The Entry of British Columbia into Canada Economic and Political Factors That Brought BC into Confederation 1

Introduction When we compare British Columbia to other settled places in the world, this province is not very old. While the land has been around forever and the First Nations for thousands of years, the province is new – less than 200 years old! It was one of the last places explored and settled by Europeans. 2

By Now, You Should Know That… British Columbia was quite far away (remote) from other places in North America already established with European settlers. While some exploration took place by Russian and Spanish explorers along the coastline, most of it was minor. The land was rich in natural resources, such as wood and fish. Various First Nations communities lived throughout the land for thousands of years using these resources and maintaining their communities. 3

Keep in Mind These Economic and Political Factors That Led BC into Confederation These included: The Canadian Pacific Railway The Fur Trade American settlement The Oregon Boundary Dispute The Gold Rush Expansion and Purchase of Rupert’s Land 4

People Have Lived in This Area for Thousands of Years Archaeologists are scientists who study past civilizations. Through their work, they have discovered that human settlement has occurred in BC for more than 10, 500 years. The earliest people used the resources too, such as large animals like elk, bison and moose. They hunted them for the meat and hides. Over time, populations grew and expansion into other parts of the province took place. Time allowed new languages and habits to evolve making each First Nation unique. Today, about 46 aboriginal groups have been identified in BC. 5

Then Europeans Arrived As stated, European “discovery” of this part of North America had been occurring in a small way, but by 1778 and the arrival of James Cook, contact increased. This brought huge changes to the First Nations – the beginning of trade and the construction of small settlements, for instance. While First Nations were able to carry on with their traditional lives, this would soon change with the increasing arrival of Europeans. New settlers brought diseases, used up resources and threatened to take land (which they did anyway). 6

There Was Good Reason to Come to BC Europeans saw great promise in BC. Early trade with First Nations didn’t quench the economic thirst of Europeans who wanted more from what they saw as a limitless supply of fish, timber and pelts. Russian and Spanish explorers had also seen great opportunity in the area, but in time, the Russians abandoned their interests and the Spanish and British agreed to a settlement where the British would hold claim to the region. No longer on its own, this part of North America was now part of Britain. 7

It Wasn’t Always Known as British Columbia Explorer Simon Fraser named the mainland region (not including Vancouver Island) “New Caledonia” (meaning New Scotland). However, by 1858, its name was changed by Queen Victoria to “British Columbia” and it became a colony. The Columbia portion refers to the “Columbia District”, an area of fur- trading territory in the southeastern sector, southwards into Oregon Territory. 8

Vancouver Island Was a Colony of It’s Own The Colony of Vancouver Island existed from 1849 until it merged with British Columbia in During those years, the Hudson’s Bay Company was given control of the island, but the company had a duty to encourage settlement. The colonial flag of Vancouver Island 9

By 1866… The colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia were merged into one colony with the name British Columbia. This union benefited both colonies because both were deep in debt and weren’t attracting enough settlers. These new settlers were critical for the new colony’s existence, as they would provide money to the government through land purchasing and taxation. 10

Factors That Were Key to Confederation For a region with abundant resources, the colony of British Columbia was in poor financial shape. Opening up the new land was expensive and it was still a harsh area to attract newcomers (unlike today!). The following topics were very important in the decision of colonial leaders to choose Canada and be part of the new country in

The Canadian Pacific Railway To encourage British Columbia to join Canada, the Canadian government agreed to build at railway within 10 years. A railway was a critical piece of infrastructure, as it would allow for greater trade and settlement. The rail line also acted as a direct link with the rest of the country. For British Columbia, this was perk; all they really asked for was a road. Driving the last spike on November 7 th

It Wasn’t an Easy Sell Building a rail line through the rugged terrain of BC would prove to be an expensive challenge. While the promise was made, there were many who complained about its cost. Finding a route was also difficult, but it was decided that the best way would be through old wagon roads and foot paths. Construction began in Yale in May of The work would stretch itself through the Fraser Canyon and up to the Cariboo Road and the interior of the province. 13

