| British Columbia, often referred to as B.C. or BC | | | | Population in British Columbia continued to expand |
| (French: Colombie-Britannique, C.-B.), is the | | | | as the province's mining, forestry, agriculture, and |
| westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed | | | | fishing sectors were developed. Mining activity |
| for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin | | | | was particularly notable in the Boundary Country, |
| motto, Splendor sine occasu ("Splendour without | | | | in the Slocan, in the West Kootenay around Trail, |
| diminishment"). It was the sixth province to join | | | | the East Kootenay (the southeast corner of the |
| Confederation. Residents are referred to as British | | | | province), the Fraser Canyon, the Cariboo and |
| Columbians or BCers. Its capital is Victoria while | | | | elsewhere. Agriculture attracted settlers to the |
| the largest city is Vancouver, which is also | | | | fertile Fraser Valley, and cattle ranchers and later |
| Canada's third largest city. | | | | fruit growers to the drier grasslands of the |
| Pre-Confederation | | | | Thompson River area, the Cariboo, the Chilcotin, |
| The discovery of stone tools on the Beatton | | | | and the Okanagan. Forestry drew workers to the |
| River near Fort St. John date human habitation in | | | | lush temperate rain forests of the coast, which |
| British Columbia to at least 11,500 years ago. The | | | | was also the locus of a growing fishery. |
| First Nations population spread throughout the | | | | The completion of the CPR in 1885-86 was a |
| region, mostly on the coast, where aboriginals | | | | huge boost to the province's economy, facilitating |
| achieved the highest density of any place in | | | | the transportation of the region's considerable |
| Canada. At the time of European contact, nearly | | | | resources to the east. The booming logging town |
| half the aboriginal people in present-day Canada | | | | of Granville, near the mouth of the Burrard Inlet |
| lived in BC. | | | | was selected as the terminus of the railway, |
| The explorations of James Cook in the 1770s and | | | | prompting the incorporation of the community as |
| George Vancouver in the 1790s, and the | | | | Vancouver in 1886. The completion of the Port of |
| concessions of Spain in the 1790s established | | | | Vancouver spurred rapid growth, and in less than |
| British jurisdiction over the coastal area north and | | | | fifty years the city would surpass Winnipeg as |
| west of the Columbia River. In 1793, Sir | | | | the largest in western Canada. |
| Alexander Mackenzie was the first European to | | | | The early decades of the province were ones in |
| journey across North America overland to the | | | | which issues of land use — specifically, |
| Pacific Ocean, inscribing a stone marking his | | | | its settlement and development — |
| accomplishment on the shoreline of South | | | | were paramount. This included expropriation from |
| Bentinck Arm near Bella Coola. His expedition | | | | First Nations people of their land, control over its |
| theoretically established British sovereignty inland, | | | | resources, as well as the ability to trade in some |
| and a succession of other fur company explorers | | | | resources (such as the fishery). Establishing a |
| charted the maze of rivers and mountain ranges | | | | labour force to develop the province was |
| between the Prairies and the Pacific. Mackenzie | | | | problematic from the start, and British Columbia |
| and these other explorers — notably | | | | was the locus of immigration not only from |
| John Finlay, Simon Fraser, Samuel Black, and | | | | Europe, but also from China and Japan. The influx |
| David Thompson — were primarily | | | | of a non-caucasian population stimulated |
| concerned with extending the fur trade, rather | | | | resentment from the dominant ethnic groups, |
| than political considerations. | | | | resulting in agitation (much of it successful) to |
| Their establishment of trading posts under the | | | | restrict the ability of Asian people to immigrate to |
| auspices of the North West Company and the | | | | British Columbia through the imposition of a head |
| Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), however, | | | | tax. This resentment culminated in mob attacks |
| effectively established a permanent British | | | | against Chinese and Japanese immigrants in |
| presence in the region, which (south of 54-40 | | | | Vancouver in 1887 and 1907. By 1923, almost all |
| latitude) was, as of the Anglo-American | | | | Chinese immigration had been blocked except for |
