special features - tweed summer 2015

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Art that defines a city THE WORKS OF ROBERT AMOS TWEED OAK BAY LIVING Good energy TOTEM RISES FOR NEW OAK BAY HIGH SCHOOL Wonderful Windsor HISTORICAL RIDE THROUGH A 125-YEAR-OLD PARK SUMMER 2015 INSIDE PEOPLE FOOD HISTORY › ARTS

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Art thatdefines a cityThe works of roberT Amos

Tweedoak bay livinG

Good energyToTem rises for new oAk bAy hiGh school

wonderful windsorhisToricAl ride ThrouGhA 125-yeAr-old pArk

SUMMER 2015

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#209 – 2250 Oak Bay Ave. (at Monterey) 778-433-4784 or 250-589-0010

Our caring in-home support staff help you get things

done with grace and dignity so that your daily routine is

smooth and comfortable. Our goal is to help you regain

independence in your own home, and ensure a better

quality of life, so that you can enjoy your summer more.

Customized service to meet your every need!

Award-Winning Service 3 years

in a row!

While we can’t physically turn back the clock... we can certainly make you feel like we did.

Conservative Wealth Management customized to you and your family’s needs

(250) [email protected]

Visit our website atholmeswealthmanagement.com

Managing investment portfolios is at the core of what we do, however, our clients have also come to rely on us for expertise in areas such as retirement, insurance and estate planning. Let’s talk about how our knowledge and resources can guide your total financial picture. We are here to help you.

® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used by ScotiaMcLeod. ScotiaMcLeod is a division of Scotia Capital Inc. (“SCI”). SCI is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund.

Proudly Serving Canadian Investors Since 1921

How can we help you?

4 Tweed SUMMER 2015

16 Historic Oak Bay

Writer Ivan Watson walks us through the history of Windsor Park.

25 Tea With Tweed editor

Susan Lundy chats with the exuberant Hazel Braithwaite.

26 Dogs on the Avenue

Photographer Don Denton captures the cute, the cuddly and the gangly in Oak Bay canines.

28 Oak Bay Insider

Christopher Causton gets in the swing of things at the Oak Bay Tennis Club.

22

18

13tEll

TWeeD!Tweed Magazine welcomes your oak bay suggestions

for the next edition. So, do tell!

Email editor Susan lundy at: [email protected]

insideTweedSummer 2015 Volume 3 | Issue 2

10 Cover Story Meet Oak Bay artist Robert Amos and his colourful artwork.

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• Popular Oak Bay food writer Cinda Chavich has published a new book that promises to help “save food, save money and save the environment, one carrot at a time.”

With more than 140 recipes and countless ideas, The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook is a practical guide to a sustainable kitchen, showing readers how to transform leftovers into delicious new dishes; store and preserve fresh foods to make them last longer, and shop smart, among several other tips.

The book also looks at the food waste crisis, debunks the myth of composting and the exaggeration of the “best-before date.” It also champions purchasing fresh, local, seasonal produce and offers strategies to make sure you get the most out of your food.

Chavich, a former Calgarian who moved to Oak Bay with her husband in 2012, is a freelance journalist who specializes in food, wine and travel writing. Her work has been widely published, and she is the award-winning author of six cookbooks.

As a food writer, she is exuberant about offerings available in Oak Bay, and can name several favourites, including Whole Beast ,Village Butcher, Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen, De’lish, Vis a Vis Bouchon/Bar, Snug Pub, and Willow’s Park Grocery.

• Oak Bay’s Dr. Joan Russow

is the honoured recipient of this year’s “Golden Oak” award. Oak Bay Councillor Tom Croft presented it at an informal lunch at the Oak Bay Recreation Centre in

April. Russow, a one-time head of the Green Party of Canada, has had a long history in activism and academia, working on global peace and justice issues as well as local conservation and heritage projects.• Members of the acclaimed

Vic High R&B Band are bringing their dynamic stage show to The Oaks Restaurant and Tea Room on Saturday, June 13 at 7 p.m. in support of Community Association of Oak Bay’s Sno’uyutth Pole Project (see story page 13).

Just back from performances in Memphis, Tennessee and across europe, the critically acclaimed young band will play a repertoire of pop, soul, and classic Motown hits. Tickets for the benefit performance are $20 at The Oaks and $25 at the door. Call 250-590-3155 for more information.

• Oak Bay welcomes classic car enthusiasts, August 9, to the annual Collector Car Festival, which takes place on “the Avenue.” The event, which draws more than 15,000 spectators, provides an opportunity for people to see cars that are not driven regularly, but which represent various eras of automobile history. For the event, Oak Bay Avenue is transformed into a pedestrian walkway as 250-300 vintage and collector cars are showcased.

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SUMMER 2015 Tweed 98 Tweed SUMMER 2015

EDITOR'S LETTER

The wonder of this glorious place

EDITOR

Susan LundyBorn and raised in Victoria, Susan Lundy has worked as a journalist, editor and freelance writer for over 25 years. She is also editor of Boulevard Magazine and her columns on family life run in several Black Press newspapers. Her first book — Heritage Apples: A New Sensation — was published in 2013.

Group Publisher Penny [email protected]

Associate GroupPublisher andadvertising inquiriesOliver [email protected] Cover Art:

Robert Amos

TWeeD magazine is published quarterly by Black Press. The points of view or opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher of Tweed. The contents of Tweed magazine are protected by copyright, including the designed advertising. Reproduction is prohibited without written consent of the publisher.

editorSusan [email protected]

Creative Design Victoria Calvo

Distribution250-480-3285 207A-2187 Oak Bay Ave.,

Victoria, BC V8R 1G1 Phone 250-381-3484 Fax 250-386-2624

www.oakbaynews.com

As I drove down Bowker Avenue towards Beach Drive — en route to the Kiwanis Tea Room at Wil-lows Beach — I savoured the sight of sweet homes, cushiony-looking green lawns and gardens so ablaze

in colour they seemed to vibrate.I considered the approaching ocean view — and in a flash

everything that goes with it, like sand and sun and boats bob-bing on the water — and the peaceful atmosphere that seemed to envelop it all.

