Elida Peers| Contributed
Highway 14 has been undergoing an enormous project for months, relocating the roadway in north Sooke and altering the Gillespie Road access.
Long gone are any remnants of the structure that housed the Lorimer family.
Arriving in 1924, parents Keith and Isabella Lorimer bought a two-storey frame house built by Aaron Gent at the corner of Sooke and Gillespie Roads. After the Lorimer period, this structure became Highway Grocery, serving residents until it went up in flames in 1982.
ALSO READ: Throup family among Sooke’s earliest pioneers
Today, our photo shows four of the Lorimer children, pupils at North Sooke School in 1929, a one-room school which stood a bit further east, near Connie Road. Standing are Duncan Lorimer, Ken Shepherd, Jimmy Neil, Al Shepherd, Malcolm Lorimer, George Lorimer and Ernie Johnson. Seated are Lillian Johnson, Norma Neil, Phyllis Neil, Gladys Neil, Margaret Lorimer and Doris Neil.
Four families made up the school’s enrolment. If the pupils went beyond Grade 8, it would be by correspondence courses, but many went straight to work instead.
The Lorimer youngsters were encouraged to develop their initiatives and produced a family newspaper. Their mother wouldn’t hear of them going right to work, and in Duncan’s case, it meant he bicycled five miles to Sooke School, enabling him to participate in school sports such as basketball and develop strong community ties.
The Lorimers were noted for their patriotism. With the declaration of war in 1939, Malcolm, George and Duncan all went to fight, and when he came of age, the youngest, Jimmie, followed. Duncan married his sweetheart Betty Lock, who worked in the telephone office at Milne’s Landing.
George was the brother who did not return from war; years later, Lorimer Point was named for him.
Born from the war, the three brothers continued their education, Malcolm becoming a mining engineer, Duncan a teacher, and Jimmie, a lawyer. In later years, when Dave Barrett was premier of B.C., James Lorimer served as Municipal Affairs minister.
Teaching at both Lansdowne and Victoria High School, Duncan became principal of Vic High, retiring in 1979. His and Betty’s four youngsters grew, and his retirement allowed him to serve on several community boards and participate in the Sooke Pipe Band.
One of his highlights was when he became one of 30 Canadians presented with France’s Legion of Honour in 2004. Duncan Lorimer passed away in 2005.
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Elida Peers is the historian of the Sooke Region Museum. Email historian@sookeregionmuseum.com.
editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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