@prefix edm: . @prefix dcterms: . @prefix dc: . @prefix skos: . edm:dataProvider "CONTENTdm"@en ; dcterms:isReferencedBy "http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=4539812"@en ; dcterms:isPartOf "Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection"@en ; dcterms:creator "Canadian Pacific Railway Company"@en ; dcterms:issued "2016-01-05"@en, "[1909]"@en ; edm:aggregatedCHO "https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/chungpub/items/1.0056415/source.json"@en ; dcterms:extent "64 pages"@en ; dc:format "application/pdf"@en ; skos:note """ Jg^ITLSH Cmjjmbe CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY'S it OF THE ATLANTIC EMPRESS of BRITAIN length 570 feet, 14,500 tons EMPRESS of IRELAND HOLD THE ATLANTIC RECORDS Between Canadian Ports and Liverpool. Sailing Lists, Rate Sheets and all information from any Railway or Steamship Agent. W. G. ANNABLE, - general passenger agent, - MONTREAL. I CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY CO.'S BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST SERVICE r* TO THE NORWAY OF AMERICA • TWIN SCREW STEAMSHIPS SS. PRINCESS VICTORIA SS. PRINCESS CHARLOTTE Fastest and Most Luxurious on the Pacific Coast Commodious and Comfortable. A picturesque journey amidst the island beauty of the Pacific Coast. Every modern device for safety. Direct and most pleasant route from Vancouver and Victoria to the AlasKa-YuKon-Pacific Exposition at Seattle, June to October, 1909. Fleet of steamships operated in the Gulf of Georgia and Pug'et Sound, calling' at all important points en route to SKag'way, Alaska. »_---mE-ta-Ba---_-MiiMiiiii„i_iii. iiiwiiiii-iiiiiiiiiiinnH'f-g?fwiTTT-Ti»^MiiMiii-»wiMii ni ■ «•_■ 11 ■i-inin n iiM_iiiiiii-M__a_aa___i For rates, descriptive folder and air information apply to any C.P.R. agent, or to J.W.TROUP, G.B.FOSTER, General Superintendent, Asst. Gen. Passenger Agent, VICTORIA, B.C. VANCOUVER, B.C. C E. E. tjssher, ROBERT KERR, Asst. Pass'r. Traffic Manager, Passenger Traffic Manager, WINNIPEG, Man. MONTREAL, P.Q, M< ■TliiniiiHi. ,i rim i mim inn n .,, iii..i„i.V BRITISH COLUMBIA. Canada's Pacific Province Its Natural Resources, Advantages and Climate ISSUED BY THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY C-09 Table of Contents PAGE General Description 5 Rivers and Lakes 6 Climate 6 Resources 8 Trade and Transportation 8 Districts of British Columbia 10 Kootenay 11 Yale 12 Lillooet 12 Westminster 12 Cariboo and Cassiar 12 Comox 13 Vancouver Island 13 Land Clearing 14 Mining 16 Distribution of Minerals 17 Gold 19 Silver 20 Copper 20 Lead 20 Zinc 20 Coal and Coke. . . . 20 Smelting and Refining 20 Mining Laws 22 Miners' Wages 24 Assay Offices 24 Lumbering 25 Pulp and Paper 27 Fisheries 28 Agriculture 30 Diversified Farming 32 Agricultural Opportunities 33 Dairying 33 Poultry Raising 34 Grain Growing 35 Root Crops 35 Hop Culture 35 Fodder Crops 35 Special Products 36 Irrigation 37 Dyking 37 Live Stock 38 Fruit Growing 40 Making an Orchard 44 Peaches and Grapes 44 Land Laws (Provincial) 45 Pre-emptions 45 Timber Lands 46 Purchases 46 Leases 47 Exemptions 47 Homesteads 47 Land Agents 49 Dominion Lands 49 Canadian Pacific Lands 49 C.P.R. Land Agents 51 Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Lands 51 i Prices of Land 51 Taxation 52 Education , 53 Social Conditions 53 Advice to Immigrants 54 Settlers' Effects 55 How to Reach British Columbia 55 Cities and Towns 56 DRITI5H COLUMBIA BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada's Maritime Province on the Pacific Ocean, is the largest province in the Dominion, its area being variously estimated at from 372,630 to 395,610 square miles. It is a great irregular quadrangle about 700 miles from north to south, with an average width of about 400 miles, lying between latitudes 40 degrees and 60 degrees north. It is bounded on the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the States of Washington, Idaho and Montana, on the west by the Pacific Ocean and Southern Alaska, on the north by Yukon and Mackenzie Territories, and on the east by the Province of Alberta. From the 49th degree north to the 54th degree the eastern boundary follows the axis of the Rocky Mountains and, thence north, to the 120th meridian. The Province is traversed from south to north by four principal ranges of mountains—the Rocky and the Selkirk on the east, and the Coast and Island ranges on the west. The Rocky Mountain range preserves its continuity, but the Selkirks are broken up into the Purcell, the Selkirk, the Gold and the Caribou Mountains. Between these ranges and the Rockies lies a valley of remarkable length and regularity, extending from the international boundary line, along the western base of the Rockies northerly 700 miles. West of these ranges extends a vast plateau or table land with an average elevation of 3,500 feet above sea level, but so worn away and eroded by water courses that in many parts it presents the appearance of a succession of mountains. In others it spreads out into the side plains and rolling ground, dotted with low hills, which constitute fine areas of farming and pasture lands. This interior plateau is bounded on the west by the Coast Range and on the north by a cross range which gradually merges into the Arctic slope. It is of this great interior plateau that Professor Macoun says: "The whole of British Columbia, south of 52 degrees and east of the Coast Range, is a grazing country up to 3,500 feet and a farming country up to 2,500 feet, where irrigation is possible." BRITISH COLUMBIA CLIMATE RIVERS AND LAKES One of the noticeable physical features of British Columbia is its position as the watershed of the North Pacific slope. All the great rivers flowing into the Pacific Ocean, with the exception of the Colorado, find their sources within its boundaries. The more important of these are: The Columbia (the principal waterway of the State of Washington), which flows through the Province for over 600 miles; the Fraser, 750 miles long; the Skeena, 300 miles; the Thompson, the Kootenay, the Naas, the Stikine, the Liard, and the Peace. These streams with their numerous tributaries and branches drain an area equal to about one-tenth of the North American Continent. The lake system of British Columbia is extensive and important, furnishing convenient transportation facilities in the interior. Some of the principal lakes are: Atlin, area 211,600 acres; Bavine, 196,000 acres; Chileo, 109,700 acres; Kootenay, 141,120 acres; Upper Arrow, 64,500 acres; Lower Arrow, 40,960 acres; Okanagan, 86,240 acres; Shuswap, 79,150 acres; Harrison, 78,400 acres. Many of the smaller streams are not navigable, but these furnish driveways to the lumbermen and supply power for saw-mills and electric plants and water for irrigation. Water power is practically unlimited and so widely distributed that no portion of the province need be without cheap motive power for driving all necessary machinery. CLIMATE Varied climatic conditions prevail in British Columbia. The Japanese current and the moisture-laden winds from the Pacific exercise a moderating influence upon the climate of the coast and provide a copious rainfall. The westerly winds are arrested in their passage east by the Coast Range, thus creating what is known as the "dry belt" east of those mountains, but the highest currents of air carry the moisture to the loftier peaks of the Selkirks, causing the heavy snowfall which distinguishes that range from its eastern neighbor, the Rockies. Thus a series of alternate moist and dry belts are formed. As a consequence of the purity of its air, its freedom from malaria, and the almost total absence of extremes of heat and cold, British Columbia may be regarded as a vast sanitarium. People coming here from the east invariably improve in health. Insomnia and nervous affections find alleviation, the old and infirm are granted a renewed lease of life, and children thrive as in few other parts of the world. The climate of Vancouver Island, and the coast generally, corresponds very closely with that of England; the summers are warm with much bright sunshine, and severe frost scarcely ever occurs in winter. On the mainland similar conditions prevail till the higher levels are reached, where the winters are cooler. At Agassiz, on the Lower Fraser, the average mean temperature is in January 33 degrees and in July 64 degrees; the lowest temperature on record at this point is 13 degrees, and the highest 97 degrees. There are no summer frosts, and the annual rainfall is 67 inches, 95 per cent, of which falls during the autumn and winter. To the eastward of the Coast Range, in Yale and West Kootenay the climate is quite different. The summers are warmer, the winters colder and the rainfalls are rather light—bright dry weather being BRITISH COLUMBIA CLIMATE the rule. The cold of winter is,' however, scarcely ever severe, and the hottest days of summer are made pleasant by the fact that the air is dry and the nights are cool. Further north, in the undeveloped parts of the province, the winters are more severe. The great diversity of climate and the unique atmospheric conditions existing in the mountains, valleys, and along the coast, when added to the scenic grandeur of the landscape, give to life in British Columbia an indescribable charm. There is scarcely a farm house in all the valley regions that does not look out upon great ranges of majestic mountains, more or less distant. The floral beauty of the uncultivated lands and the wonderfully variegated landscapes are sources of constant delight, and impress one with the great extent of the province and its inexhaustible resources; and this great natural wealth is so evenly and prodigally distributed that there is no room for envy or rivalry between one district and another. Each is equally endowed, and its people firmly convinced that theirs is the "bonanza" belt, unequalled by anything on earth. The climate of British Columbia presents all the features which are to be met with in European countries lying within the temperate zone, the cradle of the greatest nations of the world, and is, therefore, a climate well adapted to the development of the human race under the most favorable conditions. ONE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA'S MANY FERTILE VALLEYS BRITISH COLUMBIA TRADE ^m RESOURCES With the exception of nickel (which has not yet been discovered in quantity) all that the other provinces of Canada boast of possessing in the way of raw material is here in abundance. British Columbia's coal measures are sufficient to supply the world for centuries; it possesses the greatest compact area of merchantable timber in North America; the mines have produced $299,500,000 and may be said to be only in the early stages of development; the fisheries produce an annual average value of $7,500,000 and, apart from salmon fishing, their importance is only beginning to be realized; British Columbia's sea fisheries are among the most prolific in the world, with sheltered spawning and feeding grounds of 30,000 square miles ; there are immense deposits of magnetite and hematite iron of the finest quality which still remain undeveloped; the agricultural and fruit lands, cattle ranges and dairies, produce approximately $7,500,000 annually, and less than one-tenth of the available land is settled upon, much less cultivated; the Province has millions of acres of pulpwood as yet unexploited; petroleum deposits, but recently discovered, are among the most extensive in the world, and much of the Province is still unexplored and its potential value unknown. With all this undeveloped wealth within its borders can it be wondered at that British Columbians are sanguine of the future ? Bestowed by prodigal Nature with all the essentials for the foundation and maintenance of an empire, blessed with a healthful, temperate climate, a commanding position on the shores of the Pacific, and encompassed with inspiring grandeur and beauty, British Columbia is destined to occupy a position second to none in the world's commerce and industry. TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION The trade of British Columbia is the largest in the world per head of population. What may it become in the future when the resources of the province are generally realized and actively developed ? In 1904 the imports amounted to $12,079,088, and the exports totalled $16,536,328. For the fiscal year ending March 31st, 1908, the imports were $24,180,452 and the exports $23,941,187, an increase in the total trade of the Province in four years of $19,506,223. The leading articles of export are fish, coal, gold, silver, copper, lead, timber, masts, spars, furs and skins, whale products, fish oil, hops and fruit. A large portion of the salmon, canned and pickled, goes to Great Britain, Germany, Eastern Canada, the United States, Hawaiian Islands, Australia and Japan; the United States consumes a large share of the exported coal, and immense quantities of lumber are shipped to Great Britain, South Africa, China, Japan, India, Mexico, South America, and Australia. A large interprovincial trade with Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Eastern Provinces is rapidly developing, the fruit grown in British Columbia being largely shipped to the Prairie Provinces, where it finds a good market. With the shipping facilities offered by the Canadian Pacific Railway and its magnificent fleets of steamships running to Japan, China, New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii, backed by her natural advantages of climate and geographical position, British Columbia's already large trade is rapidly BRITISH COLUMBIA TRADE PORTION OF VANCOUVER increasing. The number and tonnage of vessels entered and cleared at British Columbia ports in 1908 was as follows:— - NUMBER OF VESSELS INWARD TONNAGE From the sea 3,558 3,116,225 Coasting Trade 19,034 5,582,976 NUMBER OF VESSELS OUTWARD For the sea ■ 3,793 3,175,509 Coasting Trade 19,163 5,568,941 The Canadian Pacific is the principal railway in the province. It has two main lines, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Crowsnest Pass Railway, with several branches and steamboat connections on the inland lakes, besides its large fleet of ocean going and coasting steamers. The railway mileage of the province is about 1,600 miles, being one mile of track to each 250 square miles of area. The prevailing prosperity of British Columbia is due in no small measure to the progressive policy of the C.P.R. Company, which has in so many instances anticipated local requirements^by extending branch lines to isolated mining camps and timber districts where development was being retarded for lack of transportation facilities. These branches are being steadily extended into new territory, the most notable being the Nicola, Kamloops and Similkameen Railway from Spence's Bridge south-eastward. This important line is now t 10 BRITISH COLUMBIA DISTRICTS operated as far as Nicola, giving access to new coal mines recently opened, and to an extensive territory rich in coal, copper, gold and silver, as well as in fruit, agricultural grazing and timber lands, and is to be extended eastwards to a connection with existing lines in the Okanagan and Kootenay Districts. Besides operating passenger and freight steamers on the Kootenay, Arrow and. Okanagan Lakes the Canadian Pacific Railway maintains a large fleet of ocean going and coasting craft, many of the ships being models of their class. The large coast fleet plies between coast points from Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Croft on and Comox to northern British Columbia and Alaskan ports. The new and magnificent Clyde built steamer ''Princess Charlotte,'' a sister ship to the "Princess Victoria," the fastest craft on the Pacific, has just been added to this fleet and is now in commission plying between Victoria and Vancouver. During the season of tourist travel the "Princess Charlotte" and the "Princess Victoria" will make the triangular run daily between Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle, giving a double service in both directions. The Royal Mail Empress Liners, world-famed for their speed, comfort and safety, make regular voyages to and from British Columbia ports and Japan and China, while the Canadian-Australian liners give a splendid service to Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company's Pacific fleet is being constantly increased by the addition of new vessels, some of which are built locally while others are constructed in British ship-yards. Several ships are now on the stocks, freighters and fast passenger boats, to meet the growing requirements of the service. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company operates the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway, on Vancouver Island, running from Victoria to Wellington, a distance of 78 miles. The company also administers the Esquimalt & Nanaimo land grant, some 1,500,000 acres, the settlement of which requires the extension of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo main line to Comox and Campbell River and the building of branches to Alberni and Cowichan Lake, portions of these works being now in progress. DISTRICTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA British Columbia is divided into the following districts:— Kootenay (East and West) 15,000,000 acres. Yale : 15,500,000 Lillooet 10,000,000 Westminster 4,900,000 Cariboo 96,000,000 Cassiar 100,000,000 Comox (Mainland) 4,000,000 Vancouver Island 10,496,000 Each of these great districts would require a separate and detailed description, in order to set forth its particular advantages of soil, climate, mineral and timber resources, and diversity of scenery, but space forbids more than brief mention. BRITISH COLUMBIA DISTRICTS 11 THE KOOTENAYS Kootenay District (or "The Kootenays") forms the southeastern portion of British Columbia, west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains, and is drained by the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers. East Kootenay contains a large extent of agricultural land, much of which requires irrigation, but suited to fruit growing and all kinds of grain and vegetables. Most of the land is well timbered and lumbering is, next to mining, the principal industry. There are considerable areas of fertile land in West Kootenay, a good deal of which is being utilized for fruit growing. The fame of the Kootenay mines is world-wide, the mountains being rich in gold, silver, copper and lead, and the eastern valleys are underlaid with coal and petroleum. British Columbia mining has reached its highest development in Kootenay, and as a consequence, many prosperous cities and towns have been established. The development of the Crowsnest coal fields and the revival in metaliferous mining has caused a rapid increase in population, especially in East Kootenay, where it is estimated to have more than doubled since 190 L .