Oak Bay Street Names
Street Names and Origins
This version is online as of September 2021 and will be added to and updated as a live document, edited by Anna Sander, Archivist. The 2017 version compiled by Jean Sparks of Oak Bay Archives can be viewed at https://www.oakbay.ca/our-community/history/archives/research/street-names
A useful list of similar historic street name changes within the City of Victoria is online here.
Questions? Corrections? Sources? Email the archivist
Introduction:
"In the early years, names were given to Oak Bay streets without consideration of duplication of names already in use in adjacent areas. As a result of this practice, street names had to be changed on numerous occasions following complaints from postal authorities about confusion in mail delivery. At one time, there were three streets in Oak Bay with the name Gonzales. One attempt at a general tidy-up occurred in 1920:
“'Upon motion of the Reeve, it was resolved ‘that the City of Victoria be requested to change the name of Oliver Avenue and Saanich Municipality be requested to change the name of Patricia Avenue so as to avoid confusion with streets of that name in this Municipality; this request being made in view of the fact that such named streets in Victoria and Saanich are short and that in return Oak Bay will consent to the change of name of seventeen streets now conflicting with street [name]s in Victoria, Saanich and Esquimalt.' [source: Oak Bay Council Meeting minutes 20 April 1920, p.73.]
"How some of the names listed here were arrived at, though, must be pure conjecture, as the thoughts of councillors at the time are unknown. Nor is there reference in any of the early council minutes to the reason for giving a particular name to a street. Some have their origin in the name of a prominent personage. Others are of a nostalgic nature, leading to reminiscences of known places in the British Isles. If you can trace an (preferably documented) Oak Bay connection to these names, please let us know!
"Research suggests that a number of streets in the former Hudson’s Bay Company properties honour persons associated with HBC history, while several on the Lansdowne slope (and one in the Uplands) end in “downe”, perhaps reminiscent of the English topographical feature of treeless grassy slopes or uplands, bringing in an association with the nearby Uplands development. (See OED 'down' n.1 senses 1-2 https://www.oed.com/oed2/00069237) The suffix also fits with Lansdowne (derived from a surname), which predates the '-downes' development and informally lends its name to the area above Carnarvon Park. As with other names supplied on the plans when the land was subdivided, no explanation of street name choices was provided by the company."
[Introduction from George Murdoch, 'Oak Bay Streets and Origins', appendix to History of the Municipality of Oak Bay. Updated 2021.]
===
List of street names
Street names are listed alphabetically, followed by either (historic), indicating that the name has been changed, or (current). Note that some names have changed more than once!
Changes in street names, and the development of streets over time, can be traced through the BC and City Directories, online for most years 1860 - 1955 at https://bccd.vpl.ca/ . Print copies of directories for most years 1956 - 1998 are held in the Archives.
Alexander Street (historic). Named for developer H.B. Alexander. Now Dewdney Avenue.
Allenby Street (current) Renamed for Field Marshall Viscount Allenby following World War I. Originally Robert Street to the west of the Exhibition Grounds and Wakefield Street to the east of the Grounds.
Anscomb Place (current). Named for Herbert Anscomb, 1892-1972, a former reeve of Oak Bay (1925), mayor of Victoria (1928-31), and a cabinet minister in the provincial government.
Armstrong Avenue (current) ? possibly named for an early landowner.
Ashdowne Road (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company Land Department, Winnipeg (Manitoba).
Avondale Road (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company Land Department, Winnipeg (Manitoba).
Babbacombe Place (historic) South of 951 Beach Drive to water. Now closed. Babbacombe is a small seaside town in south Devon, England, noted for its attractive bay and beach of the same name.
Barkley Terrace (current) Named for Captain Charles William Barkley, an early explorer in local waters (ca. 1787). Formerly part of Highland Drive and Patricia Avenue.
Bartlett Avenue (current) Named for Alfred T. Bartlett, an early resident of Oak Bay. Bay Road (historic) Now Cedar Hill Cross Road.
Beach Drive (current) Originally three sections - Beach (First Street) from intersection of Dallas Road and Foul Bay Road (Victoria City boundary) along to the bend by the Victoria Golf Course; "Mount Baker Avenue" from that point to just beyond Bowker Creek, where it ended; and The Uplands portion was called Shore Road. By 1908, it was called Beach Drive all the way to Uplands, then Shore Road.
Beach Avenue (historic) Now Broom Road. Descriptive.
Beachway Avenue (historic) From Bells Road (now part of Musgrave Street) to city limits, now Cavendish Avenue.
Beaver Street (historic) Original name of Beaverbrooke Street. Name changed at the request of the Victoria Postmaster.
Beaverbrooke Street (current) Originally called Beaver Street. Name changed at the request of the Victoria Postmaster. Possibly named after small stream in the area rather than Lord Beaverbrooke.
Bee Street (current) Origin unknown. Listed in city directories from 1912.
Beech Road (historic) Found in 1911 Census. May be misspelling of Beach.
Bellevue Street (historic) Now Beresford Place.
