A growing number of West Shore residents are taking a stroll down a memory lane that’s full of old drive-in burger joints and simplistic 50’s-era motels.
The Changing Westshore Old and New Facebook group was only created at the beginning of December, but it already has just under 350 members. They’ve been sharing old photos of what the West Shore used to look like, as well as newer photos in hopes of preserving memories for the future.
Lori Krogel, the group’s creator, grew up in Colwood in the 60’s and 70’s, but moved away for more than 30 years, living in Williams Lake and Kamloops.
While she frequently came back to the West Shore to visit friends and family, it wasn’t until she moved to Langford in 2015 that she fully realized just how much the area had changed.
“We spent most of our time climbing trees and making forts and playing in the swamp catching frogs,” Krogel recalled. “It was definitely a very ‘country’ childhood.”
She also remembered when Glen Lake and Langford Lake used to freeze in winter, giving residents a chance to skate and play hockey outdoors.
Hoping to get a glimpse of the area as she originally knew it and to preserve the buildings that are still here, Krogel started to take pictures around the region. Later, she decided to start a Facebook group as a place to post some of her own photos and see what others might be able to contribute.
The online group’s accelerated growth took her by surprise.
“I just thought there might be a few people around that might be interested. But it’s growing very quickly so that’s wonderful. The more people, the more input,” Krogel said. She posted about her page on a couple of other locally-themed group pages and it quickly spread from there.
Among the growing collection of old and current images, a few have stood out for her as being particularly unique.
Photos of cottages and a small restaurant along Esquimalt Lagoon took her by surprise, and a picture of Bob’s Burgers, an old fast-food joint that was “a big hangout” at the corner of Wilfert Road and Island Highway, jogged her memory.
Krogel noted that older photos of the West Shore are hard to come by, because cameras were more expensive and cumbersome. “Now it’s so easy with a cell phone. Everybody’s got one.”
Looking ahead, she would like to see the group continue to grow, but laments that many older residents with photos and memories to share might not be on social media.
Anyone without Facebook is welcome to participate by emailing photos and comments to krogel19@telus.net. Facebookers can request to join the group by searching for The Changing Westshore, Old and New.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com