The Victoria Community Development Corporation
A Social History of Victoria

Victoria: Recalling our Heritage is the result of Victoria Community Development Corporation (VCDC) hiring 20 young adults for a project called Youth Service Canada (YSC). In January 1997, YSC designated four groups to work on different community projects: Youth, Environment, 50+, and Heritage.

Because of little printed or recorded information, the Heritage team decided it was time to collect and preserve some of Victoria's history and Heritage. Members of the Heritage Team contacted and interviewed the" older members" of our community to get an impression of what life in Victoria was like years ago. It was a delight to meet these people. Although the people we interviewed all experienced hardship in their life, each of their stories unique. Each of them weaves a thread that makes the fabric of Victoria's Heritage.

Click here for the Individual Interviews with Older Residents of the Community

Despite the hard work and the long hours, we enjoyed working on this project. We learned much about our history, our heritage, and about the people who settled here. We hope you enjoy reading this book and that you, too, will enjoy will come to appreciate your heritage as well. Click below for a printable copy of the booklet that was prepared.

Victoria: Recalling Our Heritage as PDF

NOTE: You will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to read and/or print the book
Victoria: Recalling Our Heritage.
If you do not have a copy, it is available for free by clicking the Adobe Acrobat symbol below.

Surnames of Victoria

A number of surnames in Victoria date back to early settlement.
Click below for the more common names found in the community.

Surnames

We would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the following that have helped make this book possible:
- Our Co-coordinators, Don Inniss and Eileen Rose, without whom this project would not have been possible.
- The Town of Victoria
- Mr. Frank Martin for helping us with our research, editing, rewriting and the layout of our book.
- Mr. Roland (Dan) Burke for helping us with our research and providing us with many details of Victoria's history.
- Those whom we interviewed for this is their story: Joshua Antle, Eva Ash, Samuel Burke, Doris Clarke, Emmie Clarke, Ester Clarke, Jim Clarke, John Clarke, Nathaniel Clarke, Reg Clarke, Roy Clarke, Beulah Clarke, Mark Cole, Stephan Cole, Clarence Collins, Nina Curnew, Samuel Dean, Helen Higdon, Fanny Inniss, Leonard Inniss, Millie Langar, Virda Layden, Violet Parsons, Hazel Peckham, Norman Penney, Rosalie Penney, Harold and Beatrice Priddle, George Snook, Sarah Snow, Jean Stephenson, Lillian Vaters, Annie Whyte, Maxine Vaters, Cyril Whyte, Sr.
- Those who provided photographs.
- Those who provided information:Gloria Antle, Hester Baldwin, Aloysius Brewer, Bob Clarke, Emmie Clarke, Harold G. Clarke, Eugene Cole, Eric R. Dean, Vivian Hiscock, Frank Martin, Lloyd Moores, Edna Moores, Lillian Parsons, Alienne Powell, Hector Powell, Brenda Rose, Eileen Rose, Lisa Slade, Sharon Snooks, Sarah J. Powell, Tina Turnbull, Derrick Vaters.

We do not assume responsibility for information that may differ from that of the reader. We also apologize for any history making event or story that was omitted from our book; or for any names that may be misspelled or inadvertently left out.