Bell's Road (historic) Now part of Hampshire Road between Bowker and Cavendish. [source, updated 2023]
Belmont Street (historic) Now Satellite Street.
Beresford Street (current) Originally Bellevue Street. Renamed for Admiral Lord Charles Beresford (1846-1919) .
Bold Point Lane (historic) Was Island View Lane and later became Radcliffe Lane.
Boundary Road (historic) Now Falkland Road.
Bourchier Street (historic) Now Goldsmith Street. Changed in Bylaw No.288 "Street Names By-law", passed 25 January 1921. [updated 2022]
Bowker Place (current) Derived from the name of the J.S. Bowker residence, Bowker Place (formerly Oak Bay Farm) presently at 1931 Bowker Place.
Bowker Avenue (current) Named for John Sylvester Bowker, 1867-1935, early resident of the District and son-in-law of John Tod. Originally Oak Bay Road.
Brighton Avenue (current) Originally two names: Cowan Avenue and Brighton Place (Monterey to Transit). Possibly named for the English seaside town of Brighton, Sussex.
Brighton Place (historic) One of the original names for Brighton Avenue along with Cowan Avenue. Brighton Place was the block between Oliver Street ((historic) name St. Andrew Street) and St. Patrick Street. It was to be left as a green space (square shaped). The municipality sold off the land in the 60s and four homes were built - two on Oliver Street and two on St. Patrick Street.
Broom Road (current) Originally Beach Avenue, changed to avoid confusion with Beach Drive.
Burdick Avenue (current) Early settler Newton Townley Burdick (1882-1953) was an alderman and reeve of Oak Bay in 1918.
Burns Street (historic) After Scottish poet Robert Burns. Now Elgin Road.
Byng Street (current) Originally Church Road. Renamed for Lord Byng of Vimy (WWI). Also called Oakland(s) Road.
Byron Street (current) For the English poet, George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, better known as Lord Byron (1788- 1824).
Cadboro Bay Road (current) A shortening or variant of the name Cadborough, first vessel to enter the bay of that name (c. 1842) in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company. Becomes Fort St at Foul Bay. See also Willow Crescent.
Calvert Crescent (historic) Anderson Hill to Earn Street - closed for Elkington Close - now part of Centennial Trail. Origin unknown.
Camas Lane (historic) Camas Lane is named after the native plant (kwetlal, Latin Camassia) cultivated as a food resource by Indigenous peoples. This lane was unnamed until approximately 2005. It is historically significant for following the survey line delineating the south end of HBC's Uplands Farm, and it was used as a pathway from the beach to the HBC trading post on what is now Nottingham Park. More about Blue Camas tradition and restoration: https://terralingua.org/2020/05/12/camas/
Cardiff Place (current) Named for Cardiff, Wales.
Cardigan Road (current) Named for Cardigan, Wales.
Carnarvon Street (current) Named for Carnarvon, Wales. Formerly Gordon Street.
Carrick Street (current) Continuation of a street in Saanich with the same name. Originally Fourth Street.
Cavendish Avenue (current) Possibly named for William Cavendish, Earl of Newcastle. Originally Beachway Avenue.
Cedar Hill Cross Road (current) Originally called Bay Road.
Central Avenue (current) Central location, dividing south Oak Bay.
Charlton Street (historic) Prior to 1928. From Foul Bay Road to Fairgrounds. Now Newton Street.
Chaucer Street (current) After English poet Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400).
Chelsea Place (current) Named by HBC, possibly for the affluent area of southwest London, England.
Chiltern Place (current) Named by HBC, possibly for the Chiltern Hills, north and west of London, England.
Christie Way (current) For Victoria alderman, the late Mrs. Margaret Christie, who was responsible for the subdivision of city-owned property once part of the lane of the Old Men's Home (Mountain View) on Hampshire Hill. Councillor from 1944-54.
Church Road (historic) Now Byng Street.
Clive Drive (current) Named for Sir Clive Phillipps-Wolley, who built a large home, Woodhall, at the upper end of the street in 1891.
Connaught Avenue (historic) Previously Olympia Avenue, now Estevan Avenue.
Cookman Street (current) Probably named for an early resident.
Cotswold Road (current) Uplands. Named for the Cotswold Hills in England, following the HBC tradition of naming streets for British places.
Cowan Avenue (historic) Original name for the section of what is now Brighton Avenue from Foul Bay Road to Victoria Avenue.
Cranleigh Place (current) Name taken from Cranleigh House School (formerly the Willows Hotel), itself named after the English public (i.e private, boarding) school in Cranleigh, Surrey.
Cranmore Road (current) Contraction of names of early families Crane and Blakemore. Originally called Tod Road, leading to John Sylvester Bowker's Oak Bay Farm. NB There is currently another Tod(d) Road.
Crescent Road (current) Descriptive.
Crestview Road (current) Descriptive.
Cubbon Drive (current) A subdivision of the former Joseph Pemberton Jr. property. Named for local developer Harold Cubbon.
