena that once stood at Cadboro Bay Road and Empress Street (Epworth). |
| In 1926 the Victoria Cougars again earned the right to challenge for the Stanley Cup, but lost to a new NHL franchise, the Montreal Maroons, playing in Montreal. |
| The WCHL folded in 1926 and much of the Victoria roster was sold to Detroit, another new NHL franchise, to become the Detroit Cougars — re-named the Detroit Red Wings for the 1932/33 season. |
| Oak Bay's historic Patrick Arena burned to the ground in the early morning of November 11, 1929. |
| Click here to view aftermath of fire. |
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Stately Old Hotel |
| Was there a stately old hotel in Oak Bay (other than the Oak Bay Beach Hotel) that was demolished sometime in or around the 1960s? My grandparents bought some antique furniture from this hotel when it closed, and I am trying to trace the origins of the piece of furniture that I inherited. Any ideas? |
| Thank you so much. |
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Cindy Mallen,
second generation lifetime resident of Victoria |
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The "stately old hotel" you mention is probably The Old Charming Inn, which was demolished in the 1960s. It was built in 1905 and originally called Oak Bay Hotel. |
| In 1907, renowned English writer Rudyard Kipling stayed here and immortalized the hotel in a poem. |
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| Edward Goodall's pencil sketch, above, shows the lounge of the hotel with the inlaid desk used by Kipling to write the poem. |
| The building was demolished in 1962 to make way for Oak Bay's then most luxurious apartment block — the Rudyard Kipling. |
| Click here to see the demolitiom of the Old Charming Inn in 1962 |
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2530 Windsor Road |
| I love your website! Wonderful work! |
| I am moving into a former apartment building at 2530 Windsor Road. I am curious about the history of this building. How can I find out more about this location and its history? |
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The authority on Oak Bay's older buildings is Stuart Stark's, Oak Bay's Heritage Buildings: More Than Just Bricks And Boards |
| The Oak Bay Archives is a valuable resource. |
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Flight of Fantasy |
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Hot-air Balloon Ride
over 1954 Oak Bay
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| This is a great website. I can't wait for the Flight of Fantasy and other additions. |
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Bob Ross,
frequent Oak Bay visitor |
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The Flight of Fantasy is now open for your edification and bemusement |
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Harling Point / Gonzales Research Project |
| I liked the Flight of Fantasy but is the 1959 Map located somewhere electronically...specifically interested in the Harling Point / Gonzales neighbourhood portion for out neighbourhood research. Have you come across similar maps? |
| Thanks. |
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Old Oak Bay Trombone |
| I have a 1911-1912 hn.white king trombone in an orignal case. with the Oak Bay Beach Hotel on case. It may be from the old 1927-1930s hotel — possibly survived fire. |
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Oak Bay Beach Hotel / mixed media |
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| Roberta Cory’s series on the old Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Any interest in Oak Bay??? |
| http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=205868&id=674159433&l=fbe5361e4a |
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Willows Park Studio |
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| I have not seen any reference to the late '30s early '40s 'Willows movie studio that use to reside in the old horse race track adjacent to Oak Bay Jr. High school. The movie studio employed American and Canadian actors alike. It certainly was quite a unique and interesting bit of Oak Bay history. After cranking out quite a number of pictures the old barn style structure was destroyed in a fire ending the Willows studio's very first efforts of Hollywood North. |
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Allan Scott,
resident of Cavendish Avenue in the 1950s |
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There are two references to the old Oak Bay film studio in the Encyclopedia section of the website. Check out Willows Park Studio for a quick overview of the studio and Commandos Strike at Dawn for a quick look at the 1942 film that was nominated for an Academy Award. |
| Willows Park Studio is one of my favourite history of Oak Bay topics. I have an extensive collection of production stills, lobby cards, press books, promotion material and most of the films, and will discuss all this in more detail in my book-in-progress, Oak Bay: The Formative Years |
Click here to view/download free PDF booklet, "A Look Back at Oak Bay's Early Film History" — production stills and lobby cards
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| Click here to see Willows Park Studio memorabilia showcased in the lobby of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel |
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Princess Chikmakoff |
| Do you have any info on Princess Chikmakoff who resided on Runnymede Avenue during the '30s or '40s? |
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The Princess was the widow of Harry Ross, nee Jenny Butchart, who married a Russian prince after Harry's death. Harry and Jenny were the parents of Ian Ross, long-time manager of Butchart's Gardens. The Harry and Jenny Ross home at 2031 Runnymede, Blair Gowie, was designed by Samuel Maclure in 1916. |
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Jean Sparks for Oak Bay Archives |
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Princess Chikmakoff I believe was still in the home on the corner of Mt Joy and Runnymede in the early 1950s, as we kids on Mt Joy used to visit. The main attraction was the swimming pool! I think we got a swim once. |
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Gail-Anne Brighton (Randall) |
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Alexis Casanave's Sequoia Tree |
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Sequoia Tree on OBHS Grounds
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| When I was growing up in Montreal in the 1960s my mother used to tell me about a redwood tree that was planted by my great-grandfather. She told me that the tree was over one-hundred years old. I always wanted to visit that tree and I finally made it to the grounds of Oak Bay High School in 1987. Now that the internet age is here, I am so happy to have found more information about the tree and the dairy farm of Alexis Casanave at your website. |
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Constance Squire,
great, great, granddaughter of Alexis Casanave |
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Costain Green |
| We are seeking information on Costain Green — named after Ernie Costain — located in the Uplands at the junction of Beach Drive and Midland Road. Any information on the dedication of this greenspace would be very appreciated. |
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Corbett's Corner |
| We are also seeking information on Corbett's Corner, located at the junction of Newport and Oak Bay Avenues. Any information on Corbett's Corner would be very appreciated. |
| "This Corbett's Corner information is from a friend. You may be able to verify this information from municipal records. |
| My friend recalls that Dr. Corbett was a dentist who was retired (possibly from another town or province) and he and his wife settled in Oak Bay. When he died, his widow asked the municipality for a garden to be put in the area defining where Oak Bay Avenue ended and Newport Avenue began. She paid to have this area set up and maintained in Dr. Corbett's memory. |
| Perhaps this information will lead to the facts." |
| — Dianne Kersey Zanichelli, OBHS class of 1961 |
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Size of Pictures |
| Great job on the website. One thing though: There are many photos that do not have a link to enlarge and view. These photos are very small and one cannot see any detail. In the future it would be great to be able to view these images better. |
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Good point. We're working on this. A green frame around a thumbnail image (like the "Blair Gowie" image below) will indicate that the image is clickable and linked to an enlarged image for better viewing. In many cases, however, we have only small images to work with — gw |
