History of Uplands
Olmsted's Legacy in Canada
Designed between 1907 and 1908 by John Charles Olmsted for developer William Gardner. Uplands is one of two complete Olmsted designed neighbourhoods in Canada, along with Scarboro in Calgary. Olmstead’s curvilinear street plan departed from the grid patterns typical of Canadian subdivisions.
Olmsted prepared innovative guidelines for protective deed restrictions to retain the carefully designed character. Olmsted wanted roads to work in harmony with the natural topography, and significant landscape features, including Garry oak trees and bay views, were preserved and protected. Before construction began, insurmountable financial difficulties forced the sale of most of the land in 1911 although Gardner ensured adherence to the design when the property changed hands.
Oak Bay took over enforcement of design and construction restrictions. Olmsted continued to make revisions. His associate, James Dawson, managed details such as light fixtures and grading revisions. The Olmsted firm ended its involvement in 1921. The Uplands Tramway was in service from 1913 to 1947. In 1946 Gardner sold an undeveloped 76 acre tract to the municipality for a public park.
Uplands Park contains significant cultural landscape features, including Indigenous archaeological sites, Garry oaks, rocky crags and panoramic ocean views. The street network follows the original design plan of 1907.
On August 19, 2019 the Government of Canada designated Uplands as a National Historic Site
