The Past, Present and Future of Cedar Hill Park
Jessica Jackson
Summary
Cedar Hill Park is a major part of the Saanich community. This municipal park has a range of activities: it “comprises 134 acres of land … 110 acres are occupied by the golf course” (Loney, 1970), the park has “a 3.6 km wood chip trail that passes through beautiful wooded areas and by King’s Pond, … a tributary of Bowker creek run[s] by the Cedar Hill recreation centre and … baseball diamonds [sit] near the south end” (District of Saanich Parks). What is now Cedar Hill Park has a long and rich history among the Coast Salish people as well as a much shorter history with the European settlers. Cedar Hill Park also supports a variety of native and exotic wildlife and plants. Lastly, the many likely and not so likely potential futures of Cedar Hill Park and Cedar Hill Golf Course, such as Golf course closure, future housing, and shopping developments are also covered in this text. |
Genealogy
Cedar Hill Park (Figure 1) is a well-used area in the Saanich community. It’s in a central location in Greater Victoria, making it highly accessible to many people. It serves as a great place to connect with the natural world as well as the rest of the community.
Throughout time “landscapes accumulate layers of history. These histories are inscribed physically-in soil horizons, bedrock layers, fossils, petrified wood, rotting stumps, and decaying bone (Hourdequin and Havlick). 15,000 years ago Vancouver Island looked very different: it was covered in glaciers, (CRD, 2016) and these glaciers greatly altered Vancouver Island into the geologic landscape of today.
Rich indigenous history also runs throughout this land. Archaeological evidence shows human occupation on Vancouver Island dating back 8000 years (First Nations, 2008). The Coast Salish peoples (Ringette, 2004) have been living off the land and sea for centuries, cultivating and shaping it for their needs. “Interior forested areas such as Cedar Hill Park [would have been] an important source of food and resources” (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015) for the Coast Salish peoples prior to European colonization. The land currently known as Cedar Hill Park would most likely have been covered in open camas (Camassia quamash and C. leitchlineii) meadows surrounded by towering Garry oak trees, which would have been maintained by the Coast Salish people through consistent maintenance and controlled burning of the land. “James Douglas, a European explorer described the camas fields as |
‘The Perfect Eden’, and this was a major factor that attracted the European settlers to the land” (Ringette, 2004).
After European colonization the land that included Cedar Hill Park was acquired by the Hudson Bay company, which then sold 150 acres to the McRae family in 1886 (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015). The McRae family built and operated their dairy farm on the 150 acres of land, but “In the late 1910s and early 1920s, the McRae family … began leasing” (Slavin, 2012) approximately “sixty acres of the McRae dairy farm to golf professional Harry W. Eve, who developed it as a nine-hole golf course” (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015) (Figure 2). In 1956 a Saanich reeve, Arthur Ash, recommended that the McRae land be purchased and made into a public park (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015), in 1967 this became a reality. The McRae family sold their land, which included Cedar Hill Park, to the municipality of Saanich in 1967 for $1.2 million dollars (Loney, 1970), and in 1971 the municipality of Saanich took over operations of the golf course (Figure 3) that was situated in the park. The first golf clubhouse was also built to coincide with the new management, (Slavin, 2012) and two years later, in 1973, “the Cedar Hill recreation centre was constructed on the site of the McRae cattle barn” (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015). |
1989 was a very big year for the Saanich community as the “Saanich council … passed a motion to recognize Cedar Hill Park as a Municipal park” (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015), which it remains today.
In 1996 after the golf clubhouse burned down due to a couple of arsonists, the current clubhouse was built as a replacement. The budget was set at $2 million (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015) although the clubhouse was significantly under budget, costing only $1.3 million (Slavin, 2012).
In 1996 after the golf clubhouse burned down due to a couple of arsonists, the current clubhouse was built as a replacement. The budget was set at $2 million (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015) although the clubhouse was significantly under budget, costing only $1.3 million (Slavin, 2012).
Ten years ago in 2006 a group called Friends of Cedar Hill Park, was formed, as a community based non-profit society (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015) actively involved in the preservation and upkeep of Cedar Hill Park. This non-profit society organizes many volunteer events within the Park to provide services which include pulling invasive species, restor[ing] native species (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015) and resisting adverse development of the park in order to protect precious habitat. Today, the Saanich Pulling Together Program also exists, running programs for volunteers to help pull invasive species from the park (District of Saanich, 2016). Both of these programs demonstrate the concern people in the Saanich community have for Cedar Hill Park.
