Special Features - Tweed Summer 2015

o a k b ay l i v i n G

Tweed SUMMER 2015

Art that defines a city The works of robert amos

Wonderful Windsor historical ride through a 125-year-old park

Good energy

totem rises for new Oak bay high School INSIDE › People ›

F OO D › H I S T O R Y › Arts

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Tweed

inside Summer 2015

Volume 3 | Issue 2

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

DEPARTMENTS

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.

13

tell

tweed!

Tweed Magazine welcomes your Oak Bay suggestions for the next edition.

So, do tell!

Email editor Susan Lundy at: lundys@shaw.ca

26

Dogs on the Avenue

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

22

28

Oak Bay Insider

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

4

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SUMMER 2015

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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 250300 vintage and collector cars are showcased.

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EDITOR'S LETTER

The wonder of this glorious place

A

s I drove down Bowker Avenue towards Beach Drive — en route to the Kiwanis Tea Room at Willows 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 bobbing 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 creation of Windsor Park, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year (see story page 16), and the Oak Bay Tennis Club (page 28).

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This issue of Tweed also takes a meander through Louise Goulet’s amazing native plant garden (page 22); gives an amusing look at having feathered friends in the neighbourhood (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 dedicated 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.

Susan Lundy EDITOR

Born 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 Sakamoto psakamoto@blackpress.ca 250-480-3204

Associate Group Publisher and advertising inquiries

Oliver Sommer osommer@blackpress.ca 250-480-3274

Editor

Susan Lundy lundys@shaw.ca

Creative Design Victoria Calvo

Distribution

250-480-3285

Cover Art: Robert Amos

www.oakbaynews.com 207A-2187 Oak Bay Ave., Victoria, BC V8R 1G1 Phone 250-381-3484 Fax 250-386-2624

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.

June to September

OAK BAY DIARY

June Objects of Desire

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

June 2 - 27

Winchester Galleries presents

July 2 - 22 Winchester Galleries presents Toni Onley:

Unseen Paintings. Opening reception, July 11, 1-4 p.m.

July 13 - Aug. 15 Eclectic Gallery presents Judy McLaren

Liz Charsley-Jory and Terry Fenton.

exhibit, Summer Heat. Opening reception, Saturday, July 18, 3-5 p.m.

June 8 - 11

August 9 Oak Bay Collector Car Festival features

Opening reception June 6, 1-4 p.m.

Eclectic Gallery presents the latest works from three talented between 250 and 300 collectable cars, representing plein air painters: Desiree a range of eras from some of Bond, Deborah the earliest cars to colorful hot Czernecky and rods. Oak Bay Avenue will be Peter Dowgailenko. closed to regular vehicle traffic.

Opening reception, June 13, 3-5 p.m.

August 16

Jun. 10, Jul. 8, Aug. 12 & Sept. 9 Oak 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 14 Join the RBCM Field Trippers series and

the Friends of Uplands Park for Beach Seine at Willows Beach.

Starts at 9 a.m.

July 2 First Thursday Celebration at Red

Art Gallery: gallery open until 8 p.m.

Annual 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 8 First day of the 2015-16 school year

at the brand new Oak Bay High School.

September 15-19 Annual 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.”

Call us for help, to volunteer or donate.

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9

Painting the history of now

By KORINA MILLER Photos by ARNOLD LIM

R

obert 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 10

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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.

The whimsical artwork of Robert Amos At 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 “Victoria is a gift time of day, season, quality of light. The ambience of for a landscape the neighbourhood can be painter. Every type included if you have the skill and vision. That’s something I of landscape take pride in.” you want is “My approach is narrative.

Why not have the children right here.” looking out the window? The ROBERT AMOS 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

❝

❞

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

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oak bay artist

Artist Robert Amos with some of his artwork at his Oak Bay home and studio.

“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 at www.robertamos.com.

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

By JOSEPH BLAKE Photos by CATHIE FERGUSON

O

ne 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.

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

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 SUMMER 2015

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14

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SUMMER 2015

Butch Dick with his carvings at the Songhees Wellness Centre, where he is artistic director.

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 “It’s our hope that it Butch’s original cedar carvings. will last more than Mentoring students has 100 years in front been a major part of Butch of the new Oak Bay Dick’s life. For four years at the University of Victoria under High School as a Dr. Lorna Williams, Butch sign of respect and served as an assistant professor reconciliation with the in Indigenous Learning and First Nations people.”

Teaching. For two decades he was a First Nations art and gail price-douglas 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 Community Association.

