The home is on a street behind the Oak Bay Firehall, not far from Bowker Creek.
The creek goes into a culvert at Monterey Ave. under the firehall parking lot and some playing fields before re-emerging at Monteith Street.
At one time "the Bowker Creek ravine beside the firehall became the municipal garbage dump in 1914"
Any connection to the fumes?
http://www.webturf.c...ory/milestones/
Very interesting, would make sense, many people don't know this, bet that the home owners don't. Used to live couple doors down from that house a long time ago the neighbours next to us house sunk at some point, upstairs it was like walking uphill to get across the room.
It's mentioned here as well: https://www.oakbay.c...ory/murdoch.pdf
"Either the cartographer was a practical joker or Bowker Creek must have been
considerably larger than today, for an early map describes it as the "Thames River". Even
as late as 1912, reference is made to the "Thames Valley" in municipal documents. A later
map of 1855 calls it "Tod's Stream" and later still, following the death of John Tod, it
became known as "Bowker Creek". Where the stream joined the sea there was quite a
sizeable ravine (later used as a garbage dump)"
1914- "During the year the culvert under Hampshire Road had been continued through the
ravine at Monterey Crescent to a point just beyond the end of Monteith Street and by
August of this year a commencement was made in the dumping of garbage in the ravine,
this being covered with dirt."
1923- "In mid-year Council decided to install a garbage incinerator at the dump on Monterey
Crescent; however, following a petition against this project from W. E. Adams and thirty
other residents, it was decided not to proceed with the work."
1929- "A group of 38 residents presented a petition to Council requesting the closure of the
Monterey Crescent garbage dump. They were advised that this dumping ground would not
be extended beyond Monteith Street and that Council was negotiating with the City for
disposal of garbage by scow. A month later, an agreement was entered into with the City
whereby Oak Bay garbage would be accepted at the Victoria garbage wharf at a rate of
25¢ per cubic yard."
About 1929 is when a lot of the original houses were built in this area.