I suddenly felt sorry for the rest of the world and wondered how anyone could drive down this street on a hot spring day and not want to quit the job, sell the house, pull the kids out of school and move here. To this very neighbourhood.

(Of course, part of the reason I felt so relaxed was the route itself. As much as I enjoy Oak Bay Avenue, I find driving down it is counterproductive to peace. It’s more like tackling a road rally course, where myriad decoys — unpredictable pedestrians, slow moving or stopped vehicles, wobbly cyclists — are thrown into your path, testing your skill and reflexes.)

The wonder of this city we call home stayed with me as I took my waterfront seat at the tearoom, and met the exuberant and hilarious Hazel Braithwaite (Tea With, page 25).

In the Kiwanis Tea Room — which has operated in this scenic spot for over 65 years — I looked out over Willows Beach, recalling old black and white family photos that depict my grandparents in their full-body swim suits, enjoying this very stretch of sand almost 100 years ago. And as my glance hit the concession window, I pictured both my parents lined up here as children, nickels clutched in their hands, mouths watering at the thought of ice cream.

Later, I drove to Cattle Point to walk my dogs along the off-leash, rocky shoreline (again … where else in the world?), enjoying the sun and gentle lapping of the waves. I realized I’m living the dream.

Personal history aside, one of my favourite aspects of Tweed is always the section dealing with Oak Bay’s past. I recall my dad talking about riding the streetcars, which opened up Oak Bay to the rest of the city in the early 1890s, and indirectly led to the cre-ation of Windsor Park, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year (see story page 16), and the Oak Bay Tennis Club (page 28).

This issue of Tweed also takes a meander through Louise Goulet’s amazing native plant garden (page 22); gives an amusing look at hav-ing feathered friends in the neigh-bourhood (Chicken Wrangling, page 18); and tells the story behind the totem, set to stand at the new Oak Bay High School (page 13).

But our cover story (page 10) brings me back to my happy place — i.e., living in this part of the world. Painter Robert Amos has made it his life’s work to document Victoria, including, of course, Oak Bay. A whole chapter in his and Amy Scoones’ book Hometown (published by Touchwood editions in 2013) is dedi-cated to Oak Bay … and look! Right there on the first page is the very table at which Hazel and I sat at the Kiwanis Tea Room.

Amos’ whimsical, colourful images evoke a sense of time and place … and joy. Much the same feeling I had driving down beautiful Bowker Avenue.

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SUMMER 2015 Tweed 98 Tweed SUMMER 2015

OAK BAY DiAryJuneto

SeptemberJuly 2 - 22winchesTer GAlleries presenTs Toni Onley: Unseen Paintings. Opening reception, July 11, 1-4 p.m.

July 13 - Aug. 15eclecTic GAllery presenTs Judy McLaren exhibit, Summer Heat. Opening reception, Saturday, July 18, 3-5 p.m.

August 9oAk bAy collecTor cAr fesTivAl features between 250 and 300 collectable cars, representing a range of eras from some of the earliest cars to colorful hot rods. Oak Bay Avenue will be closed to regular vehicle traffic.

August 16AnnuAl bowker creek brush up. Spend the day strolling along beautiful Bowker Creek, between Oak Bay High School and Hampshire Road, listening to music, enjoying refreshments, and watching art demonstrations.

september 8firsT dAy of The 2015-16 school yeAr at the brand new Oak Bay High School.

september 15-19AnnuAl mysTery show with 40 guest artists at Red Art Gallery. Tickets are available starting September 15 — only 40 tickets will be sold ahead of the Saturday “scramble.”

June obJecTs of desire at Red Art Gallery: gallery artists showcase their favourite things. Opening event, June 4, 6-8 p.m.

June 2 - 27Winchester Galleries presents liz chArsley-Jory and Terry fenTon. Opening reception June 6, 1-4 p.m.

June 8 - 11Eclectic Gallery presents the latest works from three talented plein air painters: desiree bond, deborAh czernecky And peTer dowGAilenko. Opening reception, June 13, 3-5 p.m.

Jun. 10, Jul. 8, Aug. 12& sept. 9Oak Bay Business Improvement Association presents oAk bAy villAGe niGhT mArkeTs, from 4-8 p.m., featuring local produce, fresh artisan bread, art, preserves, furniture, flowers, toys, magic, music and more.

June 14Join the rbcm field Trippers series and the Friends of Uplands Park for Beach Seine at Willows Beach. Starts at 9 a.m.

July 2firsT ThursdAy celebrATion at Red Art Gallery: gallery open until 8 p.m.

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By KORINA MILLERPhotos by ARNOLD LIM

robert Amos never sits around wondering what to paint next. For the past 35 years, he has focused on one very clear subject: Victoria.

“My experience was that Victoria needed someone to take a look at it. I decided to make it my subject, so that anytime anyone needed a painting of Victoria, they’d come to me,” he says from his home and studio in Oak Bay.

With eight published books under his belt, numerous artist residencies and countless solo exhibitions, Amos has certainly cornered the market. But he’s not simply painting pictures of Victoria — he’s recording the city’s story.

“Simply put, I’m a realist painter and my approach is often

called … whimsical, ” he pauses and smiles. “It’s based on observation. I love painting on location. To be able to look and see and create something there. It’s the experience of being in the place that I’m capturing. There’s always a push and pull in a representational painting between more and more accuracy and the free play of your imagination. As an artist, although I often have clear intentions, the paintings have a mind of their own. Things happen.”

