Dominion Brook Park

Dominion Brook Park in North Saanich is a 4.45-hectare historic park that reflects over a century of horticulture, community gathering, and dedicated restoration.

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Location

North Saanich
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About

Dominion Brook Park is approximately 4.45 hectares and is located in North Saanich.
Masterfully shaped by the land itself, the park weaves together glades, dells, and open vistas, alongside ponds, pools, intricate stonework, and the flowing waters of Dominion Brook.

History

The park has unique origins. It was established by the Canadian Department of Agriculture as a public demonstration arboretum and ornamental garden in 1912. The goal was to learn what plants would thrive here from other areas around the world. The park’s original horticulturalist was William Tyrrell Macoun.
As the park was being developed, plant material was ordered from around the world including Britain, Holland, and Japan.
Some of the original rhododendrons and ornamental plants have roots in China via the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University. Some of these still grow in the park today.
The park has always been a favourite for social gatherings. Starting in 1913 and running until 1923, the B.C. Electric Railway had a stop at the bottom of the park and brought in park visitors for picnics.
A tea house was located in the park and the location is now a covered picnic area.
B.C. Premier Simon Fraser was a great supporter of the park and a picnic was held in his honour in the 1930s. (source)
In the early 1980s, federal maintenance funding dried up and invasive species began to take over.
In the late 1990s, Friends of Dominion Brook Park Society was formed by local citizens and now has almost 100 members.

Since 2001, the Friends of Dominion Brook Park Society, the District of North Saanich, the Centre for Plant Health, and local volunteers have been dedicated to restoring this park.
- The society cares for an important heritage collection of trees and shrubs. From March through October, volunteers gather each week to weed, prune, plant, and keep the park thriving.
As you explore you will find many species of trees and plants including Lebanon cedar, Weeping blue atlas cedar, Emperor oak, Lodgepole pine, Purple leaved smoke tree, and everyone’s favourite, Rhododendrons.
Rhododendron Ravine was reopened to the public in September 2017 and is definitely worth taking a stroll through in the spring to admire the blooms.
At the top of the ravine stands a traditional Scottish packhorse footbridge.
- Built in just eight days in the summer of 2018, it uses locally quarried rock and field stone, assembled with no mortar.
- Gravity, friction, and carefully shaped stones hold it in place. This bridge is the first dry-stone bridge in Canada west of Ontario. (source)
One particular tree of interest has an interesting back story. Volunteers are trying to uncover the story behind a European beech tree.
- Records suggest it was planted in 1922 using seeds brought back from Flanders after the First World War, possibly by a returning soldier.
- While the planter’s identity remains a mystery, the tree has become a powerful symbol of remembrance.
- Volunteers hope to learn more and one day install a plaque to honour the veteran who carried those seeds home. (source)
Dominion Brook Park is where flowing water, heritage trees, and thoughtfully crafted landscapes come together through more than a century of horticulture, community, and restoration.