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Fort Vancouver constructed
The leader of the new HBC, George Simpson decided that the company wasnt taking advantage of the resources of the Oregon Territory, during one of his frequent checkups on the posts in the area. So he created a new post, Fort Vancouver ,in 1826. -
John Mcloughlin
Mcloghlin was the cheif factor of the new post Fort Vancouver. He was a capable administrator with an unnerving physical presence and was a fair leader. He was a political realist and understood that the Americans were going to settle the region south of the Columbia River. So he encouraged Americans to stay in the south and out of HBC territory with money and supplies. -
George Simpson closes all HBC coastal forts except Fort Simpson
Simpson toured the Oregon Territory once again and discovered that the fur trade was not expanding as he had hoped. All coastal posts were to be closed, with the exception of Fort Simpson, and the Beaver would be used as a floating fur-trade post to trade with other villages on the coast. -
James Douglas
Simpson ordered Fort Vancouvers current Chief Factor James Douglas to establish a new depot on Vancouver Island. It was named Fort Victoria in honour of Queen Victoria. He was replaced by Fredrick Seymour and Aurthor Kennedy. -
Oregon Boundary Treaty
The treaty that established the Canadian and US border. James Polk tried to negotiate with the British Goverment but when they refused to give up their claim, the old boundry was extended along the 49th paralell to the Pacific Ocean -
Colony of Vancouver Island is established
The British Goverment decided that its territory on the Pacific coast needed more offical presence than the HBC. They created the Crown Colony of Vancouver Island. Britain gave the HBC a trade monopoly in the new Colony but they had to give land to British settlers who came to live there. -
Gold discovered on the Thompson River
HBC trader came to Fort Victoria, along with his cargo of furs for the Company, he carried two vials filled with gold dust and some small nuggets that he had panned along the banks of the Thompson River. He presented them to Governor Douglas who feared that a gold strike would unleash an influx of greedy minors in the colony. His fear was borne out during the winder of 1857 to '58. -
Colony of British Columbia (mainland) established
James Douglas saw that majority of miners were American so he realized that BC had become extremly vulnerable to US territorial expansion. Douglas communicated his concern to the Colonial office in London.Soon,Douglas became the the govener of the new Crown Colony of British Columbia which encompassed as for north as 54 40'N. -
Frederick Seymour
After James Douglas retired as the govenor of the two colonies (Vancouver Island & BC [mainland]) Seymour took over as govoner for British Columbia (mainland) and Arthur Kennedy on Vancouver Island. Frederick Seymour was an active, enthusiastic man who quickly took charge of th colony and seemed to have the best interests of the inhabitants at heart. -
Cariboo Wagon Road completed
The Cariboo Road construction began in 1862 and took 4 years to make. The road was made to make money from miners who were comming and going on to Barkerville during the gold rush in the 1860's. Unfortunatly, the gold rush was beginning to end by the mid to late 1860's and the road wasnt built till 1866. The road took more than $750,000 to complete. The road was built at such an expense, was finished after possible revenues were in steep decline. -
Union of Vancouver Island and British Columbia
The rapid loss of population and revenue was a huge financial hit on Vancouver Island and BC's goverments especially BC because of the money spent on the Cariboo Road. Elected Representatives began pushing the govenors for a union of the two colonys because it would make more sense on a economic standpoint. The colonial office in Britian agreed with the idea of union and the two colonies were formally united togather as British Columbia. George Seymour became the new leader for BC. -
Anthony Musgrave
While on tour of northern communities Govenor Seymour died suddenly. Immediatly Anthony Musgrave was chosen as a successor. Musgrave was a personal friend of John A. Macdonald, who had recomended him as govenor. Musgrave's only instructions from the British Colonial Office were to get British Columbia to join confederation as soon as possible. Musgrave worked with the anti-confederationists to get them to agree on a policy togather and present it as a delegation in Ottawa. -
British Columbia joins Confederation
The Canadian Goverment immediatly agreed to the terms of the anti-confederationists which was to build a railroad that would connect BC to the rest of Canada. They planned to begin building in two years and finish within ten. And on July 20th 1871 BC joined Confederation. -
CPR moves terminus to Vancouver
William Van Horne arrived in Port Moody to establish the exact location of the CPR terminus. He discovered that the harbour could not possibly accomodate deep-sea vessles which needed to dock, load and unload cargo. He travelled farther to Gastown and found what he was looking for, a deep water anchorage with an expanse of flat land and ideal for rail yards. He named the site, Vancouver.