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Blair Gowie |
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Oak Bay Archives
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Blair Gowie
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| Hi - I'm writing to suggest someone add information and history on the Ellis property (Blair Gowie) at 2031 Runnymede - a house with heritage garden currently under threat of subdivision. Apparently it was owned first by members of the Butchart Gardens family? Anyone know who created the garden, which still apparently stretches down to properties on Falkland Road? A significant historic property. |
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The Harry and Jenny Ross home at 2031 Runnymede was designed by Samuel Maclure in 1916. It is called Blair Gowie. |
| Blair Gowie may have been named after a the Scottish town Blair Gowrie, but mispelled on Maclure's plans |
| Harry and Jenny's son Ian Ross ran Butchart's Gardens for many years. |
Ian Ross' home was at 1069 Beach Drive and is still owned by the family. (for Sale)
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Jean Sparks for Oak Bay Archives |
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1395 Hampshire Road |
| I am doing research on this house, built in 1912. Would you have any info such as the original owners or designer, etc. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. |
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The house built in 1912 is not on Starks' Inventory , the Community Heritage Register or Designated. There may be plans in the building department at the municipal hall, but can only be issued to the owner. The Archives has some old assessment cards that may be of interest for research purposes. |
| The house is scheduled to be demolished and a permit has been issued. Council has no power to deny demolition for an unlisted property. Two members of the Heritage Committee did an unofficial site visit to record its heritage features and found many of the original interior features intact and the home to be structurally sound, but it is understood that owners do not want to renovate or restore the home. |
| Contact Oak Bay Council. obcouncil@oakbay.ca |
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Jean Sparks for Oak Bay Archives |
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1950s Oak Bay was "a great big playground" |
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Roller Skating
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| Just a note to say "thanks for the memories." |
| I really enjoyed reading the historical notes in the "Encyclopedia," although I was shocked to be reading about my childhood memories in a historical journal! I will try to make a commitment to go through some stuff to see if I have anything of worthy historical note. |
| I especially enjoyed reading about the "frog ponds," "skating rink," "Little League," "Jimmy Chicken" etc. |
| We were really lucky to live where we did. The fairgrounds were a great big playground and in fact at that time, most of Oak Bay was. It was so safe for kids and with Uplands Park, Windsor Park, Cattle Point, the creek and the beaches so close. Carnarvon Park for tennis, basketball, baseball, and ball hockey was great to have as well. |
| One thing that sticks out in my mind was challenging each other to jump the ditches in the Fairgrounds on the way home from Willows School. Unfortunately for me and my mother (who washed my clothes) my jump was short, so many times I arrived home covered in mud from head to toe! Lucky we didn't drown! |
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Doug Okerstrom,
resident of Newton Street in the 1950s |
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The Mysterious H Alexander and his Cord 1930 |
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Cord 1930
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| I am the 3rd owner of a Cord 1930. They were the first front-wheel-drive automobiles and were expensive cars at the time. |
| I found out that it was first registered in Victoria by H. Alexander, living on Island Road in Oak Bay. |
| In searching the current aerial maps (Google map), it looks like the area is now a park. |
| Could you help me establish who H. Alexander was, if he really was residing there. If the address was valid. Any pictures of a now demolished house? When, etc. |
He might have been a doctor because that is what the previous owner said he bought the car from in 1934....(!) A dream would be to find period pictures of the car...
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| Can you help shed some light? I would much appreciate it. Thank you in advance. |
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Andre Audette,
Ottawa, Ontario |
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The 1930 Victoria phone directory lists an H.W. Alexander living at 592 Island Road. There is no listing for a Dr. Alexander in the "Physicians and Surgeons" or "Dentists" listings in the yellow pages of this directory. |
| Can anyone shed more light on H. Alexander or his Cord 1930? |
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Charles Ross and Isabella Ross |
| I have written around ten chapters about the Ross family. |
| Unfortunately there are errors in circulation that I have not had time to follow up on, such as 'Capt. McNeill may have been Isabella's father' or Isabella was the 'first white woman.' There is also a land document with an incorrect date filed in the wrong year, which makes a difference to land titles. That may have been corrected, I hope. Even BC vital statistics has changed my grandmother's last name because her full name is too long for a computer and Marrison keeps being changed to 'Morrison', Ottaway to 'Ottawa' etc. |
| When I saw your site I thought it better to get the correct information in print before mistakes are made from incorrect sources. All of my research is documented from proven archival sources and confirms our family's oral history passed from Bishop Cridge to my grandmother, who told me. |
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Fern Perkins,
great, great, great granddaughter of Charles and Isabella Ross,
OBHS class of 1968 |
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Thanks, Fern, for the invaluable material on your great, great, great grandparents, Charles and Isabella Ross — two very important names in Victoria/Oak Bay history. Charles was the HBC chief factor who supervised the building of Fort Victoria in 1843, and Isabella was one of Oak Bay's five original landowners and the first woman landowner in British Columbia. |
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Carley's Riding School |
| I noticed the Casanave "memorabilia" button and wondered whether a Carley's Riding School button might not draw many interesting recollections. My mother and my aunt rode there as children in the early 1930s. |
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This website has several Encyclopedia entries for the various Carley riding schools over the years. Each of these entries has an invitation for readers to submit recollections, but we've received nothing yet. We can't really create a Memorabilia page when we have no submitted recollections, photos or artifacts to work with. We need a least two lengthy recollections (and hopefully a photo) to create a Memorabilia page. One or two short recollections would be included with the basic Encyclopedia entry until more material is submitted. |
| I'm sure you're right: there are undoubtedly many interesting recollections of Carley's riding schools. This is what the website is all about: collecting and sharing recollections of Oak Bay's early years. The infrastructure is in place, but it's up to viewers to respond. |
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Victoria Riding Academy |
Does anyone have any pictures of the Victoria Riding Academy? The Carley's owned it. I would love to see them as I used to hang around there all the time as a kid in the early '70s
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| Jean Sparks of the Oak Bay Archives kindly sent along this c1974 aerial shot of the Victoria Riding Academy. |
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courtesy Oak Bay Archives
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Victoria Riding Academy
circa 1974
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| A 1954 aerial view of the Victoria Riding Academy can be enjoyed on our Flight of Fantasy — a hot-air balloon ride over 1954 Oak Bay. (Balloon at 1,200 feet on flight path 6.) |
| The Victoria Riding Academy (and its predecessor, J. McCleave Riding School and Saddle Horses) was located on the Willows Fairgrounds for decades until 1949 when the fairgrounds were closed and D.B. Carley re-located his Victoria Riding Academy to 2301 Cedar Hill Cross Road where it was known by many names including Victoria Riding & Equitation School, Victoria Riding & Hunt Club and Victoria Riding Academy and Hunt Club. |
