Mount Tolmie is the namesake of our Community Association. The following information is presented to help you learn more about our community.

The black and white photos have been provided courtesy of Mr. Herb & Mrs. May Croft, long-time residents of Mount Tolmie, who have graciously shared their history with us. Many thanks!

If you live in the neighbourhood and have similar photos to share on our web site, please contact Marlene Bergstrom @ 472-2246.

The dialogue for these pictures was provided by Ken Stofer. For an interesting reflection on the history of the area, read a summary of our history around 1925 as related to Ken Stofer by Jack Merrett.

Additional photographs were obtained from Barbara Phipps and St. Aidan's church which was an integral part of community life in Mt. Tolmie and serves today as a center for community activity.

	Jim Todd and threshing machine. Bill and Bumble on Shelbourne Street early 1900's.
View from Mount Tolmie towards Mount Douglas around 1960.
	View from Mount Tolmie towards Mount Douglas around 1960.
Taking hay to stock, winter 1938.
	Bill, Ruby, and calf in 1923.
James Deans, niece & Bruskey.
	View from Mount Tolmie circa 1885.
View from Mount Tolmie circa 1908.
	This is the Mount Tolmie Post Office in 1904.
Shelbourne Street as it was at opening 1916.
	This is Charlie Croft with his wife Kitty, 1953. The big white building behind them is a country store. It was run by the Phillips when I (Ken Stofer) was a lad and later the Tatehams. This was about the time World War 2 broke out. Jack Merrett of whom I have spoken, married Ida Tateham. The dark peaked house behind the store is the old St. Aidan's church manse [house still there]. To the left of the photo behind the store, but not seen, is the large stucco house that my father built and in which I lived until I left for overseas during WW 2. The white picket fence behind Charlie Croft and his wife, is bordering the Croft property.
Taken from the Shelbourne area looking West. The road on the left is Cedar Hill x Road. In the top middle of the picture is just about where the spire of St. Lukes Church can be seen. On the right side up in the field you can see old Jimmy Miller's large barn. It was in this field, just below the barn where the small aircraft crashed when I (Ken Stofer) was just a kid, and I ran up there with Jean Lewis to see the injured men laying on the ground. Just above the clothes line is a large house. That is approximately where today's Highgate Apartment is. Immediately above this house in the picture, is where the Lutheran Church is today. I am not absolutely positive, but I think that the house on the very left center of the photo was that of a Mr. Shaw, who had one leg, spat chewing tobacco into a sack and ran the local post office from his home at that time. We all had to walk up or down the hill as the case may be, once a day to get our mail. Then progress took over and we could get it on a rural route from a little tin box on the side of the road. Our box [with about 8 others] was down on Cedar Hill X Rd. by Rendle Green.
	Charlie Croft is holding his son Herbert in his arms. This would be about 1920. He had served with the Canadian Army in World War I and spent some time in Russia. He later became a Victoria streetcar driver. Where he is standing is looking across the street where Fairway is now.
This is a photo of Herbert Croft with his older brother Alec. Alec served in the navy during WW II. The white house to the left and behind is that of the Lindsay family. This house is just behind the Merrett house and was located on Stamboul Street, which was just a lane in those days. Herb and Alec are standing in the backyard of their home. Outside the backfence of their property is a grass hill, down which children used to slide on waxed planks in the summertime, and if lucky on snow in the winter. It is still grassy and is the west end of Broadmead Street. Many of the oak trees that you see, stretched over across the lane, now Kisber Ave., [where Andy Rendle lives], and on to our present day property. The house you see at the back is no longer there, having been replaced by modern homes.
	This is Charlie Croft standing beside one of the streetcars he drove. This would be shortly after World War I.
Herb Croft and Bill McCoubrey, standing in front of the Croft home on Cedar Hill X Rd.(1938). They were avid hunters. The big house on the left behind Herb is the Jack Merrett house. This is where the wine shop is today.
	Charlie Croft in front of his house on Cedar Hill x Rd., after the big snow of 1918.
Mt. Douglas is in the background. In the center top of the photo you can see the very large for its time, John Irvine stone house [still there] It is just off of MacKenzie and Cedar Hill Road. Back about this time Cedar Hill Road was known as Cedar Trail and it is said that the Indians used to pull up in their canoes down in the Mt. Douglas Park area beach and then walk overland on a trail [Cedar Hill Rd.], into Fort Victoria. I (Ken Stofer) knew Jackie Irvine, a grandson who lived in this house, and we played pool on a huge table in the basement. Jackie was killed by a car while walking on Shelbourne Street, right about where the Coast Capital Credit Union is today. This was just before WW II. To the left of the picture, just behind that little dark shed, and set back, is where the Cedar Hill Elementary School is today. It was called Mt. Douglas High School when I attended in the 1930's, and went to Grade 12.
	Phipps grocery store around 1949 when Phipps purchased it. This store was the last building in the block before the St. Aidans Church Hall Just next to this store were the Croft house and next to it the Merrett house, on the corner of Stamboul. This store was previously owned by the Philips in the 30's. Comments from Barbara Phipps - Carl & Emily Phipps purchased the property at 1640 Cedar Hill X Road in 1949. The Croft's raised large brown chickens. They used to crow early every morning as a wake up call. Now and then when I think of them I miss that sound. We sold in 1956 to Salen's family, who renamed the store, the"Wooden Shoe". They lived farther down the street in a little house where the Drycleaners are now backing on to the Setterfield property - Stamboul & Kisber. My own kids [Barbara Phipps], remember picking wild sweetpeas along the Shelbourne side of this block in the late 1970's until it became the Saanich [Shelbourne] Village Square. The store later became a lawnmower shop and caught fire, I believe in the early 1960's.
Phipps grocery store in the early 1950's after some new paint and signs. Comments from Barbara Phipps: Carl gave the store a facelift. Something to do with zoning. We had to remain open 7 days a week until it was changed, then we closed on Sundays and half day Thursday for ordering. On the uphill side was/is St. Aidan's church hall where I attended Sunday school, as I wasn't allowed to cross 'the busy' street of Shelbourne to go to St. Luke's. Hunter's store was on this corner [Shelbourne], where Coast Capital Savings now sits and the Ironworks was across Cedar Hill X Road where MacDonald's is now. As kids we used to cut through Ellis' DAiry Farm en route to Doncaster School and on week-ends were sometimes allowed to play in his [Ellis'] hayloft. This, of course, is now the area where Shelbourne Plaza is located.
	Inside the grocery store. Comments from Barbara Phipps: This is inside our [Phipps] store. Probably the back of the store, with games and gifts, a box of Christmas crackers in the center of the right-hand shelf. The sign below them reads: "A Very Merry Christmas" and a "Prosperous New year". Note the Chinese Checkers at the top.
Barbara Phipps and her dog.
	Barbara Phipps and her chickens. St. Aidan's Church Hall is in the background.
Phipps Grocery with the new extension added. 1940 Pontiac parked at the side. Comments from Barbara Phipps : Carl and Emily Phipps renovated, making the upstairs over the house into two bedrooms and extended the store uphill, moving the steps.
	1895 View of Mt Tolmie Area.
Young fruit trees below Mt. Tolmie.
Maude Hunter's store
	Ground-breaking ceremony for the new St. Aidan's church.
The magnificent new St. Aidan's church.
	The latest version of St. Aidan's church.
Panoramic View from Mount Tolmie - 1895