Currie Road (current) Originally Longbranch Avenue. Named for Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Currie, C.B., K.C.M.G., commander of the Canadian forces, WWI.
Dalhousie Street (current) Previously three separately named sections: Thistle Street at the upper end; Margaret Street in the middle; and Seaview Avenue toward Beach Drive. Changed from Dalhousie Avenue to Dalhousie Street in Bylaw No.288 "Street Names By-law", passed 25 January 1921. Possibly to honour George Ramsay Dalhousie, 9th Earl of Dalhousie (1770-1838), governor-in-chief of Canada, or after Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia (named for the same). [updated 2022]
Deal Road (historic) Part of Cattle Point Loop/Scenic Drive. Also called Southdowne Road. Changed in 1928 when road not completed due to establishment of Uplands Park. 1908 Victoria map shows Deal as part of what is now the Cattle Point loop. Deal went from Beach directly to the waterfront (no loop). Southdowne Rd, between Beach and Lansdowne, is now wholly within Uplands Park.
Deal Street (current) Possibly named for the seaside town in Kent, England.
Denison Road (current) Was to have been part of Highland Drive (now Barkley Terrace). Renamed for Napier Denison, 1866-1946, Dominion Government Meteorologist, at the time the observatory was was constructed on Gonzales Hill. Denison was known to thousands of Victorians as "our weatherman."
Devon Road (current) Named for the English county, known for its rural character and picturesque coastlines.
Dewdney Avenue (current) Originally Alexander Avenue. Renamed for Edgar Dewdney, 1835-1916.
Dorset Road (current) Named for the English county. Southern section extending to Beach Drive was called Meadow Road, changed in 1928.
Dover Road (current) Named for the seaport town in Kent, England.
Dryfe Street (current) Possibly an early settler. Scottish place name.
Dufferin Avenue (current) Originally Scott Avenue. Named for Lord Dufferin, Governor General of Canada, 1872- 1878.
Dundrum Road (current) Hudson's Bay Company name. A suburb of Dublin, Ireland, and a ruined medieval castle with a view over the town and scenic bay of the same name in County Down, Northern Ireland. [updated 2021]
Dunlevy Street (current) Named for Peter C. Dunlevy, an early settler prior to 1906. Originally Fourth Street, then Fuller's Avenue (or Street) after early landowner.
Durham Road (historic) Uplands road on Oak Bay Municipality 1911 map. Not built. (North end of Shoreway near Cadboro Bay intersection.)
Earn Street (current) Part of Centennial Trail - Transit Road to Island Road. Possibly after Loch Earn in Scotland.
Eastdowne Road (current) Another of the "downes" named by Hudson Bay Company. The southern portion of the road from Cadboro Bay Road to Haultain Street (Fairgrounds) was originally Willow Road.
Edgecliffe Place (current) Cul-de-sac subdivision named after the (historic) Edgecliffe estate (formerly 925 Foul Bay Road) where the road is situated.
Elgin Road (current) Originally Burns Street (for Scottish poet Robert Burns). May be named for Elgin, Scotland, or it could be named for Victor Alexander Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin.
Elkington Close (current) After Dr. Eric Henry William Elkington, M.D. (1893-1990), dentist and owner of property prior to subdivision of 572 Island Road.
Empress Street (historic) Now Epworth Street.
Epworth Street (current) Originally named Empress Street. Possibly after village of Epworth, Lincolnshire, England.
Esplanade (current) Originally Oak Bay Esplanade.
Essex Road [added 2022]
Estevan Avenue (current) Originally Olympia Avenue, later changed to Connaught Avenue. Present name may be for an early Spanish explorer, though could have been suggested by news reports of the arrival of the lighthouse tender C.G.S. Estevan in Victoria at the time of the name change.
Exeter Road (current) Named for the cathedral city in Devon, England.
Fair Street (current) Name originated from the agricultural fair held annually at the Willows Exhibition Grounds.
Falkland Road (current) Originally named Boundary Road. Present name commemorates the Battle of the Falkland Islands during World War I.
Fifth Street (historic) Now Musgrave Street.
First Street (historic) Section of Beach Drive from Dallas and Foul Bay Roads along to the bend by the Victoria Golf Course.
Florence Street (current) Origin unknown.
Foul Bay Road (current, also historic spelling Fowl) From the bay of the same name. The name was given to the bay by early mariners because its exposed position and rocky seabed provided a poor anchorage.
Fourth Street (historic) Earlier name of Dunlevy Street and (separately) Carrick Street.
Frederick Norris Road (current) Named for former reeve of Oak Bay (1954-58) Frederick E. Norris.
Frederick Norris Place (current) Named for former reeve of Oak Bay (1954-58) Frederick E. Norris.
Front Street (historic) Now Penzance Road and Maquinna Road.
Fuller's Avenue, sometimes recorded as Fuller Street (historic). After Alfred Dixon Fuller, early developer who purchased much of the John Tod estate in 1879. Originally Fourth Street, now Dunlevy Street.
Gibbs Road (current) Named for former Reeve of Oak Bay (1950-53) and MLA, P.A. Gibbs.
