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skos:note """ ■SV-OtfBi*'
I ^vseV'4UL£S HONE, Jr. .
p .O^y Passgf. * froigM Agent
Cenadi-o Pacific fty.
British
Columbia
1904 ^^3mV\\ M j British
Columbia
Canada's
Most
Westerly
Province
Its Position,
Advantages,
Resources
and Climate
NEW FIELDS FOR
Mining, Farming, Lumbering, Fruit
Growing and Rancning
REACHED BY THE
Canadian Pacific Railway.
A HANDBOOK OF TRUSTWORTHY INFORMATION.
1904 INDEX TO CONTENTS
~~ ~~ ~ PAGE
Introduction ' 3
Coast and Harbors 4
Eivers and Lakes 7 -s
The Kootenay District 8
East Kootenay 8
West Kootenay 16
Yale District 24
Boundary District 27
Okanagan Valley 29
Nicola Valley 32
Lillooet District 39
Cariboo District 39
, Cassiar District 41
Omineca District 41
Atlin District 42
Westminster District 45
Vancouver Island 52
Minerals of British Columbia 58
Synopsis of B. C. Mining Laws 63
Government Assay Offices 65
Timber 66
Fisheries 67
Lands , 69
Climate ...: • 75
Trade SO
Education 81
Sport... • 82
How to Beach British Columbia 83 BP I Tl SH Canada's
XV. JL X J. \\-J X X Prosperous Province
COLUMBIA Z£c~
British Columbia is the most westerly province of the Dominion
of Canada, and lies immediately to the north of the American States
ot Washington, Idaho and Montana, the 49th parallel of north latitude
forming- the international boundary, and with the summit of the Rocky
Mountains separating it from the district of Alberta in the Northwest
Territories on the east. The province extends northerly to the 60th
degree of north latitiude. Between latitude 54 degis. and 60 degs. it
occupies the whole country between the sea coast and 120 degs. west
longitude, with the exception of a narrow strip along the coast that
belongs to Alaska. Included within its limits are Vancouver Island
and Queen Charlotte Islands and a large portion of the archipelago
of the Pacific. The province has a length of about 700 miles, with an
average width of 450, embracing an area of 383,300 square milss.
British Columbia is one of the richest and most richly endowed provinces of the Dominion, and one abounding in the most varied natural
resources, and is Canada's great western outlet to Japan, China and the
Orient, in general, to Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia to the
whole North Pacific Coast, as well as to the famed gold basin of the
Yukon, which lies directly to the north of it. its trade is increasing
annually, and, through 'its excellent means of communication with all
parts of the globe, has already reached gratifying dimensions. Tfie
high commercial and political importance the province has attained:
is permanently assured :by its commanding geographical position,
which bears a somewhat similar relation to a large portion of the
North American continent thait Great Britain does to Europe for the
trade of the world. The wealth of its manes, forests, waters and soil
is practicaWy illimitable, each .succeeding year demonstrating the
marvellous richness of its varied resources.
British Columbia is a mountainous country, abounding in mineral
wealth, with valleys of splendid arable and pasture land's, magnificent
forests and numberless waterways. Its timber is unequalled in quality. n
quantity and variety; its numerous gold, copper, silver-lead and coal
mines already working or under process of development, and the wide
extent of partly unexplored' territory denote vast areas of mineral
wealth; its fertile valleys indicate great agricultural, horticultural and
fruit growing possibilities; its waters contain untold quantities of the
most valuable fish. These, combined, give British Columbia a wealth
that few countries possess. While large tracts, especially in the
northern part, are practicality -unexplored, the southern, central and
coast portions of the province are entering upon a prosperous era
through the rapid development of their boundless resources, which is
now rendered possible by the increased transportation facilities
afforded flor land and water travel by the Canadian Pacific Railway
years as British Columbia, and it is now offering unsurpassed inducements to the settler in search of a farm, the stockman seeking a ranch,
■the fruit grower in want of an orchard, itihe miner in quest of gold,
silver or other precious metals, the lumberman, the fisherman, the
business man, or the capitalist, whether large or small, who seeks investment for his money. lit is a magnificent country, of great possibilities and certainties to the persevering, frugal and industrious,
and one which offers countless opportunities for all.
A perusal of this pamphlet will give the reader suctti information
•regarding the province that, should he determine upon visiting it with
the intention of remaining, he will be materially aided in ithe selection
of 'his new field of operations without loss of time dr money.
COAST AND HARBORS.
British Columibia has a magnificent ocean frontage of over 1.000
miles, its coast dine on both island and .mainland being sinuous and
indented to a remarkable degree. It has many fine harbors, the principal od* which is located at the entrance of Burrard Inlet, a few miles
north of the mouth of the Fraser River, on which is Vancouver, _he
western terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which, traverses
the Dominion from Atlantic tidewater.
Victoria, on Vancouver Island, 'possesses an outer 'harbor at which
all the ocean liners dock, and an inner harbor for vessels drawing up
to eighteen feet.
Three males from Victoria is Esquimalt harbor,- which is about
•threte WDiles long and something under two miles broad in the widest
part. It has an average depth of six to eight fathoms, and affords
excellent holding ground, the bottom being a tenacious blue clay.
The British Government has built a dry-dock at Bsquimalt with a
length of 450 feet and width of 90 feet at the entrance, to accommod«ute
vessels of larger size. S__k_S«^Hi^ "> \\ -
1
i
fl
<
11 Nanaimo, at the coal mines, has also a commodious and well
sheltered harbor, from' which large shipments of coal are made to
Canadian and United States points, and Ladysmith has also splendid
shipping facilities.
RIVERS AND LAKES.
British Columbia has magnificent waterways; and in several districts they form the principal means of communication.
The principal rivers of British Columbia are the Fraser, the
Columbia, the Thompson, the Kootenay, the Skeena, the Stikine, the
Liard and 'the Peace. The Fraser is the.-great watercourse of the province. It rises in the northern part of ■the Rocky Mountains, runs for
about 200 miles in two branches in a westerly direction, and then in
one stream runs due south for nearly 400 miles before turning to rush
through ithe gorges of the Coast range to the Straits of Georgia, Its
total length is about 740 miles. On its way it receives the waters of
the Thompson, the Chiiicoten, the Lillooet, the Nicola, the Harrison,
the Pitt, and numerous other streams. For .the last 80 miles of its
course it flows .through a wide alluvial plain, which 'has mainly been
deposited from its own silt. It is navigable for vessels drawing
twenty feet to New Westminster, about fifteen miles from its mouth,
and for light draught river boats to Tale, a small town .110 miles from
the mouth, and again for smaller cnaft for about 60 miles of its course
through the northern interior, from Quesnel Mouth to Soda Creek in
Carihoo.
The Columbia, a large river rising 'in the southeastern part of the
province, in the neighborhood of the Rocky Mountains, near Kootenay
Lake, runs north beyond the 52nd degree of latitude, when it takes a'
sudden turn and runs due south into the State of Washin&tron. It ;s
this loop made by the abrupt turn of the river that is known as the
" Big Bend of the Columbia." The Columbia drains an area of 195,000
The Kootenay, which rises near the head waters of the Columbia,
flows south through East Kootenay into the States of Montana and
Idaho, and returning to British Columbia, empties into Kootenay
Lake, its waters again being discharged through the Lower Kootenay
River into the returning branch of the Columbia some distance south
of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The Peace River rises some distance north of the north bend of
the Fraser, and flows eastwardly through the Rocky Mountains,
draining the plains on the other side. Gold discoveries at its head
waters have been reported in recent years, but the river more properly
belongs to the district east of the Mountains. The Thompson River has two branches, known as the North
Thompson and the South Thompson. The former rises In small lakes
in the Cariboo District, and the other in the Shuswap Lakes in the
Yale District. They join at Kamloops, and flow out of Kamloops Lake
into the Fraser River at Lytton.
The Stikine flows into the Pacific Ocean through a short stretch
of Alaskan territory, and forms the main artery of communication for
a large portion of the province north of latitude 57 degrees, and for
years has been regularly navigated. The Cassiar mining district is
reached by it. It is navigable for river steambaotsfor about 130 miles
to Glenora and Telegraph Creek.
