By Carrie Nicholson

Between Mary and Wellington, the streets running east west slope towards Ferguson. There was a canal that ran towards Barton street and the city filled it in, which accounts for the slope.

On Macaulay Street there are 3 houses with yards that look like they are at least 10-12 maybe 20 feet lower than all the rest. The houses sit level with the street but the back yards are down in like a gully.

This is the story I heard.

When the city filled in the canal they sold lots on this land. The conditions were the people that bought could not build for so many years until the land settled and the city put new fill to top off.

A man living by Ferguson bought these 3 lots on Macaulay. He decided to plant a fancy garden right away. Because the land was so low it was sheltered and was like a little micro climate for the garden. He planted fancy fruit trees and plants that couldn’t normally be grown.

When the city finally came to top up, he said no way are you filling in my garden. And they filled the rest but left his 3 lots.

When he died the lots were sold.

The buyers couldn’t afford to fill in the lots so just filled enough along the street to put houses, which is why these backyards are so low.

So does anyone know? Legend, fact or part of both?