Socio-ecological characterization
As Cedar Hill Park is a central attraction in the district of Saanich and one of the largest parks in the municipality of Saanich. It is home to the Cedar Hill Golf Course (Figure 4), Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, and the Chip Trail (Cedar Hill Park, 2016).
Both Cedar Hill Park and Cedar Hill Golf Course are well maintained and well managed by the municipality of Saanich. Susan Brice, presently Director of the Capital Regional District (CRD) as well as a member of the Saanich Municipal Council, is chair to the Parks, Trails and Recreation committee, and has a significant influence over the management of Cedar Hill Park and Golf Course. Although the Cedar Hill Golf Club is heavily involved at the Golf Course, promoting men’s, ladies and junior competitions that take place at the golf course (Cedar Hill Golf Club), the club has nothing to do with the maintenance of the course as it is actually run by volunteers and not by the municipality of Saanich (Cedar Hill Golf Club). |
competitions that take place at the golf course (Cedar Hill Golf Club), the club has nothing to do with the maintenance of the course as it is actually run by volunteers and not by the municipality of Saanich (Cedar Hill Golf Club).
Both Cedar Hill Park and Cedar Hill Golf Course are well maintained and well managed by the municipality of Saanich. Susan Brice, presently Director of the Capital Regional District (CRD) as well as a member of the Saanich Municipal Council, is chair to the Parks, Trails and Recreation committee, and has a significant influence over the management of Cedar Hill Park and Golf Course. Although the Cedar Hill Golf Club is heavily involved at the Golf Course, promoting men’s, ladies and junior competitions that take place at the golf course (Cedar Hill Golf Club), the club has nothing to do with the maintenance of the course as it is actually run by volunteers and not by the municipality of Saanich (Cedar Hill Golf Club).
Both Cedar Hill Park and Cedar Hill Golf Course are well maintained and well managed by the municipality of Saanich. Susan Brice, presently Director of the Capital Regional District (CRD) as well as a member of the Saanich Municipal Council, is chair to the Parks, Trails and Recreation committee, and has a significant influence over the management of Cedar Hill Park and Golf Course. Although the Cedar Hill Golf Club is heavily involved at the Golf Course, promoting men’s, ladies and junior competitions that take place at the golf course (Cedar Hill Golf Club), the club has nothing to do with the maintenance of the course as it is actually run by volunteers and not by the municipality of Saanich (Cedar Hill Golf Club).
The Park is used by a wide variety of people including golfers, walkers, dog walkers, bird watchers and hikers using the surrounding walking trails. Whilst walking through the park I saw signs listing common plant and bird species that are found within the park. Kings pond is a well maintained location apart of the agricultural land reserve located at the north end of the park, and home to many plant and waterfowl species (CRD). The most common ducks are the mallard and wood ducks, other species include the wigeon, the greater scaup, buffleheads, Canada geese, blue heron, fox sparrow, golden-crowned sparrow, Anna’s hummingbird, and Bewick’s wren (Yip, 2010). Tree species that reside on the Cedar Hill Golf Course are both deciduous and coniferous, a few include Garry Oak trees and Western Hemlock (Parish, 1995). Other flowering species present on the golf course are the white fawn lily (Erythronium oregonum), harvest brodiaea (Brodiaea coronaria), shooting star (Dodecatheon), satin flower (Sisyrinchium douglasii), camas (Camassia leichtlinii), and the western buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis), (Refer to figure 5) (Sign outside the Saanich Volunteer services society building). Barriers between the surrounding houses and Cedar Hill Golf Course consists mainly of fragmented low lying fence which allows for the free range of wildlife such as deer, raccoons, rabbits and rodents.
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A major hydrological process in Cedar Hill Park is the King’s Pond wetland, which serves to detain storm water flows and cleans water filtering into many surrounding ecosystems. This makes the Kings Pond Wetland critical to the survival of many aquatic species, including the Salmon stocks in the Gorge waterway (Ruszel, 2013). There have been many accounts of people enjoying sights and experiences that would not be possible without the King’s pond wetland and the protection it enjoys by being part of the Agricultural Land Reserve (CRD). The water we have flowing through our community is important to many aspects of our daily lives and ecosystems. In order to keep it clean we need to protect the wetland environment located in Cedar Hill Park at Kings pond, as ponds and wetland habitats improve water quality (Evergreen, 2001). In 2013 a subdivision was proposed to be built on the King’s Pond wetland (Ruszel, 2013). This project was terminated after “neighbours and friends of cedar hill park opposed the subdivision due to the negative impacts on the wetland” (Friends of Cedar Hill Park).