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Uplands Farm |
| I offer a course on the History of Vancouver Island at VIU (Elder College) and was hoping to find more information on Uplands Farm...for example, Who was the first bailiff? |
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The first bailiff at Uplands Farm, when it was called Cadboro Bay Farm, was Charles Bayley, |
| Bayley arrived in Victoria aboard the Tory in 1851 and was assigned 17 men to develop the Hudson's Bay Company's farm overlooking Cadboro Bay. He was involved in the only-recorded Indian attack on whites in Oak Bay, in 1854, barely escaping with his life. |
| Material on Uplands Farm is difficult to come by. Any viewer with information, recollections, photos or artifacts related to Uplands Farm is encouraged to contact this website and share this valuable information with our viewers — gw |
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"Pierce's Hotel" |
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Pierce's Hotel
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| This structure, called "Pierce's Hotel," stood on theTrial Islands in 1904, before the lighthouse was built in 1906. Can any of our viewers shed some light on "Pierce's Hotel"? |
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Morgan's Grocery |
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| Morgan's Grocery on Newport Avenue across from Windsor Park has many memories for people who grew up in the area. I have never seen any pictures online of the inside of the store. Are there any out there? |
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| Morgan's Grocery ... now that brings back memories because I was their after-school delivery boy for a couple of years in the early '50s. No pictures, though; just reminiscences of favourite customers like the (Premier) WAC Bennetts who always treated me like royalty and were really genuine people. |
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David Gibb, OBHS class of 1957 |
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The Snug |
| What year did the Snug open at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel? It was in the 1940s but I'd like to know the exact year. I've looked and researched everywhere....any help would be appreciated! |
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The Snug |
| Regarding the opening of the Snug lounge in the Oak Bay hotel as questioned by Miesha Kott — |
| According to Ron Baird's book, Success Story, the History of Oak Bay, he writes on pages 104 and 105: |
| "In 1946, Mrs. Norma MacDonald moved here from Seattle to become the new proprietor of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel...she made no major changes with the exception of later renovating one suite of rooms into a small cocktail lounge, when such establishments were legalized in British Columbia." |
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| If that is indeed true, the Snug opened in the summer or late fall of 1954, since the first cocktail lounge opened in the Strathcona Hotel on July 1, 1954 and many others quickly followed. |
| "The bar had a seating capacity of 55." |
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| Of course it was demolished with the rest of the hotel in 2006, and parts of the old bar were saved and erected into the new Oak Bay Beach Hotel. But, in my opinion, they lost a large part of the old charm and intimacy that was the original Snug. |
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Glen A Mofford,
Born in Victoria, 1954, and write about the history of drinking establishments in BC
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Est 1954
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Oak Bay Artifacts |
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Midland Circle Artifacts
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| I do metal detecting, and found these artifacts in the Midland turnaround this summer (2013). |
| The shells are blank 303 rounds that the military used for practice. The head stamps on the 303s show that they were made in 1910. That means they were for the soldiers who were stationed at the ”Driving Park” (now the site of Carnarvon Park) in 1915. |
| The pick was broken and left in the ground. |
| The large grey pieces of metal are lead and I am not sure in what capacity they were used although, as you can see, one of them has been melted into a dirty sandy type of soil. |
| I am not sure if the spikes were pulled or leftover and forgotten at the site. |
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Rudyard Kipling |
| Great website about Oak Bay! |
| I went to school at Oak Bay Jr in the '60s and the principal's name was Rudyard Kipling! I was told he was a grandson(?) of the famous writer. No mention of this in the website ?? |
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| Regarding the question if the principal, Rudyard Kipling, of Oak Bay Jr High was related to the famed Rudyard Kipling, the answer is no. My father [renowned Oak Bay artist, Edward Goodall] asked him that question one time and he replied that he was not. |
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Richard Goodall, OBHS class of 1960 |
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Trial Island Lighthouse |
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Trial Island Lighthouse
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| Hi all |
Please take a look at the Facebook link below. The Oak Bay Heritage Foundation and Friends of Trial Island Lighthouse are preparing a submission for Federal Designation under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection program.
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| Please "Like" the site if you support our efforts. Please forward the link to friends and family. |
| Thank you. |
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Jean Sparks, Friends of Trial Island Lighthouse |
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Lighthouse Protection Act
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2470 Bowker |
| We live at 2470 Bowker, and I am researching the history of our house. I have found out that it was owned or occupied by Royal H. Green in 1914 and from 1915 by Ernest C. Hayward (of Hawkins & Hayward) |
| Do you have any information about either of these people or the firm mentioned? Any suggestions as to where I should go next? |
| Thanks, |
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The 1918 Victoria telephone directory lists Hawkins and Hayward as Electrical Contractors with stores at 1103 Douglas and 1607 Douglas. Indeed, a E.C. Hayward lived at 2470 Bowker. Incidentally, the phone number for your house in 1918 was 3154. |
| E.C. Hayward remained listed at 2470 Bowker in the 1930 phone directory but was not listed, anywhere, in the 1934 directory. |
| It's possible that, in 1934, Hawkins and Hayward was being assumed by Jameson's Electrical, as both companies were located at 1121 Douglas and shared the same phone number. |
| Hope this helps a bit. |
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1950 Kindergarten Class |
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1950 Kindergarten Class
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| Hoping you can help with this Gary. |
| This photo, (I'm in it) is of a kindergarten class which was held in an unused part of some school in Oak Bay. |
| I walked there from Fair Street and went across Cadboro Bay up Cranmore, then turned right on some street and came out on a busy street. I had to cross that street to get to the school. |
| I always assumed that was Foul Bay but I see it could possibly have been Oak Bay, as I did sometimes take a short cut along a creek (Bowker?) Any ideas? I thought it was where the Fort/ Foul Bay shopping centre is now, but someone said they think that might have been the tennis courts. |
| Was there a school on Oak Bay Avenue? I read an article about a program n 1948 which started kindy's in used areas of existing schools. |
| I'm very curious. Thanks for any help. |
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Gloria Williams
student at Oak Bay Kindergarten, 1950
now living in New Zealand |
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Thanks for your enquiry and wonderful image. |
| Based on your walking route to school, I'd say you attended kindergarten in the original Oak Bay High School building on Oak Bay Avenue, where the municipal hall is today. |
| Click here to see enlargement of class photo |
| Click here to see your probable route to school. |
| Click here to see original high school |
| Does any of this look familiar to you? |
| Thanks for identifying yourself in the class photo. We invite our viewers to help in identifying your classmates. |