Amos quickly became entrenched in the Oak Bay community, when he moved here three years ago. He was invited to paint one of the community’s three public pianos and to contribute a drawing of a heritage building to the collection in the Council Chambers.

“The emphasis on the arts in Oak Bay is very satisfying. It’s a beautiful place and there are new opportunities all the time.

painting the history of now

SUMMER 2015 TWEED 1110 TWEED SUMMER 2015

The whimsical artwork ofRobert AmosAt the moment, my life is bliss. My wife Sarah takes good care of me, I live in the most beautiful situation and I get to spend my days doing exactly what I think is important.”

Amos grew up in suburban Toronto and studied fine art at York University. It was his interest in Japanese art that first brought him to the coast in the 1970s.

“There was a collection of Japanese art at the Victoria Art Gallery but it wasn’t on show. Instead, that first afternoon, I fell in love with Victoria.”

He decided then and there to make Victoria his home, and was hired as assistant to the director at the gallery. After five years, he left to pursue art full time.

“I decided I had to get on with it and not just do it in my spare time. I’ve never had a job since. I make my living painting pictures. Victoria is a gift for a landscape painter. Every type of landscape you want is right here.”

A large part of Amos’ professional life is devoted to commissioned paintings of local homes and gardens.

“Painting the architecture is a piece of cake. I’m trying to capture the context of where people live. The time of day, season, quality of light. The ambience of the neighbourhood can be included if you have the skill and vision. That’s something I take pride in.”

“My approach is narrative. Why not have the children looking out the window? The husband in the yard? The old jalopy in the driveway that the family did a road trip in 30 years ago?”

He’s telling the story of the family, creating what he calls, “heirlooms of the future.”

“Art is communication and if you’re just sitting silently in your studio, it gets tedious. I’d rather be communicating.”

One of Amos’ current projects is a collection of paintings of views from the Victoria Golf Club in Oak Bay.

“It is one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world. You play on the seaside, beneath mature trees. I’ve been creating a

sequence of paintings of the Victoria Golf Course for over a year now.”

He paints the course at dawn and twilight when no one is there. The colours are strong, the greens intense. As you look out toward the painted sea, you forget yourself for a moment. The sense of place is potent.

Amos’ art is not confined to painting; it extends to sketching, calligraphy and decorating pottery.

He also leads an arts group with senior residents at Mount St. Mary Hospital, and says, “It’s like watering flowers. They just totally get into the zone. Sink into creative play. There’s a beautiful buzz in the room. They’re painting the most remarkable things. ”

He’s also an art historian, researching and writing about local artists since the 1980s.

“Victoria is a gift for a landscape

painter. Every type of landscapeyou want isright here.”

ROBERT AMOS

Familiar scenes from Oak Bay figure prominently in Robert Amos’ body of work, as he documents the story of Victoria through his art.

SUMMER 2015 Tweed 1312 Tweed SUMMER 2015

“Art historians generally work on dead artists. But we’re surrounded by living ones. That’s my focus,” he explains, adding that he decided at one point to “never write a negative review again ... Instead, I spend my time choosing the subject and then explaining to readers why I approve of it.”

He’s passionate about how the current art scene will be preserved in history.

“I prefer to interview artists rather than write a review of what’s hanging on the wall. History will appreciate that somebody copied down what they said. I consider my writing to be the history of art in Victoria, one chapter at a time. It’s the history of now so that in the future, we’ll have something to look back on.”

Beyond his writing, Amos continues to tell the story of present day Victoria through his own paintings.

“The creative engagement with your environment yields very telling results. Certainly, the archives are full of photographs. But why do we treasure and pay large amounts of money for paintings? People get something more from them. They see the landscape through the artist’s eyes. They get a chance to share a creative relationship with the location.”

He’s recording not just the location but how people feel about the city. “You put a person in between the subject and the recording device and you get emotional content. There’s a beautiful rapport that goes on there.”

Learn more about Robert Amos and his work atwww.robertamos.com.

Artist robert Amos with some of his artwork at his oak bay home and studio.

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By JOSEPH BLAKEPhotos by CATHIE FERGUSON

One of Victoria’s most prolific public artists will be “spreading good energy” at Oak Bay’s new high school.

Butch Dick — a Lekwungen (Songhees) First Nations elder, educator and artist — has been commissioned by the Community Association of Oak Bay to design a 20-foot totem pole, which will stand on Cadboro Bay Road in front of the new, $50 million high school. Butch calls the pole Sno’uyutth — which means “spreading good energy” in the Lekwungen language — and his son, Clarence, is carving it.

The 200-member Community Association of Oak Bay is a volunteer group that organizes several events each year in Oak Bay, including the annual McNeil beach clean-up. It started a decade ago with efforts to create the Oak Bay Community Green Map: A Guide to Oak Bay’s Treasures, which was completed in 2012.

The Sno’uyutth pole project grew out of the Community Association’s dream to create a piece of public art. Board member Gail Price-Douglas previously worked as a public art coordinator, supporting Victoria’s Art in Public Policy, and was familiar with Butch Dick and his sons.

An artist in her own right, and living with her husband and fellow-artist Ron Douglas in a home-studio near the high school, Price-Douglas suggested contacting Butch to see if he could create a piece of First Nations art for the Community Association’s public art project. Butch designed Sno’uyutth specifically for Oak Bay.

“Butch is such a wonderful man, an important artist and an inspired educator,” Price-Douglas explains. “It’s our hope the pole will last more than 100 years in front of the new Oak Bay High School as a sign of respect and reconciliation with the First Nations people, who have lived here for thousands of years.”

