~ By Brad Morrison

A little over 100 years ago,

“was principally little more

dozen or so settlers.

Brethour brothers, and a few

village developed:and now has
become a spacious and flour-
ishing town, with many well-

ae ‘ to-do businesses.
HAWATIAN ISLANDS HOLIDAY ‘ -’ Let’s take a stroll through
"ag . \). some of the early directories:
DEC. a1 - 14 DAYS 2 ~- and documents and extract a
we ° se ets 4} few gems about Sidney and
Canadian $$$ ~ some of its early businesses

Airfare included |

result of this. inspiration.

ae ready” commenced: and. a

~ comments:

: ce proont 6 Hats ® ‘dsaging Suits ° Towels”
© © Denim Wear o > Roos | @ Self. Shiets. ® Bagh

mes ard Street
ret |

Oh
|
ifr

he ! iF
MIAME UIE Marat DLE BET

= ae aes z

ae

“Taking care Set
_ your insurance
Spaeth over
85 years

"656-1 1 54 “2444 BEACON AVE.

| E “y insurance ue ue “ | Orig. est. Redick

' the area that formed Sidney -:

than farmland, settled by a.

others, the small embryo of a —

which sprung to life from the -

Twas in 1891 that the Sid- -
“~~ ney townsite was first subdi- -

Nis, sal s vided and lots put on the mar-
SIDNEY» #1 2353 Bevan Square 656-5441, ket. The building of the pro- -
Oe _ BC. Reg. No.3157-0 posed railway [Victoria & Sid-
: . ney) had not yet -begun.
-.. Preparations to sell lots had al’

-- small. pamphlet that was.
' -printed advertising the sale of -
- lots included: the following.

“Sidney i is s sitnated 3 in. the :
centre of the richest agricul. :

For all your residential
and commercial real
estate needs. —

Professionals —
yet can trust!

| ~$56-4626 E

Real Estate

Me
we Th '
A

PENINSULA PROGRESS

> Pioneering businessmen who

A glance through some early directories

tural district in the Province of ©

British Columbia, which is
well settled by enterprising
and intelligent farmers. The

soil is well adapted.to the pro-

duction of all kinds of grain,

: |. hay and roots.
With the insight of the four

“The climate is of an even

temperature, being free from
“summer. frosts and: well
‘adapted for growing all vari-
~ eties of fruit, as well as the rais-
‘ing of hops. Stock raising and

dairying is also carried on prof-
itably in this district. Arrange-

~ments have been made for the
erection of a steam sawmill at ©

Sidney, and other very impor-

tant industries are being nego- | °
* tiated for...” ” :
When we look for the first

references to Sidney in the
published directories, it is not

until 1893 that records begin:
Although there is little given
_ concerning the place, the fol- '
lowing individuals are listed as |
conducting a business in the .

area: [Alexander] Anderson,

‘Storekeeper; [W.] J. Arm-.
strong, Carpenter;.W. A. Bis-.

sett, hotel’ keeper; Hugh.

fal - Moore, ‘Carpenter; .S.° San- |
~-dover, blacksmith and farmer.

- Alexander Anderson, isa.
: gentleman. of whom. there is:
’ dittle known. At first one. could

son of A.C. “anderaon | but this

1! he
me ine hts int

family owned and operated since 1965" me

Visitors Welcome _
1050 McTavish Road, Sidney 656.3136

jarmeraeenn

Wednesday, April 22, 1998

helned settle Sidney

. PHOTO COURTESY SIDNEY MUSEUM

Nothing boosted business on Beacon Avenue like the

- Sidney’s first general store. It

was owned by Lionel Dickin-
son, who was the town’s first

Post Master, and was built in .

1892. It later became one of

buildings. us
Wilson. Joesf ‘Armstrong

- was actually a wheel-wright by |

trade, anda farmer who came |.
to area in 1873. His farm con. |,
- Sisted of the Resthaven and All
’ Bay area. It was related that he

- had made some of the early :
; Wagons, | , used in the District.”
co

e ise advertisertiont concerning :
his place of business: aoe

get TEE

‘he was known to the old-'
|. timers; was a bachelor con-

‘House. He was also. responsi-

was the proprietor. of the Sid--
“ney House {a-k.a. Sidney Ho-
fan which had been. bait ae

: | blacksmith who. arrived in Vic-
-|toria in 1860.: He’ went into .
- business. with Simeon Duck»
[later a Mayor of: Victoria] :

ee . phe |
rl “TRADITIONAL GREEK CUISINE.

* Open 7 Days A Woek ¢ Dine in Or, Toke Out
. Licensed Premises ,

‘Introduction of streetlights in the summer of 1953.

? “The Sidney House - En-..

|. larged & Thoroughly Refitted.
“The most. comfortable and.
-commodious hotel in Sidney,
-|-the terminus of the Victoria & |
‘Saanich Canning Company's

‘Sidney railway system. Excel
lent Fishing, Shooting ‘and ‘
Boating. A Charming Sum- .

“mer: Resort. W.A.: Bissett, —

Prop., Sidney, B.C.”
‘Hugh Moore, or ‘Huey’: as
tracted to build the: ‘Sidney.

‘ble: for, the construction of.
oe General. ‘Store;

ney’s
stablished ‘businesses << He
as also.an able. shoemaker, a
trade: he would. practice for
many years in the Sidney area.
: Stephen - Sandover: was.

producing ‘wagons and. car- |

| Tiages. He would make ‘his.
way out to North Saanich i in
| 1874, where he raised pure-
|. bred stock on his farm. Appar-
“ently, he also continued to do ©
“some blacksmithing as well.

In August: 1892,..’ the

| Toronto & British Columbia
- Lumber Co.; began the con-.
struction of, their. steam’
|. sawmill. The December com-
‘pletion of the mill would pro-
vide the necessary lumber for»

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