❝

❞

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historic oak bay

Wonderful

Windsor

Oak Bay’s evergreen playground turns 125

By IVAN WATSON

O

n 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 municipality — 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 current site of the marina) to provide a waterfront shuttle connected 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 Windsor 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 16

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SUMMER 2015

— fortunately for future generations — unsuitable for development.

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 coincided 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 opening.”

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 downtown. Over 1,500 spectators (approximately three times the population of Oak Bay at the time) were seated in the grandstand 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 Capitals 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.”

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 inaugurated 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 accompaniment 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 neighbours 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: watsoni@yahoo.com / Twitter @watsonivan SUMMER 2015

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OAK BAY

Chicken

WRANGLING

By BARRIE MOEN Photos by DON DENTON

“C

hickens,” 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 18

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SUMMER 2015

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 quizzically 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 appeared 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

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 promised?” 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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Above, Oak Bay chickens; previous page, twins Ollie and Sadie Leal stand in front of a chicken coop.

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 PROVIDING A LIFESTYLE PROVIDING A LIFESTYLE OF EXCEPTIONAL LIVING have not become extinct in the neighbourhood, as Greg and EXCEPTIONAL LIVING Kathy Gudgeon, enamored by the prospect of melodic cackCALL US TODAY OF 250.595.1914 OR VISIT WWW.CARLTONHOUSE.CA ling and egg collection, erected another Hen House Hilton.

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Louise Goulet with her Coton de Tulear dogs Toscane and Piero in her backyard garden.

native

roots 22

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oak bay garden

Careful, joyful crafting of a native plant garden

By JEnNifer BLYTH Photo by DON DENTON

A

pproaching 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, centuriesold 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 development.

Goulet, a retired wildlife biologist/park planning manager, 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 incredibly 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. Extensive 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 stockpiling 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 projects 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 Acquisition Trust.

While gardening with native plants brings many rewards,

it’s not without its challenges, including proper identification 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 beautiful 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 “On a hot summer day, rear garden — an equally as you walk through stunning traditional space with deep, undulating beds this shady lane, you of trees, shrubs, perennifeel cooler, moister air als and bulbs. A charming and a smell like that of pond welcomes birds, insects and wildlife, while fencing a native forest. There is dressed in espaliered apple no other feeling like it.” trees and clematis opens to several raised garden beds, LOUISE GOULET 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 challenges,” 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

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23

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 ornamental 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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TEA WITH HAZEL BRAITHWAITE

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).

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 mathematics 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 reminder…). 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 difference being involved at the municipal level.

Can you give an example of how you’ve made a difference 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 implementation 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 you tell 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

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DOGS ON THE AVENUE

Love my dog!

Photos by DON DENTON

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.

Clockwise from top: Henry, a 2.5-year-old Wheaten mix; Henry, a 12-year-old Whippet; Josie, a 7-yearold 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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Some say that Oak Bay loves dogs so much, that canines are actually considered honorary citizens.

If you agree, tell Tweed!

Send photographs of your “Dogs on the Avenue� to: lundys@shaw.ca

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Right: Maggie, 9-year old Cockapoo.

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oak bay insider

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

By CHRISTOPHER CAUSTON

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

DO YOU KNOW? Why are the crossing signs in Oak Bay yellow, when in most other municipalities they are white? Please reply to: ec595@hotmail.com One correct answer will be randomly drawn and that winner will be my guest for lunch!

“W

orth the wait” is a well-known expression that is certainly applicable to the Oak Bay Tennis Club.

Over a seven-year period, I slowly moved up the infamous 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 turnaround 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 property. 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 “Worth the wait” years to repay. In 1978, porous conis a well-known crete replaced the expression that is asphalt, and 1984 certainly applicable saw the addition of a new clubhouse, to the Oak Bay which can still be Tennis Club. glimpsed from the street. christopher In 2006, after 28 causton years of porous concrete, a new plexipave 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 Metcalfe, I am very grateful for his history of the club, which I have used as research and condensed.

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satisfies expectations for an attractive, well-maintained & secure retirement residence, while fostering a supportive community of enjoyment, camaraderie & pride.