| Convention of 1818, under the "joint occupancy | | | | merchants and investors (see Anti-Chinese |
| and use" of citizens of the United States and | | | | legislation in Canada). |
| subjects of Britain (which is to say, the fur | | | | Meanwhile, the province continued to grow. In |
| companies). This co-occupancy was ended with | | | | 1914, the last spike of a second transcontinental |
| the Oregon Treaty of 1846. | | | | rail line, the Grand Trunk Pacific, linking |
| Some of these early posts would grow into | | | | north-central British Columbia from the Yellowhead |
| settlements, communities, and cities. Among the | | | | Pass through Prince George to Prince Rupert was |
| places in British Columbia that began as fur trading | | | | driven at Fort Fraser. This opened up the north |
| posts are Fort St. John (established 1794); | | | | coast and the Bulkley Valley region to new |
| Hudson's Hope (1805); Fort Nelson (1805); Fort St. | | | | economic opportunities. What had previously been |
| James (1806); Prince George (1807); Kamloops | | | | an almost exclusively fur trade and subsistence |
| (1812); Fort Langley (1827); Victoria (1843); Yale | | | | economy soon became a locus for forestry, |
| (1848); and Nanaimo (1853). Fur company posts | | | | farming, and mining. |
| that became cities in what is now the United | | | | The 1920s through the 1940s |
| States include Vancouver, Washington (Fort | | | | When the men returned from World War I, they |
| Vancouver), formerly the "capital" of Hudson's | | | | discovered the recently-enfranchised women of |
| Bay operations in the Columbia District (aka the | | | | the province had helped vote in the prohibition of |
| Oregon Territory). | | | | liquor in an effort to end the social problems |
| With the amalgamation of the two fur trading | | | | associated with the hard-core drinking that |
| companies in 1821, the region now comprising | | | | Vancouver and the rest of the province was |
| British Columbia existed in three fur trading | | | | famous for until the war. Because of pressure |
| departments. The bulk of the Central and | | | | from veterans, prohibition was quickly relaxed so |
| Northern Interior was organised into the New | | | | that the "soldier and the working man" could |
| Caledonia district, administered from Fort St. | | | | enjoy a drink, but widespread unemployment |
| James. The Interior south of the Thompson River | | | | among veterans was hardened by many of the |
| watershed and north of the Columbia was | | | | available jobs being taken by European immigrants |
| organised into the Columbia District, administered | | | | - Italians and others - and disgruntled veterans |
| from Fort Vancouver (present-day Vancouver, | | | | organized a range of "soldier parties" to represent |
| Washington). The northeast corner of the | | | | their interests, variously named Soldier-Farmer, |
| province east of the Rockies, known as the | | | | Soldier-Labour, and Farmer-Labour Parties. These |
| Peace River Block, was attached to the much | | | | formed the basis of the fractured labour-political |
| larger Athabasca District, headquartered in Fort | | | | spectrum that would generate a host of fringe |
| Chipewyan (in present day Alberta). | | | | leftist and rightist parties, including those who |
| Until 1849, these districts were a wholly | | | | would eventually form the Co-operative |
| unorganised area of British North America under | | | | Commonwealth and the early Social Credit splinter |
| the defacto jurisdiction of HBC administrators. | | | | groups. |
| Unlike Rupert's Land to the north and east, | | | | The advent of prohibition in the United States |
| however, the territory was not a concession to | | | | created new opportunities, and many found |
| the Company. Rather, it was simply granted a | | | | employment or at least profit in cross-border |
| monopoly to trade with the First Nations | | | | liquor smuggling. Much of Vancouver's prosperity |
| inhabitants. All that was changed with the | | | | and opulence in the 1920s is due to this "pirate |
| westward extension of American exploration, and | | | | economy", although growth in forestry, fishing and |
| the concomitant overlapping claims of territorial | | | | mining continued. The end of US-side Prohibition, |
| sovereignty, especially in the southern Columbia | | | | combined with the onset of the Great Depression, |
| basin (within present day Washington state and | | | | plunged the province into economic destitution. |
| Oregon). In 1846, the Oregon Treaty divided the | | | | Compounding the already dire local economic |
