Research mode...

In amongst everything else, I am currently obsessing over some local history stuff -- I am in research mode. Tonight, I have spent the last couple of hours gathering basic info and starting points from the web, but I will likely need to spend a few hours trolling through newspaper indexes to find the real dirt. While I started researching thinking I would do an article, I'm now convinced there's enough to put together a full book. I'm not going to blog about the exact subject -- not yet, anyway.

Tonight, it seems pretty exciting, but since I have a notoriously limited attention span.... well, who knows. However, I think I might actually be able to pull together enough in the coming days to actually write up a query letter to send to publishers -- before I lose steam. There's a first for everything. :D

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More History: Uplands Estates

This month's Grid includes part of the Uplands Estates**, a housing development in Oak Bay which was designed to be "exclusive" in the early years of the 20th Century. In 1912, an ad in the local paper advertised lots for sale in the uplands ranging from $3,000 to $55,000 (source). In today's currency, that translates to a range of about $57,000 to $1.1 million (although that in no way reflects today's property values in the region).

The area, marked by large pillars at each "entrance" is full of grand homes on large lots. Some are worth multiple millions, others just sell for that much.

UVic urban geographer, Dr. Larry McCann has focused much of his research on Oak Bay, and on the Uplands in particular. Among his projects is a database of 7,000 homes in Oak Bay -- when they were built, how much they cost at the time, and so on. The database is now accessible through the Oak Bay Community Archives.

The area used to be farmland, but now both livestock and agriculture* are prohibited by Oak Bay bylaws -- primarily because farmland is taxed at a much lower rate. Because Oak Bay has some of the most restrictive bylaws in the Greater Victoria area, there is a tendency for people to exaggerate. Recently, Oak Bay has been debunking the restriction on laundry lines (thanks to media publicity on green alternatives for clothing care). When I was younger, my Father convinced me that the municipality even moderated the acceptable height for lawns. Of course, he was running a landscaping and maintenance company at the time....

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** Looks like I have some Wikipedia editing to do....

* Oak Bay Bylaw 3545, Jan 26/87 prohibits: "The keeping on any lot of any cow, ass, horse, goat, sheep, swine or poultry" and Oak Bay Bylaw 4132, Nov 13/01 prohibits: "the cultivation, production or harvesting of fruit, vegetables, grains, oilseed, trees, shrubs, flowers, plants, seedlings, herbs, seeds, turf, forage or fodder, for sale or exchange for money or other valuable consideration.”

I could use a grant...

... and HBC is giving money away, apparently.

The Hbc Local History Grant Program is designed to assist applicants involved in history and heritage commemoration. Grants up to an amount of $1,000 are available to spark new initiatives that promote greater public awareness of Canadian history, particularly among young people.

A lot of this year's grants went to museum groups, but this one gives me hope, especially as it is local...

Michael Layland (Victoria, BC) A retired map maker, he has reached into the history of the Hbc Company to reproduce the original map of Victoria.

Maybe next year though; I have too much to do right now.

Maritime Detour

Among the many levees out there today, there was an ad for a levee at the Maritime Museum of BC -- with free admission to the museum. After going out for dim sum this morning, we all headed over to check it out. I was expecting a long line, but not only was there no lineup, there was also ample nearby parking!

For the 6 of us to normally go in to the museum, it would have cost $34 (kids under 6 are free, apparently), so I haven't gone in for years and years; kiddo and hubby had never been. Needless to say, the displays have seen some upgrades in the past dozen years or so, and I was most impressed by the small ship deck for kids to explore -- including a telescope, cannon, and rigging going up to a crowsnest with a pirate flag. There's plenty crammed into the two floors of displays; early exploration, naval history, BC Ferries, steamship and cruiseship travel, yachting, and marine safety. There's a whole room devoted to model making, too.

Even the gift shop proved to be amusing with a wide array of pirate-themed goods and a sizeable book selection.

The building itself is a heritage site; it was originally the courthouse for the city and the courtroom is still in tact on the third floor. Years ago, one of my janitorial jobs was to clean the museum, which meant I got to run the birdcage elevator -- the longest continuously running elevator in North America. I declined to ride in it today, taking the stairs instead.
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