Wings Across the Water: Victoria's Flying Heritage, 1871–1971

Patricia A. Myers is a historian at the Historic Sites and Archives
Service, Alberta Community Development. She is the author of Sky Riders:
An Illustrated History of Aviation in Alberta, 1906–1945 and
Preserving Women’s History.

A balloon ascent helped usher British Columbia into Confederation, and
it is with this event that Wings Across the Water begins. Elwood White
is, as the book jacket says, “a well-known expert on the history of
Vancouver Island transportation.” He has been photographing island
aviation since 1928, and has been a pilot since 1938. Peter Smith, a
retired professor of Classics at the University of Victoria and the
author of a history of that university, answered White’s call for
assistance to help him finish this history of aviation he’d been
working on for several years.

The real strength of the book is the marvellous photographs. Many are
White’s: he began photographing island aviation at the age of 10.
Other photographs, given to White over the years, depict planes of all
kinds, aviation installations, disasters, and harbours and airports. The
photos are enhanced with illustrations, including advertisements
(“Sensational exciting thrilling daring hair-raising aerial league
meet” [1911]), documents such as certificates and first flight covers,
maps, and newspaper excerpts.

Smith’s text provides a good backdrop to the photos, although its
focus is on individual events rather than on a sustained story. We read
of early balloon flights, early commercial ventures, airmail and
seaplanes. Airport controversies, flying to Vancouver and Seattle, and
the Patricia Bay RCAF Station all get good mention. With the
establishment of transcontinental aviation with Trans-Canada Air Lines
and Canadian Pacific Airlines, the story links with other national
developments. Smith and White do not let these developments overshadow
one of the real stories of island aviation: the growth of private
operators and airstrips. The final period, from 1959 to 1971, covers
developments at Victoria International Airport, military flying, fire
bombers, and some of the aviation components that took part in
celebrating Canada’s centennial and British Columbia’s 100th
birthday. All in all, this is an interesting book made spectacular by
the photographs.