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1949 fire revisited for community Then and Now project

Home still stands strong on Foul Bay Road
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A resident got Oak Bay archivist Caroline Duncan digging through their stores of old newspapers to participate in the archives’ Then and Now initiative.

The community project promotes conversation and provides a snapshot of Oak Bay in 2017 as seen by residents, juxtaposed with those from the past inspired one resident to revisit a family home.

Homeowners were inspired to show the survival of an older home in the community. Their archive photo depicts the Oak Bay Fire Department battling a house fire at 1010 Foul Bay Road, June 24, 1949.

“I wanted to compare it as closely as possible to the archived photo of this house taken during the house fire in 1949. I feel these older houses have a ‘soul’ of sorts and their history and architectural changes over the years are important to document and remember,” said Pat Swift, both the photographer and the homeowner.

The home still stands today, now the home of Swift and David Williams. Alterations to the roof line and porch were made in 1949 following the fire.

Submit photos and stories to obarchives@oakbay.ca by July 31. Selected photos and stories will appear in the Oak Bay News and exhibited by Oak Bay Archives.

editor@oakbaynews.com



Christine van Reeuwyk

About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

I'm dedicated to serving the community of Oak Bay as a senior journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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