See ad on page 20

DR.JULIAN HANCOCK Oak Bay resident Dermatologist recently opened Fairfield Skin Clinic specializing in: skin rejuvenation, skin cancer prevention, Botox, Juvederm, CO2 Laser, Metvix PDT & the NEW Venus Viva. See his ad on page 28

red art gallery is the fun, small &

Pepper’s Foods,

Oak Bay SeniorCare

CHEZ MICHEL

MARC OWEN-FLOOD

McNeill Audiology

Celebrating 50 years in the community! See ad on page 32

footprint, green burial is the most natural

With 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

Carlton House of Oak Bay

Oak Bay real Estate expert

10%

We provide one-to-one direct volunteer support to individuals of all ages in Oak Bay. Drives, visits, repairs, etc. See ad on page 9

has been serving Oak Bay for over 25 years. The team includes Ian Catchpole & Gerry Illmayer with over 35 years combined experience, joined by Lisa, Terri & Jaymie. See our ad on page 30

who you can trust to sell your home.

See ad on page 8

hydrogen

Johanna Booy from

Cheryl has been providing gourmet take out, catering services & picnic baskets for over 25 years in Oak Bay. Personal favourite: Roast Chicken dinner.

See ad on page 21

As a lifetime resident of Oak Bay, I am your neighbour & an

100% biodegradable.

Geoffrey Beattie, has owned BARCLAY’S Fine Custom Jewellers for the past 15 years. BARCLAYS carries a range of exclusive & fine pieces of beautiful jewellery as well as specializing in both creating custom pieces & re-designs. See our advert on page 9

Personal Real Est. Corp.

Newport Realty.

See our Ad on Page 9

option at the end of life. Let us help you plan

“Our award-winning home support services are customized to fit your needs at any time.”

See ad on page 3

Celebrating 20 years of better hearing.

See our Ad on Page 21

unpretentious gallery where colour rules! Featuring contemporary, original art from award winning Canadian artists.

Owners Bobb & Marion will help you find a work that will rejuvenate your living space. See ad on page 24

Restaurant. Enjoy our great new menu, experience our new interior.

See Ad on page 28

OAK BAY COMPUTERS

Support services 7 days a week.

In home & office.

See Ad on Page 19

the arrangements that reflect your values.

3%

ROYAL OAK BURIAL

nitrogen

For details of our service, see Ad on Page 24

19%

carbon

GREEN BURIAL CREMATION

TRADITIONAL BURIAL MEMORIALIZATION

250-658-5621 ROBP.CA

2015-05-05 2:44 PM

ROYAL LePage Coast Capital Realty For details of our new location, see Ad on Page 31

MARINA DOCKSIDE Eatery.

Food with a View. Check out our new menu. See Ad on Page 15

SUMMER 2015

TWEED

29

Parting Shot

Dance of the heron

T

his 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 standing 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: lundys@shaw.ca

Renovations & All Home Repairs

Serving Oak Bay for over 30 Years PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE PHYSIOTHERAPY

• Windows/Doors • Bathrooms • Flooring - Hardwood and Tile • Home Additions & Renovations • Decks, Fences & Railings

Based in Victoria

watersedgerenovations.com 30

TWEED

SUMMER 2015

Services include • Spinal manual therapy/ manipulation • Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS) • Individualized exercise prescription • Acupuncture • Myofascial Release

250.812.3942

Gerry, Jaymie,Terri, Lisa & Ian

FOUL BAY

Physiotherapy 220 -1964 Fort St. 250-595-2244 foulbayphysiotherapy.com

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.

Buying a Home?

We’ll walk you through the process step by step from deciding to buy all the way through the big move.

Need Help Buying or Selling?

VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION AT

Selling a Home?

Over 100 years of selling real estate in Canada gives Royal LePage an unequalled understanding of the real estate market.

Athlone Court (2nd Floor) 208 - 2187 Oak Bay Avenue Oak Bay, Victoria

250 592 4422

Email: oakbay@royallepage.ca www.rlpvictoria.com Three other offices in the Greater Victoria Area

Sooke: 250 642 6361 West Shore: 250 474 4800 Saanich: 250 477 5353

Produce

Fresh, Local and Delicious From farm to table, the farm fresh produce is overflowing at Pepper’s.

Working daily with local farmers to bring you the freshest, locally grown produce available, Pepper’s is focused on putting the highest quality produce on your table. Join us in supporting our local farmers and keep our community vibrant and growing.

From crunchy green lettuce to bright red Saanich tomatoes, you will find Pepper’s shelves bursting with local goodness.

Visit us today and taste the difference local makes.

ting Over 50 Years of Good Food a r b e l e C

Ask about our senior and student discounts

250-477-6513 • 3829 Cadboro Bay Rd. www.peppers-foods.com

Hours Mon-Fri: 8 am–9 pm, Sat: 8 am–7:30 pm, Sun: 8 am–7:30 pm

Quality & Service Guaranteed – 100% Victoria Owned

Follow Us On Twitter @PeppersFoods