•■eei'e^'e'^ee; - | ■: : ■ ■ e:.:.; . i liiiip:'ei.:e tsiilSS;::; tfA 4\\ i ;:i * ____§ I . yx ! *88m ft i 1 i >/ I n tKJii. -j: 1 : ^^~"£ t : 1 .^"i M i * ndyk 1 wpn\\ ". ,...vMM^i e h ' _____ ' ''"''■ " ' :■';;.■'.■■: 1 w.. CANADIAN PACIFIC STEAMBOAT ROSSLAND ON ARROW LAKES, B.C. 12 BRITISH COLUMBIA DISTRICTS YALE Lying west of the Kootenays is the splendid Yale District, rich in minerals and timber and possessing the largest area of agricultural land in Southern British Columbia. It includes the rich valleys of the Okanagan, Nicola, Similkameen, Kettle River and North and South Thompson and the Boundary, and has been appropriately named "the Garden of British Columbia." The main line of the Canadian Pacific passes nearly through the centre of Yale, from east to west, while the Okanagan branch and lake steamers give access to the southern portions on the eastern side of the District and the Nicola Branch on the West. New branch lines are projected and some are in course of construction, which will serve to open up a very large mining and agricultural area. Cattle raising on a large scale has been one of the chief industries, but many of the ranges are now divided into small parcels which are being eagerly bought by fruit growers and small farmers. The district is very rich in minerals and coal, but development has been delayed by lack of transportation facilities—a drawback which will soon be removed. LILLOOET In natural features Lillooet resembles Yale. It is largely a pastoral country, well adapted to dairying, cattle raising and fruit growing. Placer and hydraulic mining is carried on successfully and quartz mining is making fair progress, but railway communication is needed to insure profitable operation. WESTMINSTER One of the richest agricultural districts of the province is New Westminster, which includes all the fertile valley of the Lower Fraser. The climate is mild, with much rain" in winter. Westminster is the centre of great lumbering and salmon canning industries. Its agricultural advantages are unexcelled in the province, heavy crops of hay, grain and roots being the rule, and fruit grows to perfection and in profusion. A great deal of the land in the Fraser Valley has been reclaimed by dyking. CARIBOO AND CASSIAR The great northern districts of Cariboo and Cassiar are practically unexplored and undeveloped, although in the early days parts of them were invaded by a great army of placer miners, who recovered about $50,000,000 in gold from the creeks and benches. Hydraulic mining on a lar^e scale is being carried on by several wealthy companies at different points in the district with fair success, and individual miners and dredging companies are doing well in Atlin. Recently large deposits of gold and silver quartz were found on Portland Canal and on Windy Arm, which give promise of rich returns. Large coal measures have been located on the Telqua River and at other points, and copper ore is found in many localities. The country is lightly timbered and promises in time to become an important cattle-raising and agricultural district, as there are many fertile valleys, which even now, despite the absence of railways, are attracting settlers. In the BRITISH COLUMBIA DISTRICTS 13 Ml <^-f '\\r^|s ff ■hit ::.a^i:^:Xii^B^^Bi3l TT|^BmJ j STREET SCENE, NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. southern part of Cariboo, along the main wagon road from Ashcroft, on the C.P.R., are several flourishing ranches, that produce abundant crops of grain and vegetables which, with the cattle raised, find a ready market in the mining camps. COMOX The northern portion of Vancouver Island and part of the opposite mainland is known as Comox District. The mainland portion of Comox is rich in minerals and timber. A great deal of it is rocky and unsuited for agriculture, but the Island section embraces some of the finest agricultural lands in the province. VANCOUVER ISLAND Not the least important portion of British Columbia is Vancouver Island, which, from its great wealth of natural resources and its commanding position on the Pacific Coast, is fast becoming one of the richest and most prosperous districts of the province. Coal mining and lumbering are the chief industries, and fishing, quartz mining, copper smelting, ship-building, whaling and other industries are being rapidly developed. The Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway, running from Victoria to Wellington, serves a section of country which it would be difficult to surpass anywhere in the world for beauty of scenery and natural wealth. There are prosperous agricultural 14 MiTisk aoiuMBiA—biSffeief§ communities along the railway and in the Comox District, to which this railway is now being extended, so as to open up an artery of railway communication through the Nanoose, Newcastle, Englishman's River, French Creek, Beautiful Beach and Qualicum sections of the country. Several mines are now being developed there. The land in Comox District is unsurpassed for fertility, the scenery is beautiful and the climate salubrious, making it an ideal spot for settlement. Between Comox Bay and Campbell River, a distance of 35 miles, there is a very considerable area of first-class farming land, well fitted for fruit, dairying and mixed farming, which will be traversed by an extension of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway. The deeply indented coast lines of Vancouver Island and the adjacent islands, afford fine opportunities for the fishing industry, which is now being developed on a considerable scale. Although sparsely populated as yet, perhaps no other area of British Columbia of similar size contains so much and varied natural wealth, represented in timber, minerals, fish and agricultural land. Many of the small islands contain good farming land, and north from Seymour Narrows to the head of the Island, there are large areas which when drained and cultivated, will make valuable cattle ranges and meadows. There are many thousand acres of good land on Vancouver Island but it is heavily timbered and costly to clear by individual effort. The Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Company has arranged for the clearing of large blocks of its land grant (which consists of about 1,500,000 acres), and it is expected, through the exercise of economical methods in removing the timber, that the Company will be enabled to sell the cleared land to settlers at moderate prices. The Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Company has some 1,300,000 acres of timber, mineral and agricultural lands still unsold within FRUIT FARMS AND MARKET GARDENS NEAR VICTORIA, B.C. _}R_TiS_f COLtJMBfA—DISTRICTS 15 its Land Grant, which extends from Otter Point on the west coast of the Island to Crown Mountain on the north, with the east coast of Vancouver Island as a boundary. This area is being systematically examined as to its resources, about 300,000 acres of the finest merchantable timber being open to application and purchase, while much of the interior of the Island which has not yet been examined will no doubt be found to be equally rich in timber when it has been explored. The growth of the forest trees upon Vancouver Island has always excited the surprise of travellers and eastern lumbermen. The enormous dimensions attained by the Douglas Fir and the Cedar are unequalled by any trees occupying corresponding latitudes in other countries. It is not, however, the excessive size of individual trees but the very high average of the growth and quality of the timber which has placed British Columbia in the front rank as a timber producing country. When it is considered that contrary to the custom in the eastern provinces, where every tree down to 4 inches in diameter is cut, those under 2 feet or over 7 feet in diameter are rarely felled, the much greater average growth on this coast will at once be apparent. The lumber cut from the Douglas Fir is admirably adapted for all purposes in which strength and elasticity and even quality are desirable. It constitutes about 80 per cent, of the lumber that passes through the mills and the supply is practically unlimited. The Cedar, which exceeds in picturesque grandeur every other tree in the province, attains a girth greater even than the Douglas Fir. It is the greatest friend of the settler, who can turn it to a great variety of uses. The wood of the cedar is employed chiefly for fine dressed lumber, doors, frames, sashes, etc. The veining is very beautiful, which renders it well adapted for all interior work, and it is now being extensively used in eastern Canada and the United States for that purpose. Cedar piles, telegraph and telephone poles are also in great request as they are of all woods the most durable and least affected by weather, requiring no paint and remaining for years even in damp ground without rotting. Hemlock is found in considerable quantity in some localities. Being of clear grain and of great height, it also is largely used for lumber and building purposes, although inferior to the Douglas Fir. As timber becomes more valuable, Hemlock is being more generally cut. The Spruce, which grows in swampy places, is somewhat rare on the Island. It is particularly useful in boat building, and for making salmon cases and apple boxes. Maple and Alder may be found in considerable quantities in some districts, being generally scattered and in patches. These woods are extensively used in the manufacture of furniture. The Cyprus or Yellow Cedar is met with in some localities and is valuable for cabinet work and high finish. The greater portion of the agricultural lands in the Railway Grant are more or less heavily timbered, but as this timber is cut and the land gradually cleared these lands will become open to settlement. In addition to their acreage lands, the company has suburban lots for sale at Shawnigan and Sooke Lakes, where excellent hunting and fishing may be enjoyed amid magnificent scenery. For particulars as to timber, agricultural and suburban lands, address the Land Agent, Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Company, Victoria, B.C. 16 BRITISH COLUMBIA MINING MINING British Columbia justifies her title as the Mineral Province of Canada inasmuch that in 1907 she produced of the metals and coal an amount over 63 per cent, of that of all the other Canadian provinces combined, and this in spite of the fact that her iron and zinc deposits are still undeveloped and that mica, gypsum, and other minerals, of •which she has an abundance, have not yet been utilized. Following is the detail of production for 1907:—- Gold (placer and lode) $ 4,883,020 Silver 1,703,825 Copper 8,166,044 Lead 2,291,458 Coal 6,300,235 Coke 1,337,478 Other materials 1,200,000 $25,882,560 The tonnage of ore mined in the province during the year 1907, exclusive of coal, was 1,804,114 tons. This total tonnage was produced by the various districts in the following proportions:—Boundary, 65.1 percentage of total; Rossland 15.8; Coast, 4.7; Fort Steele, 8.6; all other districts, 5.8. The number of mines from which shipments were made in 1907 was 147; but of these only 72 shipped more than 100 tons each during the year. The tonnage of coal mined in 1907 amounted to 1,800,067 long tons, and 1,526,788 long tons of coke, valued at $7,667,713. The total mineral production recorded for the province to the end of 1907 amouits to nearly three hundred million dollars. The steady increase in production is shown in the following table:— 1890 $ 2,608,803 1895 5,643,042 1900... 16,344,751 1904 18,977,359 1905 22,461,325 1906 24,980,546 1907 25,882,560 Considering that practically all the mining which has been done to date is confined to within a comparatively few miles from the railways, and that not more than 20 per cent, of British Columbia can be said to be really known, the foregoing figures show a very satisfactory progress in the mining industry. There are yet about 300,000 square miles, known to be richly mineralized, waiting to be examined by the prospector—a field such as exists nowhere else in the world. BRITISH COLUMBIA MINING 17 SMELTER AT TRAIL, B.C. DISTRIBUTION OF MINERALS Gold is distributed all over British Columbia. There are few places where "colors" may not be found for the seeking, and the metal is met with in paying quantities in almost every section. In 1907 the following districts and divisions contributed to the total production of gold: Cariboo, Quesnel, Omineca, Cassiar, Atlin, Skeena, Liard, Stikine, East Kootenay, Fort Steele, Windermere, Golden, West Kootenav, Ainsworth, Nelson, Slocan, Trail Creek, Revelstoke, Trout Lake, Lardeau, Lillooet, Yale, Grand Forks, Greenwood, Osoyoos, Similkameen, Vernon, Nicola, Yale, Ashcroft, Kamloops, New Westminster, Nanaimo, Alberni, Clayoquot, and Victoria. About 95 per cent, of the gold is found incorporated with silver, copper and lead ores, from which it is separated at the smelters an& refineries. Silver, which for the most part is found in conjunction with lead and copper, is also widely distributed, the districts contributing to the grand total being: Cassiar, East Kootenay, Fort Steele, Golden, Windermere, West Kootenay, Ainsworth, Slocan, Nelson^ Trail Creek, Trout Lake, Lardeau, Revelstoke, Arrow Lake, Lillooet, Yale, Greenwood, Grand Forks, Osoyoos, Ashcroft, Kamloops, Similkameen, Victoria, Alberni, Quatsino, Nanaimo and New Westminster. About 72 per cent, of the silver produced is obtained from silver-lead ores, the remainder being chiefly found associated with copper. The range of copper is almost, if not quite, as wide as that of the more precious metals, the discovery of large bodies of ore being constantly reported from as yet undeveloped parts of the province. The chief sources of copper production at present are: Boundary, 18 BRITISH COLUMBIA MINING Rossland, Coast, Cassiar, Yale, Kamloops, Nelson, New Westminster, Skeena, and Nanaimo districts. Coal is found in many sections. The principal working mines are at Ladysmith, Wellington, Nanaimo and Comox, on Vancouver Island; at Fernie, Morrissey, Michel, Carbonado and Hosmer, in East Kootenay; and at Nicola, in Yale District. The principal undeveloped coal areas are at Quatsino, Alert Bay, Port McNeill, Port Rupert and Sooke on Vancouver Island, and in East Kootenay, Nicola, Similkameen, Tulameen, Kamloops, Telqua and Morice Rivers, Omineca and Peace River. All these deposits are bituminous, but there is a bed of anthracite coal on Graham Island (Queen Charlotte Group). The wide distribution and great extent of those numerous coal measures, surrounded as they are by a country of endless agricultural and mineral resources, gives assurance of prosperity to future generations for centuries to come and must be considered one of the most important assets of the province. Large deposits of iron ore have been discovered in various localities on the mainland and on Vancouver and other islands, but none of them have so far been developed in a commercial sense. About 20,000 tons have been taken from Texada Island to supply a small iron furnace established at Irondale, Washington, which ceased operations in 1901, but has now resumed work. The only place on the mainland where iron has been mined in any quantity, and only to the extent of 3,000 to 4,000 tons, is at Cherry Creek, near Kamloops, the magnetite being shipped to Nelson for use as a flux in lead smelting. At Bull River, Grey Creek and Kitchener, in East Kootenay, are iron deposits of considerable extent, as well as near Trail, West Kootenay. Iron also exists in large bodies at Sechelt, and near Fort George. The principal deposits occur on Vancouver Island, and are of large extent and conveniently situated for manufacturing purposes. The growing demand of all the country west of the Rocky Mountains for manufactures of iron and steel and the increasing Oriental trade should be an inducement to capital to establish an iron industry in this province, where all the necessary elements are found in abundance and so closely grouped as to ensure economic production. It may be added that the iron ores of Vancouver Island are of exceptionally high grade, and almost wholly free from sulphur and phosphorus. The principal deposits are on the Gordon River, Bugaboo Creek and Barkley Sound, all within forty miles of Victoria, and on Quatsino Sound on the west coast, and Quinsam Lake in Comox District. Besides those mentioned above, British Columbia has deposits of almost every known economic mineral. Amongst these may be mentioned zinc, plumbago, platinum, cinnabar, molybdenum, chromic iron, manganese, asbestos, mica, asphaltum, gypsum, schulite, aquer- ite, pyrites, osmiridium and palladium. Several of these have been found in workable quantities, while others are mere occurrences, the extent of which has not yet been ascertained. Much attention is now being given to the petroleum fields of South-east Kootenay, where a large area of oil-bearing strata is known to exist. Several companies are at work boring and otherwise developing their properties, and the reports of progress are encouraging, leading to the hope of the establishment of a new and important industry. Specimens of oil from the Flat Head Valley and other localities are of superior quality and singularly free from impurities. BRITISH COLUMBIA MINING 19 Marble, granite, sandstone, lime, brick and fire clay, cement and pottery clay are well distributed and are being utilized to meet local demands. Considerable lime and cement is now being manufactured for domestic use and exportation and the trade is increasing satisfactorily. A form of slate is found on one of the Queen Charlotte Islands which cuts easily, hardens with exposure and takes a fine polish. GOLD Established as an industry in 1858, placer mining progressed rapidly. The output in 1858 was $705,000, in 1863 it had increased to nearly $4,000,000. The feme of British Columbia's gold fields had reached the ends of the earth and adventurers crowded from all quarters to share in the golden harvest. After 1868 the output of the placers decreased, but they continued to produce an average considerably over $1,000,000 per annum until 1882, when the industry gradually declined until hydraulic and dredging operations placed it again upon a substantial footing. The output for six years past has averaged close to $1,000,000 annually, with several companies operating on a large scale in the northern districts of the province. Lode gold mining had a small beginning, the first record of production being 1,170 ounces, worth $23,404*, in 1893. The average annual production for four years, ending 1907, has been 220,227 ounces, worth $4,552,092. Ip^llljl"; : Sllll :-Je|-;I J::ee:., ' ?