TIMES COLONIST | timescolonist.com
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FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2019
The story behind Whippletree Junction
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he story goes that Whippletree was the creation of Randy Streit, with the help of his brother, Ernie, and a friend, Roger. In the late 60s and early 70s, he began taking parts of buildings from the Cowichan Valley and other island and mainland locations that were destined for demolition. They moved them to this location. The Wickertree was the first building — it came from Duncan’s old Chinatown. Wagon Wheel Antiques, newly remodelled into Veridis Plumbing, was an old fish cannery from Sooke. The Coffee Shack was a post office and bank from Cobble Hill. In the 1970s, Randy Streit stumbled upon a unique bar in Butte Montana within the St. Francis Saloon in the deserted old copper mining town. He dismantled the bar and brought it home to Canada. In order to find a home for the bar, he sold a plot of land
to Paul Watson with a promissory note requesting the buyer to build a structure specifically designed to accommodate the bar. Thus, the plans for Pioneer House came to life. The log-style building only serves to compliment the bar perfectly.
“In the late 60s and early 70s, he [Randy Streit] began taking parts of buildings from the Cowichan Valley and other island and mainland locations that were destined for demolition.They moved them to this location.
Whippletree Junction’s name was derived from the horse and buggy era when Whippletree was an important harness part to hitch up a horse and wagon. Whippletree Junction has had a number of shops come and go. The building that was once Whippletree Furniture was built as a foundry that operated for several years. Then it was a print shop, glassworks and a furniture repair shop. Other businesses located here varied from a pyramid power store (remember that!) to a tattoo parlour. There was a zoo located at Whippletree in the 1980s that brought international attention when a child was mauled by a tiger. There was a great fire when the auction burned down. In recent years, Whippletree has returned to its original vision of itself, with its collection of quirky and eclectic of shops and services. Located just outside Duncan, it’s worth the time to stop and explore this inspirational piece of history known as the Whippletree Junction.
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Chinese Heritage Mural in Wippletree THE DESIGN OF DRAGON AND PHOENIX TOGETHER HAS EXISTED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
SUBMITTED BY ANGELA ANDERSEN
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he recent mural project completed at Whippletree Junction emphasizes justice and harmony, while addressing the significant contributions and subsequent mistreatment of Chinese immigrants in the history of the Cowichan Valley. Chinese students studying in Duncan selected the symbols of the dragon and the phoenix to represent reunion, balance and happiness. Male (dragon) and female (phoenix) power are shown
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in balance and harmony. The bodies of the dragon and the phoenix images are based on the stories, artifacts, events and people of the Chinese community in the Cowichan Valley. Fifty students in grades 5, 10, 11 and 12, Chinese and non-Chinese, learned about, reflected on and created this mural with the help from three artists. Special thanks to: Angela Andersen, Queen Margarets’s School; Simon Warne, Sweet Art Studio; Tony De Lange, De Lange Airbrush; the Cowichan Valley Museum, Archives, and Arts Council.
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