Glen Avenue (current, but road not in use) Named by Hudson's Bay Company. Now closed - base of Gonzales Hill park between Barkley and Denison.
Goldsmith Street (current) Originally Bourchier Street. Changed in Bylaw No.288 "Street Names By-law", passed 25 January 1921. Renamed for Irish/English poet Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774). [updated 2022]
Gonzales Avenue (historic) Name formerly used for two separate roads: Quimper Street (called Gonzales ca. 1913- 1928), near the Chinese Cemetery at Harling Point; and present day Granite Street (changed ca. 1912), south of Oak Bay Avenue between Amphion and Hampshire. [updated 2022]
Gonzales Rock, Gonzales Hill - predecessors of Sylvan Lane.
Goodwin Street (current) Originally Nile Street, changed 1920/21. [updated 2023]
Gordon Street (historic) Now Carnarvon Street.
Granite Street (current), south of Oak Bay Avenue between Amphion and Hampshire, formerly one of the Gonzales Avenues. [updated 2022]
Greatford Place (current) May have been named for an early settler or the Lincolnshire village.
Guernsey Street (current) Originally Katherine Street, first listed in city directories in 1912. Changed in 1920-21, renamed for the island of Guernsey in the English Channel in mistaken honour of the Le Gresley family as the first settler residents of the street. The birthplace of John Le Gresley, whose house was built at 2184 Katherine Street in 1912, was Jersey, not Guernsey. Unfortunately, the Le Gresleys were visiting back in Jersey at the time, and the neighbours, thinking it would be a nice surprise for them, got their Channel Island connection wrong. [sources: BC Archives BMD indexes, BC CIty Directories, Guernsey St residents. Updated 2021, 2023.]
Hall Road (current) Named for Frederick James Hall, an early resident of the area.
Hamiota Street (current) Probably from the only other known Hamiota, a rural municipality in Manitoba. More from Manitoba Archives, and its centenary history from University of Manitoba Libraries. [updated 2021]
Hampshire Road (current) Originally Junction Road. Named by early farmer William Noble after his home county of Hampshire, England.
Hampshire Terrace (current) Named for the English county - birthplace of early farmer William Noble.
Hanover (historic) "East from 2103 Cadboro Bay Road" i.e. a southern extension of Epworth St toward Marrion. [1913 Fire Insurance plans, City directories 1915-1917. Added 2022.]
Harlow Drive (current) Origin unknown.
Haro (current) Unpaved, off Cedar Hill Cross (X) Road on University land. Probably named for its view of the southern reach of Haro Strait, named in 1790 by "Spanish Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naval officer, and colonial official Manuel Quimper Benítez del Pino, commander of the Princesa Real, in honor of his pilot, Gonzalo López de Haro". [source: Wikipedia] [updated 2021]
Haro (historic) Now Rosario Street.
Hattie Street (historic) Now Pentland Road.
Haultain Street (current) This is a continuation of a street that starts in the City of Victoria and passes through a portion of the District of Saanich. Origin of name is unknown. First named Third Street in Oak Bay (see also Heron).
Hazel Street (current) May have been named for an early medical doctor associated with the Royal Jubilee Hospital.
Henderson Road (current) Named for William Henderson, second reeve of Oak Bay, 1909-11.
Heron Street (current) Originally another Third Street (see Haultain Street). Present name may be derived from the bird indigenous to the local waterfront.
Herrick Street (historic), now Satellite Street. Originally named after (James) Herrick McGregor (1869-1915), surveyor. He lived at the corner of Newport Avenue and St. David Street. He was one of the men behind the Oak Harbour Plan (deep sea harbour and hotel) with Joseph Pemberton, circa 1891, and surveyor of record for the Uplands subdivision. More by Peter Grant at Oak Bay Chronicles; see also comment by Larry McCann. [updated 2021]
Hewlett Place (current) Named for Harold F. Hewlett, Reeve of Oak Bay 1923-24. Originally part of Mitchell Street.
Highland Drive (historic) Now Barkley Terrace - was to continue to Denison Road but not completed [see Oak Bay Municipality map 1911]).
Hood Lane (current) Possibly for HMS Hood. Originally Rainier Lane.
Hudson Avenue. Now Sutherland Road.
Humber Road (current) Origin unknown. Family name, noted tidal estuary on the east coast of northern England, major river in the city of Toronto. [updated 2021]
Inglewood Terrace (current) Origin unknown. Place name.
Island Road (current) Possibly named as the road leading to Trial Island.
Island View Lane (historic) Original name of Radcliffe Lane.
Junction Road (historic) Now Hampshire Road, south of Oak Bay Avenue.
Jutland (historic, proposed in in Bylaw No.288 "Street Names By-law", passed 25 January 1921) Previously, and now, Sutherland Road. [updated 2022]
Katherine Street (historic) Now Guernsey Street.
Kelsey Place (current) Named for Hudson's Bay Company explorer Henry Kelsey, the "Little Giant," 1667-1724.
