It may be hard to believe in today’s world when land values have skyrocketed, but the ad shown here appeared in August 1945, right at the close of the Second World War. We have had the good fortune to acquire real estate records of Alfred Carmichael & Co. Ltd., allowing a fascinating glimpse of a time not-so-long-ago.
This is the ad, verbatim:
“SECLUDED FARM
At the head of a cedar, alder and maple bottom on upper Demamiel Creek a pioneer settled. He built a log cabin, a barn of squared logs, cleared and fenced some acres of alluvial soil, planted an orchard.
Years passed, another woodsman built a log house, a chicken house, and split hundreds, perhaps a thousand cedar pickets and fenced in a garden. War came, he left. Secluded, yet accessible this property of 140 acres, most of it rough logged off and now green again has approximately 10 acres of good flat land, mostly cleared, occasional cedar stumps. This property is well adapted for poultry, turkey and fur farming. The price is $1700.”
Hand written notes deciphered off the advertisement provide more info: “Section 47 – Otter District” and “1/2 mile off old Jordan River Road.” The accompanying photo, along with handwritten correspondence from the owner was found in the envelope as well.
Elida Peers, Historian
Sooke Region Museum