Mary Winspear Centre | 43 attended | 25 Sep 17
Presented by Jarrett Teague
PART OF: UVIC’s Peninsula Pursuits
Course description:
John Dean Provincial Park has many fascinating aspects. In this session your speaker will share the secrets of: the Mount Newton/LAUWELNEW legends; the first peninsula survey of 1852; the 33 years John Dean spent at his cabin and the 1921 park donation; the 1936-39 park development era; the emergence of today’s BC Parks; and how young people today connect with and cherish this amazing place.
| Minute | Topic Flow |
| 2 | Intro
– 1843, Fort Victoria (174yrs ago), pristine – 1943, John Dean dies, WWII – Forested peninsula, mountain in center – 1849-66, Crown Colony – 1852, Douglas Treaty – 1852, Pemberton named Mount Newton
– Context of past, present and future – 17 decades – What happens outside the park – Youth, experiences and self-identity develops – Whereby they’ll cherish the place |
| 3 | I’m Jarrett, age 43
– We’re on the ancestral lands of the WSANEC People, and here to understand their/our sacred mountain – A huge thanks to Edo Nyland who (29yrs) – 25yrs military, Afghanistan x 2, naval circumnavigation – Married w/3 kids – Show of hands: a) Who hasn’t visited the park? b) Who is a regular?
– Ok, questions throughout – 36yr memory (1981) – 28yr volunteer (1989) – Research, collecting since 1994 (age 23) a) 12 cabinet drawers worth b) 700 pre 1980 images c) All maps and land titles d) Interviewed those who knew John Dean and future key park players
– Gift of book II – Quietness of mountain – Our shared cultural history a) Aboriginal b) European c) Peninsula born, 1982-83 Cub Camp experiences d) One shared history |
| 10 | First Nations
– Saltwater People – Villages – Canoes, Food – Looking at the mountain from the ocean !! – Legend, Grate Flood a) The mountain will be called LAUWELNEW, the place of refuge b) We will be known as the WSANEC (emerging) People
– Legend, Thunderbird – Bathing and Sweat Lodges – Initiations – Vision quests – Quiet time, prayer, beach stones – Wolf House, Spirit Caves, Sacred sights – Spirituality – Names and Symbols: a) LAUWELNEW b) Arbutus tree c) Cedar rope d) Raven (bearer of good news) e) Thunderbird Trail f) Slektain Trail (heredity chief) g) Pickles’ Bluff (incomparable, unsurpassable)
– Questions? |
| 5 | First Survey
– 1852, Mount Newton named – 1858, Joseph Trutch, survey Post #1 – Lines, 24 N, 13 S and Reserves – 1866, two colonies united – 1871, joined confederation – 1883, Gazette 40 – 1884, Samuel Kelly, grant (owned 8yrs) – 1887, Reserve confirmed by Joint Reserve Commission – 1895, John Dean purchased, $375 (age 44) – Post #1 plaque, pivot point – Settlement, families – Early logging, south-side Thomson
– Rossland, 1896-1905 – Victoria real-estate, 1906-12 (retired age 62) – Questions? |
| 4 | Mountain Accesses
– Existing trails – 1909, cabin site location – (map #1) – 1910, Thomson Cabin – Valley bottom, wells, sun movement – 1915, cabin (age 64) – Peak years, 1914-25 era – Gardens – Fence – Visitors: a) Food b) Conversations c) Gallery photographs d) Music e) Hikes f) Cozy fires w/cabin diary
– Travels – A century ago – Questions? |
| 3 | 1921 Donation
– 1918, reservoir for Sidney (idea of park donation) – 11 Nov, Deed a) Premier Oliver b) MLA Jackson – 9 Dec, Transfer (crown) – His Majesty, King Edward VII – Parks List, the order of parks (government reserves) a) 1888, Military Reserve, Stanley Park b) 1888, Government Reserve, Mount Doug c) 1908, Park Act
1) 1911, Strathcona 2) 1913, Mount Robson 3) 1918, Swan Lake 4) 1920, Mount Garibaldi 5) 1921, Dean Park
– 5th BC Park, 1st donated – 1921-39, Illahie & Dean Park – No change, routine – Questions? |
| 12 | Dean Park Board
– 1926-31, visited less, overgrowth – 1932, Freeman King (age 40-46) and Sidney Scouts – Managing provincial parks, growing interest – 1934, April, Park Board created a) MLA, Alexander MacDonald b) Chairman Frederick Baker (5yrs)
– 1935, opening of park – YFTP, background, US and Canada – Camps suck as: a) Elk Falls, 1st b) Thetis Lake c) Mount Doug d) Glen Lake e) Campbell River f) Cowichan Lake g) Mount Seymour
– FDP, 1936-39 a) 1st camp, trails b) 2nd camp, road c) 3rd camp, finishing
– Trails w/stone edging or walls – Springs – Tables, picnic & campsites – Signs – Stone Pillars – Wishing Well – 1938, May, public gathering – 1938, September, John Dean’s nephew visit – Dam, Duck Pond – Stone Walls (road & pond) – 1939, January, FDP closed – 1939, April, Dean & Collins summit right-of-way – Parks Board dissolved, remained as volunteers – Responsibility for parks given to the FS – 1939, June, Collins donated summit campground – (map #2) – 1939, July, Illahie sold to Dean Park Syndicate: a) layer friends b) 5 members of the board