| Move cursor over enlarged photo to see identified student(s). |
| Regarding the kindergarten class photo submitted by Gloria Williams, I recognize two of the children who were neighbours on Wilmot Place. Top left is Barrie McClung (deceased) and bottom left is Bob Adams (deceased) |
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Richard Goodall, OBHS class of 1960 |
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Model T Ford Races |
| Anyone have any information of Model T Ford races held at the Willows race track which continued into the late 1940s? |
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Willows Fairgrounds |
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Original Exhibition Building
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| Just wanted to drop a line regarding the Oak Bay website. I love the interaction, and the “Balloon Ride” feature to locate local landmarks. |
| Years ago, a coffee shop in Chinatown (Bean Around the World) had a coffee table that was inlaid with a old RCAF aerial photograph of Oak Bay. I believe the photo was sometime close to 1942. This sparked my interest in the history of the area. However, I have never been able to locate this photo in the archives anywhere. My parents old house was located on Wootton Crescent, near the site of the old Fairgrounds. |
| One issue, the balloon ride feature has two buildings located close to the south end of the racetrack. The Industrial Building and the Horse Show Pavilion. However, the photographs from the era, including the one on your website home page, show the building immediately to the south of the track to be the Main Exhibition Hall. I believe what is listed as the Industrial Building should be the Main Exhibition Hall. |
| Was just curious to how you were able to locate the old fairground elements into the current streetscape and geography. |
| Regardless, thanks for the website……love this stuff. |
| Cheers, |
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Thanks for your enquiry Chris. Keeping track of the various buildings on the exhibition grounds, over time, can be a bit confusing. |
| The glorious, original exhibition building (photo above), situated immediately south of the racetrack, was destroyed by fire in 1907. |
| This was replaced by a warehouse-style exhibition building slightly westward, on the rocky outcropping aligned with Carrick Street. This second exhibition hall was destroyed by fire in 1948, soon after which Wootton Crescent was put through and your parents' house was built — on this very spot! (You can see where this second exhibition building was on the balloon ride.) |
| The Industrial Building and Horse Show Pavilion that you mention, seen immediately south of the racetrack on the balloon ride, were built years later. |
| The footprints of all three former buildings — Exhibition, Industrial and Horse Show — are indicated and identified on the balloon ride. |
| (If you click on these buildings, they will be identified in the small green window. If you then click on a building name in this window, a pop-up window will appear showing exterior/interior photos of the building.) |
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A&W on Oak Bay Avenue |
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A&W at 1921 Oak Bay Avenue
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| This iconic image will bring back a lot of memories! |
| Although not quite in Oak Bay, the A&W on Oak Bay Avenue was the social centre for Oak Bay students out cruising on Friday and Saturday nights. |
| Our gratitude to Janice Mason, who took this picture when she lived across the street from the A&W in the 1960s. |
"I finally found my photo of the A&W taken in 1964 when I first moved to Victoria and resided at 1932 Oak Bay Avenue, right across the street. |
| I watched the folks on a Friday and Saturday night cruise through the A&W en masse. |
| In fact, the photo has a very personal meaning for me. I got engaged there!" |
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Janice Mason,
lived across the street from the A&W in the 1960s |
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McNeill Bay (Shoal Bay) Tea Room
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The Tea Room
c 1912 – 1930s
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Click on image to view enlargement
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| We've received this wonderful image of the McNeill Bay (Shoal Bay) Tea Room and are now very anxious to learn more about this fascinating piece of Oak Bay History. Can any of our viewers help with more photos or recollections of the tea room? |
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Gracepoint |
| I am working for Gracepoint Productions and we are currently filming the TV show Gracepoint in the Oak Bay Village. |
| I have come across the historical image of the "Oak Bay Grocery Company" and the old Blethering Place. For the purposes of the show, we have turned this building into the Crestview Inn. |
| We are creating a market in the village for one of the scenes in the TV show and it takes place right in the location of the Oak Bay "Celebrating Our Heritage" sign. We are hoping to use this image from your Encyclopedia site to represent the old Crestview Inn in our show. |
| As time is of the essence, please let me know as soon as possible if this is acceptable to you and what the procedure is for use of this image. |
| Many thanks, |
| Sincerely, |
|
—
|
Yvette Andre
Gracepoint Productions |
|
Thank you Gary for your help and connection to John for these images. |
| All the best, |
|
—
|
Yvette Andre
Gracepoint Productions |
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* * *
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Oak Bay Grocery photo |
| I am a local historian in Oak Bay and am preparing for a presentation that I will be giving next month for OB Heritage about the history of the Village. |
| Perusing your wonderful website I came across the neat photo of the old OB Grocery/Blethering Place building and am wondering if it would be possible to use this as a publicity photo for my talk? I see that it is from John Bromley's collection. |
| Do you know how/if I would be able to contact him about this? Or, might you have a higher resolution copy of the photo that you would be able to share? |
| Thanking you in advance, |
|
—
|
Ben Clinton-Baker
Oak Bay historian |
|
Thanks for your note, Ben. |
I believe this is the image in question:
John F Bromley Negative # BCER 250-002 |
 |
| I've forwarded your request to John. |
| Good luck with your presentation. |
| Please consider submitting your OB Village material to The History of Oak Bay Website — Gary |
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* * *
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Great Website! |
| Gary, I am a big fan of your Oak Bay website — despite being a Burnaby kid and historian over here in New Westminster! |
| I just read your profile and was 'shocked' to see that you were responsible for that great Urban Reader series and Vancouver: the First Century. I love those books and they have been on my library shelves for more than two decades now. I remember first seeing them as a kid in the library when I first started getting into local history and they were a great inspiration. |
| I am a frequent visitor because I am also doing research on Samuel Maclure (a New Westminster boy) — and of course Oak Bay is a big part of his life story. |
| If I get stumped on anything that I am trying to find about Oak Bay and his houses - are you the go to guy? or should I be trying the archives? |
| Thanks again for the great books and creating such an amazing website. |
| Cheers, |
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—
|
Jim Wolf
New Westminster historian |
|
Thanks for your kind words, Jim, although you're making me feel kinda ancient. |
| By all means, direct any questions you have this way. |
| I'm not an expert on Samuel Maclure, although I do have Janet Bingham's book, Samuel Maclure: Architect, as I'm sure you do. |
| Stuart Stark's wonderful book, Oak Bay's Heritage Buildings: More Than just Bricks and Boards is a treasure trove for such information. |
| Caroline Duncan and her staff at the Oak Bay Archives are a valuable resource and very helpful. |
| And of course, we can post your enquiries to our viewers on this Open Forum — Gary |
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* * *
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Annual Willows Fair |
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Midway Rides & Concessions
circa 1930
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Click on image to view enlargements
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| Gary ~ I was amazed when I learned about the Willows Exhibition from the small historical marker outside Pure Vanilla on Cadboro Bay Road. |
