Wednesday, April 27, 1988 Tucked away in a hard-to-find -.corner of the Saanich Peninsula and perched on a rise of land bes- ide Sea Drive overlooking Brentwood Bay lies an upside ‘down ark, The ark is about 450 feet long and is 50 feet from the ground up to its dark wooden keel. No Noah ever sailed this ark. As a matter of fact, it’s not a real ark at all. It’s a church, Its official name is the Brentwood College Memorial Anglican Chapel . of . St Augistines of Canterbury but most people call it Brentwood Chapel or simply, The Chapel. __ According to the present rector, Rev. Alistaire Petric, the Chapel was designed in the carly 1920s as an upside down ark because the "thought process of the Church was that it. was like a ship. The Chaplain was thought of as the captain and the elders were the Church’s crew. The in- side of the church is the nave from the medieval Latin ‘navis’ which means ship." The Chapel became the parish Church for Brentwood Bay in 1949, a quarter century after its corner stone was laid October 25, 1924. The stone contains newspa- per clippings and a scroll! with the names of the governors, masters and the boys of Brentwood Col- lege, the boys’ school that built the Chapel for its own use. Under ‘the direction of their shop teacher, the Chapel: slowly took shape and ‘the first. service. ‘took place:on May 26, 1929 al- though building was far. from: completed. According to.a writ- _ ‘ten history’ of the construction, : the 10 roof:trusses, each of which —: weighed more. than a ton, were binder. with many old photog- -“raphs . situated justi Chapel. 2 5 nside .. the During. the: ‘next decade, the »-/-¢arved alter and hangings, pews, an organ,’ large. stained glass _. windows and ; other. furnishings” oe were acquired Jargely due-to the - gencrosity of the parents of the boys who attended the school. Unlike other churches, — the Brentwood Chapel pews do not face the alter. They are instead in tows, four to each side, facing each other across the centre isle. "This allowed the boys. to do responsive singing. It makes it difficult to preach in here now, but it’s fun," Petric said. When he stands at one side, half the con- gregation has trouble sccing him so he often tends to roam around during his sermons with a tiny microphone clipped to his vest- ments, A modern sound system brings -his voice to all the congregation in what is otherwise an acousli- cally poor building. However, the sysicm is not without its glitches.. "Sometimes we find our system is on the same frequency as.a fish boat," Petrie said. "I remember a recent incident when a visiting preacher was in the middle of his sermon and had just told his con-- gregation that we must be rcady at all times because God speaks to us in mysterious ways. "At that moment, just as he paused for breath, our loud- speakers boomed ‘Watch out Joe, here they. come 14 degrees to starboard. Get ready.’ "Was that God? the minister asked the congregation . which was by then laughing out loud." . Many of -the College’s gradu- ates fought in World War If.-In 1942, a Roll of Honour inscribed with their names was installed in -. the Chapel beside the alter. It was revised in 1953. ._ tween ‘the two’ buildings: caught _ fire and winds threatened to push “the flames westward. While some ~ ~ volunteers : battled .to. save. the ~ Chapel, others quickly. moved ». some its contents to safety. ~ But the winds changed and the. Chapel: was. saved... The. college. burnt to the ground. During the night of August 16, 1947, a fire completely destroyed — the College .immediately. to the 7 east of the Chapel. Bushes -be-. » shefted’ into’ place. using only .a © ~ hand-run: windlass. This history” “in much. detail.“is' contained. in.’ _"T-don’t think the cause of the ‘fire was ever determined but ar-.:. son was suspected, It could. have even been one of the boys at the College," Petrie said. “There was a massive cover-up after the fire. "Tears even now come to the eyes of some of the Old Boys when they. talk about it.” For the next 15° months the Chapel was used for special ser- vices only. The boys went to school. in temporary quarters at . Shawnigan Lake and Pat Bay. During this time of disuse, maintenance fell behind. The bats and flies which had always lived in the walls muluplied and came eer Was. just-beginning. forth in clouds. Battling the bats continues to be a job for the congregation but there is a suspicion that their total extermination might be a mistake. Bats cat lots of flies and more flies flying around on warm Sun- day mornings is not something Petric and his people need or Want, Close to 160 people attend ser- Vices each Sunday, the