Completion Was Made! Finally, after years of squabbling and hard labour, the railway was completed with the last spike being driven in Craigellachie on November 7 th The first scheduled passenger train from Montreal arrived in Port Moody on July 4 th While Port Moody was the terminus then, soon after Granville (now Vancouver) became the new terminus station. Arrival of the first passenger train in Port Moody, July 4 th,

Oregon Boundary Dispute and Treaty Another factor was the agreement of the border between the United States and BC. Before Confederation, there was great argument between where the boundary should be. Since 1818, both countries had joint control over the Oregon Territory (which included Washington State) because they couldn’t reach an agreement on the border. The Americans wanted the border to be the 49 th parallel, but the British wanted the Columbia River to mark the boundary. 15

The Dispute Would Carry On For Years In 1827, joint occupancy and control of the Territory was renewed, but arguing continued. During this time, the area saw an increasing number of Americans arrive and settle making British influence lessen. The Hudson’s Bay Company, which had its major trading fort located at Fort Vancouver (just north of Portland), decided to move it northward to Victoria in

American Influence Continued By 1844, the problem of the boundary became worse. James Polk, running for President of the United States, campaigned on the idea of having the new border reach 54˚ 40’ N (“Fifty Four Forty of Fight”), far further north than the compromised 49 th parallel. Talk of war was starting to happen. James Polk, US President 17

Finally, an Agreement is Reached In 1846, the Treaty of Washington was signed which settled the boundary at the 49 th parallel west of the Rocky Mountains to the coastline, then south through the Gulf Islands and the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Salish Sea). Vancouver Island would remain in the hands of the British. Not everything was perfect though, as disputes would take place until

But the British Were Still Concerned In 1867, the Americans bought Alaska from Russia. South, with the border now settled, American territory reached the 49 th parallel. British Columbia was now squeezed between two parts of the United States and the British still wanted to maintain influence and economic control of the colony. The Americans, on the other hand, would enjoy the potential opportunity to connect their separated territories. Having this bridge of land lie on the coastline was a bonus! Could the British maintain control? 19

The Gold Rushes The Fraser and Cariboo gold rushes provided great wealth to the colony. Thousands of people arrived to the area to strike it rich and, perhaps, settle for good. While some of the newcomers were Canadians from back east, most prospectors were from the United States – experienced from previous gold rushes in California. British Columbia Governor James Douglas was worried that these American prospectors would try to make the goldfields American territory. In 1858, BC was given colony status by the British for them to maintain influence and to set the tone that this land was for Britain. BC Governor, James Douglas 20

The Gold Rushes Begin to Fizzle Out Gold rushes are usually characterized by a “boom and bust” economy. This means that great wealth is created quickly, but lost equally as fast. Like all minerals, they can only be mined one time and when that is done, there is no more mining to be done. Gold is valued because it is rare and now all of the easily-mined gold was taken. No gold – no income – no economy. While the gold rushes did create a great deal of wealth, they also cost the colony a lot of money. 21

There Was Great Worry About American Settlement While the British tried to maintain its governance in British Columbia, there was still cause for worry. Because these prospectors were largely American, they had little connection with the British – in fact, they still strongly sided with American ideas (although their central goal was to get rich through gold). Was BC simply becoming a colony of the United States? Worse, would they try to create interest amongst the population to join the United States? Mining prospectors, likely American 22

Colonial Debt You would think that the colony of British Columbia would be prospering economically in the 1850s and 1860s. It land was teeming with natural resources like fish, furs, wood, and minerals. As a colony, it was expected to send these resources to Britain – the “mother country” – for trade and revenue. BC’s location on the Pacific coast made it easy to transport these goods and it also proved to be a good place to base the British naval fleet in the North American Pacific. As well, coal was discovered on Vancouver Island near Nanaimo. This also proved to be beneficial because this coal would be used to help power the steam ships of the British fleet. Why shouldn’t things be going well for the colony? 23