She adds, “The pole is topped by Earth Mother, and her hair — which runs down the back of the pole — represents Bowker Creek. There is a coho salmon carved in her hair and a camas

Clarence Dick carving Sno’uyutth for the new Oak Bay High School.

GoodEnergyHigh school totem rising from the artistic prowess of Butch and Clarence Dick

SUMMER 2015 Tweed 1514 Tweed SUMMER 2015

butch dick with his carvings at the songhees wellness centre, where he is artistic director.

SUMMER 2015 Tweed 1514 Tweed SUMMER 2015

flower (found in Oak Bay’s Garry oak meadows) sits at the bottom of the pole, representing an important food source for the First Nations.”

Butch Dick is one of Victoria’s most prolific public artists, with carvings featured at Spirit Square (Centennial Square), Ogden Point Breakwater, University of Victoria and seven sites throughout the city via The Spindle Whorl Project.

He graduated from Vancouver City College, and then spent four years at Vancouver School of Art and two more years studying graphic design at Camosun College. This was all in preparation for a year’s study of Native Art under the instruction of famed Kwakwaka’wakw artist Tony Hunt.

“The college offered a Native design course, which I enrolled in, and Tony was the teacher,” the soft-spoken artist explained. “This was a defining point as far as designing was concerned, as this is exactly what I needed at the time.”

Butch is artistic director of the Songhees Wellness Centre, a $24-million facility on Admirals Road. The entranceway’s circular driveway features five poles designed by Butch, plus his towering contemporary centrepiece of a loon-shaped ladle. The highly stylized cedar carving stands just inside another of his designs — a spiraling parking lot mural — and inside the building sits a pair of welcome figures also designed by the master Lekwungen artist. The works at the Songhees Wellness Centre are arguably the finest examples of Butch’s artistic genius, but his other public art is probably better known.

In 2009, Centennial Square was renamed Spirit Square to honour the Lekwungen-speaking people and the 150th

anniversary of the founding of the British Columbia Crown Colony. It features Two Brothers, a pair of spirit poles designed by Butch and carved by his sons, Clarence and Bradley.

The spindle is considered the foundation of the Coast Salish family, and Signs of the Lekwungen, The Spindle Whorl Project, includes seven bronze site markers that are castings of Butch’s original cedar carvings.

Mentoring students has been a major part of Butch Dick’s life. For four years at the University of Victoria under Dr. Lorna Williams, Butch served as an assistant professor in Indigenous Learning and Teaching. For two decades he was a First Nations art and culture teacher with the First Nations education Division of School District 61 and for the last seven years has served as education liaison with Songhees Nation.

Inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2013, Butch was recently selected as this year’s recipient for Leadership Victoria’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

Joseph Blake is a member of the Oak Bay CommunityAssociation.

“It’s our hope that it will last more than 100 years in front

of the new Oak Bay High School as a

sign of respect and reconciliation with the First Nations people.”

GAil price-douGlAs

At Oak Bay Marina, 1327 Beach Drive Victoria 250-598-3890 | docksideeatery.com

Financial planning services and investment advice are provided by Royal Mutual Funds Inc. (RMFI). RMFI, RBC Global Asset Management Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Trust Corporation of Canada and The Royal Trust Company are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. RMFI is licensed as a financial services firm in the province of Quebec. ® \ ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ©2011 Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. 45808 (09/2011).Financial planning services and investment advice are provided by Royal

Mutual Funds Inc. (RMFI). RMFI, RBC Global Asset Management Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Trust Corporation of Canada and The Royal Trust Company are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. RMFI is licensed as a financial services firm in the province of Quebec.® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ©2011 Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. 45808 (09/2011)

Philip Stirton, Investment & Retirement Planning 250-883-9033 [email protected]

Looking for Investment & Retirement Advice? Talk to me today.

Financial planning services and investment advice are provided by Royal Mutual Funds Inc. (RMFI). RMFI, RBC Global Asset Management Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Trust Corporation of Canada and The Royal Trust Company are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. RMFI is licensed as a financial services firm in the province of Quebec.® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ©2011 Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. 45808 (09/2011)

Philip Stirton, Investment & Retirement Planning 250-883-9033 [email protected]

Looking for Investment & Retirement Advice? Talk to me today.

Financial planning services and investment advice are provided by Royal Mutual Funds Inc. (RMFI). RMFI, RBC Global Asset Management Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Trust Corporation of Canada and The Royal Trust Company are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. RMFI is licensed as a financial services firm in the province of Quebec.® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. ©2011 Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. 45808 (09/2011)

Philip Stirton, Investment & Retirement Planning 250-883-9033 [email protected]

Looking for Investment & Retirement Advice? Talk to me today.

Philip Stirton,Investment & Retirement Planning

[email protected]

2255 Oak Bay Ave., Victoria

SUMMER 2015 TWEED 17

hisToric oak bay

by IVaN WaTSoN

on a recent seaside walk in Oak Bay, I stopped to

admire the Ada Beaven Rose Garden at the corner of Newport Avenue and Currie Road.

There, I reflected on the fascinating history of

Windsor Park — Oak Bay’s evergreen civic playground — which has served as the municipality’s centre stage for spectacular sporting and cultural events over the decades. This year marks its 125th birthday, and my mind wandered back to its origins and the park’s role in fostering a vibrant community spirit during Oak Bay’s formative years.

In the early 1890s, Oak Bay — not yet incorporated as a mu-nicipality — was in a period of transition. Property developers, enticed by Oak Bay’s proximity to Victoria and its scenic ocean views, saw the area’s potential as a seaside town modelled after the famous resorts in England.

In 1891, the BC Electric Railway constructed a streetcar line from Oak Bay Junction to the “Oak Bay Beach” (near the cur-rent site of the marina) to provide a waterfront shuttle connect-ed to its Fort Street city service. It was an immediate success and crowds soon flocked to enjoy Oak Bay’s sandy beaches.