| Returning home I found your Willows Fair website. I made this little video comparing the old sketch with a current google map of the area — thought I should share it with you. |
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| All the best ~ Geoff |
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—
|
Dr Geoff Steeves
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Victoria |
|
Thanks Geoff, for your interest and enthusiasm. I share your fascination with the Willows Fairgrounds — so much happened there! |
| In fact, it was my curiosity about the old fairgrounds that drew me into Oak Bay's history. |
| We lived across the street from the fairgrounds from late 1951. I have vivid memories as a child playing in the open fields after the exhibition buildings were gone. I knew there was history on these grounds but, as a nine-year-old, was oblivious as to the extent. |
| Over time, some of these memories became disconnected from their space and began to haunt me. |
| For example, I have wonderful memories of playing roller hockey on a concrete slab on the exhibition grounds in the early 1950s but, as the years passed, I couldn't place in my mind exactly where or what that slab was. |
| And I knew there was a race track, because I walked across it every day to get to Willows school. But I had no idea as to where it was, exactly. In later years I tried to pinpoint the track on city maps, but there was little consistency on these maps. It wasn't until I developed "the hot-air-balloon ride" over 1954 Oak Bay, based on merged aerial photographs, that I was able to pinpoint the exact location of the race track. What a sense of completion! |
| I think it was dislocated memories such as these that drew me into Oak Bay's history. It's all very personal. |
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* * *
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| Incidentally, the hot-air-balloon ride shows the footprints of the old exhibition buildings on the 1954 landscape. You can also see the Uplands Garage & Motor Company at 2590 Cadboro Bay Road — the current site of Pure Vanilla. |
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Iconic Oak Bay Boathouse photo |
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Oak Bay Boathouse
circa 1956
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Click on image to view enlargement
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| Gary, I have a tale to tell. |
| I am a writer and photographer (semi-retired) for Pacific Yachting magazine. While researching a story, I needed a photo of the Oak Bay Boathouse and found the attached photo. |
| My wife looked at it and said, “John, the boy on the left is you.” Unbelievable, but she is right. I am 99% sure she is correct. It is me and my pal Bob McLaren. We are 11 years of age in grade five. |
| Do you have any clue or hint who the photographer might have been? The photo first appears in Oak Bay’s Golden Jubilee booklet (page 24) published in 1956. |
| — John Lund, OBHS class of 1963 |
This image is available from the Oak Bay Archives, but the photographer is unknown. |
| Can anyone shed more light on this iconic image? |
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Oak Bay Hotel "Mystery Drawing" |
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Mystery Drawing
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Click on image to view oil painting and mystery drawing on back side |
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| Hello from Wilmington, North Carolina! |
| We own a painting of great mystery! I am happy to send you photos of it, if you grow fascinated! It is a painting of a Canadian Merchant ship with a WWI battleship in the background. Beautifully done. NOW, for the fun part: on the back of the painting, a child has painstakingly drawn (in pencil) a picture of the Oak Bay Hotel, as it is called in the child’s drawing. It’s absolutely charming! We love the back as much as the ships. It’s very old. We’re wondering if perhaps one of the Major’s children did the drawing on the back and perhaps his wife did the painting…or HE did the painting??? |
| It’s chalked full of mystery!!! :-) |
| Looking forward to hearing your thoughts or ideas on whom I might speak with about it. |
| Thanks in advance for your consideration. |
| Cheers! |
| — Mia Hankins, Wilmington, North Carolina |
Thanks, Mia, for sharing this mystery. |
| First, a clarification: Which Oak Bay hotel is this? |
| There are/were two Oak Bay hotels with similar names: the Oak Bay Hotel (1905–1937) and the Oak Bay Beach Hotel (1927 to present). Major Merston was the original proprietor of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. |
| But I suspect this is the Oak Bay Hotel, as printed in the drawing. |
| Now for some fun speculation: |
| It's probable the drawing was in the possession of the framer and near at hand when he was framing the oil painting. |
| It's obvious he didn't have your appreciation of the drawing as he scribbled the order information over the drawing (order number / black oak frame / 5 pm Tuesday) and then used it as packing material behind the framed painting. |
| He certainly had the reasonable expectation that this drawing would never be seen again, much less posted on the internet to become the subject of an international enquiry. |
|
Granted, this bit of speculation doesn't get us any closer to identifying the artist.
|
| But we'll open the floor to our viewers . . . |
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* * *
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A Second Sequoia? |
| Hello Gary, I have been perusing your website with keen interest to locate images and history of some wood we have acquired which is from an approximately 150-year-old Giant sequoia removed from near Oak Bay High School. I understand that there still stands a Giant sequoia (now located at the front of the school -- because the school moved) deemed planted by Alexis Casanave. |
| The wood we have is also about the same age as that tree still standing. Were there 2 trees planted by Casanave? It would seem to make sense... |
| I understand that this tree we have was called by students "The Smoking Tree" and is commemorated in the school -- which I haven't had the chance to visit yet. |
| We are crafting the beautiful dual-coloured wood into custom made beautiful tables and would like to have the story to go with it as I believe people will more fully appreciate the history of this beautiful tree. |
|
—
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Anita Rafidi
owner of "the smoking tree" Giant sequoia from Oak Bay High |
|
Thanks for your enquiry, Anita. Perhaps our viewers can provide some background on the "smoking tree" you are refering to. |
| There are several Giant sequoias in and around Victoria. These trees were imported from California by early settlers as they are not indigenous to British Columbia. |
| California's Giant sequoias rival BC's Douglas fir as the largest trees in the world. |
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* * *
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Namesake of ZELA Street |
| Reader Guy Woolliams correctly points out that "Zela" is an ancient Turkish city, the site of the Battle of Zela in 67 BCE. |
| But this namesake doen't make sense for an Oak Bay street. |
| Zela Street is an old Oak Bay Street, named at a time when many street names were either descriptive or named after local residents. On either side of Zela Street were Cookman and Walter (now Rosario) Streets, probably named after local residents. |
| As Oak Bay developed, street names took on a decidedly British flavour. |
| An Oak Bay street named after an ancient war in Turkey seems rather incongruous. |
| Can anyone shed any light on the namesake of Zela Street? |
I don't know if there's any connection, but for a Victoria connection of the name, Zela was the name of Hannah and Richard Maynard's second child and first daughter. I am a descendant of the Maynards, and my cousin Michael Maysmith (who grew up on Falkland Road and Upper Terrace) made Zela one of his daughter's middle names. |
| Pure speculation on my part but perhaps it could provide a starting point for research. |
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—
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Matthew Kowalyk
grew up in Oak Bay |
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|
Interesting insight, Matthew. It wouldn't be the first time the daughter of a prominent Victoria businessman was remembered near Oak Bay. |
| Emily Islet, near Mary Tod Island, was named after the daughter of popular butcher, Thomas Harris, who became the first mayor of Victoria in 1862. |
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* * *
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Mystery Building — Another Rattenbury? |
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Mystery Building?
