– by Sharon Hope –
On a lovely summer’s day in1913, the British Columbia Electric Railway Company launched its new Interurban railway line to Deep Bay in North Saanich. A train decorated with streamers and flags chugged out of Victoria carrying Premier Richard McBride and 100 prominent guests. Approximately an hour later, the party arrived at the terminus called Tatlow. Here, assisted by the local B.C. Electric manager, Premier McBride pounded a silver spike into the track. Victoria Mayor Alfred Morley declared in his speech that the line would open up new lands to productivity. Once the ceremonies were over, everyone retired for refreshments in a marquee erected for the occasion.
The railway ran north from Victoria through Marigold, along what is now Interurban Road, past the observatory under construction, eventually reaching the vicinity of Brentwood Bay. The Vancouver Portland Cement Co. and Todd Inlet village flourished nearby as well as the newly constructed Brentwood Hotel. After Brentwood Bay, the train veered northeast to Saanichton with its well-known Prairie Inn. From Saanichton the train might pause at the new Dominion Government Experimental Station where visitors could picnic on its grounds. To the west of Wilson Road past the present Victoria International Airport, there was a spur built to allow passengers walking access to Patricia Bay beach. In 1914, the company established The Chalet at the Tatlow station to provide refreshments for large company picnics and vacationers. Starting in 1915, on Fridays, B.C. Electric ran a market produce special for farmers that arrived in Victoria by 7:15 a.m.
Despite this idyllic system, there were many reasons why the line failed after a few years. Young farmers and suburban commuters left to serve in WWI; women entered the workforce in larger numbers. A depression settled on Victoria just as the line was completed and building stopped. The depression continued throughout the war because Victoria had few wartime industries. After the war, unemployment remained high and truck services increased; trucking companies had an advantage over the Interurban because they delivered goods directly to the door rather than leaving them at a station. Finally, the Victoria & Sidney Railway had signed an agreement with the B.C. Electric Company that gave the V&S access to the Sidney population and ferry traffic. In 1923 the line officially closed and track removal began. Only scattered vestiges of the rail bed remain today as reminders of the Saanich Interurban.
Photo courtesy “90 years of Public Service on Vancouver Island. A History of the BC Electric by T. R. Myers.” Caption: Victoria officials of the B.C. Electric at Deep Bay.