The principal lakes are the Kootenay, Slocan, Arrow (Upper and
Lower), Okanagan, Trout, Shuswap and Harrison in Southern British
Columbia, and Quesnel in Northern. They are all navigable, and on
the five first named, an unexcelled steamboat service has been established by the Canadian Pacific Railway Co., which connects with its
extensive system of branch railways that gridiron the country, and
affords a convenient and luxurious means of communication throughout the entire year in that portion of the province. A system of car
ferries is also in operation, by which freight cars are taken through
• to their destination from 'the place of shipment without breaking bulk,
thus enabling the handling of goods, 'etc., at comparatively low
charges.
LOCAL DISTRICTS.
The province is divided into the Kootenay, Yale, Lillooet, Westminster, Cariboo and Cassiar Districts on the mainland, and the
Comox (which includes the northern half of Vancouver Island and a
portion of the opposite mainland), Alberni, Nanaimo, Cowichan and
Esquimalt Districts on Vancouver Island. These districts are subdivided for local purposes, and in the mineral bearing regions mining
divisions are formed, their limits being usually the surrounding
watersheds.
THE KOOTENAY DISTRICTS.
The Kootenay District, comprising an area of over 15,000,000 acres,
extends north and south from the international boundary to the Big
Bend of the Columbia. It is divided by the Purcell range of the
Selkirks into East and West Kootenay. Almost the entire district is
drained by the Columibia River, which flows north througfh East
Kootenay and south through West Kootenay.
EAST KOOTENAY.
East Kootenay, lying between Alberta on the east, from which it
is separated by the Rocky Mountains, and West Kootenay on the west,
comprises the larger part of the famous Kootenay region of British" Columbia. The country practically contains every variety of mineral
wealth that is known to exist dn North America. The great wealth
of ithe region has" been known for years, and in the early days of placer
mining it yielded millions, but the lack of means of communication and
the heavy cost of transportation of supplies and machinery, combined
with the rich discoveries in other parts of the province which were
more easy of access, naturally retarded mining operations seriously,
and prevented the work of development reaching those immense proportions which, under more favorable conditions, would have been
attained. The completion and operation of the Crow's Nest Pass Railway, which traverses one of the richest parts of the distriot, have removed these impeding obstacles, and are giving a great impulse to the
work of development. By this new avenue of communication, access
is now readily gained to this region, and a new mining empire is being
opened' to the world. The magnitude of the latent riches of this immense tract can scarcely be realized yet, for, although the work of
prospecting has been vigorously prosecuted, with most gratifying
results, there is still a large area to be explored. The existence of
immense 'bodies of ore has already been established, but how wide
their distribution is can only be determined by actual search. Prospectors find' here magnificent opportunities for discovery, and practical
mining men and capitalists an unsurpassed field for investment.
Several large mines, principally silver-lead have been opened up in
this section.
Tlie North Star Mine is situated near Kim'berly, the ores are clean,
consisting of silver, lead, sulphides and carbonates, requiring no concentrating or sorting. The Company have paid out some $58,000 in
dividends.
The Sulivan and St. Eugene Mines are also large producers, the ore
being galena running 20 oz. of silver per ton and 35% lead.
Besides gold, copper and silver-lead, East Kootenay also possesses
what are believed to be the greatest coal deposits in the world', which
already have a wide reputation, both on account of the quality and the
quantity of coal extracted. These coal fields, which are without doubt
the best and most extensive undeveloped' on the continent, are situated
in the southeast part of the distriot, and are traversed by the Crow's
Nest Pass Railway. The first or eastern deposits are not far from the
west end of the Crow's Nest Pass through the Rocky Mountains, and
consist of numerous seams of coal, one above another, clearly visible
along the mountain ridges and stretching to the summits. These are
bituminous in their nature. Another great series of seams is that in
the Elk River Valley, where they extend! for a distance of forty miles.
An analysis and test of these coals have been made, and the results, as
shown in the Government reports, prove that they compare favorably
with the best coals of the same variety in Pennsylvania. Of coking 10
coal there is an abundance, which is proving of great importance to
the smelters of British Columbia, it being indispensable for the treatment of refractory ores. By the development of these coal measures
not only is coal supplied east and west, but over 1,000 coke ovens are
already in operation at different points, and1 their number is being
largely augmented as the demand for coke increases. In other portions
of southern East Kootenay are deposits of coal which are now being
prospected, and there is every reason to believe that before long the
number of thriving towns in the region will be increased.
One of the various resources of East Kootenay that is now awaiting
development is iron smelting; large deposits of haematite iron ore
having been discovered at Kitchiner. Their proximity to the coal fields
of Fernie place them in an excellent position for cheap smelting.
The lumber industry is a great and growing one. There are large
saw mills located' throughout the district, and during the past year
there have been a number of new ones erected, the output of which
finds a ready market.
The resources of East Kootenay, however, unlike those of mining
regions generally, are not confined to minerals. The district is, speaking generally, aiso a good agricultural and pasture country. It contains a valley nearly 3C0 miles long, from the international boundary
line to the apex of the Kootenay triangle of the Big Bend of the
Columbia, with an average width of eight to ten" miles, in the centre
of which is enclosed the mother lakes of the Columbia, 2,850 feet above
sea level. " It is," says Judge Sproat's report, " one of the prettiest
and most favored valleys in the province, having good grass and soil,
a fine climate, established mines and promising mines, excellent waterways and an easy surface for road-making." Nearly the whole of the
area of the valley described) is a bunch-grass country, affording excellent grazing. The grass country is 250 miles long, of an average width
of five miles, besides a number of lateral valleys of more limited extent.
It is safe to say that the whole of the valley is fertile. The atmosphere is clear and dry, and the snowfall in winter Ugflit, but in a
distriot so extended' climatic conditions vary considerably from local
The Canadian Pacific Railway 'Company has recently published for
free distribution a map showing the lands controlled toy it in the
Kootenay and Columbia Valleys. Farmers who are desirous of farming in 'the West, where they can raise fruit, should! enquire about these
lands. The mining districts of Windermere, Cranbrook, Kimberley, Fort
Steele, Elko and Fernie have now a large and increasing population of
men employed in the development of the mines. A market for farm and
Elko and Fernie have now a large and increasing population of men
empfloyed in the development of the mines, A market for farm and -S Wan 13
garden products is thus to be had in the immediate vicinity of these
lands, and the rapid development of the West Kootenay District also
furnishes a desirable market. There is also an unlimited demand for
fruit in the prairie districts of Manitoba and the North West Territories. These lands are sold by the Company at practically the same
low prices and on the same easy terms as are asked for the prairie
lands in Manitoba. Throughout the distriot are scattered farms and
ranches, but as yet little attention has been given to the cultivation
of cereals, with the exception of oats. Of these magnificent crops are
grown annually. The nutritious grasses of the foot-hills on both sidles
of the valley afford ample food supply for horses, cattle and sheep.
Abundance of good water, a light snowfall and a moderate climate in
winter make this an ideal country for stock raising. The bottom lands
are gennerally prairie and) hay meadows, requiring little or no clearing.
The grassy bench lands are dotted over with pines. The absence of
undergrowth permits an uninterrupted view in every direction, and
allows the herder to ride without obstruction in rounding up his cattle.
Apples, strawberries, raspberries, plums, etc., grow luxuriantly and
with very little attention. Mr. N. Hanson, of Wasa, twelve miles north
of Fort Steele, grows excellent crops of apples, both table and crab,
annually. At McKay's ranch, near Windermere, Mrs. McKay has obtained over 3,000 pounds of fine strawberries from an acre of ground.
At the Roman Catholic mission near Cranbrook, fruits of all kinds are
successfully and! abundantly grown.
The bottom lands require .no irrigation, receiving their supply of
water by seepage from the river. Wherever irrigation is required it
can be provided from some of the mountain streams which abound in
the district.
The country is in places far more thinly wooded than the West
Kootenay district, and! affords great facilities for fishing and hunting;
S big game, trout and salmon abounding,
The southern and central parts of East.'Kootenay are more readily
reached from the East by the Crow's Nest Pass Railway, .which
branches off the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Medicine
Hat in the Canadian North-West, and! runs through the great ranching
district of Southern Alberta, the mining and agricultural districts of
East Kootenay, and forms a link in the short line to the entire mining-
regions of southern British Columbia. They can also be reached from
Calgary by branch line of the Canadian Pacific to Macleod, in Alberta,
on the Crow's Nest Pass Railway. From the west the best routte is via
Revelstoke, the Arrow and Kootenay Lakes and1 Crow's Nest Pass Railway. The extreme northern portion of the district is reached by th'ej
Canadian Pacific main line to Golden, and up the Columbia Ri^r
during.the season of navigation by steamer, and in winter by stage. CHIEF TOWNS.