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Click on image to view enlargement
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|
| I have a puzzle! |
| I thought this card might be a Rattenbury home, first John Atkin suggested it was Iechinihl, but I don't know if it is. |
| Another friend suggested Oak Bay Hotel, but again, it doesn't match. |
| The picture is from a series of Tobacco Cards, based on period postcards of Victoria and Vancouver. Many views I have seen as colourized postcards, but I don't recognize this one. |
| The image may be inverted (negative), but again I can't be certain. Some of the images in the series have captions written on them, but sadly this one doesn't! |
| Any suggestions? |
|
|
This is an early image of Oak Bay Hotel as seen from Newport Avenue. |
| The original address was 1225 Newport Avenue up until 1938 when the hotel was purchased by Miss Jane Ewing and called Ewing Apartment Hotel. The building was then "modernized" and the front entrance reorientated to 1420 Beach Drive to face Oak Bay Beach. |
| A year later she named it The Old Charming Inn. |
| Most pictures we see of Oak Bay Hotel were taken from Beach Drive, not Newport Avenue. |
| All pictures we see of The Old Charming Inn were taken from Beach Drive. |
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Uplands Streetcar |
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Uplands Streetcar
Click on image to view enlargement
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| Thank you for keeping a history of Victoria's streetcars, if only for the Oak Bay lines. The story of the demise of the streetcars is interesting |
| May I offer, though, that the loss of the Willows Fairgrounds' buildings actually happened in '44 or '45? |
| I recall seeing the fire from our home on Esquimalt Lagoon. My parents had bought the little house there in the summer of '43 and, after my father died in April of '45, it was sold in the summer of '45 to Mr. Carter of Carter's Shingle Mill (located near Bay and Tyee). |
| I do recall riding on Victoria's streetcars but not on Oak Bay lines. My first ride was from the CPR dock to Victoria West. We had just arrived from Edmonton on the midnight boat (McQuinna) and went to stay with my brother's wife and family at 721 Pine Street. He was a Chief Petty Officer on convoy duty on the Atlantic. That summer, we lived for a short time in the Cloverdale area - near the Baker Brick yard and not far from the Cloverdale terminal of the No. 2 line. While at Victoria High, the No. 3 streetcar was used occasionally. |
| My wife has tales to tell about the Mt. Tolmie line; her childhood home was just two blocks south of the Young Building. A major childhood pleasure for her was horse riding at Carley's. |
| Today, in retirement, my prime occupation is to see rail transit restored to our Region - and to the whole Island!! |
| A friend has just asked for identification of the location of this photo: |
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Mystery Streetcar ?
Click on image to view enlargement
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| Can you help? |
Thanks,
|
| Dick |
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—
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Dick Faulks
resident in Victoria since March, 1943 |
|
Concerning the location of your mystery streetcar: although the enlargement reveals Willows Racetrack advertising, this is not an Oak Bay streetcar. This is the Gonzales streetcar travelling along Fairfield Road on September 13, 1945. |
| On your original point: there were several fires on the exhibition grounds over the years. Both the Horse Show Pavilion and the Industrial Building burned to the ground in a spectacular fire in 1944. This is probably the blaze you saw from the Esquimalt lagoon in 1944.
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Oak Bay Manor |
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Oak Bay Manor
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Click on image to view enlargement
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| When I was young, where Oak Bay Lodge is presently (corner of Hampshire and Cadboro Bay Road) was referred to as the Old Men's Home. Years later, I thought it was a retirement residence called Oak Bay Manor where people bought suites. I cannot fInd any information about this property before it became Oak Bay Lodge. |
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—
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Carolynn Horton
long-time Oak Bay resident |
|
I worked there as a nurse's aid in 1976-77. I wore a pink dress uniform with a red cross on it. There was a lovely large dining room downstairs where residents came from their private rooms to eat. Everything was grand about the entrance and the setting, with carpeting throughout and a large extravagant staircase. But upstairs was the locked ward for residents with dementia. Some of them had private rooms and all required help for personal care. I remember many WW1 veterans living there. One was simply known as "Captain". Sing along nights were fun with all the old wartime songs. The RNs would deliver medications to the residents on the first floor and we did weekly baths for some of those residents. It was my first full time job after high school and I enjoyed working there. |
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—
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Norma Hutchings,
nurse's aid, Oak Bay Manor (1976-77) |
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Oak Bay Elementary School |
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Classes from the mid-1950s
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Click on image to view enlargement
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| Thought you might find these interesting. Do you have any other photos or info on this school...often overlooked & forgotten. |
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Thanks for your enquiry, Marg, and for the two photos you sent along. I've created an entry for Oak Bay Elementary School in the Encyclopedia section of the website and invite viewers to share their photos and recollections. |
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* * *
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1388 Monterey Avenue |
| I am wondering if you have any info on an old farm house at 1388 Monterey Ave? I understand it used to be part of the Noble Dairy Farm from what I am hearing… Any info would be very nice. |
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|
The Oak Bay Archives probably has information on the old Noble Dairy Farm, but we'll open your enquiry to our viewers. |
| Stuart Stark in his book Oak Bay Heritage Buildings (see page 95) gives a brief background on the Noble family, their farm and residences. |
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Genealogy Resource |
Hi Gary,
|
| My name is Debbie and I'm a teacher. I came across your website while searching for information about genealogy for an upcoming student project. The resources you have are very helpful! I just wanted to thank you and thought you should know how useful it is as it's made collecting information a lot easier. |
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—
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D Reynolds teacher
The After School Center
Bernalillo County, New Mexico |
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Oak Bay Night Club |
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Club Tango
1954-65
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Click on image to view enlargement
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| A few of us 70 yr olds were discussing the night clubs in Victoria in the '50s/'60s. What was the name of the club that was upstairs, next to the Oak Bay Theatre? |
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—
|
Lynn
Long time Greater Victoria resident |
|
The night club you are refering to is the Club Tango, which was Oak Bay's hot spot from 1954 until 1965. By 1966 owner Ian Diment relocated the club to 1037 View Street in town. |
| This upstairs space was originlly a lodge hall in 1936 and for many years served as studio facilities for several photography businesses. The space was vacant 1951-1953 and became the Club Tango in 1954. |
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* * *
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Victoria Riding Academy |
| You might want to share with your readers that there is in fact a wonderful FaceBook group of dedicated Carley's former horse lover's and many stories about the Carleys exist there. |
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| Worth a look!!! |
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—
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Janice Mason
horse lover |
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* * *
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| The History of Oak Bay Website |
| Hi Gary - just a quick thank you for all your time and efforts on The History of Oak Bay Website. Absolutely amazing history... I've spent countless hours in recent weeks on the site. |
|
Cheers! |
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* * *
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| Retaining Local History |
| Thanks for putting all of this together, it's so important that we retain our local history. |
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* * *
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The Old Charming Inn / Marilyn Bell |
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The Old Charming Inn
Spring, 1957
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Click on image to view enlargement
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| My mother Vera Cameron was the hostess at The Old Charming Inn in 1956. That was the summer that Marilyn Bell swam the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Marilyn stayed at The Old Charming Inn for several weeks while practicing for the swim. My mother asked her to sign this post card for me. The owners at that time were Stan and Dorothy Morrow. |
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—
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Ted Cameron
Attended Oak Bay High in 1956 |
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* * *