Unfortunately… The colony of British Columbia had a lot of debt (as did Vancouver Island). The current arrangement had the colony provide tradable resources in return for Britain to offer defensive protection (with battleships and soldiers) and financing to cover the cost of government. While the gold rushes brought some income to the area, it also required the construction of roadways (like the Cariboo Road), settlements and infrastructure (hospitals, water services and other things everyone uses). These items were all covered by the colony and was extremely expensive. 24

The Colony Still Wasn’t Attracting Enough New Settlers This was a chronic problem that the Hudson’s Bay Company faced years before and now the colonial government. People weren’t coming to live for good (thus buying land, spending money at local stores to generate an economy, and paying taxes). The gold rush was a failure in this respect because most of those who came were single men (many of whom were not of good character – plus they were American, not British). Things were getting increasingly difficult – jobs were scarce and businesses were going broke. Colonists were becoming increasingly unhappy. 25

Meanwhile, in the United States… Things were looking far more prosperously in the United States. Factors such as the Alaska Purchase (for $7.2 million - a steal at that price!), an increasing number of settlers coming into the Oregon Territory, and the completion of a transcontinental railway connecting the country from coast to coast by 1862 only added to that prosperity. 26

The Colony of British Columbia Was Left With a Few Choices Being that colonists were unsatisfied with the current situation, they were left with three choices about their future: 1.To become Americans (they were caught in between Alaska and the lower 48 states – plus there were already many American citizens living in the colony at the time. The American economy looked good, too). 2.To become Canadians (the Dominion of Canada was created in 1867 and was spreading across the interior of the country – Manitoba joining in 1870; there was talk of a new railway being built as well. It would reach the Pacific, which would be good for BC). 3.To keep things the way they were – status quo. This appealed mostly to those who were strongly connected to the “British way” or who already had positions within government. 27

The Confederation League Just after Canada’s Confederation, a group of interested British Columbians created a group called, “The Confederation League” in May of Their main goal was to unite with Canada. The person leading the movement was Amor de Cosmos (his real name was Bill Smith and who would go on to become British Columbia’s first Premier). Great Britain was also interested in union with Canada and assigned a new governor of the colony, Anthony Musgrave, who encouraged British Columbians in this idea. Amor de Cosmos 28

But Joining Wouldn’t Be So Simple In 1870, three delegates (representatives or members) of the League went to Ottawa to negotiate the terms of how BC would join Confederation. The League wanted: 1.Canada to take over BC’s growing debt 2.Canada to pay a sum of money to the province each year 3.Canada to build a wagon road to the Prairies 4.Canada to create a more democratic form of government 29

Surprisingly, Ottawa Agreed! The League was shocked to discover that the Canadian government agreed to their demands and, in fact, stepped it up by promising a railway instead of a wagon road! The League took it to the people through an election and the result was a landslide victory for Confederation supporters. On July 20, 1871, British Columbia became the sixth province of Canada and giving Canada a direct link to the Pacific Ocean. 30

But Was the Election Truly Fair? Some would fairly argue that the vote didn’t necessarily reflect the feelings of colonists at the time. Keep in mind that only a selected number of people could vote. Those who could vote had to have these qualifications: 1.Be male 2.Be 21 or older 3.Had to have lived in BC for at least 6 months 4.Be able to read and write (this eliminated many) 5.Be white 31

Relations With Ottawa Have Been Bumpy Although BC joined Canada with much support, there has often been “bumps” in the relationship. Getting the railway started was proving to be a challenge, causing some to question BC’s involvement in Canada (and those in Ottawa calling BC, “The spoilt child of Confederation”). BC handed over to Ottawa an enormous amount of land along the railway (32 kms on either side of the rail line, referred to as the “Railway Belt” – nearly 60,000 sq. km). Since then, there has always been some stern words expressed between the federal and provincial government, but both regard the union as positive to both the province and Canada. Can you imagine Canada without BC? 32