History of Welland Orchard
Rex Welland, the former owner of this two-thirds-acre property, managed to fit an incredible amount into it, including a collection of more than 100 varieties of apples. Some may be the only known trees of their variety, while many others are quite rare. When you visit the orchard, you’ll see an impressive collection of heritage apple trees growing on espalier trellises and pruned in the oblique cordon style. Other fruit trees include figs, pears, plums, persimmons, sour cherries, pawpaws, hazelnuts, shipova, medlars, and quince, along with plenty of other vines and bushes, including grapes and kiwis!
Native Pollinators
Passionate about native pollinators, Rex kept meticulous notes on the habits and life cycles, constructing nesting structures and habitats for the impressive diversity of solitary wasps and bees.
A Community Resource
Rex’s dedication to the ecosystem is an inspiration, and we are humbled to be a part of his legacy by working with the Town of View Royal to care for and continue to develop this local treasure. With the help of our volunteers and supporters, we hope to build a public park that might help fulfill his ambitious dreams.
Land History
The Welland Legacy Park & Community Orchard is the former backyard of local resident Rex Welland, and is located on the unceded lands of the lək̓wəŋən people (known today as the Xwsepsəm Nation and the Songhees Nation), and the WSÁNEĆ peoples.
Rex was a conscientious steward, dedicated to preserving and enhancing the biodiversity of the local ecosystem. Over the course of 20 years, Rex planted the vast majority of the fruit trees and vines that feed our community here today. He managed to fit an incredible amount into it, including a collection of more than 100 varieties of apples. Some may be the only known trees of their variety, while many others are quite rare. When you visit the orchard, you’ll see an impressive collection of heritage apple trees growing on espalier trellises and pruned in the oblique cordon style. Other fruit trees include figs, pears, plums, persimmons, sour cherries, pawpaws, hazelnuts, shipova, medlars, and quince, along with plenty of other vines and bushes, including grapes and kiwis!
Prior to Rex’s stewardship of this space, it was part of a Garry Oak meadow ecosystem, which is an intentionally and skilfully managed food and medicine system stewarded by Indigenous people. Food systems on this land have been used and stewarded by Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial and the orchard is nestled between Knockan Hill and Portage Inlet, two important Indigenous food gathering areas.
The fruit trees in this orchard are not native to North America, but were brought over by settlers. This park exists today thanks to the generous donation of Rex and the Welland family. The Town of View Royal, LifeCycles Project Society and many volunteers are now working together to steward the legacy that Rex has left us. Along with caring for the Orchard, we are also working on creating habitat for Native plants to thrive.
Have a question about the project?
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