365 replies to this topic

[AllseeingEye]

You gotta' be old like me (and you) to remember a gravel Ruby Road (now Mckenzie) running through dozens of acres of farmland and forest!

I walked to school every day (Gordon Head Elementary on Kenmore) through an endless series of paths on farmers fields, with nary a sidewalk or roadway as part of my journey.

 

When people in 2018 ask me if I was born here, I always say "yes, I grew up on a farm on Feltham Road" ... which always gets a puzzled look, with folks not able to imagine what the photo above clearly lays out ... a Gordon Head full of farmers fields, forests, and green houses ... with the occasional house in between (unless you were in the Cedarglen or San Juan subdivisions, a couple of the first in town ... great for trick or treating for a Feltham Road farm boy!).

Yup! Although we were further to the south of you, on Cedar Hill Road almost directly across from the junior high school; our house would be just out of frame of this image along Cedar Hill and the very north west corner of the picture. We lived there from 1964-72.

 

But yeah I well recall the area pre-mall, pre-McKenzie Avenue, when Cedar Hill to the north of Ruby/McKenzie became a full on gravel road a couple of hundred meters beyond that intersection, and when Shelbourne was a 2 lane goat trail lined with green houses, even more than this 1974 picture indicates. A bike ride from our house to Mt Doug park and beach was considered an all-day adventure and required a backpack lunch, lol.....

[sebberry]

Shelbourne was a 2 lane goat trail lined with green houses

 

Was?  Much of it still is a 2 lane goat trail  

[Cassidy]

One thing that's interesting is that the little building on the East side of Shelbourne Street in the aerial photo, to the North of those four pretty similar white houses with the dark roofs, is currently a B.C. Ambulance Service depot ... but was the old #3 Saanich Fire Hall. The building is exactly the same today as it was when it was the only fire hall in Gordon Head.

I'm pretty sure the #2 and #3 halls were purpose built by Saanich, and to exactly the same design.

 

The #1 hall was over near Uptown on Douglas St, and the #2 hall was out in Royal Oak on Hamsterly Rd.

 

When the #3 hall roll doors were open, we'd stop by as kids and chat with the firemen ... until a call came in, or they kicked us out.

 

In those days, as kids, we'd be standing at the ends of our driveways after school - desperately hoping to see the Cablevision truck running cable up our street ... so we could finally get more than just Channel 6 and 12, and occasionally 2 or 8 if the conditions were right!

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[shoeflack]

Neat! What is that institutional building just west of Cedar Hill Road?

 

Condo still there today.

 

https://www.google.c...t/data=!3m1!1e3

[Cassidy]

Condo still there today.

 

 

An Anglican Church owned property.

[Mike K.]

Right, which is now being expanded: https://victoria.cit...550-arrow-road/

[Bob Fugger]

I can't wait to see how that ends up.  The University Heights neighbourhood and Arrow Road specifically feature prominently in the Fugger origin story.

[Rob Randall]

The external materials have yet to be finalized but they are planning on using some Cor Ten steel on a portion of the Cedar Hill facade.

[Brantastic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=125&v=cqRmSEvLt8A 

Not sure if this fly-through video of University Heights has been posted here before. I generally really like the design and the pedestrian realm looks fantastic. I only wish Building A wasn't so wide, flat and monotonous looking.

(I posted a link to the video on Youtube but the post comes up blank, so you can view it on their website - www.universityheightsvictoria.com )

Edited by Brantastic, 02 December 2018 - 12:47 PM.

[Mike K.]

Fixed that for ya. The software won't auto-display YouTube videos any more.

[Mystic-Pizza]

Due for an upgrade. I remember when the current one opened in the 80's and to this day when you walk in, time has stood still as far as the color scheme and style. I remember seeing the film Adventures in Babysitting there when it came out, and then we snuck into another movie right after that and got away with it.

 

I have heard some rumors on the street that Home Deopot may be looking to re-locate to Hillside Mall and go into the old Sear's

Edited by Mystic-Pizza, 02 December 2018 - 04:51 PM.

[Brantastic]

^Honestly, I really hope so. It, and the gas station, really keep this project from reaching its full potential. 

[Jackerbie]

New drawings were submitted to Saanich in October, but the file status is now listed as "On Hold." 

[Rob Randall]

Wesbild Holdings is backed by some big bucks so I doubt it is financial difficulties. Are they getting blowback from Saanich planners?

[Nparker]

Or Saanich residents/NIMBYs?

[Rob Randall]

Every project has its detractors but rarely does it stop a development in its tracks this early.

[tjv]

Wesbild Holdings is backed by some big bucks so I doubt it is financial difficulties. Are they getting blowback from Saanich planners?

Could be trouble getting tenants, look at the number of empty spaces at Hillside Mall from their expansion ~5 years ago

[Brantastic]

^ or even Mayfair. The expansion was still half empty, last time I checked. And really Indigo and Sportchek (which just resulted in vacancies elsewhere in the city) were the only truly new tenants from what I recall, as most of the others just shuffled around from other locations within the mall.


 

Edited by Brantastic, 07 February 2019 - 10:29 PM.

[sdwright.vic]

There is only three/ four spots left open in Mayfair. Two by the new front entrance (restaurant space and behind it, across from it).

[jonny]

There is only three/ four spots left open in Mayfair. Two by the new front entrance (restaurant space and behind it, across from it).

 

Yeah, it has never been remotely close to half empty.