Chapel holds about 200, but for special meetings there have. been as many as 400 inside “breaking 926, Brentwood College, on the left, was up and running but The Chapel, every fire regulation there is," Petric said sitting in his office on the third floor of the six-story lower. _ "Six years ago the average age of the congregation was close to 60. Now it’s 39. We’ve experi- enced a 500 per cent growth in membership in just the last four years.” Up once flight of stairs is a mect- ‘ing room in the process of renovation. Above that is the bel- fry containing two bells. The top floor is outside and open to the sky. Page D1] From there it’s possible to look out, across the land the College once owned but sold after the fire and across Saanich Inlet to Mill Bay where the new Brentwood College sits.” ‘The ‘current crop of younger boys, and girls, return to the original Chapel just once a year for a special Remembrance Day service also attended by many of the Old Boys who still fondly re- member the construction days. "It’s a special time," Petrie says. Pa a Before it became. Centrat: Saanicly it was called Ward Six. Us “residents. paid. heavy. taxes: to. support the inner ward districts: which boasted costly police, Tire, schools, water and .clectric” ‘lights. Ta ay OE Ba UNS Tie bgt "Ward One took in the Shelbourne. areay Ward Two Quadra and: ‘Cook; Ward Three Gordon Head; Ward Four Wilkinson: and Prospect. Lake; Ward Five, Royal Oak. and Cordova Bay; Ward : Seven the: Gorge Road from Washington Avenue (the Victoria boundary line) to Admirals Road and Burnside, a “Ward Six had none.of the services enjoyed by the inner wards fern era retell terete “a8 Oo Taare a erate a caret ee 8 rater ane, ata races ee ee 8, Na Nit ea Na a ie ee eddie TO NN ME RNIN el EK Mies : x wot : a oe ERs nn Ageia pans nhieu rnaibusidly esther Gates tnibasar sit aeeiAsnoneer 8 irra tora eraamererinninimnants nearnsienaen mda saat ome i and: by 1912 its residents, mostly farmers, began the move 2 Ea st _ , My ee Lala & toward secession to get-tax relief. They called Ward Six the The class of 1900 al the Sldney School under teachor Jack Roberts, Ge told, Joyce Broth nBor- EE forgotten ward, . a of Miss Currle included Harry Critchley bolding the slate. quist, Lille Brethour, Edith Brethour, Reta Brethour, ED is fertile soil meant profitable dairy herds; miles of logan berry * Other students were Martlott: Armstrong, Fred Wins: Allce Roborts, Pearl Harrison, Colina Marcotte and Lil. vines, countless rows of strawberry plants and often more than low, Olive Norris, Muriel Brethour, Eva Roberts, Wilson. Han Winslow. Unfortunately, the Information on the — +8 100:bushels of gram tothe acres Armsttong, Sidney Roberts, Prank Norris, Herbert Har- back of the old photo doesn't say which name belongs - ETewasn'C until F987 that Central Saanich, all'12,000 acres of i, tison, Ira’ Brethour, Clifford. Brethour, Lora White, to which studont. It'sapuzle 8 and ite residents became. their own hoss: under Reeve Sidney ie: “Elleon White. Jimmy Read, Alex Brothour, Lena Reld, oe Lo Pinte ccaaneny of te Sldyey. Museu & Pickles who chaired the first mecting January, 16 in Brentwood’s * i Pe aca eT ee a, . _ 2 Women's Institute Hall, Be tet oo a er ny een nininnniannsalinannanininatnl 2 Not Jong afterward. the: present amis, crest and mono were. Be - ke a ae “ Be ou ms adopted as fOHOWs. oe IP ce ab. , . re ~ aman Be te fie EES a . Artis: Argent, palewise. berween two fliunches barraly wavy Did you ; key 76) W. tha U. ewe © In 1946, Dorothy Norbury won the Sidney: Carnival hewuty queen: : 2 Of 12 of the first and azure, cach charged. with a salmon hauriant Boro te ye Me Ne ad bh tant! Fe cl @dntest bealitig, out 22.ather young liities UE a cee ae 2 pnd endorsed proper, a. Thmnderbird wings expanded, @vORe ren Tigenatln oy tote, epdt wig oh Hee DORN GUN oe her youne 2 gules barhed and seeded, and dattodil all proper. 8 | a Crest: Upon a wreath of the colours a cnmucopia diffusing fruit” 22 fag hee PE hath Coupe ae ate oe EL and vegetables all proper, ss A Tate east iron range was installed in the basement of the North = Woon : ~ Motor On a scroll argent lined and lettered azure the words 0 Saanich school. in. November, 1920, “far the convenience of the’ ‘The Garry Oak trees so plentiful on the Peninsula: were named after... RE LAND OF PLENTY. Ce a Poo seholars, mast of whoo bring their fanches.” The stove was big enough Nicholas Garry, secretary of the Hudson Bay Company, in 1839 by the sats, Nees et et anata! weet ce hel reed gh at gt OPO RC ee ore ee Be ac durseeaneeat > down sevérdt cans of milk, COcOM Or tea, ~ botanist David Douglas, ©