Stories
English Ivy | Hostory | Famous Residents
Around our neighbourhood
Rithet's Bog - Where has all the water gone?
English Ivy - Invasive Species (read more)
• Did you know that English ivy growing up the trunks of trees acts as a sail in windstorms, and can lead to their blowing over in a windstorm?
• That the attractive leaves ivy is planted for are juvenile leaves, and that as the vine climb, it develops mature leaves that causes flowering and seed set, leading to much subsequent weeding of seedlings from all the inconvenient places they subsequently pop up?
• That tangles of ivy are favored nesting sites for rats, of which there is a large population in North Quadra thanks to the food supply readily available in neighbourhood bird feeders?
• Long experience elsewhere [parks in Portland, Oregon] has shown that the only control for ivy is cutting. The leaves have a thick covering that repels pesticides, and there is no chemical control that is effective.
• Ivy, like other evergreens, has an advantage in this mild climate over deciduous plants that lose their leaves and are dormant for part of the year, because it can grow whenever light, temperature, and moisture conditions are favourable.
History
We are anxious to pull together a history of the North Quadra area. If you have any old photos, or stories of the past, <a href="mailto:info@northquadra.ca"> please send them in! Material on the pioneers, such as Kenneth McKenzie, George Rogers, the Vanalmans, the Chinese labourers that worked on the farms or, particularly, anything on the First Nations from before or after European contact would be appreciated.
Here's an example - Roger's Farm on the north slope of Christmas Hill was a well loved remnant of rural Saanich until its recent development - but it is good to remember what was.
Famous Residents
Bruce Hutchison
Bruce Hutchison, possibly the areas most famous resident, lived most of his life on the land west of Quadra, between Rogers and Lily Avenues. Much of the is land has recently been developed, but an opportunity exists to preserve some of what is left undeveloped. Please read Vic Derman's article about Mr Hutchison and his land.