THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA
FEBRUARY 19, 1999
| THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA |
by Patty Pitts
| Snug, secure and seemingly impervious to even the mildest intrusion of urban blight, the Uplands area of Victoria remains the most privileged neighbourhood in one of the most affluent municipalities in Canada. But its status is no accident and, from its tranquil roost by the sea, Uplands has exerted a tremendous influence on urban development throughout Canada. Dr. Larry McCann (geography) will trace the economic and societal roots of this desirable neighbourhood in "Myth and Reality: 'The Uplands' and the Planning of Victoria's Residential Landscape" on Feb. 26 at noon at UVic Downtown, 910 Government Street. It's a free public presentation, but call 472-4747 to reserve a seat. The acreage that became the Uplands was once owned by the Hudson's Bay Company before being purchased for $275,000 in 1907 by a trio of Winnipeg businessmen led by William Hicks Gardner. They immediately chose John Charles Olmsted to design the property. "When John Olmsted was hired to do the Uplands, he was North America's leading landscape architect," says McCann, an urban historical geographer. "Olmstead's father, Frederick Law Olmsted, had earlier planned Mount Royal Park in Montreal and Central Park in New York." Olmsted described his latest project as a "residential park" clearly aimed at well-heeled homeowners (a 1912 ad in the Victoria Daily Colonist listed the lot prices as ranging from $3,000 to $55,000). |
But in time, those who followed urban development began referring to the Uplands as a "garden suburb," leading to the development's first myth. "That term applied originally in England to a socialist idea where people owned land co-operatively away from the centre of the city. Olmsted never used the term garden suburb; it was people like Ebenezer Howard and those in the arts and crafts movement," says McCann. "Olmsted designed a suburban plan that harmonized with natural conditions, creating a park-like atmosphere for all to enjoy." Another myth McCann wants to dispel is that the Paris-based Franco-Canadien Company developed the Uplands. "It's true that Gardner flipped his land to this company in 1911 for $1.4 million, but he continued to hold the mortgages. During the first world war, the company couldn't legally export capital from France so it went deeper and deeper into debt. But Gardner waited until Oak Bay reduced the outstanding taxes in 1925 before taking back ownership." The present-day Uplands remains true to Olmsted's vision. Its creation prompted its own bylaw in 1910, revised significantly in 1935, controlling exactly how the neighbourhood could be developed. "It's a really powerful instrument," says McCann, who is a member of Oak Bay's advisory design panel. "Uplands has had an impact on how the rest of Oak Bay developed. From the 1930s to the '70s, the municipality's zoning was linked to house size, copying Uplands. Such a policy excluded shacks and small, lower value houses. There were a few older areas where 900 and 1,000 square foot homes were still allowed, but elsewhere house size was typically 1,100 or 1,200 square feet." Olmsted and his company went on to develop prestige neighbourhoods such as the British Properties in West Vancouver, Mount Royal in Calgary, and Tuxedo Park in Winnipeg. "John Olmsted's ideas had a clear impact on suburban design, and local and provincial town planning legislation across Western Canada," says McCann. "His designs and policies were imitated because they were so excellent. The Uplands area is distinct, and Oak Bay has chosen to maintain that distinctiveness." |
