Wednesday, April 22, 1998 PENINSULA PROGRESS

By James Clarke
Peninsula News Review

More than a million people

passed through the turnstiles

at Victoria International Air-

port last year, bringing with
them cash bound. for. local

Also raised that day was the we
businesses. station’s first windsock, hand- @ 24 Hour Emergency Service
- Along way from its early knitted by George’s wile, Alice.

days as a narrow grass land-
"ing strip where the terminal
building and car park now sit
to be sure, our’ search for
~ some insight into ground
zero.of our air- -born link to the

3 pean ri ‘Two local eateries that ben- :
~~ outside world ended up in the efited from the building boom.

den of North a Wally | -were Mary’s Coffee Bar, lo-. Free standing fence systems for

Dae ae -cated at the east end of the air- ~construction sites and events -

y is the son o e ate. port. property, and the Blue

-. George Walter Du Temple, Moon: Cafe: situated on the Pr iced to. include deli ver Vis

~ who history records as the ‘| oowest side. installation & take- down or.
- first pilot to ever land a plane Patricia. Bay. Air ‘Station

. at Pat Bay.

~The. year. ‘was’ 1939,. and
with war looming on the hori...
“gon in Europe, the federal gov
ernment...” identified -
Saanich Peninsula as a ae
where military planes should,
and would, be based.
With the site selected, gov-
ernment officials expropriated

some 700 acres of land and 35
buildings from 15 different

landowners stetching from Pat
Bay to the highway and Mills
Road close to McTavish, set-
ting the wheels in motion for
the capital city’s first airport.
Reading from his father’s

log book — A member of the.

RCAF, George Du. Temple

on th ®

-the Pat Bay Air Station, as

“struction commenced | in
earnest...

____ PENINSULA NEWS REVIEW 9
In the mid-1890s, the |
Saanich Lumber Co.
opened for business on
the site of the present day
Port Sidney. Marina. In
May of 1912, the mill was
taken over by the Cana-
dian Southern Lumber Co.,
whose run ended when
they went into receiver-
ship Sept.16, 1913 and
were forced out of busi-
ness. Four years later,
G.H. Walton bought the
building and equipment
and re-opened the busi-
ness as Sidney Sawmills
Lid., known for many
years as Sidney Mills. |

“Where Brentwood Meets!”

FAMILY RESTAURANT
"BRENTWOOD BAY

Celebrating 15. Year

S in Brentwood Bay!
6719 West Saanich Rd 52.

PHOTO COURTESY SIDNEY MUESUM om |

“The RCAF. flag was
hoisted over Patricia Bay Air
Station on this day for the first
time,” he wrote, “and a suit-
able ceremony and parade
conducted to commemorate
this memorable occasion.”

© High Voltage Overhead & Underground.
Design, Installation & Maintenance
-® Pole Line Construction & Maintenance

652-3090

Those were busy times at

more men arrived and con- :

Temporary Fence
Rentals VAL itd.

PHOTO COURTESY WALLY DU TEMPLE

: RCAF = Wing Commander George Walter Du Temple pic-
tured in the cockpit of his biplane, moments after. his

historic landing at Pat Bay , on Oct. 22, 1939.

was Wing Commander of.

Squadron 133 and oversaw the
construction of Pat Bay’s first
landing strip and hangar —
Wally recounts his father’s fir st

_ days here.

On Oct. 22, 1939, Du Tem-
ple and co-pilot Rusty Hopper
left Sea Island in Vancouver at

1430 hours in aircraft #225, At

1511 hours, Du Temple landed
his biplane at Pat Bay. ;
The next day, th the balance of

WANA AA TN

Knot to be. miss sed

the squadron —19 pilots and

‘RCAF personnel — arrived by

boat from Vancouver...
In his entry on Oct. 24, Du
Temple writes the day was
spent making the necessary al-
terations to the hangar (an old
barn), setting up the wireless

“station and. getting the men

settled in.

But itis Day 5, Oct. 26, 1939,
that-Du Temple made one of
his more notable entries.

“went on to serve as an impor-
..tant training base. for the:
--RCAF through the late 1940s, ° oo
~ when it was transferred to the

‘as a civilian airport.

fl the years. Willem will continue to enjoy .

Ka to providing their expertise - which has
64 contributed greatly to the success of the
_ f) business. We congratulate Laurie on her

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ee ete rR

Department of Transportation

ore Cs atatefetatetats

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B34 all the clients and friends who have made

aa Kapteyn Hair a consistent success over

Ky serving his many clients 4 days weekly,
Ky Susie, Renee and Leah remain committed

Ryn new endeavour and are looking forward

to her exciting ideas.

sa SRE SS Se Fe

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