Future trajectory
The future of Cedar Hill Park holds many questions. “Almost every landscape is a layered landscape” (Hourdequin and Havlick) and Cedar Hill Park is no exception. Starting off as traditional grounds used by the Indigenous Coast Salish people, being owned by the Hudson Bay company, sold to the McRae family to be used as a dairy farm (Friends of Cedar Hill Park, 2015), and later a large portion of the land being turned into a golf course in the late 1910’s and early 1920’s (Figure 2) (Slavin, 2012).
Cedar Hill Golf Course was in debt by approximately $820,000 at the end of 2012 (Slavin, 2013), and no noticeable progress has been made to reduce that debt. Therefore, one trajectory is similar to that of the Royal Oak Golf course within the next 10-20 years. The closure of the Royal Oak golf course was announced in a Times Colonist newspaper article by Louise Dickson in March 2016. Although, as the Cedar Hill golf course is owned by the District of Saanich (Dickson, 2016) the financial resilience may be better than that of the Royal Oak Golf Course, which was owned privately by the Cordero family (Dickson, 2016). Unlike the Cordero family the District of Saanich may be able to keep the golf course running longer than if it were privately owned, through further financial injections. In addition, as the Royal Oak golf course has closed there will be many golfers looking for a new location to golf. The Mayor of Saanich, Richard Atwell “is hoping that golfers looking for a new home will consider using the Cedar Hill Golf Course” (Dickson, 2016). The addition of new golfers may prolong the operational life span of the Cedar Hill golf course, but I believe it will still end within the next 20 years. “The business of golf is suffering … [as] Canadians appear to be playing less golf than they used to” (Sorensen, 2014). “The National Allied Golf Associations … found that the number of rounds played on the average Canadian course has dropped 10 per cent over the past five years, with the blame falling on everything from the waning interest to the time commitment required” (Sorensen, 2014).
Cedar Hill Golf Course was in debt by approximately $820,000 at the end of 2012 (Slavin, 2013), and no noticeable progress has been made to reduce that debt. Therefore, one trajectory is similar to that of the Royal Oak Golf course within the next 10-20 years. The closure of the Royal Oak golf course was announced in a Times Colonist newspaper article by Louise Dickson in March 2016. Although, as the Cedar Hill golf course is owned by the District of Saanich (Dickson, 2016) the financial resilience may be better than that of the Royal Oak Golf Course, which was owned privately by the Cordero family (Dickson, 2016). Unlike the Cordero family the District of Saanich may be able to keep the golf course running longer than if it were privately owned, through further financial injections. In addition, as the Royal Oak golf course has closed there will be many golfers looking for a new location to golf. The Mayor of Saanich, Richard Atwell “is hoping that golfers looking for a new home will consider using the Cedar Hill Golf Course” (Dickson, 2016). The addition of new golfers may prolong the operational life span of the Cedar Hill golf course, but I believe it will still end within the next 20 years. “The business of golf is suffering … [as] Canadians appear to be playing less golf than they used to” (Sorensen, 2014). “The National Allied Golf Associations … found that the number of rounds played on the average Canadian course has dropped 10 per cent over the past five years, with the blame falling on everything from the waning interest to the time commitment required” (Sorensen, 2014).
I believe the most likely trajectory for Cedar Hill Park in the next 50 years will be keeping it as a municipal park while converting the current golf course into community space for activities to occur. I also believe that the community and recreation centre at the south end of the park will expand and use the park for events and activities that will involve more of the community in inclusive and interactive activities such as soccer, soft ball, baseball games and community fairs or markets.
As our society is constantly expanding another possible trajectory for Cedar Hill Park includes slowly converting parts of the park into housing developments and apartment buildings. In 100 years Cedar Hill park could be a bustling hotspot, full of high-rise apartment developments and shopping centers, along with cafes and bakeries dotted throughout. A third trajectory that is highly unlikely in my mind would be that Cedar Hill Park remains the same along with Cedar Hill Golf course. |
As novel ecosystems have direct or indirect anthropogenic origins, are unable to go back to their previous ecosystem state, pose a largely altered species composition, and are self- sustaining (Morse, 2014), Cedar Hill Park, mainly the golf course is either a novel ecosystem, or a hybrid ecosystem teetering on the brink of novelty as the day to day intensive management, the layout of the site and the layout of the tree species on the grounds all have anthropogenic origins. (Figure 6).
