Early History
A Quaker presence in the province of British Columbia goes back to before the province even joined the rest of Canada in 1871, when it was still a British Crown Colony. On January 21, 1860, a Quaker Meeting was reported in the Daily British Colonist: “Mr. Lindsay, and lady, members of the Society of Friends, celebrated Divine Worship in the large room of the Treasury at New Westminster, on last Sunday morning. For the most numerous assemblage that ever met there for religious purposes . . .”
The December 11, 1898 Victoria Daily Colonist carried an announcement under the religious notices: “The Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, hold their customary services this morning at the A.O.U.W hall.” Victoria Meeting came under the care of the Yonge Street (Toronto) Quarterly Meeting and Canada Yearly Meeting in 1907. The first meeting after being sanctioned welcomed Lady Dorothea Gibbs of Wimbledon, England, who presented the group of 12 with a collection of books to create a library, which continues to this day. Meeting was held in various downtown halls, members having to contend with inconveniences such as leaky pipes and noise from an adjacent creamery.
A Meeting House
The need for more permanent quarters became an issue as membership grew. In March 1909, a committee was struck “to inaugurate a scheme forthwith with the object of raising funds for building a Meeting House.” Letters of appeal were sent to Britain, Ireland, the USA, and Eastern Canada. The location of a suitable site, a long double lot priced at $3000, gave urgency to the fundraising; however, money was scarce during the hard economic times.
Victoria Friends Meeting: a History 1907-1988
We are considering a project to digitize this well-researched booklet.
Arts and Crafts design
Like many residences constructed at that time, the Meeting House displays elements of Arts and Crafts design, with a deep gabled porch flanked by extensions out on either side. A caretaker apartment, cloakroom, office, and reading room were included, and the main hall at the rear, 25×35 feet, facing east. With its dark fir floors and wooden wainscotting the room is warm and welcoming. Originally fitted with a raised platform (for elders) and wooden benches, the space is now furnished more flexibly with a variety of chairs, which can be stacked against the walls to accommodate other groups who use the hall during weekday evenings.
British Friends raised £428, with a promise of more to come. A local Friend, Henry Clark, who happened to be a civil engineer (he had designed bridges in Japan), drew up building plans. Another friend, Alex Ingram, a carpenter, would supervise construction. With sufficient funds and a mortgage obtained, ground was broken in February 1913, with Friends largely contributing the design and labour. The official opening of the first purpose-built Quaker Meeting House in the province was celebrated in July of that year.
Meetinghouse Changes
Over the years, the Meeting House on Fern Street has undergone changes to fit our needs. Wood heating gave way to oil in the 1960s, later replaced by electric baseboards with thermostats in each area. The caretaker suite was enlarged. The attic was finished to create rooms for the children’s programme, the storage of archives, and a meeting space. .
The outdoor area was beautified primarily with indigenous plants and trees, the landscape changing over the years. The front is shaded by a magnificent Garry oak, while the backyard features a huge chestnut tree, planted many years ago by young Friends. The city of Victoria leases the back portion of the property for a park, and recently the city worked with Friends to help create a new Native Plant garden in the park. The Meetinghouse has now been designated as a City of Victoria Heritage building.