In 1893, the Oak Bay Golf Club and Mount Baker hotel opened. Residential development gathered pace and local street names such as Margate, Newport and Brighton highlighted the English seaside resort ambience.

In 1895, the railway company reserved a large section of land at the corner of Newport and Saratoga (later renamed Wind-sor Road) to create the new “Oak Bay Recreation Grounds.” The aim was to introduce potential homebuyers to the area. The land set aside for the new park was prone to flooding and

— fortunately for future generations — unsuitable for develop-ment.

In the spring of 1895, the grounds were groomed to create a proper lawn, grandstand seating was installed and preparations were made for a gala opening day. The Colonist newspaper reported: “Visitors will have the added enjoyment of one of Victoria’s finest views and the comfortable grandstand, open to the fresh sea breeze for which Oak Bay is famous.”

Opening day was set for Saturday, May 25, 1895 and co-incided with an exciting three-day festival around the city to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday. On May 23, the Colonist noted: “Everything on the grounds is in readiness for the large crowd of visitors who are expected to view the open-ing.”

The honour of opening the grounds was given to the Victoria Capitals lacrosse team, which would face its archrival, the Maple Leaves of Westminster, in the first match of the BC Lacrosse Association’s 1895 season. Admission cost 25 cents with an additional 10 cents for grandstand seating.

BC’s fifth Lieutenant Governor, Edgar Dewdney, and Real Admiral Henry Frederick Stephenson of the Royal Navy’s Pacific Station at Esquimalt headed up the official party. After the captains of each team were presented to the dignitaries, the Colonist reported, Lieutenant Governor Dewdney provided the official welcome and “in a few pleasant words referred to the splendid new grounds that were inaugurated by the match that afternoon.”

Streetcars ran every 10 minutes to the gate of the park and cost passengers a nickel for the 20-minute ride from down-town. Over 1,500 spectators (approximately three times the population of Oak Bay at the time) were seated in the grand-stand ready for play to begin.

The match did not disappoint and after vigorous play, the home side was down 3-2 with 10 minutes remaining. The Cap-itals made a “tremendous effort to even up” but were foiled by the Maple Leaves who had “deliberately” thrown the ball “over the grandstand to waste time and prevent any possibility of the Capitals scoring before time was called.”

WonderfulWindsorOak Bay’s evergreen playground turns 125

16 TWEED SUMMER 2015

SUMMER 2015 Tweed 17

seen here, clockwise from far left: newspaper ad for the opening day of the park, may 25, 1895; bike races showing the windsor park grandstand, 1890s; streetcars at windsor park, possibly from opening day in 1895; kids paddling in flooded windsor park, circa 1980.

After the thrilling match, the British Columbia Battalion of Garrison Artillery performed a free promenade concert.

Over the decades, Windsor Park has hosted professional baseball, cricket, rugby, track and field, tennis (the spot now occupied by the Oak Bay Scented Garden was the original home of the Oak Bay Tennis Club — see separate story, page 28) and many other sporting and special events. A month after its official opening, a large cinder track for cycling was inau-gurated with bicycle races led by the Victoria “Wheelman’s Club.”

entrepreneurial types such as John Virtue, proprietor of the Mount Baker Hotel, seized on opportunities to bring in the crowds. On July 11, 1896 he organized a “tournament of field sports,” including such exciting novelties as “trick bicycle riding,” a “double trapeze act,” a “Spanish ladder act” and bicycle races and tug-of-war matches all played to the accom-paniment of a “continuous concert by the band of the Fifth Regiment.”

In 1918, the streetcar company offered the park to the Oak Bay municipality for $10,000. Put to a public referendum, the

proposal lost by one vote. In 1921, the streetcar company tried again, offering it at the same price, but payable over a five-year term with no interest. This time, the public voted in favour.

The name was changed to Windsor Park to align with the recent renaming of Saratoga Road as Windsor Road, and to underline the

patriotic sentiments of Oak Bay residents since the Royal Family

had recently adopted the Windsor surname.Until improvements were made in the late 1980s, Windsor

Park flooded every winter and transformed into a suburban lake. Local children, happy to splash around in the muddy waters, created makeshift boats and paddled around the park to the amusement of onlookers.

Over the years, three pavilions have anchored the park’s social scene. The current one opened in 2006 to mark the municipality’s centennial.

With 125 years of history, Windsor Park evokes countless memories of happy summer days, and the next chapter in its evolution looks to be as bright as its distinguished past. Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen believes that the park’s magic helps bring “all ages and all interests together” and he envisions a future with “more of the same — a place for friends and neigh-bours to gather to celebrate community.”

Do you have special memories, photos or stories of Windsor Park? If so, I’d love to hear from you. Tel: 250-418-0700 / Email: [email protected] / Twitter @watsonivan

16 Tweed SUMMER 2015

SUMMER 2015 Tweed 1918 Tweed SUMMER 2015

By BARRIE MOENPhotos by DON DENTON

“Chickens,” I said. “Yes, chickens,” my wife assured me.

“Apparently Oak Bay loves chickens.”The next morning I invited myself into my

neighbours’ backyard and was greeted by the peeping of four little, sunshine-yellow pom-poms flitting about the yard of our neighbours’ Westdowne Road home. One would need a heart of stone not to smile at the sight of newly hatched chicks.

“Oak Bay council approves of these little critters?” I asked my neighbour, Alvera Leal.

“Sure,” he replied. “With four conditions: maximum of four, girls club only, no roosters/cockerals, and they must be

registered with the township.” Turns out, an inspector swings by the yard to make sure

you’re following the rules and checking that your coop meets bylaw standards for property out buildings. I suddenly remembered that just that morning I’d been staring quizzi-cally at coops for sale in front of a hardware store on Oak Bay Avenue.

