• LHCA started advocating for Lakeview Heights residents in 1990
• We were registered with BC Societies in 1992
• Rita Milne was a guiding light for LHCA for many years
• We are closely aligned with Friends of Kalamoir Park

History of Lakeview Heights

The land that became Lakeview Heights was an undeveloped wooded and brush area that was assessed as suitable for farming. As such. it was appropriate to offer it to returning Canadian servicemen under the jurisdiction of the Veterans' Land Act 1942.  The area was divided into 12-acre parcels or small holdings as seen on the map. Blocks were numbered and roads were gazetted.  Applications for land from returned servicemen were invited and then a lottery was held to decide the order of choice. Eric Brown's name was drawn first and he chose Lot 72! on Boucherie Road. In preparation for the experience, prospective farmers endeavored to collect information and some experience of fruit growing from earlier settlers in the area.

Irrigation

In order to make the land suitable for farming in this semi-desert area, irrigation had to be provided. An earthen dam (later named Rose Valley] was built in 1949 across a narrow valley on the Westside in preparation for the VLA subdivision. The dam towered 50 feet above the valley floor and allowed for the storage of 2400 acre-feet of water.  The water was to come from Lambly Creek. five miles from the reservoir site. A series of open ditches and wooden flumes were built across hillsides and over gullies to bring water to the reservoir. Some flumes clung precariously to canyon walls. Debris from the hillsides regularly tumbled down blocking the water flow and damaging the structures. Imagine walking along these flumes weekly to check them as Felix Menu, the water manager, did!! Local management was needed for this irrigation system. On 27 May 1951 an Order in Council made in Victoria created the Irrigation District and appointed six local trustees.

Choosing a Name

A competition was held to name the area. 'LAKEVIEW HEIGHTS' submitted by Geoff Gray, Lot 107, was chosen by a vote of landowners.

Read more of our history

This is part of a much larger history of Lakeview Heights that was written by Brenda Gilbert the full history can be found here.