Description of Historic Place

Wain Park is a municipal park situated between Birch Road and Wain Road in the semi-rural Deep Cove neighbourhood of North Saanich. The level, open property includes a large wooden park sign with concrete foundations, perimeter plantings, hedgerows, two baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a basketball court, a large grassed playing field and parking areas.

Heritage Value

This important green space in North Saanich is valued for its association with the commemoration of British Columbia’s Centennial celebration through a community fund-raising effort, and for its association with the pioneering Wain family.

Like other 1958 centennial projects initiated across the province, this park honoured Queen Victoria’s 1858 declaration giving Britain’s North American Pacific Coast territories the name """"British Columbia"""". The park is a testament to North Saanich’s community spirit, in that local residents, led by the Deep Cove Centennial Park Committee, raised a total of $2,000 for the establishment of the park. Shortly before the park’s opening, local musician and music teacher Dora Madeline Till (1908-1972) organized a concert to raise funds to equip the park’s playground. The official opening ceremony was held April 27, 1958, and included a thanksgiving service, flag raising and a huge beacon fire; this was one of a series of similar Centennial fires ignited at the same time around the province. In 1968, a Crown Grant transferred the land to the District of North Saanich, which continues to maintain the park for community use. A commemorative plaque on the sign near the Birch Road entrance serves as a reminder of the community effort that led to the establishment of the park in 1958.

The name of this park honours North Saanich pioneer Henry Wain (1826-1914), who originally pre-empted the land on which the park is located. Born in England, Wain came to Vancouver Island in 1850 as a carpenter with the Hudson’s Bay Company. Notably, his projects for the HBC included the windows of the Craigflower School in Victoria. In 1872, Wain pre-empted 64.7 hectares in North Saanich. Here, along with his wife Sarah and eight children, he farmed hops, ran a tavern, established the first North Saanich Post Office and operated a stagecoach service to Victoria. Among the attendees at the 1958 opening of the park named in Henry Wain’s honour was Henry's son, William Wain (1871-1964).

Source: District of North Saanich Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of Wain Park include the:
- location, north of Wain Road and south of Birch Road in the Deep Cove neighbourhood of North Saanich
- open setting within a low-density semi-rural area
- mature specimen trees, perimeter plantings and hedgerows
- large wood and concrete park sign with park name, dogwood motif, dates 1858-1958, and commemorative Centennial plaque