A year is a long time in the life of a chicken; therefore, it seemed like no time at all and the little sisters had evolved from pom-poms to red-feathered hens, which we dubbed “the aunties.” I smiled when I heard them cackling and clucking away over the fence; however, when the aunties ap-peared in my yard one afternoon, I decided to check further on their progress.

The mystery wasn't how they got out an open gate next

wrAnGlinG

oAk bAy

Chicken

SUMMER 2015 Tweed 1918 Tweed SUMMER 2015

door, it was how they managed to clear the fence to alight onto my property. It took Alvera, plus his father, Pie, and myself half an hour to lure the birds away, as they seemed quite content to hop about in our yard. After wrangling up the chickens, I wrangled up the Leal family: Alvera's wife, Linda, daughter, Desi, and the twins, Sadie and Ollie (who are now 11) and Harley, their Australian miniature shepherd.

“Mom and dad just announced one day we were getting chickens,” the twins said.

“Who promised to take care of them?” “Dad did,” they assured me. “Does he take care of them?” “Yep,” they chorused, with Ollie

adding, “I won't touch them.”“I would wash and blow dry

their feathers if they would stand still and let me,” offered Sadie.

“Are you a certified chicken beauty technician?” I wondered.

“Sort of,” she answered.“Okay, how about Harley, is he a

certified chicken herder?”Strictly amateur, they assured me: “He just chases them

around with his squeaky dog toy. If he gets too close they peck him.”

“Are chickens smart?” I prodded. “Sort of. They seem to know when to run, when to hide

and where to lay their eggs. They didn't have a family to teach them anything. They just seem to know.”

“So, intuitive intelligence,” I suggested. “Do you worry about them at night?”

“A little, I guess,” Sadie answered. “I feel better when they’re locked in their little house.”

“How about the eggs?” “Well, we eat some, give some away, and I sell some at St.

Patrick’s school,” Sadie replied.“What's your favourite thing about having chickens?” I

asked. “Nothing,” Ollie replied, “They poo everywhere. I’m

always slipping on it.”“Okay!” I said. “Sadie?” “The eggs and the cash,” she answered.“What about Desi? What does she do?” “All she does is keep changing the name of her chicken,”

the twins chorused. “Which one is hers?” “Who knows; they all look the same,” they agreed. “So has this been a good experience like your dad prom-

ised?” I asked. “Naw!” they agreed.How about those indistinguishable hens? Do they have

names? Of course! Fireball, Harriet, Ruby and Desi's nom de jour, Chloie.

Not just any old names, mind you; after all, these are Oak Bay chickens.

Epilogue:After a year, the great chicken experiment went sideways.

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FEATURE 3

Though not “stronger than locomotives,” chickens are faster than speeding bullets, able to leap over high hedges so frequently that both owners’ and neighbours’ patience begins to wane. One neighbor said she found 13 eggs in her yard. The Leals eventually sold the chickens and although Sadie may have lost her easy cash cow, Ollie can now run about the yard with no fear of slipping. However, chickens have not become extinct in the neighbourhood, as Greg and Kathy Gudgeon, enamored by the prospect of melodic cack-ling and egg collection, erected another Hen House Hilton. And as Louis Jordan refrained, there still “ain’t nobody here but us chickens.”

Above, oak bay chickens; previous page, twins ollie and sadie leal stand in front of a chicken coop.

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rootsnative

louise Goulet with her coton

de Tulear dogs Toscane

and piero in her backyard

garden.

SUMMER 2015 Tweed 2322 Tweed SUMMER 2015

OAK BAy GArden

By JENNIFER BLyTHPhoto by DON DENTON

Approaching the Oak Bay home of Dr. Louise Goulet and Michael McIlvaney at the height of spring, the wash of beautiful camas blooms and purple shooting stars suggests an easy, centuries-

old natural landscape.Not so.The carefully crafted native plant garden has actually

been six years in the making as the two, with their son, Daniel, sought, salvaged and replanted plants, bulbs, seeds and trees that would otherwise have been lost to develop-ment.

Goulet, a retired wildlife biologist/park planning man-ager, was executive director of the Garry Oak ecosystems Recovery Team (GOeRT) for almost three years. It was here she fully realized the uniqueness of the local Garry oak ecosystems.

“In Canada, we only find these in southeast Vancouver Island and some of the Gulf Islands, with less than five per cent remaining in a near natural habitat. In the Capital Regional District, less than one per cent remains,” Goulet says, adding, “Yet, Garry oak habitat remnants are incred-ibly rich in terms of biodiversity, including hundreds of plant and animal species, of which more than 100 species are rare or endangered.”

As planning began for the new garden — which meant going back to bare soil to begin again — the goal was to preserve threatened Garry oak and woodland plant species in a beautiful, educational native garden, year-round. ex-tensive landscaping included more showy, long-blooming, later-blooming or evergreen native plants.

“We must keep in mind that I was creating a garden using native plants, not trying to restore an existing native meadow,” she notes.

Starting from virtually nothing, Goulet began stock-piling plants while landscaping meadow and stream habitats in the front yard and a woodland habitat in the side garden — Goulet’s favourite space in the native garden.

“On a hot summer day, as you walk through this shady lane, you feel cooler, moister air and a smell like that of a native forest. There is no other feeling like it.”

Today, about 200 species are at the home in varying habitats, including meadow, woodland and stream. Goulet also provides native plants and seeds for restoration proj-ects and offers presentations to groups looking to launch similar projects. Taking the beauty and rewards of native plants to the masses seven years ago, Goulet started the Native Garden Tour, which continues with Habitat Acqui-sition Trust.