---\\ "' e ■' ' . ' ■■.■;■.. Iff .0 . : 4 j liliH ... '.■■■.." . ■ I e :mW^$ :M$W^4k •/■-.■•'"*'•'■■ tiftffisi . ■ ■ . .. :f .- i . '■'. ' . e; % ■ ■ ■ e ...:■■. . ■ ■• ■ :e, ■: . ■■■ ' ..... ■' ■ ''.'.. i'^S.S?SS-Sil^^^^^l ■^fedll^P^ III SIw||;:£e; *!- '-"''?■ wsismw&^mWmM flHi Sle|Mli2 cents per barrel of petroleum, is payable. After proof that land covered by lease has been worked continuously, lessee may, within three months of expiry of lease, purchase said land at $10 per acre. Fees payable are: For a free miner's certificate, $5 per annuni; records, $2.50 each; leases under "Placer Mining Act," $5, etc., etc. t 24 BRITISH COLUMBIA MINING LAWS Incorporated companies pay for a free miner's certificate $50 per annum where the nominal capital is $100,000 or under, or $100 where it exceeds that sum. MINERS' WAGES The current wages paid in and about the mines are as follows: Miners, $3 to $4 per day (12 to 16 shillings); helpers, $2 to $3 (8 to 12 shillings); laborers, $2 to $2.50 per day (8 to 10 shillings); blacksmiths and mechanics, $3 to $5 per day (12 to 20 shillings). Board is usually $7 (28 shillings) per week at mining camps. ASSAY OFFICES The Provincial Government Assay Office at Victoria purchases gold from the miners at its full value less charges of assaying, which usually amount to less than one-half of one per cent. The Dominion Government also maintains an assay office at Vancouver, where gold is bought on the same terms. SPLENDID TIMBER IN ALBERNI DISTRICTS BRITISH COLUMBIA—LUMBERING 25 LUMBERING Next to her great treasury of minerals, the most readily available if not the most important of British Columbia's natural resources is her immense timber reserves. This province may now be said to possess the greatest compact area of merchantable timber in North America. As far north as Alaska the coast is heavily timbered, the forest line following the indentations of the shore and the river valleys, and fringing the mountain sides. The Douglas Fir, the most widely distributed and valuable tree found on the Pacific Coast, grows as far north as 51 deg., where it is supplanted by the Cypress, or Yellow Cedar, Red Cedar, Hemlock and Spruce. The Fir is very widely distributed, being found from the coast to the Rocky Mountains. On the coast it attains immense proportions, sometimes towering to a height of 300 feet with a base circumference of 30 to 60 feet. The best average trees are 150 feet clear of limbs, and five to six feet in diameter. The Fir is the staple of commerce, prized for its durability and strength. The greatest bodies of this timber are found on Vancouver Island, on the coast of the mainland and in the Selkirk and Gold Mountains. Next to the Douglas Fir in importance are the Cypress and Red Cedar, both of which are of great value and much in demand. Red Cedar shingles are the standard and are finding an increased market in Eastern Canada. The White Spruce is also much sought after by eastern builders for use in the better class of buildings. Hemlock is abundant in the Province and possesses qualities which should make it more valued than it is. The western species is different and much superior to the eastern Hemlock and is as serviceable in many ways as the more highly prized Fir. There are many other trees of commercial value which are manufactured into lumber including White Pine, Tamarac, Balsam, Yew, Maple and Cottonwood. There are a large number of saw-mills in the Province, and a large number of shingle mills, planing mills, and sash and door factories, with logging plants, logging railways, tug boats, etc., and—exclusive of the value of lands purchased and leased as timber limits—-about $20,000,000 of capital is invested in these plants. The output of lumber is increasing very rapidly, as/will be Seen by comparing the following figures showing the total lumber cut :— YEAR FEET 1904 ..-. 325,271,500 1905 473,713,900 1906 570,721,923 1907 846,000,000 The demand for standing timber is very great. Eastern Canadian and' United States lumbermen, as well as those already established in the Province, are showing a keen rivalry for tracts of timber in all parts of the Province. The urgency of the demand for timber is 26 BRITISH COLUMBIA—LUMBERING shown by the number of timber-cutting licenses issued during the past four years, which were as follows:— 1904 1,451 1906 3,960 1905 2,173 1907 10,924 These figures are exclusive of hand-loggers' licenses issued during the year, and show a remarkable increase in the acreage of timber staked. As each license represents a square mile, or 640 acres, the number of acres taken up in each year would be:— YEAR ACRES 1904 . . . 920,320 1905 1,390,080 1906 2,527,760 1907 6,691,840 The immense area of timber covered by applications for licenses at the close of 1907 caused the Government to declare a reserve on all timber lands undisposed of, and in consequence no more licenses will be granted. British Columbia cedar shingles are in high favor in Eastern Canada and the Atlantic States, as well as in the Middle West. The future of the shingle business, as well as that of lumbering generally, is very promising. A few years ago, the lumber industry was confined almost wholly to the coast districts, where the big trees attracted capital, but as the population increased in the interior and in the Prairie Provinces, SAW MILL, CHEMAINUS, VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. BRITISH COLUMBIA—LUMBERING 27 the demand for lumber became greater, and saw-mills were set up in many localities in the mountains to supply the new market. There are at present about 45 mills in the interior, with a combined output of about 280 million feet annually, representing an investment of nearly $10,000,000. They pay out for wages and supplies $2,500,000 annually. These mountain mills look almost entirely to the prairie country for their market. The outlook for the lumber business is generally most favorable. The overseas trade is steadily growing, and with the duty removed from lumber and the opening of the Panama Canal this industry will expand rapidly. There is a marked increase in local orders as well as the demands for lumber from the provinces east of the Rocky Mountains. PULP AND PAPER As a field for the manufacture of paper pulp and paper, British Columbia stands without a rival. Possessing as she does her full share of the enormous timber reserve of North America, her geographical position gives her a decided advantage over other places, for her pulp wood areas either border the ocean or the numerous rivers and streams which furnish easy and cheap communication with deep water harbors accessible to the world. With transportation charges at a minimum and an unlimited supply of the raw material of the very best quality, British Columbia should be in a position to supply the greater half of the world with wood pulp, or, better still, with paper of every grade and quality and in every form in which paper is used in the industrial arts. While the pulp and paper mills of Eastern Canada may find markets in the Eastern States and Europe, British Columbia should absolutely control the rapidly developing markets of the Western States and Asia and Australia. An important factor in favor of this industry is the density of the British Columbia forest. Another important point is the mildness of the coast climate, which permits of work being done the year round. In order to encourage the establishment of pulp and paper mills the Provincial Government, a few years ago, passed a law providing for the granting of special leases to individuals or companies desiring to embark in this enterprise. The result has been the formation of several companies, at least two of which are now engaged in preliminary work and promise to be in active operation before the close of another year. 28 BRITISH COLUMBIA FISHERIES «era:v:m: m-m& St' , m iee A e e«:&: e The coast of British Columbia, embracing all the sea-front which lies between the 49th and 55th parallels of north latitude, presents an ideal field for the prosecution of a great fishing industry in all its branches. The coast is indented by innumerable bays, sounds, inlets and other arms of the sea, so that the actual shore line exceeds 7,000 miles, while thousands of islands shelter the inshore waters from the fury of ocean storms. This vast maze of water is alive with all kinds of fish, from the mighty whale to the tiny sardine, but until very recently commercial fishing has been practically confined to the taking of salmon. The fertility of the soil, the wealth of the mines and the quality and quantity of the timber have all served to divert attention from the fisheries and it is but lately that their importance has begun to be recognized. To convey an idea of the importance of the fisheries it is only necessary to quote from the 39th annual report of the Department of Marine and Fisheries:— "The Province of British Columbia shows the vast increase of over $4,500,000. For the first time in the history of our record has Nova Scotia been superseded as the banner fish-producing province of Canada." That was in 1905, when the total yield of Canadian fisheries was $29,479,562, of which British Columbia contributed $9,850,216, about 30 per cent. Of this grand total $8,330,713 was derived from salmon, halibut contributing $445,070 and herring $243,140. These figures, while proving beyond question the great commercial value of British Columbia's salmon fisheries, suggest the immense possibilities which await the development of the numerous other branches of the fishing business. The product of the Atlantic Coast fisheries, long recognized as a prime factor in the economic fabric of Canada, will one day be equalled and probably surpassed by those of British Columbia. Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec produced fish to the value of $15,109,891 in 1905, as against British Columbia's $9,850,216; but it must be borne in mind that the Atlantic fisheries have reached almost their maximum of development, while those of the Pacific have been seriously attacked in only one branch—salmon. It is therefore but reasonable to expect very different results when British Columbia's deep sea fisheries reach the same stage of development, for, being BRITISH COLUMBIA FISHERIES 29 practically inexhaustible, the only limit to their output should be the lack of markets, a contingency not likely to arise. The principal food fishes of the North Pacific are: Salmon (five varieties, viz: Sockeye, spring or tyee, cohoe, humpback and dog), halibut, cod (several varieties), herring, sturgeon, bass, oolachans, smelts, perch, trout, skill, sardines, anchovies, shad, oysters, clams, crabs, shrimps and prawns. Whales are very plentiful along the coast and in Behring Sea. Dog fish, a species of shark, which prey upon the salmon and other fish, are valuable for their oil and the manufacture of guano, and several companies are taking them in large numbers. Halibut are caught in great numbers off the coast, and their exportation to the Eastern markets has become an important industry, second only to salmon canning. In 1907 the total catch of halibut on the Pacific Coast was about 50,000,000 pounds, of which British Columbia supplied over 16,000,000. Herring of excellent quality are taken on the east coast of Vancouver Island, the present centre of the industry being Nanaimo. They are pronounced equal to the Atlantic fk'h by experts engaged by the Dominion Government to instruct the British Columbia fishermen in the best methods of curing and packing. The catch of herring is increasing annually, and promises to become a very important branch of the fishing business. Cod fishing has not been given much attention, but seems to offer good opportunities for profit if carried on systematically. The oolachan, a fish of the smelt family, swarms to the rivers in the early summer and is caught in large quantities by the Indians, with whom it is a staple food. It is a delicious fish, delicate in flavor, and should afford profitable business if canned or otherwise preserved for export. Whales are plentiful along the coast and in the North Pacific. The Pacific Whaling Company has established three stations on the coast of Vancouver Island and its operations are proving very profitable, hundreds of whales worth from $800 to $1,500 each being killed during the season. Sealing was at one time a leading source of profit in British Columbia, but the business has fallen off considerably of late, owing to restrictions imposed by the Behring Sea Award and the decreasing number of seals. The average catch for five years ending 1903 was 26,300 skins, as compared with an average of 62,600 skins for the previous five-year period. In 1907 the catch was only 5,397 skins, the smallest on record. Apart from the commercial aspects of British Columbia's deep sea fisheries, the lakes and streams offer exceptionally good sport to thea amateur fisherman and angler. All the numerous rivers, creeks and lakes, as well as the sea, teem with fish, so that the gentle art may be enjoyed at all seasons and in every part of the Province. The sockeye salmon, the kind most prized for canning, appear in greater numbers every fourth year. These are called "big.years," and fishermen and canners make special preparations for them. In 1901, a big year, 1,247,212 cases of salmon were put up in British Columbia, worth $5,986,000, and containing 12,500,000 fish, weighing 60,000,000 pounds. The figures for 1905, another big year, were 1,167,822 cases. In 1906 the pack consisted of 629,460, in 1907, 547,459 cases, and in 1908, 543,689 cases. These were average years. 30 BRITISH COLUMBIA FARMING AGRICULTURE The traveller whose knowledge of British Columbia is gained simply from a trip through the province by railway and steamboat spends, it is true, many delightful hours in a picture gallery in which Nature has collected her most precious treasures in bewildering profusion. But he has failed to catch the details of her mighty work, and carries away with him the impression that the principal asset of the country is its scenery. Here and there since crossing the Rockies he has seen cultivated patches, stretches of bench and bottom lands which might be utilized for farming and ranching, but the mountains have dominated all else and he can only vaguely surmise as to the agricultural possibilities of the valleys separating the numerous ranges. He is therefore prepared to accept the statement that British Columbia is "a sea of mountains," in which mining and lumbering must furnish the only occupations for its population. The creation of this false impression is not far to seek. The Canadian Pacific Railway, seeking the shortest path to the Pacific, let no barrier of nature, however formidable, stand in its way, but pushed its main line through regions the most unpromising, from an economical point of view. Thus the traveller catches the merest glimpses of the rich agricultural valleys which intersect the mountain ranges from north to south, and which are capable of supplying a population of many millions with all the products of farm, ranch, orchard and dairy. AN OKANAGAN FRUIT FARM BRITISH COLUMBIA FARMING 31 To form a just estimate of the extent and importance of the agricultural areas of British Columbia one must make many excursions to the north and south of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway—over its many branches and steamboat connections—and even then if he trusts to what he may be able to see from the car window or the deck of a lake steamer, his knowledge will be far from complete. In the Shuswap and Okanagan Valleys, for instance, for every acre of arable land within sight of the railway or lake, there are thousands hidden away behind the beautiful grass-covered hills which border the highway of travel, and the same may be said of the North Thompson River Valley, the Kootenay, Boundary, Arrow Lake, Nicola, Lillooet, Similkameen and other districts. The agricultural capabilities of the many sections of Southern British Columbia are, as a matter of fact, only beginning to be realized. So far they have been practically ignored, for the mineral-seeking prospectors who first invaded the country had no eye for aught save the object of their quest. Now, however, the branch lines of railway and lake steamers and excellent waggon roads are enabling a new class of'men to enter and explore this land of promise, and many have embarked in fruit growing, mixed farming and dairying. The agricultural and pastoral lands are not restricted to a small proportion of the total acreage, for Professor Macoun, after personal investigation on the ground, says: "The whole of British Columbia south of 52 degrees and east of the Coast Range is a grazing country up to 3,500 feet, and a farming country up to 2,500 feet, where irrigation is possible." This is a most important statement and its truth is being confirmed by the practical experience of settlers who have established themselves in the country. Within the boundaries thus roughly defined by Professor Macoun the capabilities of the soil are practically unlimited. - All of it that is not too elevated to serve only for grazing purposes will produce all the ordinary vegetables and roots, much of it will grow cereals to perfection, while everywhere the hardier varieties of fruits can be successfully cultivated. As far north as the 55th degree it has been practically demonstrated that apples will flourish, while in the southern belt the more delicate fruits, peaches, grapes, apricots, etc., are an assured crop. Roughly estimated, the extent of these fertile lands may be set down at one million acres, but this figure will probably be found far below the actual quantity capable of cultivation when the country has been thoroughly explored. The anticipation of such a result is justified from the fact that at several points in the mountains, even in the most unpromising looking localities, where clearing and cultivation has been attempted it has proved successful. In several instances also, bench land, pronounced only fit for pasturage by "old timers," has been broken and cropped with very satisfactory results. The agricultural lands just mentioned, that is, east of the Coast Range, are located as follows: ♦ ACRES Okanagan 250,000 North and South Thompson Valleys 75,000 Nicola, Similkameen and Kettle River Valleys 350,000 Lillooet and Cariboo. 