– End of John Dean era, cliff hanger… – Shall we have a coffee? |
| 15 | Coffee Break
– Starts minute 45 – Ends minute 60 |
| 12 | Park Attendant Era
– Dean Park Syndicate owned Illahie – 1939, Forest Service, responsibility for parks – Park experience, main trails & facilities – 1939 summit campground, Mt. Rainier sign – Collins, big idea (refer to 2nd map) – 1940, Class A, B, C – 1940, James John – 1940, Registration Booth: a) Chess Lyons b) Joe St. Pierre
– Davey Davidson: a) 1938, FDP b) 1939-42, hired as roving VI Attendant c) 1942, Chief Forester, E.C. Manning visited and asked why are you tolerating this? d) 1943-45, 1st fulltime John Dean Attendant
– 1943, August, park & property reunified
The Mountain Summit – WWII, Pat Bay Airbase: a) international training base b) western air command
– 1942, red light – 1943, expropriations (map #2) – 1944, summit road survey done, built that summer – Eastern, Transmitter (true use was radio relay) – Western, Receiver w/generators – 44yrs later: a) 1986, MOT required airport radar b) 39 new radars (all the same) c) summit road was realigned d) tower built e) 2yrs of trials
– 1991, tree topping – 1994, reservoir – Garbage, industrial – Today’s fire hazard, 4 installations
– George King (age 70-82) a) 1946 attendant b) 1947-58, volunteer
– 1947, new Parks Division – 1947, road paved, power line up to eastern site – 1957, May, cabin removal: a) 48yrs old b) no electricity c) no running water d) break-ins e) general deterioration
– 1958, April, camping banned – 1958, June, heavy vandalism, stone pillars – Questions? |
| 12 | BC Parks
– Context, growth of agency – 1939, Parks Section, responsibility for parks – Early Staff: a) Donald Macmurchie (former time keeper) b) Cy Oldham (Chief of Parks) c) Chess Lyons (engineer)
– 1947, BC Forest Service – Parks Section became a Parks Division
Robert Ahrens – 1947, UBC, need for recreational officers a) Brooks b) Broadland c) Ahrens
– FS saw parks as a nuisance – FS campgrounds vs parks campgrounds – What is our role, what is a park? a) intact b) in-place c) unmodified d) place of spiritual connection
– 1957, Parks Branch: a) resonance for new parks b) standards c) engineering d) library e) branding f) pride
– 1958-62, added 4 properties: a) Woodward b) Pickles c) Montfort d) West-side map reserve
– 1960s, roving crews – Square Tea House & benches, removed – 1965, Park Act enhanced & Regional Park Act – Last visit with Ahrens, Ideal employee: a) studies b) believes c) identifies with object of exercise d) considers the job as a vocation rather than an occupation
– The best parks era, 1947-1981 a) growth of system b) facility standards c) strengthened environmental protections d) interpretive program e) pride in product delivered f) self-identified as honoured
– Langford Workshop: a) Location b) signature furniture c) signature signs
– 1982, 30% cuts – Langford Workshop was closed – 1983, February blowdown & June party (age 8): a) jeep was towed out b) burnt tables c) glass everywhere
– 1986, Ministry of Environment a) Expo 86 b) The phrase BC Parks was first used
– 1991, Service contracts – 1994, Protected land base doubled, nil budget increase – Questions? |
| 4 | Abuse & Neglect
– 1939, mid-70s, well maintained – late-70s, road-side garbage – Viewpoint garbage (30yrs worth) – Summit facility garbage – Rotting facilities, Gazebo – Erosion, main trails – Vandalism, staff removed signs – Every 5yrs, newspaper articles – Questions? |
| 2 | The Resolve, The Early Friends w/Edo Nyland
– 1984, initial cleanup – 1987, first invasive removal, replaced footbridge – 1988-89, perimeter trails – 1989, west-side addition |
| 3 | Jarrett’s Stewardship
– 1989 built the Slektain Trail (age 14-15) – 1990, October, night gate (age 16) – 1991, Stone Steps, named trails (age 16) – Monitoring (ineffective) – Purposely seek & respond – Old stonework, classic look (Gazebo example) – Garbage – Trail maintenance & erosion controls – Signage (1991-current) a) 66 signs b) Maintenance cycle
– 1992, invasive undertakings (25yrs): a) Broom (9) b) Ivy (5) c) Blackberry (6) d) Daphne (2) e) Holly (4)
– Trail clearing: a) release vegetation b) dispersal, placement c) locate log or material d) restore site as pre-event
– Cross-country patrols – Blocking shortcuts – General presentation of park – Essentialness |
| 3 | The Parks Future
– Important First Nations connection – Youth visiting today – You can have the best legislation, but without public support the line can’t be held – Memories & experiences – Cherish and love the place |
| 0 | – Questions
– Thank-you |
| 90 |
For questions, a private conversation or onsite tour of a particular subject site: contact Jarrett @ jarrettteague@yahoo.ca
250-642-3031