Exposure to Time and Fire Doesn't Dampen Generous Acts In Westholme BC

War Memorial (Source fotolia.com)

 

For 90 Years White Crosses Have Been Placed On Graves In Westholme

Each year in November white crosses appear in front of graves at All Saints' Anglican Church Cemetery in Westholme. They remain for a couple of weeks and then are removed only to reappear the next year. All Saints is a quaint cemetery established in 1887 and located where the Chemainus Road (Old Highway to Victoria) crosses the Chemainus River. Some of the grave-sites are groomed by friends and family members while others are showing signs of passing time. It is one of the few public pioneer landmarks in Westholme and it represents this community's commitment to the heritage of their place. 

All Saints' Anglican Church Westholme - Crofton  8530 Chemainus Road- click here for google map

 (Source: church photos - Cowichan Valley Museum, bridge - Ernest Artist)

The Church which served the community for 91 years no longer stands here as it was destroyed by fire (arson) in 1978. The old narrow timber bridge that lead parishioners to the church location has since been replaced in 2015 with a shiny metal sided one. A shelter was build where the church stood and is used today by solitary visitors and family get-togethers. The original pioneer neighbourhood sacrificed several family members during the two Great Wars. Their names were mounted on two bronze plaques that used to hang in All Saints' Church. After the fire several items were rescued: pews, lecterns, the plaques above and the church bell. These items were kept safely at the Joan Street Church Hall in Crofton BC. and in 2010 donated to the Westholme School Society where the plaques hang at the old school site on Mt. Sicker Road. The Westholme School is about 2.4 km (3 mi) south of the Cemetery. The original building 1911-1918 was also consumed by fire and replaced in 1923 as we see in the picture below. A non-profit society was set up in 2001 to save the building after local government promised the fire department that they could use it for "fire practice". The Municipality of North Cowichan has since designated it a Heritage Building and ensured its preservation.

(Source: top two photos - Temple Lodge #33, flat stones - Ernest Artist, School picture - Ed Devitt 1927)

Now when we fast forward to 2016 we witness a much younger generation demonstrating that same commitment to the past.

A Remembrance Day tradition that has held strong in the Cowichan Valley entered its 90th year Sunday, as volunteers including sea cadets gathered to place white crosses at the graves of veterans in Westholme. 

 (Source: CHEK News Victoria BC October 29, 2016)

“We wouldn’t have the freedoms that we have today unless they’d gone out and done what they’d done,” said Master Seaman Ava Klepsch, who joined other members of 100 (Adminal Mainguy) (my correction) Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Corp in placing 31 crosses at graves in historic All Saints Anglican Church Cemetery, where Canadian Admiral Rollo Mainguy who lent his name to the corp is buried.

Former teacher, amateur historian, and member of the Mill Bay/Malahat Historical Society had taken it upon himself to keep the tradition alive.

“The (Royal Canadian Legion) cenotaph commemorations are largely focused on those that fell overseas and buried overseas, and in our case we’re commemorating veterans that were fortunate enough to serve but came home and lived out their lives in the community … service people that came home that either suffered from gas in the First World War or injuries that affected them for the remainder of their lives.”

Thank you to all past and present from this blog author, for your dedication and steadfast efforts in Westholme, despite fire and the ravages of time.

Rose Farm at Westholme

Violet (1917-2001) and Fred (1898-1977) Meier married circa 1942. They lived at the base of Mt. Sicker and Mt. Brenton on Mt. Sicker Road, Westholme BC together for some 40 years. (where Mt. Sicker Family Farm now stands)


source Chemainus Festival of Murals Society

The famous Mt. Sicker Copper Mines of the late 1800's enticed investors of the likes of Andrew Carnegie and John D Rockefeller all the way from New York.

Group of men extending Mt Sicker Road
 at Westholme to the Mt. Sicker Mine (circa 1900)

Mt. Sicker viewed from the east side

source My life with the critters.blogspot.ca

 








 


Violet remained there on her own for another 20+ years. The couple's lifestyle was built on resourcefulness and hard physical labour as was that of most in this area at the time.

The 10 acre property has changed hands twice since Violet's passing. There were no children from this marriage to leave the legacy to. The original home is gone due to an accidental fire and so consequently there is little physical evidence that Violet and Fred were ever in Westholme.

Their house expanded over the years
 as they could afford.

Their story does get shared by a handful of neighbours who knew them. However as the neighbours fade away so will Fred and Violet's history of their life's contribution on Mt. Sicker Road. 


Over the years in an endeavour to know our property predecessors I have uncovered a few permanent confirmations of Fred and Violet Meier's Westholme life which I will share here.

Mountain View Cemetery
 6493 Somenos Rd, Duncan, BC

Violet and Fred are buried in Mountain View Cemetery. The mountain view referred to is Mt. Prevost which has two bare rock humps sitting on the peak of the mountain. Its distinctive skyline would have been part of Violet and Fred's view on their shopping trips to Duncan.





Karlin Rose Garden in Memory

Both Fred and Violet were well known in the area as rosarians. They managed a nursery on Mt. Sicker Road where they cultivated and hybridized roses. As well as selling plants Fred donated to worthy causes. In 1980 (3 years after his passing) his name was commemorated on a bronze plaque at Karlin Rose Garden on Prideaux St., Nanaimo. I expect he would be pleased as for years the E&N daily passenger train went right by the gardens after it passed through his area of Westholme. (Just heard 11 Jul 2014 that an agreement is signed to restore passenger rail service on Vancouver Island)

Butchart Gardens Sales Receipt

W. Herb Warren at Butchart Gardens was one of the Meier's noted customers as documented in this sales receipt. At the time of Violet's death there were about 500 rose plants in the nursery. As new occupiers of the farm we assessed the value of keeping on with this business. However we chose another way and now raise our own livestock. As we were still committed to keeping some one hundred of the original roses on the property the rest were offered up to the community for donation to the local Westholme School Society to help fund their museum. 

Rose Display by Fred and Violet Meier

To promote their business Fred and Violet entered their roses in the annual Cowichan Exhibition that is celebrating its 146th year in 2014. They would have put a lot of effort into their display at the fair what with packing product, transportation, time away from daily chores at the nursery, spending hours educating the public about rose care and of course hoping to sell something. As
they did not have a store front 
this event would have been an 
important one for them.

Violet and Fred's Mt. Sicker Roses 2014

Yes I would agree, it doesn't seem like a lot of memorabilia for half a centuryof life's work. However for what it is worth this is a salute to a couple who helped build a unique spot in the community of Westholme.