> FIELD is at the base of Mount Stephen, on the main line of the
Canadian Pacific Railway, where there are several stores and hotels—
the principal being the Mt. Stephen House, operated by the C.P.R. Co.,
a pleasant resort for tourists, who reach the famed Yoho Valley from
GOLDEN, in the valley of the Upper Columbia River, at its junction with the Kicking Horse River, the headquarters of navigation on
. the Upper Columbia and the supply point for the mineral region of
which it is the centre. Steamers leave far Windermere regularly
during navigation, n winter there is a weekly stage to Windermere,
ning offices are located
FERNIE is a town at the mouth of Coal Creek, near the great
Crow's Nest coal mines, on the Crow's Nest Pass Railway. It only
sprang into existence in 1898, and! is making wonderful progress.
Already 600 coke ovens are in operation, and, as the supply of coal is
inexhaustible, these will be increased as the demands for coke by the
smelters of the province become greater. There are four saw-mills at
Fernie.
MORRISSEY and MICHEL are also new towns, brought into existence by the development of the coal lands in their vicinity.
ELKO, at the crossing of the Elk River, 12 miles south of Fernie,
will be the market town for the Tobacco Plains and the farming settlements to the south. The utilization of the water pow-er of the Elk at
this point should make this town one of great importance.
FORT STEELE is the present judicial centre of East Kootenay.
It is situated on Koofenay River, and is about seven miles from Fort
Steele Junction, a station on the Crow's Nest Pass Railway. It has
numerous hotels, stores, churches, etc.
CRANBROOK (population 2,000) is the principal town on the line
of the Crow's Nest Pass Railway. It is most delightfully located on a
fertile stretch of prairie in the valley between the Rocky and Selkirk
Mountains, and has already become a centre of great Importance. It
is the chief divisional point on the Crow's Nest Pass Road, 'and has,
besides the shops of the railway, a numiber of well-stocked stores,
chartered banks, hotels, churches, schools, etc. It is the principal
lumber manufacturing point in East Kootenay, having four saw-mills
operating within its limits. The town is lighted by electricity. As a
residential town it has no superior in British Columbia. A branch line
of railway connects the North Star Mines and Kimtoerley with Cran- 15
MOYIE, at the south end of Moyie Lake, is the site of the St.
Eugene Consolidated, a group of high-grade silver-lead mines, and has
three saw-mills.
CRESTON is in the mi-dst of a good farming and grazing district,
where fruit growing is being prosecuted with excellent results.
KITCHENER is a rising town, near which iron ore deposits are
being developed.
WINDERMERE is the site of the mining record office for the Windermere division, and is situated on Windermere Lake.
CANTERBURY, at the north end' of the lake; ATHALMER, at its
outlet; and WILMER, three miles north-west of Athalmer, on the
Columbia River, are new mining towns, with stores, hotels, post-
offices, etc.
KIMBBRLEY is the terminus of the North Star branch, and is in
close proximity to many mining properties which are being developed.
It is 18 miles from Cranbrook.
MARYSVILLE is the site of a smelter, built in connection with the
Sullivan group of mines, and is 14 miles from Cranbrook, from which
dt is reached by railway.
There are other towns springing up, and there are also other places
where prospectors, miners and sportsmen can supply their requirements,
such as Thunder Hill Landing on Upper Columbia Lake.
MINING LOCALITIES.
Along the line of the Oanadfian Pacific Railway, not far from Golden,
Donald and other stations, mining operations are being prosecuted.
The Good Luck mine on McLean creek has a fine showing of copp:r ore
which is being shipped. At Tete Juan Cache, north of the Big Bend of
the Columbia River, extensive deposits of beautifully large mica have
been found, a force of men have been employed building a road' to get
the mica to the river and from thence down stream to the railway.
Back of Spillimacheen, on the several branches of the river of that
name, in the region known as the McMurdo district, a number of
promising claims have been located and worked to a considerable
extent. Some of them are large gold quartz lodes, and others are small
high-grade silver-lead veins. On Bugaboo Creek, a few miles south of
Spillimacheen, a large number of new discoveries have been made. On
Toby and) Boulder Creeks, opposite Windermere, there are numerous
quartz locations; and back of Windermere silver-lead and copper properties have been opened up and some high-grade carbonates shipped,
and new claims have been worked extensively during 1903. The Paradise Mine has been working steadily, naving run 2,600 feet of underground work last year and taken out during development 1,000 tons of
good ore. On Spring Creek a large number of claims have been steadily 16
developing and shipping ore. At the head of Upper Columbia Lake are
great parallel gold-bearing quartz lodes forming a ridge from 250 to 500
feet above the adjacent country, carrying gold in varying quantities.
Large low-grade lead and' silver and gold quartz lodes have been found
up Findley Creek "and on the South Fork. There are also high benches
of hydraulic ground for miles along either sidle of Findley Creek. In
the Southern Division are the North Star and Sullivan groups, seventeen miles from Cranbrook, with which there is railway connection.
The former is a large lode, fifteen to thirty feet wide, carrying immense
quantities of argentiferous galena and carbonates; and the shipment
of ores to smelter points is paying large profits. Its value averages $60
per ton. The Sullivan mines are of a similar; character. At Wild
Horse, a few miles back of Fort Steele, hydraulic mining is- being carried on, and several good quartz claims are more or less opened up. In
early days this section was a rival of Cariboo in the marvellous output
of its placer mines, the value reaching up into the millions. On Tracy
Creek, 14 miles north of Fort Steele, is a camp which is developing
silver-lead and some copper properties. Still further south on Moyie
Lake are large silver-lead lodes, as at the St. Eugene Consolidated
mines., The large ore bodies on the shores of Moyie Lake run 30 oz. of
silver -and 60 p.c. lead, but are more cheaply worked' than those of the
Slocan, and are said to be larger deposits. There are also rich gold and
copper mines on St. Mary's River, and a number of properties are being
developed. Perry Creek, 12 miles west of Cranbrook, shows a series of
gold'-bearing quartz veins for an unusual distance on the surface, but
so far only one property has been developed to the mining stage. An
extensive bed of iron ore is being developed near Kitchener.
WEST KOOTENAY.
Marvellously rich deposits have been discovered in different sections
of West Kootenay, and new finds are frequently made. It is a country
of illimitable possibilities, but only few parts of it, when the vast area
of hidden wealth is considered, have passed beyond the early stages of
: development. Great strides, however, have already been madte, notably
in the Trail Creek, Ymir, Nelson, Kaslo-Slocan and Ainsworth districts,
where many properties are completely equipped with costly modern plant
for mining operations. In the Lardeau and other portions of this rich
region, mining is also profitably carried on, and' as capital is acquired,
through the working of the properties, or is» brought In. the output of
ore will be immensely increased. A railway from Lardo, the head of
navigation on Kootenay Lake, to Gerrard, on Trout Lake, has opened
up a very rich., district, in which already there are over a dozen shipping properties.
Capitalists and practical miners have shown their unbounded confidence in "West Kootenay by investing millions of dollars in developing properties, equipping
srecting smelters, building tramways, constructing roads, etc. In the past four years there has been a large addition to the population, and the establishment of permanent mining
cairnps, which have astonished the world with their growth and! continued prosperity, has been phenomenal. So rapid has been the recent
development of this district and encouraging the prospects for even
greater expansion that an eminent American mining authority speaks
of it as " the coming mining empire of the North-West."
The increased output of ore, combined with the supply of cheap
coke, has led to the wondterfull expansion of the smelting industry.
mmeddate future,
s modernized its
i daily. The cost
Smelters are already erected at Trail and Nelson, an
prospect that there will be others in operation in. the ii
At Trail, where the Canadian Smelting Works Co. ha
extensive plant, the capacity of the smelter is 1,400 tons
of treatment has already been largely reduced, the aim being to further
reduce costs and smelting charges and to materially increase the
quantity of ore shipped and make possible the mining of the low-grade
ores, of-which there is a large quantity in the contiguous country. The
treatment charges are lower on ores than prevail in the great smelting
centres of the United States, where there is the keenest competition. 18
The Trail smelter is absolutely modern in every respect for the treatment of silver-lead, copper and gold' ores, and being located at a central
point for the East Kootenay, West Kootenay and Boundary Country,
will probably be the principal of a series of smelters scattered through
the mineral region. An experimental plant for the refining of lead by
the Betts' electrolytic process has recently been established' at Trail.
At Nelson, the smelter, .with a capacity of 400 tons per day, is also a
thoroughly equipped institution, and gives employment to a large
number of men.
