Oak Bay

Lifestyle & Recreation

Oak Bay is a vibrant, historically rich municipality saturated in an old-world charm and a passionate sense of community. Located minutes away from Victoria’s downtown core, homes for sale in Oak Bay are in high demand due to its proximity to the inner city and the ocean as well as its wealth of stylish mix of historical and contemporary architecture. Life in Oak Bay is laid back, with friendly neighbors, studiously manicured properties, and endless activities for residents. The community is truly breathtaking and picturesque.

Oak Bay is a sought after locale for myriad of reasons. Its hub is the ever-popular Oak Bay Village, a long strip of retail establishments along Oak Bay Avenue that deserves a full afternoon to experience. Home to one of the largest collection of galleries on Vancouver Island, you’ll find local artisans showcasing their work in a friendly and relaxing setting. As you travel in search of homes for sale in Oak Bay, you’ll also discover a wide variety of cafes and bistros, historic pubs and restaurants, unique boutiques and vintage shops as well as many other specialty merchants that are too abundant to list.

Lovers of the sea revel in Oak Bay's eye-catching combination of rugged shorelines and sandy beaches spanning its length. With multiple public beaches, marinas, boat launches, and anchorages, one need not go far from home to indulge. Recreational enthusiasts will love the three golf courses, abundant parks and sporting facilities including tennis courts, baseball diamonds, outdoor gyms, and swimming pools. For magnificent views, take a stroll down to the Chinese Cemetery at Harling Point, often described as one of the best places to watch the sunrise in Greater Victoria.

Amenities & Transportation

Oak Bay Village is a prime, quaint location to run errands in style with many banks, grocers, bakeries, butcher shops, florists and liquor stores dotting the main drive, Oak Bay Avenue. With a walk score in the 80’s, everything is accessible by foot, or seconds away by car and bike. As downtown Victoria is only a 10-minute drive away, biking or walking down picturesque, tree-lined streets is a pleasurable alternative to motorized transport.

History

Named for the Garry Oak trees growing throughout the region, Oak Bay was both seasonal and permanent home to the Coast Salish people of the Songhees First Nation for centuries prior to the arrival of Europeans in the late 1700’s. There remains many artifacts and archeological sites around the area to this day. Until the establishment of Fort Victoria in 1843, the Hudson’s Bay Company controlled most of the area’s land. Subsequently, several family farms were established, some of whose original farmhouses remain standing to this day including the oldest continually-occupied home in Western Canada, The Tod House. By the 19^th century, Oak Bay had become a famous recreational getaway, with visitors flocking to visit the seaside resorts, camp on the rocky shores, build cottages overlooking the many bays, or take in the spectacles of the local exhibition grounds including lacrosse, rugby, and cricket matches.

Though incorporated as a municipality in 1906, it wasn’t until 1912 that the Hudson’s Bay Company’s land holdings were subdivided to create the now famous Uplands neighborhood. First of its kind in Canada, this subdivision eschewed the traditional gridiron layout, instead opting for long, curving streets, and large waterfront properties. John Charles Olmsted, the famous landscape architect described the Uplands area as his “masterpiece of suburban residential design”, and for good reason. Much of the charm and splendor of Oak Bay’s most sought-after neighbourhoods can trace its roots back to his vision of the Uplands subdivision.

Schools

The Greater Victoria School District No. 61 services the municipalities of Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Victoria, View Royal and portions of Saanich and Highlands. With 27 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and 7 secondary schools serving over 20,000 local students, 1,000 international students, and 650 adult learners, this district offers a myriad of choices for academics at any age. Buyers with children will be delighted with Oak Bay’s fantastic school system complete with excellent public schools and highly acclaimed private schools. There is one elementary school, Willows Elementary, one middle school, Monterey Middle School, and one high school, Oak Bay High. If you reside in the South Oak Bay area, you may also register your children at Margaret Jenkins Elementary. Private school offerings include the highly regarded St. Michaels University School and Glenlyon Norfolk School, each providing top-notch programs with a very strong academic focus.

Location

Bordering the University of Victoria Campus, Saanich, the Haro Strait, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Oak bay is located no more than a 10-minute bike ride from downtown Victoria.