Kendal Avenue (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company, possibly after the English market town in the picturesque Lakeland area of Cumbria.
King George Terrace (current) Named for King George V. Part near Beach Drive originally called Sunrise Avenue.
Kings Road (current) A continuation of a Victoria road of the same name.
Kinross Avenue (current) Scottish place name.
Lafayette Street (current) Origin unknown.
Lansdowne Road (current, also historic spelling Landsdowne) Named by Hudson's Bay Company after Governor General Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne (1883-1888).
Larch Street (historic) Now Plumer Street.
Larkdowne Road (current) HBC named street ending in "downe."
Laurel Street (historic) Now Victoria Avenue, south of McNeill Avenue.
Lincoln Road (current) Originally two sections: the northern end was called Seagull Avenue and the southern end was Second Street. Possibly for the English county town. Historic: unbuilt portion through what is now Uplands Park ending at Spoon Bay approx. present end of Exeter Rd. Changed from Seagull Avenue to Lincoln Road in Bylaw No.288 "Street Names By-law", passed 25 January 1921. [see 1913 Fire Insurance plan vol.3. updated 2022]
Linkleas Avenue (current) Part of Golf Links Park Subdivision, on the Lea of the Links.
Lion (historic) Off Macquinna at the end of Lorne Terrace. Found in Fire Insurance book of Victoria, Volume Three.
Long Branch Avenue (historic) After Longbranch, a resort town in New York State. Now Currie Road.
Lorne Terrace (current) Honours the Marquess of Lorne, Canada's 4th Governor General.
Lulie Street (current) Originally Warwick, then St. Lulie Street. Conflict with St. Louis Street caused the "St." to be dropped, possibly after Lulie Gore.
Lyn Crescent (current) Subdivision off Central Avenue, c. 1950.
Maquinna Road (current, also historic spelling Macquinna) May have been named for Chief Maquinna whom Captain Cook met on his first exploratory voyage into Nootka Sound. Originally Front Street on Harling Point. Penzance Road was also part of Front Street.
Margaret Street (historic, also Avenue) Now the middle section of Dalhousie Road, from Cadboro Bay Road to Musgrave Street.
Margate Avenue (current) Named for the English seaside town.
Marne Street (current) Commemoration of the famous Battle of the Marne in WWI.
Marrion Street (historic) For Robert Marrion, a settler prior to 1906. A short road that extended SE from the junction of Fort x Foul Bay. First resident, Alfred Howell & family. One of few Oak Bay streets to have disappeared; properties were purchased by the municipality in the 1970s to create the Oak Bay Recreation Centre on Bee St. Commemorated in the name of Marrion Village seniors' housing complex. Previously Prospect Rd, not to be confused with PROSPECT below; see George Cram map 1895, city directories 1899-1909. [added 2021, updated 2022.]
Mayhew Street (current) named after the Hon. Robert Wellington Mayhew, 1880-1971. Reeve of Oak Bay 1935-37, MP for Victoria, 1937-52; Federal Fisheries Minister, 1948-52; and First Ambassador to Japan, 1952-54. Son Charles Alan Mayhew (d.1943) m. Elza Mayhew, sculptor.
McGregor Heights (historic) Closed. From Granite Street to Brighton Avenue. Named after subdivision developer James Herrick McGregor.
McLaren Avenue (current) Named for dairy farmer Duncan McLaren.
McNeill Avenue (current) Named for Captain William Henry McNeill of the Hudson's Bay Company and early landowner at Shoal (now McNeill) Bay.
Meadow Place (current) Descriptive of surrounding area of 'Pemberton Meadows', off Foul Bay Road.
Meadow Road (historic) Uplands boundary from South Circle (Midland Road) to Shore Road (Beach Drive). Now part of Dorset Road. Changed in 1928.
Middowne Road (current) Another Hudson Bay's Company name ending in "downe". East-west mid-line of the subdivision.
Midland Circle (current) Turn around for BC Electric Tram in the Uplands. Plans show a north and south circle, connected by Midland Way.
Midland Road (current) Originally Midland Way, traversed by BC Electric Company Uplands streetcar tracks, and Midland Circle where streetcars turned for return trip to the City of Victoria.
Midland Way (historic) Connection between North and South Midland Circles. Now Midland Road.
Milton Street (current) For John Milton, the English poet (1608-74).
Mitchell Street (current) Named for an early resident (c. 1908). Formerly Cowan [?? Cowan is now Brighton]. Also included in Hewlett Place.
Monteith Street (current) Possibly for W.B. Monteith, an early resident.
Monterey Avenue (current) Originally called St. George Street north of McNeill Avenue. Changed to the present name in 1921.
Monterey Crescent (historic) Was to be a street running from the bend in Monterey Avenue (at Bowker Creek where it turns into St. Ann Street) over to the end of Lulie St onto Monteith St. It was never opened as that is now Firefighters' (formerly Firemen's) Park. The Firehall was opened in 1939. See historic fire insurance plans.