There are valuable timber limits in different parts of the country,
and numerous saw-mills are in operation.
West Kootenay is a fine field for the'sportsman—the angler and the
hunter—-game and fish abounding in nearly every section. Its rivers
and lakes give easy means of communication, and the Canadian
Pacific Railway Co. has established a magnificent steamboat ser^ce on
them, besides constructing and operating numerous branch lines of
railway, which make all parts of the country easily accessible throughout the entire year.
The mining regions are reached from the east by the Crow's Nest
Pass Railway, which branches off from the main line of the Canadian
Pacific" at Medicine Hat, on the prairies east of the Rockies, through
East Kootenay to Kootenay Landing at the head of Kootenay Lake,
and thence (for the present) by steamer to Nelson, from which there
is railway and steamboat connection with all parts of the country.
Steamers ply daily to all the towns on Kootenay Lake—Ainsworth,
Pilot Bay, Kaslo, Kootenay Landing, etc., and regularly to Lardo, in
the Lardeau country, from which rail communication is now established with Trout Lake, and will be continued to the Columbia River
at Arrowhead. The Lardeau country is a most promising one, and the
mines there, which show great values in gold and silver-lead' ores, are
being rapidly developed. The Slocan mining region can also be reached,
by rail and steamboat '^____M »•■'_«_-^^_^S-^3
! L
45
granttev syenite or gneiss and stratified rock? and dykes ©£ eruptive
rock— diorite or diabase, in which are veins showing free gold—prevail.
There- is everywhere evidence of recent glacial action. Many good
■prospects of sulphide ores carrying gold, silver and lead have been dis-
coTeued, and also some very promising ledges of copper ore. The prospects for successful hydraulic mining could hardly be better. There
are unquestionably enormous quantities of rich gold-bearing gravel
most favorably situated for profitable working, and large returns may
be expected from the hydraulic mining industry that will shortly be
developed." Atlin is an ideal country for gold dredging operations. A
dredge has been built in 190*}- costing $100,000 and will commence work
as soon as the season opens up; \\
The country has well-marked physical features. Long, deep lakes
indicating easy communication by water and high snow-clad mountains insuring an ample summer flow to the many large streams that
drain their slopes.
The two principal towns are Atlin and Pine City (also known as
Discovery City), which are six miles apart. Both are thriving, with
good hotels, stores, banks, churches, etc. At the former are the offices
of the Gold Commissioner and Government officials, and there are
three saw-mills, with an aggregate capacity of 30,000 feet per day.
These towns, are reached from Victoria and Vancouver by steamer to
Skagway, and rail to Bennett (39 miles), thence by a night's sail by
steamer (95 miles) to Taku, where a two-mile portage, covered by
tramway, leads to Atlin Lake, across which, five miles distant, is
Atlin City. Irs winter the route is from Log Cabin, a station on the
"White Pass Railway, near Bennett, from which there is a- Government
road via Otter Lake and Taku, some 60 miles; there are stopping
places en route.
WESTMINSTER DISTRICT.
extends from the international boundary line on the south to 50 degs.
15 mins. on the north. Its eastern boundary is the 122 deg. west longitude, and its western the 124 deg., where it strikes the head of Jarvis
Inlet and the Straits of Georgia In this district there is a good deal
of excellent farming land, particularly in the Fraser River Valley and
in its delta The soil is rich and strong, the climate mild, but tn the
winter months of the year there is considerable rain, which comes
instead of snow, in those parts of the district nearest the coast. Live
stock are often allowed to shift for themselves the year round. Heavy
yields of rgain are obtained without much labor. Very large returns
of wheat have been got from land in this locality, as much as 62 bushels
from a measured acre, 110 bushels of oats per acre, and hay that yielded three and a half to five tons the acre, and frequently two crops,
totalling six tons. Fruit-growing is extensively carried on, with the 46
most satisfactory results—apples, plums, pears, cherries, almonds,
prunes, and all the smaller fruits being grown in profusion, and at the
Experimental Farm at Agassiz, figs in small quantities have been successfully produced. This part is fairly well settled, but there is st"l
ample room for new comers. Those having a little money to invest,
and desirous of obtaining a ready-made farm may find many to choose
from. These settlements are not all on the Fraser; some are at a distance from it on other streams. There is considerable good timber in
the western and southwestern portions.
The Canadian Pacific Railway crosses the southern portions of this
distriot to Vancouver, and rail communication is established with the
cities situated on Puget Sound, with Portland, Oregon, San Francisco
and the American railway system generally. The Vancouver & Lulu
Island Railway, connecting Vancouver with Steveston, runs through the
most fertile! district of the delta of the Fraser.
CHIEF TOWNS.
VANCOUVER.—On a peninsula having Burrard Inlet on the east,
one of the finest harbors in the world, and English Bay. on the west, is
the marvellous young city of Vancouver. It is surrounded by a country of rare beauty, and the climate is milder and less varying than
that of Devonshire and more pleasant than that of Delaware. Backed
in the far distance by the Olympian range, sheltered on the north by
the mountains of the coast, and sheltered from the ocean by the
highlands ' of Vancouver Island, it is protected on every side, while
enjoying the sea breeze from the Straits of Georgia, whose tranquil waters bound the city on two sides. The inlet affords unlimited space for sea-going ships, the land falls gradually to the sea,
rendering drainage easy, and the situation permits of indefinite expansion of the city in two directions. It has a splendid and inexhaustible
water supply, brought across the inlet from a river in a ravine of one
of the neighboring heights. The Canadian Pacific Railway was completed to Vancouver in May, 1887, when the first through train arrived
in that city from Montreal, Port Moody having been the western, ter-
: minus from July of -the preceding year. In 1887 also the Canadian
Pacific Railway Company put a line of steamships on the route between
Vancouver and Japan and China, and in 1893 an excellent service was
established between Vancouver and Victoria and Australia. These
three important projects have given an impetus to the growth of the
city, by placing its advantages entirely beyond the realm of speculation, and the advancement made is truly marvellous.
In addition to the great transportation lines of the Canadian Pacific
RailWay and the steamship lines to Japan and China, the Hawaiian 49
Islands, and Australia, the city has eennecfticMi with all important
points along the Pacific Coast and with the interior. The boats
employed in the mail service between Vancouver and Ja©an and China
are three magnificent steel twio-sarew steamWodps, especially designed
for that trade—the Empress of India, the Empress af Japan, and the
Empress of China, and the Tartar and Athenian—which are the finest
ships afloat on the Pacific, and make tlie fastest timae across the ocean.
The Canadian-Australian Line gives a service to Australia via Honolulu, HX, and Suva, Fiji, every four weeks. There are regular and
frequent sailings to Skagway, Alaska, by which the Yukon gold fields
are reached, and to St. Michaels, in Behring Sea, and up the Yukon.
Steamers ply between Vancouver and Victoria and Nanaimo daily, and
connection is also made at Victoria for all Alaskan and Puget Sound
ports and .San Francisco. The Seattle & International Railway gives
close railway connection, via Mission Junction, 43 miles east of Vancouver, with the different cities and towns of Washington, Oregon and
California.
The young city was libeasOly wipe, out by fire in June, 1886. The
sites of the wooden buildings of that day were soon occupied by splendid structures of stone and brick and iron. Under the influence of the
large -transportation interests, which were established there the next
year, the building of the city progressed rapidly, and now it i
only a great trade and outfitting centre for the interior mining regions
of TBritish Columbia and the Yukon, and for the shipping, fishing and
tamtoertrag districts, tout has several extensive industries—iron w
sugar refinery, cement works, canneries, soap works, cigar factories,
paint works, breweries, steel pipe works; evaporating establishments'
sEMp-yard, marine railway, etc. The city is the centre of the lumber
trade of the province, and within its limits are several large sawmills. The population, which was 1,-099 in 1886, rose to 82,000 in 190)
the assessed value of property is about $17,000,000. Electric oars n
ttoe principal streets, which are paved with asphalt, and there is a
■v5ee 'of electric cars to and from New Westminster, on the Fraser
River, a distance of about twelve miles. The C P. R. Co's Hotel, the
Vancouver, -recently enlarged to meet increasing wants, in comfort,
luxury and Tenement of service Is equal to any hotel ion the con-thin
and in ttoe vicinity of this hotel is an opera house admitted to be uns
passed in elegance by any outside of New York. The new C. P. R. s
Won is a magnificent building on the waterfront. The city is laid
on a magnificent scale, and it is toeing touitt up in a style fully in accord
wteh the plan. Its private residences, business blocks, hotels, clubs and
public buildings of all classes, several of -which were erected hi n
years, would be creditable to any city, and Stanley Park is a drea
beauty to all tourists. Tt is unsurpassed by any other in the woi 50
The following table of distances will be useful for reference:—
MUes.