200,000 East and West Kootenay 125,000 West of the Coast Range are several extensive tracts of arable land of the richest quality, notably the Lower Fraser Valley, Westminster District, Vancouver Island and adjacent islands in the Gulf 32 BRITISH COLUMBIA FARMING PACKING PEACHES AT PEACHLAND, B.C. of Georgia. These sections of the province are recognized as agricultural districts and are fairly well settled, but much of the land is still wild and untilled. DIVERSIFIED FARMING The advantages of diversified farming over special farming are many and important, and there is scarcely a district in British Columbia in which diversified farming may not be carried on more profitably than any special branch of the industry. Large areas which require irrigation and are now used for grain growing and stock raising will at no distant day be supplied with water and will afford men of moderate means the opportunity to acquire homes and pursue general farm work under conditions similar to, but more advantageous and profitable than, the eastern provinces. Irrigation, though far from general, has already wrought a change in agricultural methods in those districts in which it has been introduced. Many who have had no experience with irrigation entertain the feeling that it is suited to special farming only. When they learn the use of water, applied where and when it is needed, and come to understand that there is nothing intricate or difficult to be learned in respect to it, they quickly appreciate its advantages. The productive value of land in British Columbia which has good water facilities is easily four times as great as land in Eastern Canada. The milder climate contributes to this in a measure, but the great advantage of irrigation lies in being able to control the elements, or, in other words, in being independent of them in the conduct of farm work. Diversified farming is essentially practicable where irrigation is required. It enables the farmer to gratify his fancy with respect to crops, and at the same time realize from the land the greatest possible returns. By studying the needs of his locality and adjusting his products to the demand, he derives a continuous income without fear of BRITISH COLUMBIA FARMING 33 failure from drought or excessive rain. The general farmer may combine stock raising, which includes dairies, in a small way, hay and grain, poultry, hogs and sheep, with a great variety of small fruits and vegetables. The farmer who understands how to reduce his product to compact form, making his alfalfa or hay field support a few cows, which will yield with their increase a considerable annual return each, a few sheep and hogs, which find ready sale at all seasons, a small band of hens and turkeys, always saleable at good prices, can easily wait for his fruit trees to come to bearing—he will never find it necessary to confine himself to a special branch. Thousands of men who are struggling for a meagre livelihood on exhausted fields elsewhere may find prosperous homes here, with profitable occupation, in a climate and amidst scenes of beauty and grandeur unequalled in the world. AGRICULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES The opportunities for profitable diversified farming are practically unlimited. The demand for every product of the farm is great and ever increasing, the present supply being wholly inadequate for the local market. Under a system of small land holdings, with diversified field culture, every object of cultivation is highly profitable, because produced by labor that might otherwise be unproductive. DAIRYING Dairying pays handsomely, especially in cases where the farmer is not obliged to employ skilled labor to do the milking and butter- making. The local demand for butter is constantly increasing with the population, and the prices secured are far higher than in the east. In 1907 the creameries of the province produced 1,651,304 pounds of butter, which was sold at an average of 32 15-16 cents per pound. The production of dairy butter in 1907 was about 400,000 pounds, making a total of 2,051,304 pounds of home manufacture, in addition to which 4,317,000 were imported. Quite a large proportion of the imported article was forwarded to Yukon, but that fact only serves to show the great possibilities for dairying in British Columbia. The province possesses many elements necessary to constitute it a great dairying country, the products of which should include cheese and condensed milk. There are very extensive areas of pastoral land in the interior, while increased cultivation in the lower country will form the necessary feeding ground. With a. plentiful supply of good water and luxuriant and nutritious grasses, there is every required facility added. The coast climate is most favorable to the dairying industry. Clover, one of the most valuable plants in cultivation, is practically a weed in British Columbia west of the Coast Range. Once it gets established in the soil it is almost impossible to get it out. Lucerne, or alfalfa, is succeeding admirably. In Okanagan Valley, Thompson Rivers Valleys, Nicola and many other points, three heavy crops of this nutritious fodder are produced annually. There are eighteen co-operative and private creameries established in the province, all doing well and earning satisfactory dividends. The Provincial Government aids the establishment of co-operative creameries by loaning the promoters one-half the cost of the creamery building, plant and fixtures, repayable in eight instalments with interest at five per cent., the first of such instalments to be 34 BRITISH COLUMBIA ROOT CROPS paid at the expiration of three years, and the other seven annually thereafter. A cheese factory was recently equipped at Langley, with a capacity of 1,000 pounds per day, and is producing cheese of good quality which is finding a ready sale. This is the first attempt at cheese-making on a commercial basis, although there is a good field for that branch of dairying, and the Government is prepared to assist the establishment of cheese factories on the same terms as those in which aid is granted to creameries. POULTRY RAISING Poultry raising is an important branch of general farming which is gradually developing in British Columbia, but not to the extent which its importance warrants. The home market is nowhere nearly supplied either with eggs or poultry, large quantities being imported from Manitoba, Ontario, California, Washington and Oregon. In 1904 the value of eggs and poultry imported amounted to over $400,000, and good prices prevail at all seasons, the average wholesale prices for eggs on the coast being: Fresh eggs, 30 cents per doz.; case eggs, 22 cents per doz.; while the retail price for fresh eggs averaged 37>^ cents per doz., ranging from 25 cents to 70 cents. Fowls bring from $5 to $8 per doz.; chickens, $4 to $7; ducks, $5 to $11; geese, $1 to $1.50 each, and turkeys, from 22 to 30 cents per pound. A practical poultry raiser who has made a success of the business on Vancouver Island, says: "I have no hesitation in saying that there are good profits in the business, conducted on a strictly commercial basis. In fact, I know of no other branch of agriculture which is so profitable, having in view the amount of capital to be invested and the expense of conducting it. Properly managed, in any number, poultry ought to reap a profit of at least $1 per head per annum." Actual experience shows that the business is very profitable. In a recent report to the Department of Agriculture a well known farmer, residing at Colquitz, Vancouver Island, gives the following results from 150 hens in the year 1905:— RECEIPTS From sale of eggs. . . $375.00 From sale of chicks 50.00 From increase of flock 25.00 $450.00 EXPENSES 100 bushels wheat at $1.05 per bushel $105.00 50 bushels barley at 60 cents per bushel 30.00 Sundries . 10.00 $145.00 Net profit $305.00 Every portion of British Columbia is suitable for poultry raising. In the coast districts hens, ducks and geese can be bred to great advantage and the dry-belts and uplands are particularly well adapted to turkeys. With such facts before them it is a matter for surprise that many farmers in British Columbia send to the nearest store for their eggs and fowls. Eggs and chickens are by-products on every well conducted eastern farm, and they add considerably to the annual income, as well as providing agreeable and healthful variety to the family's bill of fare. BRITISH COLUMBIA GRAIN GROWING 35 General Farming GRAIN GROWING Wheat is grown principally in the Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Spallumcheen, and in the country around Kamloops in the Thompson River Valley, and is manufactured at Enderby, Armstrong, and Vernon. Until the northern interior of the province is brought under cultivation through the construction of railways, the wheat area will not be increased. Wheat is only grown on the mainland coast and Vancouver Island for fodder and poultry feeding. Barley of excellent quality is grown in many parts of the province. Oats are the principal grain crop, the quality and yield being good, and the demand beyond the quantity grown. Rye is grown to a limited extent, and is used for fodder. The average yield of grain and prices are as follows:— Wheat, bushels per acre 25.62; price per ton $33.15 Oats, bushels per acre 39.05; price per ton 27.00 Barley, bushels per acre 33.33; price per ton 28.00 These averages are very much exceeded in many cases, and according to nature of soil and local conditions. In the matter of oats as high as 100 bushels to the acre is not an uncommon yield. ROOT CROPS Potatoes, turnips, beets, mangolds and all other roots grow in profusion wherever their cultivation has been attempted. Sixty- eight tons of roots to a measured acre is recorded at Chilliwack, and near Kelowna, on Okanagan Lake, 20 acres produced 403 tons of potatoes, which sold at $14 per ton. The Dominion census places the average yield of potatoes at 162.78 bushels to the acre. The average price of potatoes is $14 to $16 per ton, while carrots, turnips, parsnips and beets sell at an average of about 60 cents per bushel. HOP CULTURE The Okanagan, Agassiz and Chilliwack Districts are well suited to hop-growing, and produce large quantities, unexcelled in quality. British Columbia hops command good prices in the British market, and most of the crop is sent there, though recently Eastern Canada and Australia are buying increasing quantities. The yield of hops averages 1,500 pounds to the acre, and the average price is 25 cents per pound. FODDER CROPS Besides the nutritious bunch-grass which affords good grazing to cattle, horses and sheep on the benches and hillsides, all the cultivated grasses grow in profusion wherever sown. Red clover, alfalfa, 36 BRITISH COLUMBIA GRAIN GROWING sainfoin, alsike, timothy and brome grass yield large returns—three crops in the season in some districts and under favorable circumstances. Hay averages about \\]/> tons to the acre and the average price is $17.00 to $18.00. SPECIAL PRODUCTS Tobacco growing has proved successful in several districts, notably in Okanagan, where a leaf of superior quality is produced. Tobacco of commercial value will grow in almost any part of Southern British Columbia. Following are actual results from twenty acres:— Rent for 20 acres of land $400.00 Growing plants in hot beds 100.00 Plowing 80 .00 Planting 87.00 Cultivating 75.00 Topping and Suckering 50.00 Harvesting.. 315.00 Stripping 187.00 $1,294.00 Number of pounds grown on 20 acres 2,400 Selling price of season's crop $2,400.00 Total expenses 1,294.00 Net profit $1,106.00 Experiments made recently have proved that the soil and climate in and about Victoria are admirably adapted to the production of flowering bulbs, and quite a large business has been established. There is a good market for all the bulbs that can be grown, as the bulk of those used in North America are imported from Europe, and the Pacific Coast alone uses fifty million annually. The profit to be derived from bulb growing is estimated at over $2,000 per acre. The importance of apiculture is beginning to be recognized and a considerable quantity of delicious honey of home production is found in the local markets. As the area of cultivation extends, bee-keeping should become a profitable adjunct of general farming. The coast districts and many of the lowlands of the interior are well suited to cranberry culture, which is being tried in a small way, but with success, by settlers on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Celery, another vegetable luxury, is grown in limited quantities, but the soil and climate warrant its cultivation on a more general scale. Celery, properly grown and packed, would command good prices and an unlimited market. Sugar beets grow to perfection in several localities, but their cultivation on a large scale has not been attempted. Indian corn, melons and tomatoes are profitable items in the output of the small farmer, and are successfully grown in all the settled districts. BRITISH COLUMBIA IRRIGATION 37 IRRIGATION As already observed a very considerable percentage of the agricultural lands in the southern interior districts requires irrigation to insure crops. Generally speaking, there is abundant water within reach. There are sections where the height of the land above water level or distance from the source of supply stand in the way of individual attempts at irrigation, but the work may be accomplished by co-operation and with the expenditure of capital. The supplying of water to these higher plateaux is, however, a matter for future consideration, as there is sufficient land capable of irrigation at comparatively small cost to meet the requirements for some years to come. In Okanagan, Similkameen and Kamloops Districts companies have purchased large tracts of land, formerly used as cattle ranges, which they are sub-dividing into small holdings of ten acres and upwards, and constructing reservoirs and ditches, which will provide an unfailing supply of water. These companies are already reaping the reward of their enterprise, as the land is being rapidly sold to actual settlers, who are planting orchards and engaging in mixed farming. The example set by the Canadian Pacific Railway in Alberta in wresting over 3,000,000 acres from arid and low-producing grain fields, and making them yield millions of bushels of wheat, is one which cannot be overlooked by British Columbians, who, witnessing the transformation which is taking place on their eastern border, cannot fail to profit by the lesson. The Provincial Government, impressed with the importance of irrigation, last year appointed a commission of experts to study the hydrographic conditions existing in the "dry belt," and to formulate a comprehensive plan for the reclamation of large areas of land which are now unproductive. It is, therefore, safe to predict that the next few years will witness the reclamation of many hundreds of thousands of acres of bench lands from pasturage to flourishing orchards and farms, the homes of thousands of prosperous settlers. DYKING British Columbia, although generally accepted as a country of high altitudes, includes large tracts of alluvial lands, which are overflown at certain seasons, and therefore require dyking in order to make them available for cultivation. These lowlands are located on the Lower Fraser at Canal Flats (the head waters of the Columbia River); in the West Kootenay, and on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. The Government of British Columbia early recognized the importance of reclaiming the rich alluvial meadows in the Fraser River Valley, and to that end established a system of dykes, which has rendered over 100,000 acres fit for cultivation. These reclamation works represent an expenditure of $981,000 up to November, 1904. The Government undertakes the redemption of dyking debentures issued by the municipalities benefited and payable in forty years. In West Kootenay from the International boundary a tract of meadows extends to the south end of Kootenay Lake, a distance of about 35 miles, comprising about 40,000 acres. These lands have been partially reclaimed by dyking, and are very productive, but the greater portion is still a vast hay meadow. Fronting the west and north east of Vancouver Island is a very large body of land, which could be made available for mixed farming and dairying by inexpensive dyking and drainage. The extent of this land is estimated at over 150,000 acres. BRITISH COLUMBIA LIVE STOCK PURE BRED CATTLE, LADNER, B.C. LIVE STOCK Cattle raising on a large scale was once one of the chief industries of the Province and many of the large ranches are still making