Mount Baker Avenue (historic) Section of Beach Drive from Victoria Golf Course (or Windsor Road?) to just beyond Bowker Creek, where it ended. By 1908 the section appears as Beach Drive
Mountjoy Avenue (current) Named after Mountjoy, the estate of Frederick Despard Pemberton.
Mowat Street (current) After an early resident.
Murdoch Crescent (current) After former reeve George Murdoch.
Musgrave Street (current) Originally Fifth Street. Named after John Musgrave, principal of the early real estate firm of Swinerton & Musgrave, and Commodore of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.
Myrtle Street (historic) Now Victoria Avenue, north of McNeill Avenue.
Neil Street (current) Originally Thompson Avenue west of Cadboro Bay Road. Changed to West Thompson Avenue in 1939. When the former Willows Fairgrounds was subdivided, a new road was created in alignment with Neil Street in Saanich and with West Thompson Avenue. Renamed Neil Street.
Newport Avenue (current) After resort area Newport Beach, Long Island. Part of a group of streets named after resort destinations.
Newton Street (current) This new road created in the subdivision of the former fairgrounds also aligned with a Saanich street named Newton. Probably named for an early resident. A portion of this road previously existed between Foul Bay Road and the fairgrounds and was known as Charlton Street, prior to 1928.
Nile Street (historic) Now Goodwin Street.
Norfolk Road (current) Original name. This was changed to Norwich in 1928 and later changed back to the original name, after the English county.
Norfolk Avenue (historic) road on Exhibition Grounds. Access road from Cadboro Bay Road to stables, now Woodhouse. [updated 2022]
North Hampshire Road (historic) Hampshire Road north of Oak Bay Avenue.
Norwich (historic) (historic) street in the Uplands. Changed from Norfolk Road in 1928, later reversed.
Nottingham Road (current) Named for Nottingham, England. Formerly Somerset Road/Street/Avenue?
Oak Bay Avenue (current) Original name. Changed in 1913 to Pandora Avenue until a later council reversed the decision. Continuation of Pandora east of Fort. NB: not all of Oak Bay Avenue is in the municipality of Oak Bay. West of Foul Bay to Fort, it is in the City of Victoria; east of Foul Bay to Newport, it is in Oak Bay.
Oak Bay Road (historic) Now Bowker Avenue.
Oak Bay Esplanade (historic) Now Esplanade.
Oakdowne Road (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company. Another of the 'downe' roads.
Oakland(s) Road (historic) Now Byng/Plumer.
Ochil (historic) east from Monterey Avenue immediately south of Monterey School. Now part of school grounds.
Oliver Street (current) Originally St. Andrew Street. Changed in 1921 and named for W.E. Oliver, first reeve of Oak Bay in 1906.
Olympia Avenue (historic) Now Estevan Avenue.
Orchard Avenue (current) Origin unknown - descriptive? not to be confused with former Orchard now Field St, City of Victoria.
Pacific Avenue (current) Suggested by proximity to ocean.
Pandora Avenue (historic) Oak Bay Avenue name change in 1913. Reversed back to Oak Bay Avenue at a later date, possibly 1921?
Patio Court (current) California inspired five house cul-de-sac, north side of San Carlos.
Patricia Avenue (historic) Now Barkley Terrace.
Pattullo Place (current) Named for Thomas Dufferin (Duff) Pattullo (1873-1956), 22nd Premier of British Columbia and long time resident of Oak Bay.
Pelly Place (current) Named for J.H. Pelly, Governor of Hudson's Bay Company 1822-52.
Pentland Road (current) Originally Hattie Street. Scottish place name.
Penzance Road (current) Possibly for Penzance, Cornwall, (UK). Originally Front Street on Harling Point. Maquinna Road was also part of Front Street. Changed from Penzance Street to Penzance Road in Bylaw No.288 "Street Names By-law", passed 25 January 1921. [Updated 2022]
Pleasant Avenue (historic) Now Roslyn Road.
Plumer Street (current) Formerly Church Road, Larch Street, and Oakland(s) Road. Named for Field Marshall Viscount Plumer (WWI). [Church Road and Oakland(s) Road are categorized with Byng Street #1027.]
Plymouth Road (current) Named for Plymouth, Devon, England.
Prince Andrew Place (current) Named for the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Houses first built 1961, not listed in city directories before that. [updated 2023]
Prince Edward Drive (current) Named for the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Houses first built 1949 and 1951; first listed in city directories 1950. [updated 2023]
Prospect Place (current) Originally Prospect Street, also Prospect Avenue. Connects Oak Bay Ave at Newport to San Carlos. Changed in 1921. *See also MARRION, above. "One other special feature is the actual layout of Prospect Place, which is undoubtedly the one piece of urban design by F.M. Rattenbury within Oak Bay's boundaries. Designed virtually as a private drive, Oak Bay Avenue was continued (as Prospect Place) through a street of houses by named architects to the gates of Rattenbury's own home." [source]
Prospect Street (historic) Now Prospect Place.
