Oak Bay High School Green Space

Oak Bay High School Green Space is in the seaside community of Oak Bay, one of thirteen areas of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. This green space is has several pedestrian friendly pathways and large sports fields including an artificial turf field. This field is fenced with chain-linked wire fencing. There is a concrete seating area on the northside of the field. There several grass covered areas around the green space including the center of the oval running track. A large garry oak tree provides invaluable shade at the track. The school is part of the British Columbia School District  61 Victoria and the green space is accessible outside of school hours until dark. The school was rebuilt in 2016; the original buildings were from the late nineteen twenties. A large giant sequoia tree was planted in eighteen sixty two by Mr Alexis Casanave whose had property bordered along Bowker Creek.  Several Garry oak trees are found on this green space. Bowker Creek Park borders on the south side while the Oak Bay Recreation Center lies to the southeast.

Geographic Location N48º 25’ 58”  W123º 19’ 5”

Oak Bay High School Green Space can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway. Continue along the Hwy 1 into Victoria as it becomes Douglas Street. Turn off Douglas onto Hillside Avenue to head east. Stay on Hillside Avenue as it becomes Lansdowne Road. Continue along Lansdowne Road to reach Foul Bay Road. Turn onto Cadboro Bay Road to head east and look for the green space and parking area on the right. There are several parking areas and some street parking along Canmore Street. City buses travel along Cadboro Bay Road and Foul Bay Road.

 

Willows Elementary School Green Space

Willows Elementary School Green Space is in the seaside community of Oak Bay, one of thirteen areas of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia. As part of School District 61, Victoria, the school grounds are available outside of school hours. This green space has housed a school since the early nineteen-tens when a single rehabilitated farm house created the first school. The school building was enlarged two years later to house more students.  The current large eight room brick school building was built in nineteen twenty with additions and siesmic upgrading in more recent years. The green space is about two hectares and includes a playground, a couple of grass sport fields that are lined as a running track during track and field season. LOndon plane trees shade the south side of the school while there are many Garry oak trees that line the sport fields on the west side of the green space. There are also swings and asphalt areas with games like four corners as well as basketball keys delineated. Three raised garden beds are found on the north side of the school building. There is some off road parking. A concrete walkway connects Musgrave to Cadboro Bay Road. City buses travel along Cadboro Bay Road.

Geographic Location N48º 26’ 9”  W123º 18’ 38”

Willows Elementary School Green Space can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway. Continue along the Hwy 1 into Victoria as it becomes Douglas Street. Turn off Douglas onto Hillside Avenue to head east. Stay on Hillside Avenue as it becomes Lansdowne Road. Continue along Lansdowne Road to reach Cadboro Bay Road. Turn onto Cadboro Bay Road and look for the school on the left. The school parking area is accessed from Musgrave Road which is reached by turning onto Tod Road or Dalhousie Road then onto Musgrave Road. There is street parking. City buses travel along Cadboro Bay Road.

Lakewood Elementary School Green Space

Lakewood Elementary School is part the Sooke School District (number sixty two). The green space includes the large school yard with two large sports fields and several playground areas. The two hectare green space is in the Florence Lake neighborhood of Langford, B.C. The south playground is on a wood chip base with a curved slide with step ladder access and a separate climbing bar set. A few meters up the slope are six swings that are on a wood chip base. Further along the south side of the school grounds is a climbable rope web with an arc shaped. The east playground has two slides connected to climbing, swinging and sliding apparatus that are on raised platforms. The base is composed of wood chips. There are a couple of areas of the asphalt that are lined for basketball as well as hopscotch games. Fifty concrete steps, in four sets of seven and then pairs of two and three, lead up to the grass covered sports field that is surrounded by achain linked fence. The western side of the fence is lined with colorful hand painted wood cut in the shape of fish; this ‘stream of dreams’ was developed to increase awareness that all fish live in water and all that streams of water are where fish live. The closest waterway is Gardner Creek, a seasonal creek, which flows through Setchfield Park and Lake Ida Ann Park toward Mill Stream also known as Millstream Creek. An extensive garden bed lines the sport field along Setchfield Avenue. This green space is available outside of school hours and is a great site for a  parkour workouts. This is a great place to explore in your backyard. Camli Green Space, Lake Ida Ann Park, Ashley Green Space, Jamie Green Space, Setchfield Park, Shaw Park and Ironwood Park are nearby.

Geographic location N48° 27’56” W123°30’26”

Lakewood Elementary School Green Space can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway also called Hwy1. Turn at Millstream Road and continue to the log house pub to turn left onto Treanor Avenue. Look for the fire lane that connects to small parking area, at the back of the school, between houses 753 and 749. The main entrance and parking for the school is along Setchfield Avenue which is reached by continuing along Treanor Avenue and turning left onto Setchfield Avenue. There is road side parking along Setchfield Avenue. Buses travel along Treanor Ave and Setchfield Avenue.