Vancouver to Montreal 2t906
Vancouver to New York, via Brockville 3,163
Vancouver to Boston, via Montreal 3,248
Vancouver to Liverpool, via Montreal 5,713
San Francisco to New York 3,266
San- Francisco to Boston 3,370
i Yokohama, Japan, to Liverpool, via San Francisco. 11,281
Yokohama, Japan, to Liverpool, via Vancouver ... 10,047
' Sydney to Liverpool, via Vancouver 12.B73
Sydney to Liverpool, via San Francisco 13,032
Liverpool to Hong Kong, via Vancouver 11,649
Liverpool to Hong Kong, via San Francisco 12,883 j
Vancouver to Yokohama 4,283
Vancouver to Hong Kong 5,936
Vancouver to Calcutta 8,987
Vancouver to London, via Suez Canal 15,735
Vancouver to Suva, Fiji 5,215
Vancouver to Honolulu, H. 1 2,410
Vancouver to Sydney, N. S. W 6,960
NEW WESTMINSTER.—This city, founded by Colonel Moody during the Fraser River gold excitement in 1858, is situated on the north
bank of the Fraser River, sixteen miles from its mouth, is accessible for
deep water shipping, and lies in the centre of a tract of country of rich
'and varied resources. It is connected with the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway by a branch line from Westminster Junction, and
with Vancouver by an electric railway. New Westminster is chiefly
known abroad for its salmon trade and its lumber business, but the
agricultural interests of the district are now coming into prominence,
and giving the city additional stability, particularly as it is the market
town of the Fraser River valley and the delta. There are five large
salmon canneries within the city's limits, and cold storage establishments, this being one of the most important industries of the region,
and has led to the establishment of an automatic can factory, which
manufactures over nine millions of cans annually. Lumbering operations are also extensive and profitable, the three mills in the city alone
cutting about 40,000,000 feet annually, besides turning out salmon and
other cases, and large quantities of shingles. There are also an oatmeal mill, condensed milk factory, sash and door factories, machine
shops, etc., and a magnificent system of waterworks. At the New
Westminster Royal Park an annual exhibition is held, which is amongst
the best in Canada. The Provincial Penitentiary, Asylum for the
Insane, and other public buildings are located here. The city has two 51
colleges, high school, three public schools, three hospitals, and fourteen
STEVESTON.—A town at the mouth of the Fraser, where a number of large fish canneries are located. The Vancouver & Lulu Island
Railway, operated by the C. P. R., connects this town with Vancouver,
the road traversing the fertile delta of the Fraser.
LADNER'S, a rising town on the delta of the Fraser, has several
fish canneries, saw-mill, creamery, etc., and is surrounded by a prairie
region of great fertility, a considerable area having been reclaimed by
dyking.
CHILLIWACK, an important town, with a populatii
the centre of a large agricultural and fruit-growing disti
the garden of British Columbia. The valley has about
tants. It has a fruit cannery, cheese factories, creameri
and shingle mills, grist mill, lime kiln, brick-yard, etc.
daily between Chilliwack and New Westminster.
MISSION CITY is a C. P. R. junction point, with its
connecting with the American system. 1
on the north side of the Fraser, and has
1 of 700, is in
S80 inhabi-
j, several saw
Steamers run
is 43 miles from Vancouver,
large area of farming lands 52
trfft'wttary to- it, -wftfeft are- also- weft atfaipted' fur fruit-growing: The
Pitt Meadows, which include 40,000 acres of bottom lands' feeing"
reclaimed by dyking, are- contiguous: to- the? town-.
AGASSIZ, on the main Hue aftteC. F K., 71 miles east of Vancouver; is the1 site of the Dominion G^vernrneirt Experimental Farm,
which has proved of great benefit to the farmers and frtnf-growers of
the province. Besides: all Kinds' of cereals, roots, fodder and piaarts-trhat
are- under test, very many varieties of apples, pears, plums, cherries,
peacfres, apricots, grapes* and! atfl varieties' of smarter frufts are> under
cultivation. Almonds, walnuts, filberts and chestnuts are also grown.
Attention is paid to the raising of live stock at the farm, and in the
district hop-growing is extensively carried an. This industry is being
rasjjidly developed, the axverage crop being lysfltt lifts to the aerei.
HARRISON HOT SPRINiS£v is a noted health resort for people on
the coast from Southern; Caffifiariata to- Alaska,, is five miles (Estaint on
Harrijsm Lake;, audi is: reached from Agassiz by stage- daily.. At Howe
Sound just nart& of Vancouver has been; discovered a large zone of
schist carrying copper owe with; a Eitrtle gaJdi and sECves.
A group off eJaims was located on this ore body and is now called
the Britannia Mine;. tMs body of ore has been pressed to be of immense
extent and bids fair to> fee one of the largest bodies of copper are vm
North America
VA»rCOtFV_sK ISILAJ**1*X
Vancouver Island is separated froim the- mainland by titer Straits of
«Seorg£a. It is the largest on the west coast of America, feeing about
tfiree hundred miles long;, and with an: arverage Breadth, of about fifty
mates,, and contains an estimated area of about 15,000' square miles.
The coast Eine;, more- parricniarily an the west stag,, is fero&en: fey
naamerons inlets of the sea,, some of whajeft run up to- the irnteEftar of tag-
Island; for many miles between precipitous cliffs,, feacked fey high and
rugged mountains;, wMchi aire clirthfid in fir;, ltenafecfe and cedar-- At
some- points are sheiSered feaysr, wfi&efti receive small streams, waterfng-
an open gladed country, having a growth, of wild flowers and grasses—
the white clover, sweet grass, cowslip, wild timothy, and a profusion of
berries. The two ends of Vancouver Island are, comparatively speaking, flat, but there are mountains ih the interior ranging from 6,000 to
8,000 feet on the highest ridges. The interior of the fsiand, still unsettled at any distance from the sea coast, is largely interspersed with
lakes and small streams-. The surface is Beautifully diversified toy
mountains, nfils and rich valleys; and on the east coast the seal is so
good that great encouragement fs offered to agricultural settlement and
fruit growing;
Tn other parts the soff is lfght and of little depth, but it is heavily
wooded. En the infeard lakes and in the indentations of the -coast 55
there is a plentiful supply of fish, and a fair variety of game on shore.
The scenery is picturesque and varied.
The island is rich in mineral wealth, besides the great coal mines
of Nanaimo, whose output amounts to over 1,000,000 tons annually—in
1901 being 1,312,202 tons—there being discoveries of gold and other valuable metals in several districts. The region about Alberni has come
into prominence owing to the " finds" of gold and copper, and it is
expected that this district will rank high among the gold-producing
centres of the north, as development, already well under way, progresses. Some of the rocks of the island furnish excellent building
material, the grey granite being equal to the Scotch and English gra-
The principal harbor is that at Esquimalt, which has long been the
rendezvous of the British squadron in the North Pacific. It is situated
at the south end of the island, on the eastern side. There are, however, numerous good harbors both on the east and west coasts of the
island, notably Nanaimo and Departure Bay on the former, and Alberni
Canal and Quatsimo Sound on the latter.
VICTORIA is the capital of British Columbia, and the chief city ot
Vancouver Island, with a population of 26,000. It was formerly a stockaded post or the Hudson's Bay Company, and was then called Fort Victoria It is delightfully situated on a small arm of the sea, commanding
a superb view of the Straits of Juan de Fuca, the Olympian range in
Washington, the mountains of the mainland, and snow-cappea Mount
Baker in the distance. The city's age may date from 1858, when the discovery of gold on the mainland brought a rush of miners from the south.
It is now a wealthy, well-built and a very English city, with business
and shipping interests of great importance. Victoria is pre-eminently
a place to delight tourists, and has ampie accommodation for a large
floating population, having several comfortable hotels, one or two of
which are noted for the excellence of their tables. Beacon Hill Park,
Oak Bay, and other resorts are interesting places. Various public
buildings are also worthy of more than passing notice, the new Government buildings, costing about $1,000,000, and covering an acre of ground,
especially being an imposing structure. Many of the manufacturing
and commercial interests of the province are centred at Victoria, which
is one of the great outfitting points on the coast for mining parties
destined for the Yukon, Cassiar, and other mining regions. It has one
of the largest iron works on the Pacific Coast outside of San Francisco,
and several smaller foundries and machine shops, and many factories.
