Zoning policies shaped Oak Bay’s social topography

The book provides a sociological snapshot of the time, and shows how a community’s character can be shaped by housing.

“While racial segregation was not tolerated, social-class differentiation was quite acceptable,” McCann wrote.

Exclusionary zoning policies from the mid 1930s have guided Oak Bay’s social topography, McCann said, by minimizing the percentage share and geographical extent of low-value housing within the municipality.

“The disposable income and socio-economic status of individuals correlates strongly with the cost and size of a house.”

It was something not lost on Olmsted. Providing public access to the natural beauty of the area was important to him. There’s always been a very open roadway through the area. Olmsted wanted to see the whole of the waterfront drive connected for people’s pleasure.

“Uplands has always been a type of public area. People go there to experience greenery and pleasant surroundings,” McCann said.

In 1946, Gardner struck a public-private agreement with the municipality to create Uplands Park, still kept in its relatively wild state today.

Uplands has undergone changes over the years. Prior to the 1960s, many large acreage lots were divided. Since the 1970s, about 20 per cent of the original Uplands homes have been redeveloped, McCann said. Over time, elements of Olmsted’s vision for Uplands as a residential park have been eroded.

“Across Uplands, various compromises accommodate the impulses of modern life, contributing to the loss of open grounds and view corridors,” McCann writes.

For example, street-fronting fences have become more prominent and higher. To achieve Olmsted’s park-like effect, an early deed restriction banned front-yard fences. Another ruled that a side-lot hedge or fence must be set at least 60 feet away from the street allowance and be no more than three feet high. But fences and hedges grew until the height restriction for hedges was ditched by the end of the 1940s.

What of the future of Uplands? McCann believes that, if managed wisely, “Olmsted’s vision of Uplands as a residential park will prevail well into the future, preserving a unique residential landscape surely worthy of heritage recognition.”

Union Club celebrates Historic Site status

The Union Club of British Columbia is making history this weekend and celebrating with a trilogy of events.

Founded in 1879, the club’s landmark building has been given National Historic Site status, a designation that is a “tremendous honour,” said club president Bernard Beck.

The Gordon Street building, built in 1913, now joins the ranks of other historic Greater Victoria sites, such as the Empress Hotel and St. Ann’s Academy.

The club is holding a gala dinner dance on Saturday to celebrate the prestigious designation — as well as the inauguration of its newly renovated Centennial Ballroom, which has undergone a $500,000 facelift.

The gala will raise funds for Pacific Opera Victoria and tickets are $199, with a $75 tax receipt. The evening will include wine with dinner, dancing to The Midnights and opera performances. (For tickets, call 250-382-1641.)

On Monday, a plaque for the site’s national historical designation will be unveiled by Cloverdale-Langley City MP John Aldag and a block party will kick off at 1 p.m. The festival will also celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary.

Also, watch for an upcoming article in House Beautiful on the Union Club renovation.

• William Hicks Gardner, 1949, age 74. The Winnipeg businessman convinced Olmsted, whose work he admired, to come to Victoria for the Uplands project.

The war memorial stands near the entrance to the 30-hectare Uplands Park. The central figure is Mother Peace, looking down with her arms protecting the 97 names of Oak Bay people killed in the 1939-1945 war.

Right: Mature trees and old-style lampposts give the Uplands a park-like atmosphere.

• John Charles Olmsted, c.1890. The Uplands was the project he was most proud of in his 44-year career.

• Advertisements for the Uplands emphasized the area’s fine views and quiet atmosphere.

Above: Book designer Lara Minja used the peacock feather motif throughout the book, reflecting the importance Olmsted put on it in his design process.

Clockwise from above: • Author Larry McCann, who taught for years in UVic’s geography department, began research for his book while on a sabbatical at Harvard.