money, but the tendency of late has been for smaller herds and the improvement of ^ the stock. The efforts of the Dairymen's and Live Stock Association have proved successful in this direction. The Association imports and sells to its members every year a certain number of young pure-bred stock, purchased in Eastern Canada by a special agent who visits the principal stock markets in the interests of the farmers. At a sale held by the Association recently at New Westminster the following prices were realized:—Shorthorns, $65 to $150; Holsteins, $50 to $100; other breeds, $50 to $100; Suffolk stallion, $300; Clydesdale stallion, $595; Shropshires—ram, $30; ewes, $15. - While the Province is capable of raising all the beef, mutton and pork required for home consumption, a very large quantity is imported, the money sent abroad annually amounting to about $3,000,000. The parts of the Province particularly adapted to cattle raising are the interior plateaux and the Fraser River Valley though there is scarcely a district in which the keeping of a few head will not pay well, for the high prices prevailing justify stall feeding. The development of irrigation should stimulate the" cattle industry, and make the Province self-supporting in regard to beef. Sheep raising is another branch of agriculture capable of great expansion. In the past the ranchers of the interior objected to sheep, as they are such close feeders, and sheep raising was confined chiefly to Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, where considerable numbers were produced. These are the most favorable parts of the Province for sheep-raising, though they do well in many localities in the interior. Hogs in small farming are probably the most profitable of live stock, owing to the general demand for pork, bacon, ham and lard. BRITISH COLUMBIA LIVE STOCK 39 and much attention is now being given to raising them. Over $1,000,000 of hog products are imported annually, and prices are always high, so that the farmer can never make a mistake in keeping a small drove of pigs. The breeds which mature earliest are the Berkshire and Poland China. The demand for good horses, especially heavy draft and working animals, is always increasing, and prices are consequently high. Formerly horses were raised in great numbers in the interior without much attention to their quality, and in consequence great bands of wild horses became a nuisance and a menace to the farmers and ranchers to such an extent that the Legislature had to adopt measures for their destruction. The quality of horses has been much improved of late, and although the "cayuse," the native pony, will always be prized for its hardihood and endurance, the tendency everywhere is for the better class of animal. The horses exhibited at the Dominion Exhibition at New Westminster compared favorably with those of any country in the world. Prices of live stock are:—Draft horses, $500 to $800 per team; farm teams $300 to $500, roadsters, $175 to $250 each, hackneys $200 and up, Clydesdale, Percheron and Shire Stallions, $800 to $5,000 each. Ranch cattle Z% to 5 cents per pound live weight, dairy cows, $50 to $75 each, calves 714 cents live weight. Sheep b% to Q}4 cents a pound live weight, lambs $4 to $6 per head, wool 13 cents per pound. Net annual profit per ewe from $4.40 to $5.40. Live hogs sell at §}4 to T% cents per pound. APPLES ARE A PROFITABLE CROP IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 40 BRITISH COLUMBIA FRUIT GROWING "A BEAUTIFUL ART" His Excellency Earl Grey, Governor-General of Canada, who recently visited British Columbia, is greatly impressed with the future possibilities of the fruit industry. In his reply to the address at the New Westminster Exhibition, His Excellency said:— "Fruit growing in your Province has acquired the distinction of being a beautiful art as well as a most profitable industry. After a maximum wait of five years, I understand a settler may look forward with reasonable certainty to a net income of from $100 to $150 per acre, after all expenses of cultivation have been paid. "Gentlemen, here is a state of things which appears to offer the opportunity of living under such ideal conditions as struggling humanity has only succeeded in reaching in one or two of the most favored spots upon the earth. There are thousands of families living in England to-day, families of refinement, culture and distinction, families such as you would welcome among you with both arms, who would be only too glad to come out and occupy a log hut on five acres of a pear or apple orchard in full bearing, if they could do so at a reasonable cost." British Columbia fruit is preferred above all others in the markets of the middle West, where it commands profitable prices. In 1904 a small exhibit sent to England was awarded the gold medal of the Royal Horticultural Society, and in 1905, a car lot, exhibited in London, won the first prize from all competitors, while no less than 14 medals were awarded the individual exhibits which made up the collection. In 1906 and in 1907 the same success was achieved. In the former year British Columbia fruit won eleven medals in Great Britain and in the latter was awarded first prize over Ontario and Nova Scotia at the Royal Horticultural Society's Exhibition at London, the gold medal of the Royal Horticultural Society of Scotland, while individual exhibitors won several silver and bronze medals. Last year (1908) the Province won the highest awards at London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol,, Bath, Hawick and other exhibitions, while numerous silver and bronze medals were won by individual exhibitors. Great as were the honors won in Great Britain a more signal victory for British Columbia fruit was the winning of two first, one BRITISH COLUMBIA FRUIT GROWING 41 second and three third prizes in competition with fruit from Oregon and Washington, at the Annual Convention of the (International) North-West Fruit Growers' Association, held at Vancouver in December, 1907—a confirmation of the contention that the apple attains its perfection in the more northern latitudes. British Columbia apples also won over $4,000 in special cash prizes at the Spokane Apple Show, in December, 1908, where the fruit was in competition with exhibits from all the principal apple growing districts in the United States. The fruit industry of British Columbia is in its infancy, but the results so far secured are convincing as to its future importance. The actual extent of fruit-growing land has not yet been ascertained, but by a conservative estimate at least one million acres south of the 52nd degree will produce all the fruits of the temperate zone. The recognized fruit districts include the southern half of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, Lower Fraser River Valley, Thompson River Valley, Shuswap Lake, Okanagan, Spallumcheen, Osoyoos, Similkameen, Upper Columbia Valley, Kootenay Lake, Arrow Lake, Lower Columbia River and Grand Forks, which are all suited to the best grades of fruit, and which contain extensive areas of fruit lands. Other good fruit districts are:—West Coast of Vancouver Island, notably Alberni Valley, West Coast of Mainland, Lower Fraser Valley, Nicola, Grande Prairie and many other localities. In some of these interior sections irrigation is necessary and as mentioned elsewhere, water is being supplied where the influx of population warrants the necessary expenditure. Many localities which are now proved to be suitable for fruit culture were but recently "discovered," for a few years ago fruit was only raised in the settlements on the coast and along the rivers, and in quantity that failed to supply even the limited local demand. It is now an established fact that apples of excellent quality will grow as far north as Hazelton, on the Skeena River, between 55 and 56 degrees north. A BRITISH COLUMBIA FRUIT FARM 42 BRITISH COLUMBIA FRUIT GROWING A FRUIT EXHIBIT, BRITISH COLUMBIA In 1891 the total orchard area of the province ^.f'j™ ""*-?; In ten years it only increased 1,000 acres, but from 1901 to 1905 t iurrmed to 20 000 and 20,000 acres were added m 190b, ana it is Sited that at the close of 1908 there were 100,000 acres planted fffmit Ten years ago British Columbia did not produce enough fruit to supply her own population. The following table, of fruit shipments is Interesting as showing the steady growth ef the industry: BY BY FREIGHT EXPRESS TOTAL INCREASE (TONS) (tons) (tons) tons) 1902 1.469 487 1,956 . . . . 1903 1868 676 2,544 588 Jq04 2 161 864 3,025 481 1905-.:.::::::::::: £i&v 1,176 4,357 1,332 An increase of over 50 per cent, in four years. The shipments 111 ^llig^Js7£ ^ means represent the whole fruit crop, much the greater part of which is consumed locally. These figures may seem small, compared with those of older fruit-growing countries! but they show conclusively that the industry s growing steadily an'd with every indication of its becOmipg^ofle^f theS most important items in the future P/osperity of dhe Province. There has been a large increase m acreage of ^d^fe^S*^ The actual experience of many fruit growers is ^gMy satefactpry to them and a temptation to every man who desires to mate money pleasantly to set up in the business. In Okanagan there are instances BRITISH COLUMBIA—FRUIT GROWING 43 of $500 to $600 gross profit per acre. At Kelowna 9 tons of pears and 10 tons of prunes per acre are not uncommon. Near Nelson, 14 acres produced 1,000 cases of strawberries and 94 tons of roots, netting the owner $100 per acre. This land was formerly a cedar swamp. In the suburbs of Victoria the following results are authenticated: Four acres of strawberries produced 28,126 pounds of fruit, which sold for $2,598 net, or $650 per acre; half an acre produced 2,826 pounds, giving a net return of $301; another grower raised 12,556 pounds of berries on one and one-half acres, which sold for $1,228.60 net, or over $800 per acre. Rockside Orchard, Victoria, produced marketable plums and cherries from ten-year-old trees as follows: Plums— 35 trees Grand Duke, 442 crates, averaging 22 pounds; 18 Hungarian Prunes, 216 crates; 27 Englebert, 290 crates; 10 Tragedy, 142 crates —1,070 crates, a total of 20,416 pounds from 90 trees. Cherries— 25 Olivet trees yielded 230 crates of 24 pounds, or a total of 5,520 pounds. At Lytton, Tokay grapes averaging four pounds to the bunch are grown in the open. On the Coldstream Ranch, near Vernon, 20 acres produced $10,000 worth of Northern Spy iVpples. At Peach- land one acre and a half gave a return of $700 in peaches. Tomatoes to the value of $1,500 per acre were grown at Okanagan Lake. A cherry tree at Penticton produced 800 pounds of fruit, another at Agassiz 1,000 pounds. These cases are by no means exceptional or confined to any single district. Similar ones could be cited from almost any part of the province. Apples and pears produce from 8' to 15 tons of fruit per acre, according to variety, and the average price is $26 BRITISH COLUMBIA CHERRIES 44 BRITISH COLUMBIA FRUIT GROWING and $30 per ton respectively. Plums, prunes, cherries and peaches invariably bear largely, and the prices are always satisfactory, if the fruit is properly picked and packed. Fruit packing has been brought to a fine art in British Columbia, the methods used being considered perfect by experts, and other countries are following her lead in this most important matter. Careless or dishonest packing is not tolerated, offenders being severely punished. MAKING AN ORCHARD The setting out and care of an orchard until it becomes a source of profit requires considerable outlay of cash and personal exertion, but the results after a few years furnish ample compensation. The cost of setting out twenty acres of apple trees in British Columbia is about as follows:— Twenty acres (irrigated), at $150 per acre.. . $3,000.00 Fencing 200.00 Preparing land 150.00 Trees (968), at 25 cents each 242.00 Freight, etc 20.00 Setting out trees, at 8 cents each 77.44 $3,689.44 Root crops and small fruits, planted between the trees for the first year or two, and red clover up to the fifth year, should more than pay for the trees; but many fruit-growers deprecate this practice, preferring to devote the whole strength of the soil to the young trees. The fourth year the trees should produce some fruit—probably $100 worth. The cost of maintenance for five years, with the original cost and interest, would amount to $7,296.14, or $364.80 per acre, less the value of fruit produced. In the sixth year the orchard should produce $850 worth of fruit, in the seventh $3,200, and in the ninth $5,800, after which it should pay a net annual profit of $125 to $150 per acre—an assured income of $2,500 to $3,000 a year. PEACHES AND GRAPES Peaches are successfully grown in many parts of Southern British Columbia and in every case the fruit has attained a good size, ripened fully and possessed an exceptionally fine flavor. Peach growing gives promise of becoming an important industry in Okanagan, where the area of young orchards is increasing rapidly. Many of these are bearing, and peaches, from now on, will become a noticeable item in fast freight and express shipments. So far the shipments have been small, as nearly all the peaches grown find ready sale on the spot, and there has been no surplus with which to supply even the Provincial markets. The small lots exported have been in the nature of experiments—samples with which to demonstrate the capabilities of the country. Peaches grow to perfection in all the valleys south of the main line of the C.P.R., and as this fact becomes generally known more attention will be given to their cultivation. One advantage of peach-growing is the fact that the trees come into bearing earlier than apples, so that under favorable circumstances four-year-old peach orchards will yield as high as $300 worth of fruit per acre. BRITISH COLUMBIA LAND LAWS 45 SYNOPSIS OF THE LAND LAW PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT LANDS Note.—"Crown Lands" mean and include such ungranted Crown or public lands as are within, and belong to His Majesty in right of the Province of British Columbia, and whether or not any waters flow over or cover the same. PRE-EMPTIONS Crown Lands, where such a system is practicable, are laid off and surveyed into quadrilateral townships, containing thirty-six sections of one square mile in each. Any person, being the head of a family, a widow, or single man over the age of. eighteen years, and being a British subject, or any alien, upon his making a declaration of his intention to become a British subject, may, for agricultural purposes, record any tract of unoccupied and unreserved Crown lands (not being an Indian settlement), not exceeding one hundred and sixty acres in extent. No person can hold more than one pre-emption claim at a time. Prior record of pre-emption of one claim and all rights under it are forfeited by subsequent record of pre-emption of another claim. Pre-emptions cannot be staked by an agent. Land recorded or pre-empted cannot be transferred or conveyed until after a Crown grant has been issued. Such land, until the Crown grant is issued, is held by occupation. Such occupation must be a bona fide personal residence of the settler or his family. The settler must enter into occupation of the land within sixty days after recording, and must continue to occupy it. Continuous absence for a period longer than two months consecutively of the settler or family is deemed cessation of occupation; but leave of absence may be granted not exceeding six months in any one year, inclusive of two months' absence. Land may be considered abandoned if unoccupied for more than two months consecutively. If so abandoned, the land becomes waste lands of the Crown. The fee on recording is two dollars (8s.) The settler shall have the land surveyed at his own instance (subject to the ratification of the boundaries) within five years from the date of record. After survey has been made, upon proof in declaration in writing of himself and two other persons of occupation for two years from date of pre-emption, and of having made permanent improvements on the land to the value of two dollars and fifty cents per acre, the 46 BRITISH COLUMBIA LAND LAWS settler, on producing the pre-emption certificate, obtains a certificate of improvements upon payment of a fee of $2. After obtaining a certificate of improvements and paying for the land, the settler is entitled to a Crown grant in fee simple. He pays $10 therefor. The price of Crown lands pre-empted is $1 (4s.) per acre, which must be paid in four equal instalments, as follows: First instalment two years from date of record or pre-emption, and yearly thereafter, but the last instalment is not payable till after the survey, if the land is unsurveyed. Two, three or four settlers may enter into partnership with pre-emptions of 160 acres each, and reside on one homestead. Improvements amounting to $2.50 per acre made on some portion thereof will secure Crown grant for the whole, conditions of payment being same as above. Coal and petroleum lands do not pass under grant of lands acquired since passage of Land Act Amendment of 1899. No Crown grant can be issued to an alien who may have recorded or pre-empted by virtue of his declaring his intention to become a British subject, unless he has become naturalized. The heirs or devisees of the settler are entitled to the Crown grant on his decease. TIMBER LANDS Timber lands (that is lands which contain milling timber to the average extent of 8,000 feet per acre west of the Cascades—Coast Range—and 5,000 feet per acre east of the Cascades—Coast Range— to each 160 acres), are not open to pre-emption, sale or lease. By Order-in-Council, dated December 24th, 1907, the Government placed a reserve on all timber lands undisposed of at that date, consequently no more licenses to cut timber will be issued until otherwise determined. PURCHASES Crown lands may be purchased to the extent of 640 acres, and for this purpose are classified as first and second class, according to the report of the surveyor. The minimum area that may be purchased shall be forty acres, measuring 20 chains by 20 