| territory along the 49th parallel to Georgia Strait, | | | | situation, tens of thousands of men from colder |
| with the area south of this boundary, excluding | | | | parts of Canada swarmed into Vancouver, |
| Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands) transferred | | | | creating huge hobo jungles around False Creek |
| to sole American sovereignty. The Colony of | | | | and the Burrard Inlet railyards, including the old |
| Vancouver Island was created in 1849, with | | | | CPR mainline right-of-way through the heart of |
| Victoria designated as the capital. New Caledonia | | | | the city's downtown (at Hastings and Carrall). |
| continued to be an unorganized territory of British | | | | Increasingly desperate times led to intense political |
| North America, "administered" by individual HBC | | | | organizing efforts, an occupation of the main Post |
| trading post managers. | | | | Office at Granville & Hastings which was violently |
| With the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858, an | | | | put down by the police, and an effective |
| influx of Americans into New Caledonia prompted | | | | imposition of martial law on the docks for almost |
| the colonial office to formally designate the | | | | three years. A Vancouver contingent for the |
| mainland as the Colony of British Columbia, with | | | | On-to-Ottawa Trek was organized and seized a |
| New Westminster as its capital. A second gold | | | | train, which was loaded with thousands of men |
| rush — the Cariboo Gold Rush | | | | bound for the capital but was met by a Gatling |
| — followed in 1862, forcing the colonial | | | | gun straddling the tracks at Mission; the men |
| administration into deeper debt as it struggled to | | | | were arrested and sent to work camps for the |
| meet the extensive infrastructure needs of | | | | duration of the Depression. |
| far-flung boom communities like Barkerville and | | | | There were some signs of economic life beginning |
| Lillooet, which literally sprang up overnight. The | | | | to assert normalcy towards the end of the '30s, |
| Vancouver Island colony was facing financial crises | | | | but it was the onset of World War II which |
| of its own, and pressure to merge the two | | | | transformed the national economy and ended the |
| eventually succeeded in 1866, with the name | | | | hard times of the Depression. Because of the war |
| British Columbia being applied to the newly united | | | | effort, women entered the workforce as never |
| colony. | | | | before. |
| Rapid growth and development | | | | BC has long taken advantage of its Pacific coast |
| The Confederation League led by such figures as | | | | to have close relations with East Asia. However, |
| Amor De Cosmos, John Robson, and Robert | | | | this has caused friction, with frequent feelings of |
| Beaven had long led the chorus pressing for the | | | | animosity towards Asian immigrants. This was |
| colony to join Canada, which had been created | | | | most manifest during the Second World War |
| out of three British North American colonies in | | | | when many people of Japanese descent were |
| 1867. Several factors motivated this agitation, | | | | relocated or interned in the Interior of the |
| including the fear of annexation to the United | | | | province. |
| States, the overwhelming debt created by rapid | | | | A second growth spurt: the 1950s and 1960s |
| population growth, the need for | | | | The post-World War II years saw Vancouver and |
| government-funded services to support this | | | | Victoria also become cultural centres as poets, |
| population, and the economic depression caused | | | | authors, artists, musicians, as well as dancers, |
| by the end of the gold rush. With the agreement | | | | actors, and haute cuisine chefs flocked to the |
| by the Canadian government to extend the | | | | beautiful scenery and warmer temperatures. |
| Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to British Columbia | | | | Similarly, these cities have either attracted or |
| and to assume the colony's debt, BC became the | | | | given rise to their own noteworthy academics, |
| sixth province to join Confederation on July 20, | | | | commentators, and creative thinkers. Tourism |
| 1871. The borders of the province were not | | | | also began to play an important role in the |
| completely settled until 1903, however, when the | | | | economy. The rise of Japan and other Pacific |
| province's territory shrank somewhat after the | | | | economies was a great boost to the BC |
| Alaska Boundary Dispute settled the vague | | | | economy. |
| boundary of the Alaska Panhandle. | | | | |