The city is amply provided with educational facilities, both public and
private.
Victoria has the advantage of being a port of call of the Canadian
Pacific Railway Company's Royal Mall Steamship Line of steamers to
and from Japan and China; the Canadian-Australian Line to Honolulu, 56
Suva, and Brisbane and Sydney, Australia, a/nfl several other HnfiB.
Steamers run daily between Victoria sand Vancouver, and the trip febb. *
e»3" to iriitty thmwigto f he cDta-terBfl isles .of Dhe Straits of Georgia is very
pleasarot. Boats ply to nH imporrtamt Puget Sound ports, and to points
nanE-wsand on >ffhe iSlamd and mainlaind, ana all regular San Francisco
and Alaska steaaners call alt Victoria.
'The ooumtry tor some males about the city supports a scattered farming population, asnd furnishes ;a portion of the supplies of the city; tout
it fa particularly aaapted to fruit culture. Here every variety of fmnt
grown 3n a temperate climate attains pecuniar fesceHenee, .-and :£ru_t
ouMaire promises t-o toecame a leading industry to toe near future.
ESQUIMALT.—There is a small town at the northern corner of the
harbor •of UsqulmaOtt. The nracleus of it is some Britfeh Government
to-niidtogs, oanstettog of a nasal hospital, aai wrsenal and two ;doak- .
yard b-tfEHings. 'The graving dock is the largest on the Pacific Coast.
Eequ'imattt 3s only thireie anad a half males from sPactDrfa by lamd, and is
connected Tviifih it toy -am excellent macadamized road and an eiaeiaac car
^rANATCBES.—Situated on rising ground and overlooking a fine harbor ,on the -east -coast off Vamoouver Mama is the (City of JKanHd-KW), with
a population 'of 5;O00, but taking to the mining distriots immediaJtely
triStonltary to Jit the poptdsubiian would pretoaibly toe ibetwteen 9,000 and
ICflOB. Nianalmo cranks mexit to VSotaria in imrportance. It is 70 miles
north of Victoria, and depends chiefly on its coaling interests aaid shipping business tor support. Nanaimo harbor is connected toy a deep
dharmeJl with Departure Bay, where the largest craft find safe anchorage. Viaaeouvsr Island toitummoius BDaa is now ackmowleaged to be
superior for laJl practical 'purposes to any coal en the Pacific Coast.
Large quantiBies aire 'sentt to San Francisco, to Che Hanrefiiam Islands.
and China, toeing shipped toom «Mjher Nanainaro or Departure Bay.
Na/naiiwo is sails© the Goading -station tor tihe "BritMh 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
The Crown grant reserves to the Crown a royalty of five cents per
ton on every ton of merchantable coal raised or gotten from the land,
not including dross or fine slack, and fifty cents per M. on timber.
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 nas become naturalized.
The heirs of devisees of the settler are entitled to the Crown grant
on his decease.
Crown lands may be purchased to the extent of 640 acres. Minimum
price of first-class land, $5 per acre; second-class, $2.50 per acre; third-
class, $1 per acre. No settlement duties are required on such land unless I
74
a second purchase is contemplated. In such a case the first purchase
must be improved to the extent of $5 per acre for first-class; $2.50,
second-class; and $1.00, third class.
Leases of Crown lands in lots not exceeding 20 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 are granted for hay lands for terms not exceeding ten years,
and for any purpose whatsoever, except cutting hay, for a term not
exceeding 21 years.
Twenty-one years' timber leases are now subject to public competition, and the highest cash bonus is accepted subject to the 50 cents per
M. royalty above mentioned and an annual rental, in advance, of 15
cents per acre. ■ The holder must put up a saw-mill capable of cutting
not less than 1,000 feet of lumber per day of 12 hours for every 400 acres
of land in such lease; and such mill shall be kept running for at least
six months in every year.
For further information application should be made to the Chief
Commissioner of Lands and Works, Victoria, B.C.
HOMESTEAD ACT.
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 $2,500 (£500 English;) goods and chattels are also free up
to $500 (£100 English); cattle "farmed on shares" are also protected by
an Exemption Act.
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, 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 and the North-West Territories. Government agencies are established at Kamloops, in the mountains, and New Westminster, on the coast.
CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LANDS.
The Canadian Pacific Railway Company controls a large area of
choice farming and ranching lands in the Kootenay and Boundary districts. The prices range from $1.00 (four shillings) an acre to $5.00
(twenty shillings) an acre, the latter being for first-class agricultural
lands. These lands are now readily accessible by the Crow's Nest Pass
Railway and the Columbia ft Western Railway. • ' 75
The Company has adopted the folowing terms of payment:
The aggregate amount of principal and interest is divided into
instalments, as shown in the table below; the first to be paid at the
time of purchase, the remainder annually thereafter.
The following table shows the amount of the annual instalments on'
160 acres at different prices under the above conditions:
160 acres at $1 00 per acre, 1st instalment $45 65 and four equal instalments of $33 00
•' 6 00 " " 143 80 " " " 120 00
DISCOUNT FOR CASH. If the land is paid for in full at time of
purchase, a reduction from price will be allowed equal to ten per cent,
on the amount paid in excess of the usual cash instalment.
Special terms and conditions govern the sale of the Oompany's~tim-
ber lands.
'Interest at six per cent, will be charged on ovedue instalments.
The Company has also lots for sale in the following town sites:
Elko, Cranbrook, Kimberley, Moyelle, Kitchener, Creston, in East
Kootenay; Nelson, Procter, Trail, Nakusp, Lemonton, Arrowhead and .
Revelstoke in West Kootenay; Cascade City, Columbia, Eholt, Greenwood, Midway and Kamloops in Yale district, and at Vancouver on the
The terms of payment are one-third cash, and the balance in six
and twelve months.
Maps showing the Company's lands can be secured on application to
F. T. Griffin, C. P. R. Land Commissioner, Winnipeg, Man.; J. S. Dennis, Superintendent of Irrigation and British Columbia Land Commis-'
sioner, Calgary, or to A. Taylor, District Land Agent, Nelson.
CLIMATE.
No general description will serve the purpose in speaking of the
climate of British Columbia On the coast it varies considerably, while
in the interior the variations are yet more plainly marked. It may be
divided into the southern, middle and northern zones, in the interior,
and the coast climate. THE SOUTHERN ZONE.
This area, including that between the international boundary, 49 and
51 degrees N. lat., comprises several distinct districts—the East Kootenay, the West Kootenay, and the Okanagan and Kamloops^ country, or
that lying between the Gold range and the Coast range.
The East Kootenay climate is so mild that "hops can be successfully cultivated, and fruits give a fair yield, considering that the little
orchards were only planted a few years ago."
The West Kootenay lies between the Purcell range and the Gold
range proper, and includes the beautiful 'Arrowhead Lakes, leading
, VANCOUVER I
, VANCOUVER, I
down from Revelstoke by the Colum
r. This, while a great mining country, has, as the agricultural report already quoted states,
areas from 50 to 1,000 acres in extent, here and there, available for agriculture. " About Revelstoke the red clover and vegetable and root
crops grow luxuriantly." Fruit trees, when planted, have done well.
The small tracts which have been cultivated about Nelson and Kaslo
have produced splendid small fruits. On the shores of Kootenay Lake
apple, pear, plum, cherry and fruit trees are all found doing well on a
ranch, with fruit of excellent quality. Large reclamation works are
going on on lands on the Kootenay River, where 40,000 acres of bottom lands have been dyked. The manager of the works states: "We have
found the soil and climate of the Lower Kootenay meadows almost
phenomenally favorable for cereals, root crops, garden vegetables, and
small fruits. The climate is both healthful and pleasant."