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St Patrick Street / Local Heritage Project |
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Book Cover
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Click on image to view enlargement
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Oak Bay is rich in heritage that we walk by every day. Robert Taylor and Janet Morningstar have taken the time to appreciate and document the heritage of their neighbourhood — one block of lovely oak-tree-lined St Patrick Street from Oak Bay Avenue to Brighton Avenue — in their remarkable publication, St Patrick Street, Oak Bay: An Architectural and Social History. Each house is showcased both graphically and in rich, architectural detail. But, as the title suggests, it’s not just about the houses. It’s also about the people who lived in these house over the years — retirees, educators, business executives, naval officers and proprietors of iconic Oak Bay businesses such as the Golden Galleon and Goblin coffee shops. The authors present a fascinating social history that shows how the boom, Depression, War and post-War years have influenced lifestyles and how this, in turn, has influenced architecture. As the Authors say, “Each of the houses has a story to tell.” Rich in detail, this book is both an enjoyable read and a valuable resource. And perhaps a guiding light for anyone contemplating a local heritage project. |
| Click here to download a free PDF copy (5.4 MB / 74 pages) of St Patrick Street, Oak Bay: An Architectural and Social History |
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* * *
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Protect Oak Bay Heritage |
|
| Here's your chance to get involved in Oak Bay history! |
| Become part of a collective voice to protect Oak Bay heritage. |
| Visit the Protect Oak Bay Heritage website |
|
|
| to learn the issues and become involved in the initial project: "The Prospect" — one of Oak Bay's first planned subdivisions. |
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* * *
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The History of Oak Bay Website |
| I have enjoyed my afternoon reading everything about the history of Oak Bay on your website. Thank you for putting this story in a format that is simple and fun to read. |
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* * *
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2470 Bowker Avenue |
| I am wondering if there are any descendants of Ernest Hayward or the Bell family. They lived at 2470 Bowker Ave before WW II. I am trying to find pictures of the interior, especially the living room, dining room or kitchen |
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* * *
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Newton Townley Burdick
|
| I was looking up the origin of Burdick Ave, and it was named after an Oak Bay reeve named Newton Townley Burdick. Fair enough. But then I looked up the origins of Newton and Townley streets...origins unknown. Being that they're so close to each other...Allenby is between them but apparently was just open field before 1951... I suspect good ol' NT Burdick was either really popular or had final say on street names. |
— |
Matthew Kowalyk
grew up in Oak Bay
|
|
OK, a bit more conjecture fodder . . . |
| Newton Townley Burdick served only three months of his one-year term as reeve of Oak Bay in 1918. He was partner in a Victoria real estate firm, Green & Burdick Bros Real Estate. |
| Both Townley and Newton Streets were built in 1912 and extended from Mt Tolmie Road (Richmond Avenue) in Saanich to Henderson Road in Oak Bay. |
| Newton Street was originally called Charlton Street until 1928. |
| Burdick Avenue in Oak Bay was built in 1923. |
| (Incidentally, it’s Carnarvon Street that’s between Townley and Newton, not Allenby, which is immediately north of Townley. We moved into our family home on Allenby in 1951, the same year the street was built – although Allenby Street had erroneously appeared in city maps for decades when the area was just open field.) gw |
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* * *
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Lulie Street |
| Does anyone know the namesake of "Lulie" Street? |
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|
Lulie Street was originally called St Lulie Street but was shortened to Lulie Street because of conflict with St Louis Street, also in Oak Bay. |
|
Which just begs the question: Who was St Lulie? |
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* * *
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Guernsey Street |
| Regarding the origin of the name "Guernsey Street," I was told this amusing story years ago: |
| Up until 1921 it was called "Katherine Street," but problems were arising because there was a Catherine Street in Vic West, and mail was being misdirected. |
| John Le Gresley owned a house on Oak Bay's Katherine Street, and while he was away on business some of his neighbours got together and arranged for the name to be changed to "Guernsey" in honour of Mr. Le Gresley's birthplace in the Channel Islands. |
| When Le Gresley arrived home, he thanked them kindly but informed them that he had in fact been born on Jersey. However, the name had been changed and, as there was already a Jersey Street in Victoria, "Guernsey" it remained. |
| I have no idea if this is true, but my (very aged) informant seemed quite sure about it, and in any case it's a charming story. |
| In 1985 when I bought my house on Guernsey, John's daughter (I believe her first name was Elise) still lived in the house in which she was born, and although she wasn't the one to give me this account, she might have informed my informant. |
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—
|
Hilary Knight
Oak Bay resident
since 1983 |
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* * *
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Uplands Golf Club Centenary |
| I am involved in writing up the history of Uplands Golf Club to coincide with the centenary in 2022. I would welcome any contributions but especially those that relate to the early days from 1922 to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. |
| Looking for stories and photographs and family memories passed down. |
| Specifically I would like anything in the Victoria Riding Academy formerly on the land now occupied by Uplands Estates and adjacent to the Seventh Fairway. |
| All offers will be grateful received and acknowledged. |
|
—
|
Frank Wilson
Retired university professor from the UK. In Oak Bay as resident and then citizen since 2008. Published author and poet. Former board member at Uplands and also at Wortley Golf Club, South Yorkshire, UK.
681 Newport Avenue, Victoria V8S 5C6
arnalw17@gmail.com |
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* * *
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"Thalassa" – 2767 Satellite Street |
| I am trying to find out about a house at 2767 Satellite called Thalassa. It was built in the mid-to-late 1920s and was apparently the home of sculptor Elza Mayhew at one point. Any information would be much appreciated. |
| This is a wonderful website -- brought back so many memories of growing up here in the 1950s. |
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* * *
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Sylvan Lane Connection? |
| As former residents of Oak Bay on Sylvan Lane, we are looking for any information that can link Sir Charles Seymour Wright (former member of Scott's Antarctica Expedition, early 1900s) to this location. Adrian Raeside was grandson to Sir Charles and wrote a book about him entitled, Return to Antarctica. |
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—
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Heather Hestler
now ex-Oak Bay residents but seriously seeking this confirmation
bluecrow@shaw.ca |
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* * *
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Oak Bay's Old Steam Roller |
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David Davies photograph
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 |
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Oak Bay's Old Steam Roller
BC Forestry Museum, Duncan
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Click on image to see steam roller at work in circa 1910 Oak Bay
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|
| What became of the Steam Roller Oak Bay had & used well into the 1950s? I rode on it when Transit Road was repaved in the mid-40s & saw it parked at the back of the works yard in the 1970s. |
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—
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Rev F Mark Mealing PhD
former resident, now living in West Kootenay
|
|
Oak Bay's old Ruston Steam Roller currently resides at the BC Forestry Museum in Duncan, British Columbia, where it's said to be in full working order and looking "like the day it left the factory" in England. |
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* * *
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2560 Orchard Avenue |
| I am trying to get information on James Drummond who was the first owner of our house at 2560 Orchard Ave in Oak Bay. The house was built in 1912. In the 1870s there was a Mayor of Victoria named James S. Drummond but he had passed away in the late 1800s. He was married to a daughter of John Tod (her name was Elizabeth) so there was an Oak Bay connection there. Welcome any thoughts as I am coming up empty handed when I search birth, death, census and newspaper records. |
| Thanks. |
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* * *
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Golden Galleon |
|
Royal BC Museum + Archives
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Golden Galleon
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Click on image to view enlargement and play jukebox
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|
| My mom was Virginia Zaluski and her dad Paul Zaluski built this fish and chip place. Paul was a stone mason by trade and travelled to Banff to build the welcome stone sign. Paul also built other buildings on Oak Bay Avenue. My mom and her sisters worked in this shop. The sisters names were Bernice and Jacqueline. I believe the woman behind the counter to be my mom.