As well as being a novel ecosystem Cedar Hill park relates to many other ecosystems in the region. For example, the water that is filtered and cleaned in the Kings Pond wetland located at the north section of the park as part of the agricultural land reserve (CRD), is the water that feeds into the Blenkinsop creek, Swan lake, Colquitz river and the Gorge waterway (Ruszel, 2013). This makes the Kings Pond Wetland a key element in the health and maintenance of other surrounding ecosystems.
Cedar Hill Park is a highly modified land that has served many uses for people throughout history. In the present, it is a closely monitored hybrid or novel ecosystem that has a strong connection to other surrounding systems. Although, its future trajectory holds many land use conversions that would most likely come in the form of retail and residential development, and will no-doubt sever or highly disrupt its connection to the other surrounding natural ecosystems.
As well as being a novel ecosystem Cedar Hill park relates to many other ecosystems in the region. For example, the water that is filtered and cleaned in the Kings Pond wetland located at the north section of the park as part of the agricultural land reserve (CRD), is the water that feeds into the Blenkinsop creek, Swan lake, Colquitz river and the Gorge waterway (Ruszel, 2013). This makes the Kings Pond Wetland a key element in the health and maintenance of other surrounding ecosystems.
Cedar Hill Park is a highly modified land that has served many uses for people throughout history. In the present, it is a closely monitored hybrid or novel ecosystem that has a strong connection to other surrounding systems. Although, its future trajectory holds many land use conversions that would most likely come in the form of retail and residential development, and will no-doubt sever or highly disrupt its connection to the other surrounding natural ecosystems.
References
Capital Regional District (CRD) Community Green Map. Duck Pond. Retrieved from http://crdcommunitygreenmap.ca/location-type/duck-pond
Dickson, L. (2016, March 5th) Royal Oak golf course closed, its future unclear. Times Colonist. Retrieved from http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/royal-oak-golf-course-closed-its-future-unclear-1.2191255
(2015). Friends of Cedar Hill Park. Park History. Retrieved from http://www.friendsofcedarhillpark.com/park-history.html
Ruszel, A. (2013, October, 23). Protect waterway ‘string of pearls’. Times Colonist. Retrieved from http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/protect-waterway-string-of-pearls-1.669711
Slavin, K. (2012, February 7th) A brief history of the Cedar Hill golf course. BC Local News. Retrieved from http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/138886374.html?mobile=true
Slavin, K. (2013, August 5th) Cautious optimism for the future of money-losing Cedar Hill Golf Course. Victoria News. Retrieved from http://www.vicnews.com/news/218164691.html
Loney, T. W. (1970). Development Plan For Cedar Hill Park. Victoria: The Corporation of the District of Saanich.
(2016). Friends of Cedar Hill Park. Park History. Retrieved from http://www.friendsofcedarhillpark.com/park-history.html
CRD. Geologic History of Vancouver Island. Retrieved from https://www.crd.bc.ca/education/our-environment/geology-processes/geological-history-vi
First Nations, Land Rights and Environmentalism in British Columbia. (November, 8th, 2008) Retrieved from http://www.firstnations.de/development/coast_salish.htm
(2016). Saanich. Cedar Hill Park. Retrieved from http://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/news-events/events-list/saanich-volunteer-opportunities/cedar-hill-park-7.html
Cedar Hill Park. Saanich. District of Saanich Parks. Retrieved from http://www.saanich.ca/assets/Parks~Recreation~and~Culture/Documents/Parks~Parks~Trails~and~Amenities~Find~a~Park/Cedar-Hill-Park.pdf
Cedar Hill Golf Club. Welcome members and Visitors. Retrieved from http://www.cedarhillgolfclub.com/index.html
Cedar Hill Park, Saanich (Sign outside the Saanich Volunteer services society building)
Cedar Hill Park, Saanich. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/parks-recreation-culture/parks/projects-in-saanich-parks/active-projects/cedar-hill-park.html
(2015). Friends of Cedar Hill Park. About us. Retrieved from http://www.friendsofcedarhillpark.com/about-us.html
Parish, R., and Thompson, S. (1995). Tree Book: Learning to recognize Trees of British Columbia. Victoria, BC. Canadian Forest Service.