While gardening with native plants brings many rewards,

“On a hot summer day, as you walk through this shady lane, you

feel cooler, moister air and a smell like that of a native forest. There is no other feeling like it.”

louise GouleT

Careful, joyful crafting of a native plant gardenit’s not without its challenges, including proper identifica-tion of plants and their requirements, finding plants to be bought, salvaged or traded and recognizing and removing weeds.

There are also a few misconceptions about native plant gardens — that they are nothing but unsightly grasses, for example.

“Not so,” Goulet says. “They can include so many beau-tiful shrubs and flowers as well as gorgeous native bunch grasses that will not take over your garden.”

Some also believe developing a native garden means an all-or-nothing approach.

In fact, strolling along the stepping stone path through Goulet’s woodland garden, a gate opens to the rear garden — an equally stunning traditional space with deep, undulating beds of trees, shrubs, perenni-als and bulbs. A charming pond welcomes birds, insects and wildlife, while fencing dressed in espaliered apple trees and clematis opens to several raised garden beds, brimming with herbs and veggies.

“I have been an avid gardener for over 30 years,

starting with the ornamental garden at the back of our house. It took my husband and me four years to remove wall-to-wall blackberry, ivy, morning glory, couch grass and thistle. Then, we spent 16 years only working on weekends to develop new beds in that garden. I would not give it up for anything, including native plants!” she says.

So, after 30 years and several distinct garden styles and habitats, does Goulet still have a plant wish list?

“Absolutely! Doesn’t every gardener? And I certainly hope to continue to discover new native plants and chal-lenges,” she says.

Of course, experience has also brought a few species she’d treat a little more cautiously today.

“Particularly in a small garden, any plant that grows vigorously by rhizome will take over; it is only a matter of time. With thimbleberry for example, I had to pull out new vigorous shoots, emerging more than six feet into my neighbour’s yard. Compound that with a species that not only spreads via its roots, but also readily establishes itself by seed, like the Douglas aster, and you have a mega problem. I broke a shovel and a gardening knife trying to remove that aster from my garden and I’m still fighting

SUMMER 2015 Tweed 2524 Tweed SUMMER 2015

seeds left to germinate!”For gardeners who would like to add native plants, it is

as easy as creating a small planter with native species that share the same growing conditions, Goulet says.

Alternatively, try planting native plants within an or-namental garden. Shrubs such as native mock orange or Oregon grape will readily contribute to an ornamental garden, as will native camas, shooting star or columbine.

“Ornamentals are more rewarding in terms of plant variety, size and blooming time — you can have flowers blooming almost year-round. Native plants tend to bloom within a narrow window each year, but they do need little water and care once they are well established,” Goulet reflects.

“So why not have the best of both worlds by having an ornamental garden and a manageable native garden?” she asks. “Victoria is blessed with such beauty and natural diversity. We must not only enjoy it but also help preserve it for our own children and others.”

DO YOU KNOW?Oak Bay has several native Garry oak areas and gardens,

including Uplands and Anderson Hill parks, the Oak Bay native garden and small native gardens behind Oak Bay United Church and around seven First Nation Heritage monuments. Volunteer maintenance help is welcome — call Oak Bay Parks and Recreation.

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Photo DON DENTON

Tweed editor Susan Lundy (right) enjoys tea with Hazel Braithwaite at the Kiwanis Tea Room at Willows Beach.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your path to oak bay:I was born in england and came to Canada (Calgary) in 1966

when I was seven. I worked as a junior geophysicist in the oil field and then moved to Papua New Guinea to teach mathemat-ics at the University of Lae with my hubby. We then travelled around Asia for a while before moving to Oak Bay in 1988.

so what does a geophysicist do?First we have to learn how to spell geophysicist! Once we can

do that, then we basically have to get a picture of what’s below the earth’s surface. We do this by using the seismic method — sending shock waves to penetrate the earth (kind of like sonar) and then use the returning echo to tell us what lies below. We then interpret that data and determine where best to drill for oil and gas.

who is your family?I am a middle child of seven — my siblings all live in Alberta

— but I took the BC IQ test and passed! I have been married to Rod for 30 years this year (June 23 actually — so this is his re-minder…). He is the CFO at Victoria Hospice, and we have one beautiful daughter, Lauren, who is a CA working on the Google audit in California.

what are some of the highlights of being a municipal councillor?It’s definitely not the pay! It has a lot more to do with being able to help people. I truly believe that you can make the biggest dif-ference being involved at the municipal level.

tEA WItH hAzel brAiThwAiTe

Claim to fame: Oak Bay Councillor, my homemade fudge, I invented the YES (Young Exceptional Star) Awards and I once helped to catch a bank robber (honestly).

Hazelbraithwaite

can you give an example of how you’ve made adifference in oak bay?

I think I would have to say through my volunteerism and the development of the Young exceptional Star (YeS) Awards. I started volunteering when my daughter was at St. Christopher’s Montessori. I was the treasurer there and then PAC president for a number of years when she attended Willows School. I also volunteered for Bays United FC, and was lucky enough to be president for about eight years. Volunteering within the community can make such a difference and I have been fortunate to be able to do so for the past 25 years. One of my favourite contributions while on council has been the implementa-tion of the YeS Awards. These awards celebrate the wonderful things our youth in Oak Bay do and I am very proud to be a part of them.

As a member of the tourism committee, what do youtell people about oak bay?

I tell them that after having travelled all over the world, there is truly no place better than Oak Bay to live and raise a family. (And I tell them Tweed is the new black.)

what brings you joy?Family, friends, food and volunteering. Driving along Beach Drive

and looking at the gorgeous view of the ocean and Mt. Baker. Who could ask for anything more than that?

what are your hobbies?Adventure hiking — yes, I carry a pack on my back and hike for

weeks at a time. (The things we do for our spouses!) I also enjoy bike riding, and I’m an avid softball player.