Ecole Millstream Elementary School Green Space

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View Royal Elementary School Green Space

Located near Craigflower Creek and Portage Inlet, View Royal Elementary School Green Space is a terrific area to enjoy outside of school hours. The school grounds are just under three hectares. The area at the front of this fifty year old building is a tri-level area. The lower area is a paved parking space for teachers, staff and parents. A dozen concrete stairs lead up to the basketball court, a ball toss basket and circles painted on the asphalt for fox and hound outdoor games. There is a chain-link fence surrounding this raised area. The concrete retaining wall around the basketball court depicts colorful images of children at play. The upper level has a playground with a wood chip base and is bordered by a grass covered area. This playground has various climbing apparatus that connect to a platform with a slide. A cedar hedge fence forms a partial barrier along Helmcken Road while the chain-link fence is decorated with fish in a colorful display. A map of North America is painted on the asphalt near this playground. A small sloped grass covered area provides a natural play area along Rudyard Road and Glenairlie Drive. Several spruce and big leaf maple trees as well as several shrubs grow in this area. Near the entrance to the school are six raised garden beds near the school.

Two other playground areas are shared with the preschool and out-of-school care facilities that are part of the school campus. A playground area, around the back of the school building, has swings, metal monkey bars and climbing apparatus. There are two squares painted into quarters and a painted spiral for hopscotch on the asphalt near this playground. A large grass covered sports field lies along the E&N Railway track and rail trail. This north side of the school grounds is framed by a row of deciduous trees. A footpath connects the green space to both Rudyard Road, via these series of multi-step concrete staircases, and to Glenairlie Drive along a paved sloped pathway that is bordered by a black berry bushes and a row of trees. The green space and building that forms the elementary school grounds are part of the school district of Victoria number sixty one. Helmcken Park, Glenairlie Park, Portage Park and View Royal Municipal Park are nearby.

Geographical location N48° 27’ 27” W123° 26’ 13”

 

View Royal Elementary School Green Space can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway (Hwy 1). Exit onto Helmcken Road and turn south. Continue past the first traffic circle to the second one, near Craigflower Creek, and exit into the school parking lot. City buses travel along Helmcken Road.

Helmcken Centennial Park

Helmcken Park is known as the ball park for fastball and home to the View Royal Fastball teams. This is community athletic park as well as a wonderful family and toddler friendly park in View Royal, B.C. Helmcken Centennial Park has three fenced fastball diamonds, a basketball or multi-purpose court and a tennis court in its two and half hectares. There is also a batting cage and storage shed. The park borders on an indentation of Portage Inlet which is a migratory bird and wildlife area. This tidal area also has a ephemeral creek that drains from the surrounding area. Signage near the White Pine pathway describes the colonial activities on Portage Inlet and the Gorge Water front. This would be an okay site to launch a paddle board, kayak or canoe at high tide as the wetland area can be wide.  The playground has slides, swings, a long tube and climbing apparatus on a gravel base for children of all ages. This is good place for parkour. There is a seasonal concession, a meeting room and toilets in a building that is maintained by the ball team. Native plants along the shore of Portage Inlet include snow berries and rose plants as well as several different grasses to help maintain the integrity of the tidal wetlands. White Pine Road Green Space has a footpath into the park from Werra Road. The green spaces at Stillwater Road, Seabird Place, Thomas Park Drive, Polly Place, Crane Place and Tidewater Road are nearby.

 

Geographical location N48° 27’ 42” W123° 25’ 48”

 

Helmcken Centennial Park can be reached from the Trans Canada Highway Hwy1. Exit off Hwy1 onto the Helmcken Road and turn south. Victoria General Hospital is to the north along Helmcken Road. At the traffic circle, exit east toward Helmcken Park and Kingham Place. Stay on Kingham Place to reach the small parking lot beside the park. A second parking area is accessed from further along Helmcken Road closer to the buildings. City busses service the Helmcken Park and Ride parking area near Helmcken Road.

Ecole Margaret Jenkins Elementary Green Space

 

A spacious grass sports field marked with goal posts and lined by tall horse chestnut, London plane and Garry oak trees with a beautiful brick school building forms the Ecole Margaret Jenkins Elementary Green Space. The school is part of the Victoria School District 61 and was built in nineteen fourteen. It was named for a school trustee and teacher. There are two playground equipment areas for children at this school. One is a colorful interconnected metal structure with low platforms and various monkey bar and climbable areas. The other has colorful climbing structures and includes balancing stepping posts, a curly pole, stairs, chain link ladder and arched ladders that lead up to a platform with slides. There are two basketball courts near this western playground site. A third full size basketball court is closer to Chandler Street. There is a two pieces of play equipment near this court: a tall metal slide and a arched monkey bar. This green space is close to Chandler Gonzales Pathway which leads toward Pemberton Park and Glenlyon Norfolk Green Space, Wilmer Green and Maddison Green. Gonzales Hill Park and Gonzales Beach are to the east and south. Hollywood Park is west along Fairfield Road. The Victoria Heritage Foundation has further information about the Fairfield and Rockland area of Victoria, BC.

Geographic coordinates N48° 25′ W123° 19′ 45″

Ecole Margaret Jenkins Elementary Green Space can be reached from Blanchard Street. Turn east onto Fairfield Road and follow along to Richmond Avenue. Turn left onto Richmond Avenue and look for the school on the right. There is roadside parking along Richmond, Chandler, Foul Bay or Fairfield roads. The school has a small parking area. City buses travel along Fairfield Road and Foul Bay Road  between downtown and the University of Victoria.

Victoria West Park

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Victoria West Park

Central Park, Victoria, BC

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Central Park, Victoria, B.C.

Victoria High School Green Space, Victoria, BC

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Victoria High School Green Space