– by Valerie Green –
This month I begin by writing about some prominent March dates which were particularly important in our local area. The first occurred on March 1, 1906 when the municipality of Saanich was incorporated. Andrew Henderson Strachan, as Justice of the Peace, was the man who swore in that very first council: Reeve Thomas Brydon and councillors Quick, Deans, Grant, Dunn and Puckle.
To celebrate that auspicious date, one hundred years later (in 2006) a committee of seven compiled a book called One Hundred Years; One Hundred Stories highlighting 100 special citizens of Saanich, ten from each decade. Each person had had a major impact on Saanich as a community over the century. Short biographical sketches of these people were written up telling of their achievements in the areas of the arts, agriculture, business, sports and government.
In the year 1950, Ward Six in Saanich was incorporated as Central Saanich Municipality on the Peninsula. In March of 1958 Saanich hired its first qualified Municipal Planner, A. L Parr, and in the following year, an Assistant Municipal Planner was also hired, T.W. Loney, at which time the Planning Department was officially formed.
Who can forget the horrendous winter of 1968/1969 when snow covered the ground from Boxing Day until the middle of March? It was my first winter in Canada and I had been told beforehand that the west coast rarely saw much snow!
A few ill-fated events have also occurred in March through the years. For instance, on March 1, 1932 the 20-month old son of aviation pioneer Charles A. Lindbergh was kidnapped from his home in Hopewell, New Jersey. A kidnapping/disappearance much nearer home happened on March 24, 1991 when little Michael Dunahee disappeared without a trace from a playground area in Victoria. This case has never been solved and remains a cold case with investigators. The police, his parents, his family, his friends and the whole community have never given up hope that he will one day be found and the mystery solved. Every year since, a Keep the Hope Alive run and dance has been held close to the anniversary date in March to raise funds for Child Find BC in Michael’s name.
Many famous people were also born in March. Band leader Glenn Miller; telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell; Albert Einstein; explorer David Livingstone; Wild West lawman, Wyatt Earp; magician and famous escape artist, Harry Houdini; playwright Tennessee Williams and Vincent Van Gogh. One last March birthday belonging to a lady by the name of Lucy Hobbs (of whom you have probably never heard) would make a useful piece of trivia for trivia buffs who like to amaze people with their knowledge. Hobbs was the first female dentist, and was born on March 14, 1883 in New York State.
Finally, we also connect two very famous events with March. One occurred many centuries ago on March 15, 44 B.C. when Julius Caesar was assassinated in Rome by conspirators bearing knives including his friend Brutus. Caesar’s famous words “Et tu, Brute” (You too, Brutus?) lived on and the event became known as the Ides of March. In addition, every March 17, we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, honouring the patron saint of Ireland.
So, again, March is full of surprises – just remember to beware of the Ides of March and continue to wear the green for St. Patrick!
Valerie Green is an author and historian and can be reached at valgee@shaw.ca
