Otter Point History

Otter Point History
This is the second edition of Otter Point: Heritage Sites and Areas of Historical Interest. It includes updates, additional pictures and new sites of historical interest. Local history stories written by Elida Peers, Historian with Sooke Region Museum, for the Sooke News Mirror and by Arnie Campbell for the Otter Point, Shirley & Jordan River Residents & Ratepayers Association (OPSRRA) newsletter are also included.

The first edition was a Capital Regional District project released in January, 2014 as an addendum to the Otter Point Official Community Plan (OCP). The pictures, maps and stories in both editions were compiled by Otter Point resident Arnie Campbell with the assistance of Elida Peers, and the support and encouragement of June Klassen, Manager of Planning Services for the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area. The information used came from a variety of sources identified under Acknowledgements.

The assembled history is an overview of a century of European settlement in Otter Point from the 1860s to the 1970s. Much of the material comes from the archival collection, maps and publications of the Sooke Region Museum, supplemented with historical accounts and maps done by local resident Jean Robinson. Some information is anecdotal, based upon stories and recollections from present and former residents of Otter Point. While considerable effort was made to verify the material, errors are inevitable; as new information comes forward corrections and updates will be made. Contact Arnie Campbell c/o the Sooke Region Museum or email: d.acampbell@shaw.ca if you have questions concerning this document or wish to contribute new information.

The first edition was posted on the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area web site, and a limited number of printed copies were prepared with the assistance of the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area and the Sooke Region Museum. The second edition was released in February 2018 in the form of an interactive map below. The list of historic sites can be viewed by clicking on the Sites legend.

Unless otherwise noted, the source of photographs used in this history are identified by the following: SRHS – Sooke Region Historical Society; PA – BC Provincial Archives; SC – Scouts Canada; OPFD – Otter Point Fire Department; and MCPS – Muir Creek Protection Society.

Interactive Map of historical Sites

INSTRUCTIONS: The numbers in the legend correspond to the numbers on the map. Holding your cursor over a number on the map will also identify the site. Clicking the number on the map or in the legend will open a box containing information and photos. Close the box by clicking on the X in the upper right corner. Clicking on the + or – in the bottom left corner of the map, or using your mouse scroll feature, will let you zoom in and out of the map.  Click and drag on the map to move it around. Squeeze and drag on a mobile device.

 

Acknowledgements:

The information presented in this overview of the history of Otter Point was prepared from the following sources:

4,000 Years a History of the Rainforest written and published by the Sooke Region Museum.

The Sooke Story: The History and the Heartbeat written and published by the Sooke Region Museum.

101 Historical Buildings written and published by the Sooke Region Museum.

Profiles of a Community written and published by the District of Sooke and the Sooke Region Museum.

This Really Happened written by Jean Stuart Clark.

Memories of my First 90 Years written by Lillian Elsie (Clark) Davies.

The Pot & Spiller published by the Sooke Region Museum.

Did You Know That? From the Otter Point, Shirley & Jordan River Residents & Ratepayers Association (OPSRRA) Newsletter.

A Personal Account of Living at Seaside Farm in the 1950s written by Jerry Filippo.

Otter Point School at Tugwell Creek written by Marjory (Anderson) Perron.

A Bit of Goudie Family History written by Elida Peers.

The History of Camp Barnard (Scouts Canada).

Sooke: Cradle of Christianity in British Columbia written by Grace Horgan.

Barkley Sound – A History of the Pacific Rim National Park Area
written by R. Bruce Scott.

Seven Shillings a Year – The History of Vancouver Island written by Charles Lillard.

Muir Creek Protection Society Prospectus, March 2007.

Home Port: Victoria written by Ursula Jupp

• Otter Point Fire Department web site: http://www.otterpointfire.bc.ca/ .

• The Kemp Lake Waterworks accumulated records held in the archives of the Sooke Region Museum.
• Notes written by Jean Robinson for an unpublished history of the Kemp Lake Waterworks.

• The Kemp Lake Waterworks Website: http://www.kemplakewaterworks.bc.ca/ .

• Archives of the Sooke Region Museum.

• Archives of the British Daily Colonist newspaper.

• Canadian Forestry Corp web site:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jmitchell/cfc37.html

• Stories and memories of Otter Point by:

Ed Banner, Cliff Banner, Cliff Beange, David Boon, Sally Bullen, Bruce Butler, Reg Clark & Reg Jr., Harry Crooks, Bertha Davies, Gerry & Roberta Davies, Joan Davy, Ron Dumont, Melvin Elrose, Gladys Engebretson, Les Eve, John & Cecile Farmer, Jerry & Anne Filippo, Mark Grant Sr., Gail Hall, Louise Heywood, Velma Jessiman, Rosemary Jorna, Danny Lajeunesse, Elinor McClimon, Doug MacFarlane, Wayne McFarlane, Frank Mitchell, Doug Munroe, Beverley Myers, George Pedneault, Heather Phillips, Donald Robinson, Grace Seabrook, Fred Shambrook, Ray Vowles, Wally Vowles, Anna West, Jack & Lynne Wormald, Joe Zigay. ​

Appreciation is expressed to:

• Joan O’Donnell, volunteer technician at the Sooke Region Museum, for photo reproduction work.
• Beverly Myers, Sooke Region Museum staff, for tracking down historical photos.
• Brianna Shambrook, Collections & Exhibits Manager at the Sooke Region Museum, for access to historical photos.
• Amy Louie, Capital Regional District mapping technician, for creating the Otter Point map.
• Noella LeDrew, Sooke Region Museum web design/technician, for layout and creating the interactive link between the map and the stories.
• Lee Boyko, Executive Director, Sooke Region Museum, for agreeing to support this updated version of the Otter Point history on the museum’s web site.
• Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Services for their continuing support.

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