Yip, M. (2010, January 9th). Journal 314: King’s for a Day. Retrieved from http://vancouverislandbirds.com/Journal314.html
Sorensen, C. (2014, July, 4th). Why Canadian golf is dying, The culprits: greed, hubris and the demise of free time. Maclean’s. Retrieved from http://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/the-end-of-golf/
Hourdequin, M., and Havlick, D, G. (2016). Restoring Layered Landscapes, History, Ecology and Culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
Morse, N. B., Pellissier, P. A., Cianciola, E. N., Brereton, R. L., Sulliva, M. M., Shonka, N. K., Wheeler, T. B., and McDowell, W. H. Novel Ecosystems in the Anthropocene: a revision of the novel ecosystem concept for pragmatic applications. Ecology and Society. 19(2):12. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06192-190212
Ringuette, J. (2004). Beacon Hill Park History 1842-2009. Chapter One: 1842. Retrieved from http://www.beaconhillparkhistory.org/contents/chapter1.htm
Pond and Wetland Habitats. Evergreen common grounds, Bringing nature to our cities. Retrieved from https://www.evergreen.ca/downloads/pdfs/CG4-Pond-Wetland-Habitats.pdf
Dickson, L. (2016, March 5th) Royal Oak golf course closed, its future unclear. Times Colonist. Retrieved from http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/royal-oak-golf-course-closed-its-future-unclear-1.2191255
(2015). Friends of Cedar Hill Park. Park History. Retrieved from http://www.friendsofcedarhillpark.com/park-history.html
Ruszel, A. (2013, October, 23). Protect waterway ‘string of pearls’. Times Colonist. Retrieved from http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/protect-waterway-string-of-pearls-1.669711
Slavin, K. (2012, February 7th) A brief history of the Cedar Hill golf course. BC Local News. Retrieved from http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/138886374.html?mobile=true
Slavin, K. (2013, August 5th) Cautious optimism for the future of money-losing Cedar Hill Golf Course. Victoria News. Retrieved from http://www.vicnews.com/news/218164691.html
Loney, T. W. (1970). Development Plan For Cedar Hill Park. Victoria: The Corporation of the District of Saanich.
(2016). Friends of Cedar Hill Park. Park History. Retrieved from http://www.friendsofcedarhillpark.com/park-history.html
CRD. Geologic History of Vancouver Island. Retrieved from https://www.crd.bc.ca/education/our-environment/geology-processes/geological-history-vi
First Nations, Land Rights and Environmentalism in British Columbia. (November, 8th, 2008) Retrieved from http://www.firstnations.de/development/coast_salish.htm
(2016). Saanich. Cedar Hill Park. Retrieved from http://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/news-events/events-list/saanich-volunteer-opportunities/cedar-hill-park-7.html
Cedar Hill Park. Saanich. District of Saanich Parks. Retrieved from http://www.saanich.ca/assets/Parks~Recreation~and~Culture/Documents/Parks~Parks~Trails~and~Amenities~Find~a~Park/Cedar-Hill-Park.pdf
Cedar Hill Golf Club. Welcome members and Visitors. Retrieved from http://www.cedarhillgolfclub.com/index.html
Cedar Hill Park, Saanich (Sign outside the Saanich Volunteer services society building)
Cedar Hill Park, Saanich. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/parks-recreation-culture/parks/projects-in-saanich-parks/active-projects/cedar-hill-park.html
(2015). Friends of Cedar Hill Park. About us. Retrieved from http://www.friendsofcedarhillpark.com/about-us.html
Parish, R., and Thompson, S. (1995). Tree Book: Learning to recognize Trees of British Columbia. Victoria, BC. Canadian Forest Service.
Yip, M. (2010, January 9th). Journal 314: King’s for a Day. Retrieved from http://vancouverislandbirds.com/Journal314.html
Sorensen, C. (2014, July, 4th). Why Canadian golf is dying, The culprits: greed, hubris and the demise of free time. Maclean’s. Retrieved from http://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/the-end-of-golf/
Hourdequin, M., and Havlick, D, G. (2016). Restoring Layered Landscapes, History, Ecology and Culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
Morse, N. B., Pellissier, P. A., Cianciola, E. N., Brereton, R. L., Sulliva, M. M., Shonka, N. K., Wheeler, T. B., and McDowell, W. H. Novel Ecosystems in the Anthropocene: a revision of the novel ecosystem concept for pragmatic applications. Ecology and Society. 19(2):12. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-06192-190212
Ringuette, J. (2004). Beacon Hill Park History 1842-2009. Chapter One: 1842. Retrieved from http://www.beaconhillparkhistory.org/contents/chapter1.htm
Pond and Wetland Habitats. Evergreen common grounds, Bringing nature to our cities. Retrieved from https://www.evergreen.ca/downloads/pdfs/CG4-Pond-Wetland-Habitats.pdf