The Okanagan valley, from Kettle River, on the boundary, to the
Thompson, " is the great country of the Okanagan," says Dr. Bryce in
the "Climates off Canada" consisting of lower valleys and undulating
plains and bench lands westward to the slopes of the Coast range,
which, of all British Columbia, has the climate which will go far to
give it claims as the great Canadian sanitorium. Of a width of 100
miles or more and 150 from north to south, this country has running
northward to the Thompson the series of rivers and lake expansions
known as the Okanagan Lakes. The general level off the bench lands
lies between 1,000 and 2,000 feet, Vernon being 1,200. To describe it would
be to follow up an endless series of valleys, as of the Kettle River, of
the Similkameen River and Osoyoos Lake having the lowest average
temperature in January, only 22.6 degrees, and highest average, 75
degrees, in July; of the Princeton and Granite Creek valleys, extending to Nicola, near the railway, lying to the northward, and having a
rainfall in 1890 of 5.4 inches and very limited snowfall, not exceeding
five inches as rain; of the Penticton and Trout Creek valley, at an altitude of 1,100 feet, with the bottoms for hay-cutting and the ranges for
cattle, rising hundreds of feet as bench lands. Hillsides here are of a
rich sandy loam, and clothed in many places with pine and the Douglas
fir, with cottonwood, birch and willows along the river bottoms, as in
the country surrounding the Okanagan Lake, from the Mission to Vernon, some forty miles apart. Here the total annual rainfall does not
exceed ten inches, with the highest average temperature in August of
64 degrees and the lowest in February of 21 degrees. About Vernon are
the Okanagan Valley proper, the White Valley, Creighton Valley, and
the! country of Mabel and Sugar Lakes, all with a climate much the
same as at the Okanagan Mission, the altitude being 1,200 feat."
Near Vernon is the Coldstream estate of Lord Aberdeen, on which
are located the largest orchards in the province, producing annually
magnificent crops of the choicest varieties of apples, such as the Northern Spy, King of Tompkins, Macintosh Red, Golden Russet, Rhode
Island Greening. St. Lawrence and others of the most perfect form,
coloring and flavor. Bartlett, Anjou and Flemish Beauty pears are
grown off such size, perfection of form and .freedom from blemish as to
be hardly recognizable by Eastern fruit-growers. The plums and prunes
produced are also large, rich and luscious, and the reputation of Coldstream fruit wherever it has been marketed throughout the Northwest Territories and Manitoba is of the highest character. These
orchards are being extended yearly, and are very profitable. There are 78
a number of smaller orchards in the Vernon district, all of which are
successful and the future of the fruit-growing industry is most promising. At Kelowna, some thirty miles south of Vernon, Lord Aberdeen
has another property, the Guisachan Ranch, which is devoted principally to dairying and hog-raising, and in this district there are a number of profitable orchards, varying in size from an acre or so up to fifty
acres. The orchard of Mr. T. W. Stirling is a notable illustration of
' the possibilities of the district in this line, with its symmetrical rows of
large, well-proportioned trees, loaded to the ground in season with luscious fruits, including apricots, peaches, medlars, apples, pears, plums
and cherries.
Again quoting Dr. Bryce:
" Every fruit of the temperate climate grows, the tobacco plant and
hop flourish, and even cotton has been grown as a curiosity. All small
- fruit flourish, grapes ripen nicely, and roses may be seen in full bloom
in the end of October as far north as Kamloops. From Spallumcheen
to Salmon River eastward, and to Kamloops westward on the Thompson, both .along the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is a similar
country, the climate all being practically the same as that of Kamloops, with the lowest average temperature in February of 13 degrees
F."
MIDDLE ZONE.
This comprises the region between 51 and 53 degs, north latitude,
and contains much of the mountainous parts of the province, including
the Cariboo Mountains, the locality of the most celebrated gold fields
yet discovered in British Columbia. The rainfall is heavier there than
in the southern zone, and the forest growth, therefore, becomes more
dense. The altitude of the settlements in this division varies from
1,900 to 2,500 feet above the level of the sea; 3,000 feet being about the
maximum height for wheat, though other grains ripen at a greater altitude. From 122 degs. west longitude the land falls toward the valley
of the Fraser, the climate becomes milder than in the mountains, and
bunch-grass grows in the valleys and oh the benches. Quoting from
the " Climates of Canada ":
"Northward from the Thompson for a hundred miles is another
region of rolling bench lands, a similar country, growing somewhat
colder with the latitude, but in a surprising manner maintaining a dryness far north into the Chilqoten rolling prairie country west of the
Fraser; while at one hundred miles north of Kamloops such a moderate
temperature exist? that cattle maintain themselves all winter on the
ranches in latitude 52 degs. Beyond this th rainfall increases till in the
northern part of the plateau the forest has become more dense, and has
th characteristics of the great forest areas of Eastern Canada" 79
THE NORTHERN ZONE.
The attention of the world is now drawn to this region. A vast gold
area of illimitable wealth is being exploited, though present operations
are almost confined to tributaries of the Yukon. Although little is
known from meteorological observations regarding the inland plateau
northward beyond the 54th parallel, it may, in a general way, be stated that the country consists of rolling plateaus of gradually lessening
height towards the north, free from excessive moisture owing to the
precipitation of the vapors from thei Pacific on the west side of the
Coast range, and while, of course, having severe cold in winter, has in
other respects the peculiar lightness and dryness characteristic of the
whole country within the Coast rapge from the international boundary
northwards. In fact, it may be said, it is only the gradually increasing north latitude which affects the 'length of the day, by which the
winters, are lengthened and the summers shortened. The long summer
days make vegetation so rapid that cattle-grazing on the bunch-grass
is possible up to October, and even later in some seasons. -
THE PACIFIC COAST CLIMATE.
Mr. Stupart, director of the Dominion Meteorological Observatory at
Toronto, says: "The annual rainfall along the exposed western coast
of the- island (Vancouver Island), and thence northward to Alaska is
very great, generally exceeding 100 inches. In the south-eastern part
of the island, between Victoria and Nanaimo, the climate does not dif-
er greatly from that found in the North of England; not only does the
annual mean temperature agree very, closely with that of parts of England, but the mean average of corresponding months is nearly the
Dr. Bryce, in "The Climates and Health Resorts of Canada," again
says: "Extremes of temperature, and especially of daily extremes—
the lowest temperature in two years being 8 deg. F., the lowest monthly average being 20 degs. F., and the highest in summer being 82 degs.
F.— to that as above Alberni on the west coast, to Queen , Charlotte
Island, even to the 54th parallel. In all this country the fruits of temperate climates grow well and farm animals live outdoors the year
round. The rich bottoms of the Fraser delta have long been famous for
their great hay crops and pasture lands; but here the extreme of rainfall is met, the mean for six years being 59.66 inches at New Wfesit-
minster. The climate of the great Island of Vancouver, running northwest across two degrees of longitude and two degrees Of latitude, presents every variety from that at the sea coast, with, as at Esquimalt, a
very low daily range, and no annual extremes—the lowest temperature
in two years being 8 degs. F., the lowest monthly average being 20
degs. F., and the highest in summer being 82 degs. F.—to that as above 80
Alberni on the west coast, where the Vancouver range rises first into a
plateau of 4,000 feet and even to 7,500 feet in Victoria Peak."
Apart from the mineral wealth of the island, its climate, with every
variation possible, becomes most attractive. Its sea-shore climate is
milder than many parts of England, with less rain and less seasonal
variations. The west slope of the Coast range has a rank vegetation,
owing to the excessive rainfalls, and the lower grounds, if mild, have,
as a climate for residence, attractions rather for the pursuit of agriculture than as health resorts for the invalid.
GREENWOOD, 1
TRADE
The trade of British Columbia if still unimportant when compared
with the extent, resources and immense future possibilities of the province, has improved and developed wonderfully during the past few
years, showing an increase in the last decade that speaks volumes for
the progress and enterprise of the people. It is now the largest in the
world per head of population except Holland. Prominent exports are
fish, coal, gold, silver-lead, timber, masts and spars, furs and skins, fish
oil, and hops. A large portion of the salmon, canned and pickled, goes
to Great Britain, Eastern Canada, the United States, Australia and
Japan; the United States and Hawaiian Islands consume a large share 81
of the exported coal, and great quantities of timber are shipped to
Great Britain, South Africa, China, Japan, India, Australia and ports
in South America. To Great Britain and the United States are sent the
valuable furs, and peltries of land animals and the much-prized seal
and otter, etc. China also receives a considerable amount of lumber,
timber and furs. Valuable shipments of fish oil, principally obtained
from dogfish at the Queen Charlotte Islands, are consigned to the United
States and to the Hawaiian Islands. These industries, though already
of considerable importance, are destined to become very large as well
as very profitable enterprises in the near futurf. A large inter-provincial trade with Eastern Canada. Manitoba and the North-West Territories is rapidly developing, the fruit of the province being largely
shipped to the prairies, where it finds a good market. With the shipping facilities offered by the Canadan Pacific Railway and the magnificent steamship lines to Japan, China, Australia and the Hawaiian
Islands backed by her natural advantages of climate and geographical
position and immense resources in timber and minerals, British Colum-
1 bia is gradually obtaining her proper share of the commerce of the
world. There is no other country on the globe more richly endowed
with varied resources of wealth, as fisheries, timber, minerals, pasture
and arable lands, etc., and all are open to those who choose to avail
themselves of these new and attractive fields of enterprise.
