sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Canadian, British Columbia and Greater Victoria Heritage.

I can well remember the 1967 celebration of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½â€™s 100th birthday, especially the performance at Centennial Stadium when the massed bands marched in playing The Maple Leaf Forever.

That brought resounding cheers of pride from the huge audience and a lasting memory for me.

My family, through my late wife, has seven generations who have lived in Saanich. The connected families of Cheeseman, Caselton, Williams and Flewin came here on board the HBC barque, Norman Morison.

It was an arduous six-month trip from Chatham, England, around the Horn, and arriving at Fort Victoria in January 1853. The trip saw storms, a near mutiny, deaths and two births, one of which was my wife’s great-grandmother.

Richard Cheeseman and his wife Jane acquired a large tract of land at what was then known as the Lake District. They were the first settlers in the area and gave the name Royal Oak to that locale. They built the Royal Oak Hotel, which became a rest and water stop for the Victoria and Sidney railway.

The couple had four daughters who married into other pioneer families of Williams, Duval, Goyette and Snider. These families contributed immensely to the development of the area through early road and business construction and the creation of church, school and postal facilities.

Jane Cheeseman donated land for the first school and church — St. Michaels and all Angels. Both are still there and in use in the Royal Oak area.

When Richard Cheeseman died, Jane married James Bailey, also a pioneer farmer in the area. When James died, Jane married John Durrance, another well-known pioneer name. Jane was kept busy as there were further children from these marriages.

Family marriages also connected the Heal family, pioneers in both our area and in central British Columbia.

After the original hotel burnt down, a new one was built which incorporated a post office. This was operated by the Cheeseman’s daughter Jane and her husband, Louis Duval.

The Cheeseman property covered an area including where the Saanich Commonwealth Pool is now. Large pictures of the families can be seen on the walls of the adjoining library. The hotel faced the old municipal hall — now a popular restaurant at Royal Oak.

The little one-room school house is preserved and is next to The Duvall condominium. The St. Michael and All Angels Church can be found on the hill just up West Saanich Road.

Family names are on many of the streets in the area. Pioneer Square, St. Stephen’s, St. Luke’s, St. Michael’s and All Angels, Ross Bay and Royal Oak cemeteries contain the deceased.

The present families are proud of the lasting legacy that the past generations have created — not only of the genetic bond but also of their pioneering spirit, their persistence in face of many challenges, and their many hard-earned and important accomplishments.

There is a personal great satisfaction and pride that ancestors have played a part in developing Saanich, Victoria and a small part of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ and, if one considers it, a tiny bit of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ as a whole. — Michael M. Whiteheada