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Oak Bay
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): The OB
Location of Oak Bay in British Columbia
Coordinates: 48°25′35″N 123°19′22″W / 48.42639°N 123.32278°W / 48.42639; -123.32278Coordinates: 48°25′35″N 123°19′22″W / 48.42639°N 123.32278°W / 48.42639; -123.32278
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Regional District	Capital
Incorporated	1906
Government
• Mayor	Nils Jensen
• Governing Body	Oak Bay Municipal Council
• MP	Denise Savoie (NDP)
• MLA	Ida Chong (BC Liberal)
Area
• Total	10.53 km2 (4.07 sq mi)
Elevation	34 m (112 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	18,015
• Density	1,710.3/km2 (4,430/sq mi)
Time zone	Pacific Time Zone (UTC−8)
• Summer (DST)	Pacific Daylight Time (UTC−7)
Postal code span
Area code(s)	250, 778

Oak Bay is a municipality located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian Province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Capital Regional District, it is a community east of and adjacent to the City of Victoria. Oak Bay has been referred to as being located "Behind the Tweed Curtain",^[1] a lighthearted allusion to the Iron Curtain. This expression refers to Oak Bay's reputation as a quaint, charming neighboorhood with a genteel British atmosphere.

  Notable features

Oak Bay has several notable features which include:

• The discrete area of the Uplands is a residential neighbourhood that is home to many of the most expensive properties in Canada, including stately turn of the century houses of the Arts and Crafts and Faux Tudor styles, as well as new high-end construction. The neighbourhood is generally known for its large private gardens, sweeping views of Haro Strait, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Mt. Baker and the Olympic Mountains. Several of the waterfront residential properties in the Uplands and South Oak Bay count themselves amongst the most expensive private properties in Canada and North America.
• Oak Bay Village is one of the oldest and most interesting parts of Victoria with a true Village atmosphere in which customer service is still part of the culture.
• The Village is also home to one of the largest collections of Art & Crafts Galleries on Vancouver Island. A leisurely stroll through the Village finds 7 superb Art Galleries and Craft Studios representing some of the finest Canadian art & crafts available.
• Well-maintained houses and gardens throughout the municipality.
• Independent bakeries, coffee shops, and other small high-end businesses. The Oak Bay community has been determined to keep chain restaurants and large businesses outside of the municipality.
• In 2011, the average price of a single family home in Oak Bay was $936,355.^[2]
• Retirement homes and communities - Oak Bay is well known as a popular retirement destination.
• A selection of excellent restaurants, Delis, Bistro's antique shops, as well as an English-style pub, and other establishments geared towards both families and seniors.
• A long-standing opposition to large commercial development and suited homes.

Oak Bay has been stereotyped as a community of British heritage, and tour guides continue to refer to it as "more English than England itself."

Oak Bay takes its name from the Garry Oak tree, which are found throughout the region. It is also the name of the large bay on the eastern shore of the municipality, fronting onto Willows Beach. The centre of Oak Bay is Oak Bay Village, which runs along Oak Bay Avenue.

Oak Bay is home to several popular beaches, most notably the Gonzales and Willows beaches. Willows Beach is known locally as one of the finest 'family' beaches on Southern Vancouver Island.

Oak Bay's motto, from its coat of arms, is Sub Quercu Felicitas, Latin for "Under the Oak, Good Fortune".

  History

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Oak Bay was home to the local Coast Salish people of the Songhees First Nation. Evidence of their encampments has been found along local shores, including Willows Beach. Following the establishment of Fort Victoria on the Inner Harbour, the Hudson's Bay Company established Cadboro Bay Farm to supply food for the small settlement. Cattle Point, where cattle were brought ashore to avoid taxes, between Cadboro Bay and Willows Beach recalls the early history of this area. Early European settlers of the area included John Tod, whose home still stands and is reputed to be haunted.

Originally developed as a middle class streetcar suburb of Victoria, Oak Bay was incorporated as a municipality in 1906. Its first Council included Francis Rattenbury, the architect who designed the Legislative Buildings and Empress Hotel located on the inner harbour in Victoria. Rattenbury's own home on Beach Drive is now used as the junior campus for Glenlyon Norfolk School. In 1912 the former farm lands of the Hudson's Bay Company were subdivided to create the Uplands area, but development was hampered by World War I. After the war, development of expensive homes in the Uplands was accompanied by the construction of many more modest dwellings in the Estevan, Willows and South Oak Bay neighbourhoods. In addition to being an attractive retirement area, Oak Bay has also long appealed to families with young children and others seeking safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods. Oak Bay boasts wonderful beaches, the Oak Bay Marina and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club located on the shore of Cadboro Bay.

Oak Bay High School, with the largest student population in the Greater Victoria School District, is located within the municipality.^[3]

Half of the University of Victoria campus is located within the District of Oak Bay, while the other half is in adjacent Saanich.

The Victoria Golf Club is located in South Oak Bay. It was founded in 1893, and is the second oldest golf course west of the Great Lakes. It is a challenging 6000 yard links course which hugs the oceanside, and claims to be the oldest golf course in Canada still on its original site.^[4]

  Climate

  Neighbourhoods & Parks

• North Oak Bay
• South Oak Bay
• Uplands
• Willows Beach
• Windsor Park
• Uplands Park (A Garry Oak Meadow Ecosystem. FLICKR photos at [1])

  Education

Oak Bay is within School District 61. There are two public elementary schools, Willows Elementary and Uplands Elementary, one public middle school, Monterey Middle School, and one public high school, Oak Bay High School, in Oak Bay. Residents in the South Oak Bay area may also register their children at the nearby Margaret Jenkins Elementary (in Victoria). There are two private junior schools located in Oak Bay, Glenlyon Norfolk School and St. Michael's University School.

  References

  External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Oak Bay. British Columbia

• The Corporation of the District of Oak Bay
• Oak Bay Tourism
• Oak Bay Village
• The History of the Municipality of Oak Bay, by G. Murdoch, taken from the Corporation of the District of Oak Bay website
• The History of Oak Bay Website
• Oak Bay News
• Oak Bay Secondary School

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