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I wish I knew more. |
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—
|
Brenda Thompson
grand daughter of Paul Zaluski, original owner of the Golden Galleon |
|
Robert Taylor and Janet Morningstar have published a delightful book on the social history of selected homes on St Patrick Street and environs — including the home of your grandfather, with information on both the house and family members. (pages 45-46) |
| Click here to download a free PDF copy (5.4 MB / 74 pages) of St Patrick Street, Oak Bay: An Architectural and Social History |
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* * *
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Willows Arena (former Horse Show Pavilion) |
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Royal BC Museum and Archives
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I-00908
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Willows Arena
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Click on image to view enlargement
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I am looking for the arena the RCAF players used in 1944. My dad – Gordon Symons – played on the RCAF team there, then went overseas. |
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He played in the Quebec Junior league, his life long friend Herb Carnegie and his brother were the best players at that time, Bernie was just recognized in the Hockey Hall of fame. |
| Do you know which arena the RCAF hockey team played in 1944? |
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Bob Symons
Canadian Air Force 1944 |
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The arena you are looking for is the Willows Arena.
This building was once the Horse Show Pavilion on the former Willows Fairgrounds. It was converted to an ice rink — Willows Arena — in 1941 and immediately an ice-hockey league was established for WWII servicemen stationed in Victoria. |
| League play commences with the 1941/42 season and the calibre of hockey was very high as many easterners stationed in Victoria, either as servicemen or shipyard workers, played in the NHL or in eastern pro leagues. |
| In 1944 the building was destroyed by fire. |
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Polo at The Willows
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| Years ago, while playing polo near Puckle Road in Central Saanich, an elderly gentleman showed up with an album of photos of himself and others playing polo at The Willows in the 1920s and 1930s. |
| The recent passing of Ian Tyson caused me to read his autobiography again wherein he mentions riding around there where he lived as a young boy and that his father kept several ponies and played polo
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| I would like to know more about this and any other evidence of polo in Victoria -- especially at The Willows.
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Aerial Photos
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| Does anyone have a source for older aerial photos of the area around Glenlyon School and Fireman’s Park? |
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| Deal Street
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| I grew up on Deal Street in the '60s and I have always been curious as to when this street was developed. I am aware that the lower block was built before the upper part but I would like to know the timeframe and, if possible some history of the houses and addresses in the lower block, in particular, 1073 Deal. This was a magical area to grow up in! Proximity to the ocean and marina, back lanes and a safe place for a child to roam. |
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Thanks for any and all recollections and thanks also for this wonderful website! |
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According to city street directories, Deal Street was built between Orchard Street and Margate Street in 1910-11. The 1954 hot-air-balloon ride over Oak Bay shows that Deal Street, south of Margate Street, didn't yet exist in 1954. |
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Tait Brothers
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| I saw something I believe to be from this website when I Googled H W Tait…’The Tait Brothers of Oak Bay’ was the article. It was very interesting.
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Does anyone know of a Hubert W. (William?) Tait who was in his adult years in 1946 in Vancouver, but was from the Island…a mechanic it is believed who might have worked for Finning, the Caterpillar dealer (in Vancouver).
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Thanks for anything you might add. I’ll check back for responses and keep scanning this website, it is a lovely historical record of the area, thank you, all. |
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Patricia
friend of a Tait family member, possibly same family?
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OAK BAY motorman
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| My grandfather, Richard Johnson, was a motorman on the OAK BAY run. Maybe to 1940. Would like article and photos of this route. |
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Originally, in 1891, there were two city streetcar lines that extended into Oak Bay: WILLOWS (to Willows fairgrounds) and OAK BAY (to Oak Bay Beach). In 1913, a third line was added: UPLANDS (an extension from the fairgrounds to a new, upscale development).
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Each streetcar had a 2-man crew: a motorman (sometimes called the motorneer) and a conductor.
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The OAK BAY run started in 1891 as a shuttle service between "the junction" and Oak Bay Beach to help a realty consortium sell land, and served the community until May 16, 1948.
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There are some wonderful images of the OAK BAY run through an undeveloped 1940s Oak Bay in the new LIFESTYLES section of the website. |
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click on "old-fashioned view camera" icon to enjoy vintage photograph of, or from, that spot in that decade |
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Website Closure
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| Hi Gary, I grew up near the high school and municipal yard and have a lifelong fondness for Oak Bay, though I haven't lived there for decades. I just read the notice that you are closing this unique and invaluable website, and felt the impact down to my toes. This is an incredible resource, packed with information unavailable anywhere else, and I've learned an enormous amount about the place where I grew up that I'd never have known otherwise. I can't believe you would consider scrapping such a labour of love because of a development going in next to you, though I sympathize very much with the bitterness provoked by it |
| It's not the Oak Bay we grew up in, true enough, but surely not just the delight of nostalgic indulgence but also the inestimable value of preserving local history on a level of detail seldom encountered outweighs personal feeling. It makes no sense to me that what reads like an emotional decision should be allowed to torpedo such a vital resource that would benefit so many people by its continued availability.
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Of course it's your website and you can blow it to hell if you choose, but to me that's just letting the developers and their municipal hall cronies win. Preserving a record of previous generations' life and surroundings, particularly in such a unique and beautiful place, may be the only way to even remotely counteract their greed and lack of caring about the past and its value. Your site has been a source of joy and comfort to me for years, and to have it disappear because some greedheads got an inappropriate development approved is not only personally distressing, but does everyone who could ever benefit from its continued availability a terrible disservice. It's the opposite of the perpetual online existence such an irreplaceable resource deserves, and I hope you can reconsider. I can't be the only one who thinks that scuttling this ship would be a terrible, pointless tragedy. |
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Kevin Smith
Oak Bay High, class of 1982 |
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