Quimper Street (current) Named for Sub-Lieutenant Manuel Quimper of the Spanish Navy who explored local waters in 1790. Was Gonzales Avenue - near the Chinese Cemetery, at Harling Point. Name changed in 1928.
Radcliffe Lane (current) Originally Island View Lane and later changed to Bold Point Lane. Origin unknown.
Rainier Lane (historic) Possible views of Mount Rainier. Now Hood Lane.
Rattenbury Place (current) Named for F.M. Rattenbury, architect for the Parliament Buildings in Victoria, early Oak Bay alderman and reeve in 1913.
Redwood Avenue (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company - reference to sequoia trees of Cedar Hill area.
Renfrew Road (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company. Possibly after place name (county town in Scotland) or family name.
Ripon Road (current) Originally York Road. Changed in 1928. Possibly for Captain Ripon of the CPR Coast Steamship service, a prominent figure in the early years, or the cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England.
Robert Street (historic) To the west of the Exhibition Grounds into Saanich. To the east of the Grounds, the road was called Wakefield. Now both are called Allenby Street.
Rock Road (historic) Esplanade near Cattle Point. 1911
Rosario Street (current) Earlier called Walter and Haro. Derived from Rosario Strait.
Roslyn Road (current) Originally Pleasant Avenue.
Runnymede Avenue (current) Named for Runnymede, England. historic/anecdotal - Salubrious Avenue.
Runnymede Place (current) Named for Runnymede, England.
Rutland Road (current) Originally Suffolk Road, in both cases perhaps for the English counties.
San Carlos Avenue (current) Possibly after California resort town. Incorporates Patio Court.
Sandowne Road (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company. Another of the 'downe' roads.
Saratoga Avenue (historic) After resort town of Saratoga, N.Y. Now Windsor Road.
Satellite Street (current) Derived from name of Satellite Channel (between the Saanich Peninsula and Salt Spring Island). Original driveway to a summer camp (home). Historic names Belmont Street and Herrick Street.
Scott Avenue (historic) Named for early developer. Now Dufferin Avenue.
Seagull Avenue (historic) The northern end of Lincoln Road. Southern end was called Second Street.
Seaview Avenue (historic) Now a portion of Dalhousie Road. From Musgrave Street to the sea at The Esplanade.
Second Street (historic) Southern end of Lincoln Road. Northern end was called Seagull Avenue.
Shady Lane (current) Descriptive Next to Bowker Creek off Beach Drive.
Sherringham Place (current) Possibly for Sheringham, England, but Sherringham with both rs is also a surname.
Shore Road (historic) Descriptive -Section of Beach Drive from Bowker Creek to the Uplands.
Shore Drive (historic) Section of Beach Drive from Bowker Creek to the Uplands.
Shoreway (historic) Section of Beach Drive from Bowker Creek to the Uplands.
Smythe Street (current) Origin unknown, prob. name.
Somass Drive (current) Origin unknown - cf Somass River, Port Alberni.
Somerset Road (historic) Now Nottingham Road.
Southdowne Road (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company. Another of the 'downe' roads. Uplands.
St. Andrew Street (historic) Changed to Oliver Street in 1921.
St. Ann Street (current) After Saint Ann and possibly Sisters of St. Ann.
St. David Street (current) Welsh Saint.
St. Denis Street (current) French Saint. Original survey crossed Windsor Park.
St George's Road (historic) Proposed name for Transit Road, in Bylaw No.288 "Street Names By-law", passed 25 January 1921. Not used. [Updated 2022]
St. George Street (historic) North part of Monterey Avenue from McNeill Avenue to Oak Bay Avenue.
St. Henry Street (historic) Original survey crossed Windsor Park west of St. Denis Street. [Never completed?]
St. James Street (historic) Transit Road north of McNeill Avenue to Newport Avenue.
St. Louis Street (current) After Louis IX, only canonized King of France.
St. Lulie Street (historic) Now Lulie Street. Site of early Oak Bay landfill. There is no St Lulie - may have been a misreading for Luke.
St. Patrick Street (current) Irish Saint.
Stonehewer Place (current) Part of the Kildonan estate (931 Foul Bay Road) of John Sutherland. Named after a former Sutherland residence, Stonehewer House.
Suffolk Road (historic) Now Rutland Road.
Sunny Lane (current) Origin unknown - descriptive? Related to nearby Sunrise and Sunset.
Sunrise Avenue (historic) Descriptive - Eastern part of King George Terrace from Sunny Lane to Beach Drive. Related to nearby Sunny and Sunset.
Sunset Avenue (current). Related to nearby Sunny and Sunrise.
Surrey Road (current) Named for the county in England.
Sutherland Road (current) Change to Jutland in Bylaw No.288 "Street Names By-law", passed 25 January 1921 - but not put into effect owing to existing Jutland Rd Gorge Rd-Burnside), later Hudson Avenue. Named for John Sutherland, early resident and a member of early Oak Bay council. [updated 2022]
Swanson Place (current) Named after John Swanson (1827-72), HBC master of Beaver, Cowlitz and Enterprise shipping vessels.
