Photo: Laura Saretsky
ARCHITECTURE:
This Minimal Traditional, hip-roofed house has a large gabled extension on the front left covering the living room and the inset front porch with side-facing steps. There is a drop-finial in the apex of the gable above a tall, narrow slit in the upper gable wall for attic ventilation. The front windows are both of three units, with multi-paned over single-paned sashes either side of double bands of multi-panes over large single panes. The house is stuccoed and has a single brick chimney with two flues. It originally cost $3,000 to build.
Cecil Norman Gore (b. Victoria 1913-2002) was a designer/draftsman. During WWII he served as a Lieut, RCASC. After the war, he ran C N Gore Home Planning Service from 312 Central Bldg (620 View St, Downtown). [Cecil’s grandfather, William Sinclair Gore was BC Surveyor-Gen 1878-91 and 1898-1905. Gore’s Landing BC was named for him. In 1907 Cecil’s father, Arthur, started Gore Electric Blue Print & Map Co. It was one of the first engineering supply and blueprint firms, with branches in Vancouver and Victoria. They were the first tenants in the Central Building in 1911. They sold the company to the Shemilt family of Island Blueprint in the 1950s. The Arthur & Mary Gore family home is 1502 Regents Place].
ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS
1940-63: CPR trainman Howard Clarke “Pete” Horner (b. Victoria, 1896-1978) married Lucy Elizabeth (née Brown, b. Leeds, ENG 1897-1984) here in 1922. He worked for E&N for 42 years and was a member of KofP, Vic Chap. Son David “Dave” Clarke Horner (b. Victoria 1938-2022) married Shirley Margaret (née Morton, b. New Westminster, BC 1939-2015). He was a carpenter before joining Saanich Fire Dept in 1967; he rose to rank of captain before retiring in 1997. He was active in car racing at W Speedway and, in 2011, received a Pioneer Award for his contributions to car racing. She was interested in gardening, lacrosse and Nascar. Shirley-Lee & Roger, son Rick & daughter Sandy.
OTHER OCCUPANTS:
1972-94: Jacquie Waddington lived her early life in 224 Robert (see for more info) and 236 Robert St. In 1972 when she was 19, her grandmother Alice and her father Stan loaned her the money 255 Robert for her. She married Garry Clarence Monahan in 1986 and he moved in. They moved to Chilliwack, BC in 1994.