Address: 416 Cecelia Road
Built: 1913
1913 householder: Connor Feldon, shop engineer

This Edwardian Arts & Crafts style home was built in 1913 and so is slightly outside of the chronological range of this study. However, since it is prominently sited on the Cecelia Ravine and was built by a long-time resident of the Burnside Gorge neighbourhood, we have included it on our heritage map and web site.

The house was previously addressed as 372 Cecelia Road. It has a wide angled bay window, recessed porch with decorative art glass windows, and shed-style dormers. A characteristic Edwardian-era finial still graces the top of the front gable. This was the home of Connor and Emma Feldon. He was 33 years old when the house was completed and his wife Emma was a year younger. They were both born in England. Connor Feldon came to Canada in 1909 and Emma Feldon arrived two years later.

The Feldons were living at 467 Garbally Road when they were enumerated in June 1911. Their household included a 27 year old lodger, David Mackie, who had immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1910. We don't know if he lodged with the Feldons in their new Cecelia Road residence.

In 1911, Connor Feldon was employed by the firm of Hutchison Brothers, engineers and iron founders. The Hutchison Brothers' fabricating shop was located on the harbour at 409 Bay Street at the foot of Bridge Street. In 1912, Feldon was working as a teamster for the City of Victoria. He worked for the Corporation of the City of Victoria until the mid 1920s. In the 1930s, he worked as a helper and car repair man for the Canadian National Railway.

The house overlooks a section of the “Galloping Goose” trail. In 1916 this was a newly-built portion of the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway. The railway line ran across the trestle bridge on the Selkirk Water to rail yards in Victoria West, in one direction, and out to Patricia Bay on the Saanich Peninsula in the other direction. The Canadian Northern company became part of the Canadian National Railway system after the First World War.

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