SUMMER 2015 Tweed 2726 Tweed SUMMER 2015

clockwise from top: Henry, a 2.5-year-old Wheaten mix; Henry, a 12-year-old Whippet; Josie, a 7-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever; Jada, a 2.5-year-old Afghan; Koda, a 9-year-old Havanese, and Lily, an 2.5-year-old Goldendoodle.

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dogs [dawgs, dogs] 1. The best friend of men, women and children, bred in many sizes and shapes. The Avenue [thuh av-uh-nyoo, -noo] 1. a popular destination for those seeking funky eateries, awesome art galleries and trendy stores in oak bay.

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SUMMER 2015 Tweed 2726 Tweed SUMMER 2015

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SUMMER 2015 Tweed 2928 Tweed SUMMER 2015

Christopher Causton was mayor of Oak Bay for 15 years, and now works as a Harbour Ferries Captain.

OAK BAy insider

By CHRISTOPHER CAUSTON

“worth the wait” is a well-known expression that is certainly ap-plicable to the Oak Bay Tennis Club.

Over a seven-year period, I slowly moved up the in-famous wait-list before becoming a full member, and currently the “queue” includes over 425 keen tennis players, waiting to join a wonderful club.

The game was first played in Bermuda in 1874, and by the early 1900s, enthusiasm for the sport had spread to Victoria. The BC electric Railway owned Oak Bay Park (see separate story on Windsor Park), and allowed those employees who were keen tennis players to hack out a “formidable tangle of bush” in order to create two tennis courts. Cinders from the company’s gas works were used as foundation for the surface.

On May 3, 1914, the courts were officially opened and the first tennis games were played with a break for afternoon tea, complete with cucumber sandwiches (with the crusts off, of course).

By 1923, Oak Bay was the proud owner of the park, and over the years, tennis enthusiasts had been busy. A lot was purchased, with the support of BC electric Railway, on Bowker Street and a year after, another one on Cavendish.

Originally, the site was chosen as a possible turn-around spot for trams, but employees prevailed upon the company to use it as a tennis club, and in 1923 two courts and a club house were opened. A third lot was bought in 1937 and a third court added the following year. These were clay courts, and the company paid all the bills, including taxes.

By 1958, there was a general decline in tennis activity, with the number of courts in Victoria, dropping from

20 to three. The BC electric Railway, concerned about the small number of employees in the club, insisted they start paying the bills.

In 1962, when the company became part of BC Hydro, the club was given four years to buy the prop-erty. There was much haggling over the numbers, but the eventual purchase price for three lots was $9,000!

Forty charter members bought memberships worth $50 each and Ivy Hill provided a mortgage for $7,000 with 23 years to repay. In 1978, porous con-crete replaced the asphalt, and 1984 saw the addition of a new clubhouse, which can still be glimpsed from the street.

In 2006, after 28 years of porous con-crete, a new plexi-pave with a base of plexi-cushion was chosen to replace it. Courts “without bird baths” was the cry and hence the courts have a one per cent grade for drainage.

I was honoured to be asked, as mayor, to open them. Huge thanks are due to those 40 charter members who put up the money so that hundreds of people can continue to enjoy a good game of tennis in a wonderful setting. To one of them, George Met-calfe, I am very grateful for his history of the club, which I have used as research and condensed.

Oak Bay’s coveted tennis clubLaying the foundation of Oak Bay’s coveted tennis club

DO YOU KNOW?

Why are the cross-ing signs in Oak Bay yellow, when in most other municipalities they are white? Please reply to:

[email protected] correct an-

swer will be randomly drawn and that winner will be my guest for lunch!

“Worth the wait” is a well-known

expression that is certainly applicable

to the Oak Bay Tennis Club.

chrisTopher cAusTon

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MEEt oUR ADvErtISErS

oak Bay Hearing CliniCWith her doctorate in audiology & 17 years’ experience, Dr. Wright is well suited to improve your hearing, even in the most difficult listening situations. See ad on page 27

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Carlton HoUSe of oak Bay satisfies expectations for an attractive, well-maintained & secure retirement residence, while fostering a supportive community of enjoyment, camaraderie & pride.See ad on page 20

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atHlone traVelis a full service locally owned travel agency – serving the community since 1986. Our experienced team would be delighted to assist with all of your travel needs. See ad on page 20

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DANCE Of THE HERONparting Shot

This spectacular photograph was submitted by Steve Smith, and here’s what he had to say about it: “I was sitting on a rock by the Oak Bay Marina, talking to a heron that was about

50 feet away. The heron had its back turned against the breeze, which was ruffling its feathers. It wasn’t stand-ing in the water and wasn’t fishing. It was just standing, looking out towards the boats in the marina. After a few minutes, it turned to face me, fixing me with the ‘heron stare.’ After that it started striking a series of dramatic

poses. First it picked up a strand of seaweed and trailed it about like a ribbon dancer, all the while looking at me. Then it stretched its neck out, made an awful noise, half lifted its wings and erected its feathers. After that it spread its wings wide like a dancer with the feathers still erect (above). eventually it gave a croak and flew away.”

“Parting Shot” is a special photographic feature that runs in each edition of Tweed. Send your high-resolution images to Tweed editor Susan Lundy for consideration in an upcoming edition: [email protected]

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Need Help Buying or Selling?

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Three other offi ces in the Greater Victoria AreaSooke: 250 642 6361 West Shore: 250 474 4800 Saanich: 250 477 5353

How Our Agents Help Whether you’re buying or selling contact a Royal LePage agent to learn how we can help you accomplish your goals.

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SUMMER 2015 Tweed 32

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