chains, except in cases where such area cannot be obtained. Purchased land may be staked by an agent. Lands which are suitable for agricultural purposes, or which are capable of being brought under cultivation profitably, or which are wild hay meadow lands, rank as and are considered to be first- class lands. All other lands, other than timber lands, shall rank and be classified as second-class lands. Timber lands (that is, lands which contain milling timber to the average extent of eight thousand feet per acre west of the Cascades (Coast Range), and five thousand feet per acre east of the Cascades (Coast Range), to each one hundred and sixty acres), are not open for sale. The minimum price of first-class lands shall be $5 per acre and that of second-class lands $2.50 per acre: Provided, however, that the Chief Commissioner may for any reason increase the price of any land above the said prices. No improvements are required on such lands unless a second purchase is contemplated. In such case the first purchase must be improved to the extent of $3 per acre. BRITISH COLUMBIA LAND LAWS 47 When the application to purchase is filed the applicant shall deposit with the Commissioner a sum equal to fifty cents per acre on the acreage applied for. When the land is finally allotted the purchaser shall pay the balance of the purchase price. LEASES Leases of Crown land which has been subdivided by survey in lots not exceeding twenty acres may be obtained; and if requisite improvements are made and conditions of the lease fulfilled at the expiration of lease, Crown grants are issued. Leases (containing such covenants and conditions as may be thought advisable) of Crown lands may be granted by the Lieutenant- Governor-in-Council for the following purposes:— (a) For the purpose of cutting hay thereon, for a term not exceeding ten years. (b) For any purpose whatsoever, except cutting hay as aforesaid, for a term not exceeding twenty-one years. Leases shall not include a greater area than one thousand acres. Leased lands may be staked by an agent. EXEMPTIONS The farm and buildings, when registered, cannot be taken for debt incurred after registration; and it is free from seizure up to a value not greater than $500 (£100 English). Cattle "farmed on shares" are also protected by an Exemption Act. Pre-emptions are exempt from taxation for two years from date of record, and there is an exemption of $500 for four years after record. HOMESTEADS* The Government of British Columbia does not grant free homesteads. The fact of a person having a homestead in another province or on Dominion Government lands in this province, is no bar to pre-empting Crown lands in British Columbia. HOW TO SECURE A PRE-EMPTION Any person desiring to pre-empt unsurveyed Crown lands must observe the following rules:— 1. Place a post four or more inches square and four or more feet high above the ground—a tree stump squared and of proper height will do—at one angle or corner of the claim and mark upon it his name and the corner or angle represented, thus:— "A. B's land, N.E. corner post" (meaning north-east corner, or as the case may be), and shall post a written or printed notice on the post in the following form:— "I, A. B., intend to apply for a pre-emption record of ...... acres of land, bounded as follows:—Commencing at this post; thence north .chains; thence east. . , . . .chains; thence south chains; thence west chains (or as the case may be). '' Date." " Name (in full).'' * See Dominion Government lands regulations. 48 BRITISH COLUMBIA LAND LAWS 2. After staking the land, the applicant must make an application in writing to the Land Commissioner of the district in which the land lies, giving a full description of the land, and a sketch plan of it; this description and plan to be in duplicate. The fee for recording is $2.00. 3. He shall also make a declaration, in duplicate, before a Justice of the Peace, Notary Public, or Commissioner, in Form 2 of the Land Act, and deposit same with his application. In the declaration he must declare that the land staked by him is unoccupied and unreserved Crown land, and not in an Indian settlement; that the application is made on his own behalf and for his own use for settlement and occupation, for agricultural purposes, and that he is duly qualified to take up and record the land. 4. If the land is surveyed the pre-emptor must make application to the Commissioner exactly as in the case of unsurveyed lands, but it will not be necessary to plant posts. 5. Every pre-emption shall be of a rectangular or square shape, and 160 acres shall measure either 40 chains by 40 chains—880 yards by 880 yards, or 20 chains by 80 chains—440 yards by 1,760 yards; 80 acres shall measure 20 chains by 40 chains; and 40 acres 20 chains by 20 chains. All lines shall be run true north and south and true east and west. 6. When a pre-emption is bounded by a lake or river, or by another pre-emption or by surveyed land, such boundary may be adopted and used in describing the boundaries of the land. 7. Sixty days after recording the pre-emptor must enter into occupation of the land and proceed with improving same. Occupation means continuous bona fide personal residence of the pre-emptor or his family, but he and his family may be absent for any one period not exceeding two months in any year. If the pre-emptor can show good reason for being absent from his claim for more than two months, the Land Commissioner may grant him six months' leave. Absence without leave for more than two months will be looked upon as abandonment of all rights and the record may be cancelled. 8. No person can take up or hold more than one pre-emption. 9. The pre-emptor must have his claim surveyed, at his own expense, within five years from the date of record. 10. The price of pre-empted land is $1 per acre, to be paid for in four equal annual instalments of 25 cents per acre, the first instalment to be paid two years after record. 11. After full payment has been made the pre-emptor shall be entitled to a Crown grant of the land, on payment of a fee of $10. 12. A pre-emption cannot be sold or transferred until after it is Crown-granted. 13. A pre-emption cannot be staked or recorded by an agent. 14. Timber lands (that is, lands which contain milling timber to the average extent of 8,000 feet per acre west of the Cascades—Coast Range—and 5,000 feet per acre east of the Cascades—Coast Range— to each 160 acres) are not open to pre-emption. GOVERNMENT LAND AGENCIES The following is a list of Government Agents with whom preemptions may be filed. Lands in outlying districts, in which there BRITISH COLUMBIA LAND AGENCIES 49 is no resident agent, are dealt with in the Lands and Works Department, Victoria, B.C., R. A. Renwick, Esq., Assistant Commissioner:— DISTRICT GOVERNMENT AGENT ADDRESS ALBERNI H. C. Rayson Alberni NANAIMO M. Bray Nanaimo NEW WESTMINSTER S. A. Fletcher (Acting) New Westminster EAST KOOTENAY (Nor.). J. E. Griffith Golden (Sou.). .J. F. Armstrong Cranbrook WEST KOOTENAY: Slocan E. E. Chipman Kaslo Nelson Harry Wright Nelson Revelstoke Fred Fraser Revelstoke CARIBOO: Barkerville J. G. Walker Barkerville CASSIAR: Telegraph Creek James Porter Telegraph Creek Atlin J. A. Fraser.. . ., Atlin Port Simpson Wm. Manson. Prince Rupert Skeena F. W. Valleau Hazelton KAMLOOPS G. C. Tunstall Kamloops Nicola George Murray '.. .Nicola YALE: Vernon L. Norris Vernon Similkameen, Kettle River.. J. R. Brown (Acting) . .Fairview Clinton F. Soues Clinton Yale Division H. P. Christie Ashcroft DOMINION GOVERNMENT LANDS All the lands in British Columbia within twenty miles on each side of the Canadian Pacific Railway main line are the property of Canada, with all the timber and minerals they contain (except precious metals.) This tract of land, known as the Railway Belt, with its timber, hay, water-powers, coal and stone, is now administered by the Department of the Interior of Canada, practically according to the same laws and regulations as are the public lands in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Territories. Dominion Government Agencies are established at Kamloops and New Westminster. The Dominion Government also owns 3,500,000 acres of land in the Peace River country, between the 120th and 122nd meridians. Any British subject who is the sole head of a family, or any male of the age of 18 years, may secure a homestead of 160 acres on any unoccupied land within the Railway Belt, on application to the local Land Agent, and on payment of a fee of $10. The homesteader must reside on the land for six months in every year, and cultivate at least 15 acres for three years, when he will be entitled to a free grant or patent. CANADIAN PACIFIC LANDS The Canadian Pacific Railway Company controls large areas of farming, fruit, ranching and timber lands in the Kootenay and Boundary Districts. Generally speaking, the prices for agricultural lands are as follows:— SO fckiTlSH COLUMBIA—&A-LWAY LANDS' — ■«n.^T»»-7,.f,iT,„ i, , i -i i in. ^..'u.-..."..^. ,.,.>.a First Class Lands.—Lands suitable for agricultural purposes in their present condition, or which are capable of being brought under cultivation profitably by the clearing of the timber thereon, or which are wild hay meadow lands. Price, $5 per acre. Second Class Lands.—Lands which are suitable for agricultural purposes only when irrigated. Price, $2.50 per acre. Third Class Lands.—Mountainous and rocky tracts of land, unfit for agricultural purposes, and which cannot under any reasonable condition be brought under cultivation. Price, $1 per acre. In addition to the foregoing prices for land as set forth in the above classification the purchaser will be charged $1.00 per thousand feet board measure for all the timber which the land is found to contain at the time of making the application to purchase. The payments for the timber will run concurrently with those for the land. Any land in the Columbia and Western land grant (Boundary District) which contains timber fit for manufacture into lumber to the extent of 3,000 feet board measure to the acre does not come under the heading of agricultural land but will only be disposed of under the provisions of the Company's regulations for the sale of Columbia and Western timber lands which call for the payment of the land at $1.00 per acre and for all the timber upon it at the rate of $1.00 per thousand. The total purchase price to be divided into five annual instalments payable with interest thereon at the rate of six per cent, per annum. In the remaining grants the limit for agricultural lands is fixed at 5,000 feet board measure to the acre. The terms of purchase for timber lands are $1.00 per acre for the land and $1.00 per thousand for all the timber which it is found to contain. The terms for the total purchase price are one-tenth cash and the balance in nine equal annual instalments, with interest at six per cent. The minimum area sold is 160 acres for agricultural lands, and 640 acres for timber land, and all lands must be purchased in square or rectangular parcels, viz.: 160 acres must measure 40 chains by 40 chains; 320 acres must measure 80 chains by 40 chains; and 640 acres must measure 80 chains by 80 chains. Interest at six per cent, is payable on all outstanding amounts of principal, and also on overdue instalments. If land is paid for in full at the time of purchase, a discount of ten per cent, will be allowed on the amount so paid in excess of the usual cash instalment, but no reduction will be allowed on subsequent payment of instalments in advance of maturity. All payments on account of the purchase of lands from this Company must be remitted direct to the office of the British Columbia Land Commissioner for the Canadian Pacific Railway at Calgary, Alberta; no agent for the Company being allowed to receive or give receipt for money, or to bind the Company by any act whatsoever. One-half of the amount paid by new settlers for fares on the railway lines of the Canadian Pacific Railway in travelling to British Columbia will be applied, on furnishing receipts for fare, on account of the second instalment if land is purchased from that Company in the districts referred to. In addition to these dues, the lessee must pay all the Government royalties and taxes and arrange and bear the expense of any surveys which may prove necessary to define his limits. Mo:re detailed particulars regarding the Company's agricultural £R_TISH COLUMBIA—RAILWAY tANt>§ SI and timber lands can be obtained from J. S. Dennis, Assistant to Second Vice-President, Calgary, Alberta, and from any of the following local land agents of the Company:—- East Kootenay (Central)—R. R. Bruce, Wilmer. East Kootenay (Southern)—E. Mallandaine, Creston; V. Hyde Baker, Cranbrook; I. H. Wilson, Wardner; J. Austin, Elko. West Kootenay—H. and M. Bird, Nelson; W. J. Devitt, Trail; Thos. Abriel, Nakusp. Yale District—J. A. McCallum, Grand Forks; F. W. McLaine, Greenwood; J. R. Mitchell, Penticton. Kamloops District—Sibbald and Field, Revelstoke; F. J. Fulton, Kamloops. The Company is also interested in the following townsites, where local agents may be consulted as to price of lots:—Elko, Cranbrook, Kimberly, Proctor, Creston, Nelson, Nakusp, Arrowhead, Revelstoke, Kamloops, Donald, Gerrard, Castlegar, Cascade, Eholt, Grand Forks, Greenwood and Midway. ESQUIMALT & NANAIMO RAILWAY LANDS The Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Company owns nearly 1,500,000 acres of agricultural, timber and mineral lands on Vancouver Island, extending from Otter Point on the south-west coast to Crown Mountain in the Comox district, which include within their boundaries all the flourishing farming, mining, lumbering and fishing communities along the east coast and the line of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway, a tract recognized to be the choicest portion of Vancouver Island. This magnificent estate is being systematically explored by the Company, whose intention it is to clear the available agricultural land of timber and divide it into convenient sized lots, when it will be offered for sale to fruit-growers, farmers, poultry and dairy men, at reasonable prices and on favorable terms. As the interior is explored it is the intention of the Company to extend the railway and build branches into the most desirable valleys to afford easy access to the agricultural, timber and mineral lands. Fuller information regarding these lands may be had by application to the Land Department, Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Company, Victoria, British Columbia. PRICES OF LAND Apart from the Government and railway company's lands, there is a great deal of desirable land owned by companies and individuals, the price of which varies with locality, quality of soil and cost of clearing or irrigation. For the purpose of comparison the topography and climatic conditions seem to lend themselves to a natural division of the province into the following districts:— 1. The Upper Mainland.—All the country to the eastward of the Coast Range, and including the large cattle ranges and what is known as the Dry Belt. 2. The Lower Mainland.—All that portion of the sea coast to the westward of the Coast Range, and including the rich delta lands of the Fraser River. This part of the country is generally heavily wooded with big timber and is the wettest part of the province. J 52 BRITISH COLUMBIA PRICES OF LAND 3. The Islands.—All that portion including Vancouver Island and the adjacent islands. This division partakes somewhat of the characteristic of the two others, and resembles the first in the distribution of the flora and the less precipitation. Division No. 1 includes the Boundary Country, Similkameen, Okanagan Lake, Okanagan, Shuswap Lake, Thompson River Valley (upper and lower), Nicola, Upper Fraser Valley, Chilcotin and Cariboo Waggon Road. Improved or partly cleared land in the Boundary District is held at about $50 to $150 per acre. Similkameen, $50 to $200, the latter being irrigated. Okanagan Lake, $100 to $300, irrigated and improved land, and from $5 to $50 for non-irrigated. Okanagan bush land, $5 to $20; partly cleared and improved, $10 to $50 and up to $100 per acre. Shuswap and Upper Thompson Valley, prices about the same as Okanagan. Land may be bought at Lower rates than those quoted in Nicola, Upper Fraser Valley, Chilcotin and Cariboo. It is hard to give definite figures as the country is so extensive and conditions are so varied. Division No. 2 includes Delta, Surrey, Langley, Matsqui, Sumas, Chilliwack, South Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Mission, Dewdney, Nicomen and Kent, and prices of land vary very much. The .unimproved land is held at $5 to $20, while reclaimed (dyked) land sells for $40 up to $150. Division No. 3 embraces Victoria, Esquimalt, Metchosin, Sooke, Highland, Lake, Saanich, Cowichan, Nanaimo, Comox, Alberni, San Juan and Fort Rupert Districts and the numerous islands of the Gulf of Georgia. As in other parts of the province there are no fixed prices for land. They vary with locality and the estimates of the owners. Wild land, mostly heavily timbered, can be bought from $5 to $10 per acre, while improved land ranges from $20 to $300 according to value of improvement. While some of these prices may be thought high, the cost of clearing the land of timber must be considered, also that a small farm well located and well tilled in British Columbia will produce more and return bigger profits than a much larger area of land in most other countries. TAXATION Outside of incorporated cities, towns and municipalities, the taxation is imposed and collected directly by the Provincial Government and expended in public improvements, roads, trails, wharves, bridges, etc., in assisting and maintaining the schools, and in the administration of justice. The rates of taxation are as follows:— On Real Property 3-5 of one per cent, of assessed value On Personal Property 3-5 of one per cent, of assessed value On Wild Land 4 per cent. On Coal Landj Class A (working mines) 1 per cent. On Coal Land, Class B (unworked mines) 2 per cent. On Timber Land 2 per cent. On income of $2,000 or under \\x/2 per cent. On income over $2,000 and not exceeding $3,000 \\$i per cent. On income over $3,000 and not exceeding $4,000 2 per cent. On income over $4,000 and not exceeding $7,000 3 per cent. On income over $7,000 4 per cent. BRITISH COLUMBIA TAXATION 53 Discount of 10 per cent, allowed if paid before June 30th, and the following exemptions from taxation are granted:— On personal property up to $500 (to farmers only). Farm and orchard products, and income from farm. On income up to $1,000. On pre-empted land for two years from date of record and an exemption of $500 for four years after record. In addition to above taxes, royalty is reserved on coal, timber and minerals. EDUCATION The province affords excellent educational opportunities. The school system is free and non-sectarian, and is equally as efficient as that of any other province in the Dominion. The expenditure for educational purposes amounts to over $400,000 annually. The Government builds a school-house, makes a grant for incidental expenses and pays a teacher in every district where twenty children between the ages of six and sixteen can be brought together. For outlying farming districts and mining camps this arrangement is very advantageous. High schools are also established in cities, where classics and higher mathematics are taught. Several British Columbia cities also now have charge of their own public and high schools, and these receive a very liberal per capita grant in aid from the Provincial Government. The minimum salary paid to teachers is $50 per month in rural districts, up to $150 in city and high schools. Attendance in public schools is compulsory. The Education Department is presided over by a Minister of the Crown. There are also a Superintendent and four Inspectors in the province, also boards of trustees in each district. According to the last educational report, there are 391 schools in operation, of which 13 are high, 65 graded and 283 common. The number of pupils enrolled in 1907 was 30,039, and of teachers, 735. The public school system was established in 1872, with 28 schools, 28 teachers, and 1,028 pupils. Its growth proves that education has not been neglected in British Columbia. The high schools are distributed as follows:—Victoria (Victoria College), Vancouver (Vancouver College), New Westminster, Nanaimo, Nelson, Rossland, Cumberland, Vernon, Kaslo, Chilliwack, Grand Forks, Kamloops, Armstrong, Golden and Revelstoke. There is a Provincial Normal School at Vancouver, and many excellent private colleges and boarding schools. Victoria and Vancouver Colleges are affiliated to McGill University, Montreal, and have high school and university departments. The Legislature recently passed an Act providing for the establishment of The University of British Columbia, for the endowment of which two million acres of the public lands have been set apart SOCIAL CONDITIONS The population of British Columbia, widely scattered and composed of many nationalities, is singularly peaceful and law-abiding. Life and property are better protected and individual rights more respected in the isolated mining communities than in some of the great centres of civilization. The province though new as compared with older countries, enjoys all the necessaries and many of the luxuries and conveniences of modern life. There are few towns which are not provided with waterworks, electric lights and telephones. The 54 BRITISH COLUMBIA SOCIAL CONDITIONS hotels are usually clean and comfortable, and the stores well stocked with every possible requirement. There is little individual poverty. A general prosperity is the prevailing condition throughout the country, for none need be idle or penniless who is able and willing to work. The larger towns are well supplied with libraries and reading rooms, and the Provincial Government has a system of travelling libraries, by which the rural districts are furnished free with literature of the best description. The spiritual welfare of the people is promoted by representatives of all the Christian denominations, and there are few communities, however small, which have not one or more churches with resident clergymen. All the cities and larger towns have well-equipped hospitals, supported by Government grants and private subscriptions, and few of the smaller towns are without cottage hospitals. Daily newspapers are published in the larger places, and every mining camp has its weekly or semi-weekly paper. ADVICE TO IMMIGRANTS There is no country within the British Empire which offers more inducements to men of energy and industry than British Columbia. To the practical farmer, miner, lumberman, fisherman, horticulturist and dairyman it offers a comfortable living and ultimate independence, if he begins right, perseveres and takes advantage of his opportunities. The skilled mechanic has also a good chance to establish himself and the laborer will scarcely fail to find employment. The man without a trade, the clerk, the accountant and the semi-professional man, is warned, however, that his chances for employment are by no means good. Much depends upon the individual, for where many fail one may secure a position and win success, but men in search of employment in offices or warehouses, and who are unable or unwilling to turn their hands to any kind of manual labor in an emergency, would do well to stay away from British Columbia unless they have sufficient means to support themselves for six months or a year while seeking a situation. The class of immigrants whose chances of success are greatest is the man of small or moderate means, possessing energy, good health and self reliance, with the faculty of adaptability to his new surroundings. He should have at least £300 ($1,500) to £500 ($2,500) on arrival in the province, sufficient to "look around" before locating permanently, make his first payment on his land and support himself and family while awaiting returns from his first crop. This applies to a man taking up mixed farming. It is sometimes advisable for the new-comer to work for wages for a time until he learns the "ways of the country." To avoid the risk of loss the immigrant from Great Britain should pay the mone}^ not wanted on the passage to the Dominion Express Company's office in London, Liverpool or Glasgow, and get a money order payable at any point in British Columbia; or he may pay his money to any bank in London having an agency in British Columbia, such as the Bank of Montreal, Canadian Bank of Commerce, Bank of British North America, Imperial Bank, etc. This suggestion applies with equal force to persons coming from Eastern Canada or the United States. United States currency is taken at par in business circles. BRITISH COLUMBIA SETTLERS EFFECTS ' 55 The Provincial Government or Canadian Pacific and Esquimalt & Nanaimo Agents at points of arrival will furnish information as to lands open for settlement, farms for sale, rates of wages, etc. SETTLERS' EFFECTS FREE Settlers' Effects, viz.:—Wearing apparel, books, usual and reasonable household furniture and other household effects; instruments and tools of trade, occupation or employment; guns, musical instruments, domestic sewing machines, typewriters, bicycles, carts, wagons, and other highway vehicles; agricultural implements and live stock for the farm, not*to include live stock or articles for sale, or for use as a contractor's outfit, nor vehicles, nor implements moved by mechanical power, nor machinery for use in any manufacturing establishment; all the foregoing if actually owned abroad by the settler for at least six months before his removal to Canada, and subject to regulations by the Minister of Customs, may be brought into Canada free of duty; provided that any dutiable articles entered as settlers' effects may not be so entered unless brought by the settler on his first arrival and shall not be sold or otherwise disposed of without payment of duty until after twelve months' actual use in Canada. A settler may bring into Canada free of duty live stock for the farm on the following basis, if he has actually owned such live stock abroad for at least -six months before his removal to Canada and has brought them into Canada within one year after his arrival, viz.:— If horses only are brought in, 16 allowed; if cattle only are brought in, 16 allowed; if sheep only are brought in, 60 allowed; if swine only are brought in, 60 allowed. If horses, cattle, sheep and swine are brought in together, or part of each, the same proportions as above are to be observed. Duty is to be paid on live stock in excess of the number above provided for. For customs entry purposes, a mare with a colt under six months old is to be reckoned as one animal; a cow with a calf under six months old is also to be reckoned as one animal. HOW TO REACH BRITISH COLUMBIA From Europe—The steamers of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Atlantic liners, from about 20th November to 1st of May, land their passengers at St. John, N.B. From the 1st May to 20th November passengers are landed at Quebec or Montreal, and if they come by New York or Boston vessel, the route west is by Montreal. The Continent is crossed in the trains of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the only change being at Montreal. Colonists should apply, in case of need, to the local immigration officers of the Canadian Pacific Railway, or of the Government of the Dominion of Canada, who will give honest advice and information. Intending passengers can obtain tickets through to British Columbia, together with the fullest information, from agents of the Canadian Pacific Railway in London, Liverpool, Bristol and Glasgow. From the United States—From Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and California, via Sumas, at the international boundary, Nelson, Rossland or Vancouver. From the Dakotas, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, via the Soo-Pacific Line, entering Canada at North Portal and Emerson, in the Canadian Northwest and connecting with the Canadian Pacific Railway. BRITISH COLUMBIA CITIES AND TOWNS Cities and Towns Vancouver—The commercial metropolis and mainland terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, incorporated in 1886, is the largest centre of population, estimated at over 80,000. The trade of the city is large and steadily increasing as it is a principal distributing point for the northern and interior districts, and the home port of the Canadian Pacific Railway Royal Mail steamships to China and Japan, the Canadian-Australian Royal Mail steamships to Australia and New Zealand, and other lines to Mexico and California. The bank clearings show remarkable progress, the figures for three years being:—1905-6, $95,744,201; 1906-7, $147,958,191; 1907-8, $191,250,100, an increase of 100 per cent. The customs revenue for 1907-8, $3,339,198, shows an increase over that of 1906-7 ($2,172,- 930) of $1,166,268. Vancouver Harbor is one of the finest in the world, land-locked and sheltered from all points, and roomy and deep enough for the largest vessels. The City of Vancouver possesses many fine public buildings, business blocks and private residences and new structures are being continually added. The churches, schools, libraries, hotels and clubs are quite equal to buildings of similar class in the older cities of the east and give one the impression of solidity and permanency. The Hotel Vancouver, owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, is one of the best equipped in Canada, and is well known to world travellers. One of Vancouver's great attractions is the magnificent Stanley Park with its groves of great towering firs and cedars, a wonder and delight to visitors. In addition to the Canadian Pacific Railway Transpacific fleet of steamships, Vancouver has connections by land and sea with all important points on the coast and in the interior. The steamships of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Pacific Coast Service, and other lines ply between the city and places along the coast as far north as Alaska and south to San Francisco. The splendid Canadian Pacific Railway steamers "Princess Victoria" and "Princess Charlotte," the fastest and most luxuriously equipped boats on the Pacific, make daily trips between Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle (Washington). Direct railway connection is made with every point on the continent, from Halifax to Mexico. The city has a very complete electric railway system, with extensions to New Westminster and Lulu Island. The water supply is unlimited and of superior quality, and the sewerage system is constructed on modern lines. Telephone connection is had by cable with Victoria and other cities and towns on Vancouver Island, as well as all points in the Fraser Valley, and the City of Seattle. A recently constructed water tunnel provides a water power sufficient to develop 300,000 horse power. Victoria is the seat of Government and the capital of British Columbia. It is charmingly situated on the southeast of Vancouver BRITISH COLUMBIA CITIES AND TOWNS 57 Island, and for climate and surroundings has no rival in Canada. Victoria* is the oldest town in the province, dating back to 1846 when it was known as Camosun, a Hudson Bay Company's trading post. The city leaped into prominence during the gold excitement in 1858 and grew rapidly in trade and population. It is substantially built, there being many fine stone and brick blocks in the business portion, while the private houses surrounded by beautiful lawns, gardens, shrubberies, are picturesque and cosey. The Parliament Building, overlooking James Bay, is one of the finest examples of architecture in America. It contains fine collections of natural history, mineral, agricultural and horticultural specimens, and is a centre of great interest to visitors. Beacon Hill Park, a natural pleasure ground, facing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, affords one of the most magnificent views in the world, the snow-clad heights of the Olympian Range and the noble dome-like Mount Baker forming the background of an enthralling picture. Victoria Arm and the Gorge form one of the most beautiful sketches of inland water imaginable, and there are many other delightful bays and inlets which lend peculiar attraction and variety to the scene. With such a wealth of natural beauty Victoria is fast becoming the Mecca of the tourist, many thousands from all parts of the world visiting the city every year. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company has just- completed the "Empress Hotel," a magnificent building, most luxuriously furnished and equipped with all the modern appliances. It is acknowledged by travellers from all parts of the world to be one of the most beautiful and comfortable hotels on the Continent; it faces the inner harbor, and with the adjacent Parliament Building, presents an imposing picture to travellers arriving by steamer. In addition to its beauty and attractiveness, the city is an important business and industrial centre. It shares with Vancouver the northern trade and that of the interior, and its shipping, lumbering, mining, sealing and fishing interests are very considerable and showing evidences of increases. The development of the resources of Vancouver Island must naturally benefit Victoria, and there is a conviction in the minds of her citizens that the city has entered upon an era of substantial progress. The volume of trade for 1907-8 shows an increase of over a million for the year, and there was also a substantial increase in the tonnage of vessels arriving and departing. The city is growing steadily in population (estimated at 30,000), many persons of independent means choosing it as a place of residence, while new enterprises are giving employment to more laborers and artisans. Victoria is the first port of call for the Transpacific liners and northern steamers, as well as all the big freighters which round the Horn for Puget Sound points. It is the home port of the Victoria sealing fleet, the Canadian Pacific Railway Pacific Coast Service and of many coasting vessels. Daily communication is had with Vancouver, Seattle, and other points, and there is a tri-weekly service to San Francisco. The distance between Victoria and Seattle is 80 miles, and Victoria and Vancouver 84 miles, the Canadian Pacific Railway steamers "Princess Victoria" and "Princess Charlotte" making the triangular run twice daily during the tourist season. The city has an electric street railway system and gas and electric light services. The business streets are paved and -well kept and cement sidewalks are being laid on all the principal thoroughfares. 