Sylvan Lane (current) Descriptive.
Tarn Place (current) Origin unknown.
Theatre Lane (current) Named for the Oak Bay Theatre which closed in 1985.
Third Street (historic) Previously both Heron Street and (separately) Haultain Street.
Thistle Street (historic) Now a portion of Dalhousie Road, from Eastdowne Road ((historic) Willows Road) to Cadboro Bay Road. Thompson Avenue (current) Possibly named for explorer David Thompson.
Thorpe Place (current) Origin unknown.
Tinto Street (current) Possibly for the hill in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Tod Road (historic) Now Cranmore Road.
Tod Road (current) Originally the driveway from Cadboro Bay Road to the home of John Tod, Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company. The house (Oak Bay House) still exists on Heron Street. Also Tod Lane.
Topp Avenue (current) Named after local developer or for C.H. Topp, a former city engineer of Victoria.
Townley Street (current) Name given to a Saanich street of which the one in Oak Bay is a continuation. Possibly named for an early resident Newton Townley Burdick, active in real estate and reeve of Oak Bay in 1918.
Transit Road (current) Previously called St. James Street north of McNeill Avenue to Newport Avenue. Proposed change to St George's Road in Bylaw No.288 "Street Names By-law", passed 25 January 1921, not used. Named after surveyor's instrument or describing 'transit road' to McNeill Bay land fill? [Updated 2022]
University Woods (current) Originally part of Hudson's Bay Woods. Proximity to the University of Victoria?
Uplands Road (current) After HBC Uplands Farm and subdivision.
Uplands Place (current)
Upper Terrace Road (current) For location.
Valdez Place (current) Named for Cayetano Valdés y Flores Bazán (1767–1835) , an early Spanish explorer of the northwest coast.
Victoria Avenue (current) Named for Queen Victoria. Originally in two sections: Laurel Street from Beach Drive to McNeill Avenue and Myrtle Street north of McNeill Avenue.
Wakefield Road (historic) Off Exhibition Grounds to the east. Now Allenby Street. To the west of the Grounds this road was called Robert Street.
Wales Road (historic) Uplands, between Upper Terrace and Midland Road. Not built - now a pedestrian trail. [added 2021]
Walter Street (historic) Was also Haro. Now Rosario Street.
Warwick (historic) Suggested for Lulie Street.
Weald Road (current) = a forest or uncultivated upland. Area of Kent, England.
Wessex Close (current) From the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, England.
Wessex Crescent (current) From Wessex, England.
West Thompson Avenue (historic) Now Neil Street. Continuation of Thompson Avenue running from Cadboro Bay Road to Foul Bay Road and into Saanich.
Westdowne Road (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company. Westerly road of the subdivision. Another one of the "downe" roads.
Willow Crescent (historic) From Willow Road (now Eastdowne Road) to Bowker Avenue. Now part of Cadboro Bay Road.
Willows Road (historic) From Cadboro Bay Road to the Fairgrounds at Haultain Street. Changed to Willows Road in 1928. Now Eastdowne Road.
Willows Road (historic) Was Willow Road. Now Eastdowne Road.
Wilmot Place (current) Originally driveway to Wilmot House, home of Joseph Despard Pemberton Jr.
Windsor Road (current) Originally Saratoga. Renamed 1921- 22 for the Royal House of Windsor.
Woodburn Avenue (current) Named by Hudson's Bay Company. Scottish and north English family name.
Woodhouse Road (current) Named for W.L. Woodhouse, reeve of Oak Bay 1941-45. Formerly Norfolk, between Cadboro Bay Rd and Exhibition grounds. [updated 2022]
Woodlawn Crescent (current) An early subdivision off Monterey Crescent/Avenue.
Wootton Crescent (current) Named for former reeve, R.A.B. Wootton, 1948-49.
Yale Street (current) After James Murray Yale, 1798-1871, Chief Trader for the HBC at Fort Langley. York Road (historic) Uplands. Now Ripon Road.
York Place (current) Named for York, England. Original Oak Bay Avenue address.
Zela Street (current) Ancient city, site of Battle of Zela, 67 BC. (But why in Oak Bay??)
More musings - not necessarily serious! - about Oak Bay and greater Victoria street names:
Nesbitt, J. 'Parrott's after a Bird Cage'. The Islander Magazine, Daily Colonist, 28 June 1970. https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19700628/page/n51/mode/1up
Paterson, T.W. 'Victorians Take Place Names Seriously.' The Islander Magazine, Daily Colonist, 18 June, 1972. P.12. https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19720618/page/n59/mode/1up
Nesbitt, J. 'Nesbitt Finds Mystery In Victoria Street Names'. The Islander Magazine, Daily Colonist, 3 April 1977 https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19770403/page/n69/mode/1up
Nesbitt, J. 'Jim Nesbitt Looks... at Oak Bay street names'. The Islander Magazine, Daily Colonist, 15 May 1977. https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19770515/page/n75/mode/1up
Questions? Corrections? Sources? Email the archivist