58 BRITISH COLUMBIA CITIES AND TOWNS The waterworks and sewerage system are being extended to meet the requirements. There is telephone connection with all the principal points on the Island and Lower Mainland and with Seattle. Esquimalt, Victoria's western suburb, was until recently headquarters of His Majesty's Royal Navy's North Pacific Fleet, but the ships, with the exception of one or two, have been withdrawn and Canada has undertaken the maintenance of the fortifications, which are among the strongest in the Empire. Esquimalt has a fine harbor, formerly used exclusively by the navy, which may now be opened to merchant vessels. Alberni will be the terminus of western extension of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway, which is operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The town and valley of the same name is reached by auto or stage from Nanaimo, a distance of fifty-four miles. It has also easy access to the ocean by means of the Inlet known as the Alberni Canal and Barclay Sound. The Alberni Valley is 25 miles long by five miles broad, extending in a north-westerly direction. To the east it is guarded by the Beaufort Range of hills, while to the west it is bounded by a sea of yet unnamed mountains. This valley has a most beautiful situation, well watered by large rivers and smaller streams, a salubrious climate, and the soil enriched by deposits washed down from the mountains, it bids fair in the near future to become one of the gardens of Vancouver Island. The soil is generally a red loam underlain with gravel and sand, well suited for fruit growing. Dairy farming has been the principal industry, largely on account of want of local market for the produce raised and also because of the lack of transportation, which will soon be remedied, as this will all be changed by the advent of the railway. The main valley, with its hillsides and the smaller valleys leading into it are clothed with a wealth of the finest timber in British Columbia, soon to fall before the axe of the lumberman. The railway company has leased sites at the new town to erect four large lumber mills that will be ready for operation as soon as the railroad is completed, which will be in about two years. These mills, with their lumber camps, will afford a ready market for the produce that will be grown in the valley and employment for a large number of men. The Townsite of Alberni has a most happy situation; it has a harbor a mile wide by a mile and a half long, with good anchorage free from dangers, reached by a deep fiord from the ocean. That it will be the centre of the west coast trade is certain, and as a place for manufactures it has many advantages. It has unlimited water and practically unlimited water power; coal can be shipped in from Nanaimo or Comox and transportation facilities will be the best. The site of the town has a gentle slope to the west, is free from rock and has a gravelly or shaley subsoil, which affords good sanitation. To the sportsman and tourist the district offers many attractions; from the largest elk or wapiti found in the thickest recesses, to the nimble deer feeding in the cabbage patch, from the blue grouse of the pine to the white ptarmigan of the snow-capped mountain range— all await him who will leave the beaten track of civilization. The scenery between the east and west coast to be traversed by the railway is magnificent and entrancing. The follower of Isaac Walton will find the gamiest of speckled trout in abundance alike in the rivers and in great sheets of water like Sprouts Lake and great BRITISH COLUMBIA CITIES AND TOWNS 59 Carbool Lakes, lie those speckled trout, which afford such sport as only game fish can. A few years will undoubtedly work a great change in Alberni- From a small village it will grow into a seaport and manufacturing city, with a flourishing farming country around it. Ladysmith, on Oyster Harbor, east coast of Vancouver Island, is one of the youngest towns in the province. It is the shipping port for the adjacent Extension coal mines, and the transfer point for through freight between the Island and mainland. The Canadian Pacific Railway ferries freight trains, from Vancouver to Ladysmith where they are transferred to the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway for distribution to Island points. Most of the miners working in the Extension mines live at Ladysmith,. which has a population of 3,500. Ladysmith is an important coaling station for coasters and ocean going craft, and ships load cargoes of coal for California and other foreign countries. The Tyee Copper Company operates a smelter and there are several minor industries which add to the prosperity of the town. The Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Company is clearing a tract of agricultural land at this point, adjoining the city limits, which is being subdivided into five acre lots, and which will be# sold to actual settlers only. These lots will be on the market in April, 1909. Being adjacent to a thriving town with all its accompanying conveniences, these will be particularly desirable lots for fruit culture, poultry raising, etc., on a limited scale. The land is well located on ground sloping gently to the waters of Oyster Bay, affording a magnificent view of that harbor and the surrounding islands. Nanaimo, the "Coal City," is 72 miles from Victoria, on a fine harbor, on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Its chief industry is coal mining, but latterly it has become important as a centre of the herring fishery. It is also the chief town of an extensive farming and fruit growing country. The city has a good water system, and electric lights, telephones and gas. Nanaimo coal is shipped to California, Hawaii and China, and it is a coaling station for oceangoing steamships. The Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway connects Nanaimo with Victoria, and there is a daily steamer service to Vancouver. The population is estimated at 7,000. New Westminster is situated on the Fraser River, about 16 miles from the mouth, and 12 miles from Vancouver. It is the centre of the salmon canning industry and enjoys a-big share of the lumber trade. Being the depot for a large agricultural country, New Westminster market is the most important in the province—the farmer's mart and clearing house. The city was the capital of the Crown Colony of British Columbia before Confederation, and was destroyed by fire in 1898, but through the energy of its citizens, it has been rebuilt and greatly improved. Among the public buildings are the Penitentiary and the Provincial Asylum for the Insane. The city owns and operates an electric light plant, and has an excellent water supply, and electric street railway and telephone systems. A fine steel railway and traffic bridge, built by the Provincial Government at a cost of $1,000,000, spans the Fraser River at New Westminster. There is an inter-urban electric railway connecting the city with Vancouver, and a branch line of the Canadian Pacific Railway connects it with the main line at Westminster Junction. An annual w=_- 60 BRITISH COLUMBIA CITIES AND TOWNS event of importance is the holding of a Provincial Exhibition of Agricultural and Industrial Products, which attracts exhibitors from all parts of the Province. The population is about 12,000. Rossland, the mining centre of West Kootenay, has grown in a few years from an obscure mining camp to a well ordered, substantial city of about 5,500. Rossland's mines are famed the world over, and their development is proving their permanency. The city is eight miles from the United States boundary on a branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and is provided with all the modern conveniences, waterworks, electric lights, telephones, etc. The hotels, banks and business houses are of a substantial character and would do credit to any town of similar size. Nelson, situated on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, has a population of 7,000. It is a well laid out and solidly built town, the principal buildings being of brick and stone. It is the^ judicial centre of Kootenay, and an important wholesale business point. Its altitude, 1,760 feet above sea level, renders the climate equable and salubrious, and makes it a desirable place of residence. The chief industries are mining and lumbering, and of late years fruit growing has received a good deal of attention, the shores of the West Arm being found well adapted to all kinds of fruit, which grow to perfection and ripen early. The city is lighted by electricity and has an electric street car service. Excellent fishing and shooting may be had in the neighborhood. Nelson is connected with the rnain line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Crowsnest Pass Railway and the Great Northern by branch lines and steamers. The Hall ALL GRAINS DO WELL IN BRITISH COLUMBIA BRITISH COLUMBIA CITIES AND TOWNS 61 AUTOMOBILES IN STANLEY PARK, VANCOUVER Mines Smelter, which handles a large tonnage of ore annually, is situated at Nelson. Kaslo is an important trade centre on the west shore of Kootenay Lake. It is supplied with good stores, hotels, churches and schools, waterworks, electric lights and telephones. The population is about 2,000. Trail, on the Columbia River, 14 miles by rail from Rossland, is an important industrial point. Here is located the Canadian Smelting Company's immense plant, including a lead and silver refinery and a lead pipe factory, the only establishment of the kind in Canada. The population is between 1,500 and 2,000. Trail is supplied with water and electricity, has good hotels, churches and well stocked stores, being a supply depot for the numerous mines in the vicinity. It is the terminus of the Rossland branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Cranbrook, the chief divisional point on the Crowsnest Pass Railway, is situated in a beautiful wooded prairie near the southern end of the Kootenay River Valley. It is an important business place, the centre of a fine agricultural and lumbering district, and a distributing point for supplies. The population is about 3,500 and steadily increasing. Four large saw-mills with a daily capacity 62 BRfflSH COLUMBIA—CITIES AND tOWtf§ of about 160,000 feet, are located in the town by a branch railway. It has a good waterworks system, banks, churches, hotels and schools. The building of the Kootenay Central Railway will add much to Cranbrook's wealth and importance. Fernie, 63 miles east of Cranbrook on the Crowsnest Pass Railway, is the present centre of the coal mining industry for this part of British Columbia. Although the town is only eight years old it possesses many of the features of a long established place. The coal mines in and about Fernie are practically inexhaustible, and as the demand for coal and coke is constantly increasing the town is making wonderful progress. The population is estimated at 3,500. Kamloops is an important business place, 250 miles west of Vancouver, on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It is beautifully situated at the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers, both of which are navigable from this point for considerable distances. Kamloops, literally "the meeting of the waters," is one of the oldest settlements in the province, the Hudson Bay Company having established a post there over 80 years ago, which was for a long time the centre of trade for the whole interior. The town is the distributing point for a very large agricultural, ranching and mining country, and is the chief cattle market of British Columbia. It is also the centre of a big lumbering district, and a divisional point of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The adjacent country produces some of the finest fruit grown in the province, apples and peaches attaining an immense size and superior quality. The climate is dry and bracing, with bright sunshine at all seasons, the rainfalls being very light. The city is lighted by electricity, there is a good waterworks system, several well stocked stores, good hotels, ON THE BEACH AT ENGLISH BAY, B.C. BRITISH COLUMBIA—ClTlES AND TOWNS 63 churches, schools, and every other item which goes to make life pleasant and enjoyable. The rivers afford good fishing and the woods are full of all kinds of game, including prairie chicken, grouse and deer. The population is about 3,000. Kamloops has a steamboat service on the Thompson River and Kamloops Lake. Revelstoke, on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway 379 miles east of Vancouver, is a railway divisional point and the gateway to West Kootenay, connection being made there ^with the Arrowhead Branch, which gives access to the Slocan, Kootenay, Boundary and Crowsnest countries. The town is growing rapidly, being the centre of a good mining and lumbering district. The Canadian Pacific Railway has a fine hotel at Revelstoke and there are several good stores and other business and industrial establishments. The population is about 3,500. Grand Forks, situated at the junction of the main Kettle River with its North Fork, occupies an important position as the gateway to Kettle River Valley and the centre of a rich mining district. A few years ago it was a ranchers' ford on the Dewdney Trail; to-day it is a bustling town of 2,600 inhabitants, with splendid waterworks, electric light and telephone systems, broad streets lined with fine business blocks and comfortable dwellings. The chief industry of the town is the Granby Smelter, the largest and most complete plant of its kind in America. This smelter treats from 2,500 to 3,000 tons of ore daily, producing blister copper 98>^ per cent, fine There are many other industrial establishments, including four saw-mills, a foundrv, machine shop, bottling works, etc. The GRAND FORKS, B.C. __«_--, 64 BRITISH COLUMBIA CITIES AND TOWNS churches, hospitals, schools, stores and hotels are equal to those found in any western town. The merchants enjoy a good trade drawn from the surrounding district. Close to the town is the Riverside Nursery, which has twenty acres in nursery stock, comprising more than 200,000 young fruit trees and seedlings. The Covert Ranch, with over 11,000 fruit trees in bloom in the early spring, or loaded down with delicious fruit in the autumn, is the delight of every visitor to Grand Forks. Greenwood, located at the junction of Twin Creek with Boundary Creek, is also an important commercial and mining centre. Roads radiate from the town in all directions, giving access to the numerous mining camps, from which it derives its trade. The British Columbia Copper Company's smelter, situated at Anaconda, a suburb of Greenwood, has a capacity of about 2,000 tons per day. The smelter and mines give employment to about 1,000 men, mostly residents of the town. Greenwood is lighted by electricity, and is well supplied with saw-mills and other industries. The revival in mining and the probability of the Boundary district securing more railway accommodation are accepted as sure signs that Greenwood and all other towns in the district are on the eve of an era of great prosperity. Population of Greenwood is about 2,500. Vernon is the centre and supply depot for the Okanagan District, and is surrounded by a splendid farming, cattle and fruit country. It is the terminus of the Shuswap and Okanagan Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and has steamboat connection, via Okanagan Landing, 5 miles south, with all points on Okanagan Lake. The town is pretty and homelike, the climate delightful at all seasons, and its inhabitants are prosperous and energetic. The population is about 2,500. Armstrong, population 750, and Enderby, population 700, on the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway, 9 miles apart, are prosperous growing towns and rivals for the trade of the fine agricultural country which surrounds them. Each has saw-mills, flour-mills, brick-yards and other industries, while both are important shipping points for lumber, flour, fruit and farm produce. Kelowna, 33 miles south of Vernon, is a prosperous town enjoying a good trade as the supply point for the Mission Valley and Sunnyside districts. The town has a tobacco factory, supplied by locally grown leaf, a saw-mill, fruit packing house and other industrial establishments, and good stores, hotels, churches and schools. Population 1,500. PEachland, population 400, and Summerland, population 800, on the west coast of Okanagan Lake, are in the heart of the peach district and are growing steadily as the lands in the vicinity are rapidly filling up. Sicamous, the gateway to Okanagan, is a station on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, 334 miles east of Vancouver, and the northern terminus of the Shuswap and Okanagain Railway. It is a favorite summer resort, famed for its hotel, which is one of the best appointed and most comfortable in the province. There are many other towns and villages of growing importance in the province, of which space precludes special mention. - 122° LONGITUDE 121° WEST 120° FROM 119° GREENWICH 1, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND PART OF WESTERN CANADA, SHOWING THE LINES OF CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY SCALE OF STATUTE MILES. TO JAPAN AND CHINA "Empress of India," "Empress of Japan," "Empress of China," and " Monteagle," Sailing between Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., and Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki, Japan, and Shanghai and Hong Kong, China. THE SHORTEST AND SMOOTHEST ROUTE ACROSS THE PACIFIC CANADIAN—AUSTRALIAN ROYAL MAIL S.S. LINE: The Royal Mail Steamships MOANA, AORANGI, MARAMA and MAKURA S1** a service every four weeks between Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., and Sydney, N.S.W., via Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, Suva, Fiji (from which New Zealand can be reached) and Brisbane. Passengers booked from London or Liverpool, New York, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, or any of the principal cities of Canada and the United States. ^ These vessels carry an experienced medical man and a stewardess on each voyage, and are in everv respect superior to any other ships that have as yet sailed the Pacific Ocean. y For passage, handbooks of information or guide to China and Japan, apply to :— Geo. McL. Brown, Gen Traf Agt 62 and 65 Charing Cross, S.W., and 67 and 68 King William St., E.C., Ifvln&SPIV 2t "ft"0?8 no NLlvei??ol.V18 St* Augustine's Parade, Bristol; 67 St. Vincent St., Glasgow 41 Victoria St., Belfast; 92 Cross St.. Manchester. «=s«« , H. S. Carmichael, General Passenger Agent, .. 24 Tameu St Tivprnnni w™:>"""@en ; edm:hasType "Books"@en ; dcterms:identifier "SPAM29637"@en ; edm:isShownAt "10.14288/1.0056415"@en ; dcterms:language "English"@en ; edm:provider "Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library"@en ; dcterms:publisher "[Montreal] : Canadian Pacific Railway Company"@en ; edm:currentLocation "Rare Books and Special Collections ASRS storage"@en ; dcterms:rights "These images are provided for research and reference use only. Written permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these images must be obtained from Rare Books & Special Collections http://www.library.ubc.ca/spcoll/"@en ; dcterms:source "University of British Columbia. Library. Rare Books and Special Collections. SPAM29637"@en ; dcterms:subject "Canadian immigration literature"@en, "Land settlement--British Columbia"@en, "Industries--British Columbia"@en, "British Columbia--Description and travel"@en ; dcterms:title "British Columbia, Canada's Pacific province : its natural resources, advantages and climate"@en ; dcterms:type "Text"@en ; dcterms:description ""@en .