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 $400,000 annually. The Government builds a school-
house, makes a grant for incidental expenses, and pays a teacher in
every distriot 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 $50.00 per month in rural districts, up to $135.00 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 338 schools in operation, of which 8 are high, 60
graded, and 270 common. The number of pupils enrolled is between
20,000 and 30,000.
n 82
SPORT.
The sportsman will find a greater variety of fish and game in British Columbia than in any other part of North America; there are.
indeed, few regions that can boast of anything like the variety of species. Whether with rifle, or with smoothbore, or with rod, there is an
almost bewildering choice. The three great parallel ranges of the mainland hold an immense amount of big game. In the Rockies there are
bighorn, goat, caribou and deer; in the Selkirks, goat and caribou, and
in the Coast range goat and quantities of the true blacktailed deer.
Grizzly and black bear are to be found in numbers throughout the province. In some districts the grizzly will be the more numerous, while
in others, black bear are found in the greater number. The mule deer,
miscalled blacktail, is so abundant in East Kootenay, the Boundary
country, Okanagan and Lillooet as to be a very certain source of supply for the ranchers and miners to draw upon. Elk (wapiti) shooting
may be indulged in by those visiting the northern end of Vancouver
Island. It is believed that the elk is extinct upon the mainland, with
the possible exception of the south-eastern corner of the province, but
on Vancouver Island it is tolerably abundant, although unfortunately, ,
it frequents a very densely forested region, so that the hunting means
hard work.
Although few persons, however keen, would visit British Columbia
merely for the sake of its wing shooting, yet it is undeniable that, with
the exception of Manitoba and the Territories, a man may find as much
work for his breech-loader in the province as he would almost anywhere. Five species ot grouse and vast quantities of wildfowl, from
swans to teal abound in suitable localities. The marshes of -the Colum-
vith mallard and other choice duck in the autumn;
Arrow Lakes and the upper valley of the Fraser form a trough much
frequented by the wild geese during their migrations, and the fiords and
sounds of the coast shelter great flocks of wildfowl throughout the
winter—for it must mot be forgotten that the winters of the Pacific are
very much less rigorous •than those of the Atlantic, and that a very
large proportion of the birds do not go further south than Vancouver
Island.
The fishing off British Columbia is so remarkably good that no one
can realize the quantities of salmon and trout to be found in the
•streams of this province, until he has visited it. The quinnat and cohoe
salmon may be taken in salt water aft certain seasons in large numbers
by means of a spoon bait, and a few crack fishermen have succeeded in
taking the quinnat in fresh water, but as a rule British Columbia sal
mon do not rise to the fly.- However, the trout will more than make up
for the salmon's lack of appreciation. The rainbow trout is, possibly,
the finest fish for his inches of all the trout family, and, happily, he is
extraordinarily numerous in many of the inland waters. Where he is not found his place is taken by the bla
fish, though hardly the equal of the rainl
found in all the larger sheets of water-
tioned as especially good and easy of ac
:k spotted trout, an excellent
ow. Very heavy lake trout are
-Shuswap Lake may be men-
HOW TO SEND MONEY TO BRITISH COLUMBIA.
The colonist from Great Britain is recommended not to take English coin to British Co'.umbia. In Great Britain he should pay that
portion of his money not wanted on the passage to the Dominion
' Express Company's office in London, Liverpool or Glasgow, and get a
money order for it payable in Vancouver or Victoria, or at any other
point in British Columbia, this system furnishing purchasers a receipt,
giving absolute security in oase orders are lost or destroyed; or he may
pay his money either 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 will
avoid risk from loss on the way.
United States currency i
taker
1 business circles.
ON ARRIVING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.
It is sometimes better for an intending farmer of moderate means
to place his money on first arrival in the Government Savings Bank
(which allows interest), to take lodgings and to work for wages for
some time in order to gain a knowledge off colonial life and modes of
The Government or Canadian Pacific Railway agent at point of
arrival will furnish information as to lands open for settlement in the
respective districts, farms for sale, demand for labor, rates of wages,
routes of travel, distances, expenses of conveyance, etc.
The colonist should be careful of his cash capital, and not put it
into investments hastily. There are Canadian Government Savings
Banks in the province.
HOW TO REACH BRITISH COLUNBIA.
FROM EUROPE.—The Canadian transatlantic steamers from
Europe, from about 20th November to 1st May, land their passengers
at Halifax, N.S., or St. John, N.B., the Canadian winter ports. From
both places passengers are carried direct to Montreal and thence west
in the Canadian Pacific's cars. During the summer and autumn months
(about 1st May to 12th November) steamers land passengers at Quebec,
and thence the continent is crossed to Vancouver via the Canadian
Pacific Railway. When landed at New York or Boston the route thence
is via Montreal. 84
The Atlantic passage usually takes from eight to ten days, and the
railway trip from Montreal four days. A passenger can usually go
through to British Columbia from England in less than a fortnight by
crossing the continent on the Canadian Pacific Line.
It is advisable to book 'through to Vancouver or Victoria, the ticket
being exchanged at the port of landing—Halifax, St. John, Quebec, Bos-»
ton, or New York. Efforts may be made to induce passengers to purchase tickets by round-about routes through the United States, which
oftentimes necessitate expensive stoppages, troublesome customs inspections, and inconvenient transfers on the way. A passenger should
insist on having a ticket by the Canadian Pacific Railway, which is
the only direct and continuous route.
While passing through Eastern Canada or Winnipeg, colonists for
British Columbia shoud 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 all points in
British Columbia, together with the fullest information relative to the
most desirable places of location for farming, cattle-raising, fruitgrowing, mining and trading, by applying to agents of the Canadian
Pacific Railway in London, Liverpool 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 Portal, in the Canadian Northwest, and connecting with the Canadian Pacific Railway.
From Eastern States, via Montreal, Que., or Prescott, Ontario, or
via Niagara Falls, Hamilton and Toronto and North Bay.
FROM EASTERN CANADA—By Canadian Pacific Railway from
Halifax, St. John, N.B., Quebec, Montreal, or Ottawa and by rail from
Toronto and other points in Central and Western Ontario to North
Bay, on Lake Nipissing, where connection is made with the transcontinental trains of the Canadian Pacific.
During the season of navigation there is an alternative lake route
through Lake Huron and Superior, via Owen Sound, on Georgian Bay,
to Fort William, at the western extremity off Lake Superior, and thence
by the Canadian Pacific main line.
!__, I
~zzzz: d'wsmmmmmmm. t° Japani China?
| Consisting of the Magnificent
[TWIN-SCREW Steamships
" Empress of India " " Empress of Japan " " Empress of China "
"Tartar" and "Athenian"
CANADIAN-AUSTRALIAN ROYAL MAIL S.S. LINE.
The Royal Mail Steamships MO AN A MIOWERA and AORANGI give 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.
Toronto, or any o
..1 King St. East, Toronto
,8 King St., St. John/jsr.'B.'
IU Canadian Pacific Railway
OPERATING ITS OWN
STEAMSHIP, HOTEL, SLEEPER, TELEGRAPH,
EXPRESS AND NEWS SERVICES
Is the Most Substantial and Perfectly Built Eailway on the Continent
of America, and is superbly equipped with the finest rolling stock modern
skirl can produce. Coaches, Dining and Sleeping Cars are triumphs
of luxurious elegance, and excel in Stability and Beauty of Finish any
other in the world.
TOURISTS
Will find the New Eoute through Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific
unapproached for magnificence and variety of scenery by any other line
of travel. The rugged wilderness of the North Shore of Lake Superior,
the picturesque Lake of the Woods Eegion, the Billowy Prairies of the
Canadian North-West, the stately grandeur of the Eockies, the marvels of
the Selkirks and Gold Eange, and the wondrous beauty of the Pacific Coast
are traversed by The Great Dustless Route. Being entirely controlled
and managed by one Company, the Canadian Pacific Railway offers
special advantages to transcontinental travellers that cannot be granted
by any other line. It is the Best, the Safest, the Fastest and the Only
Continuous Eoute from Ocean to Ocean. The Company has spared no
expense in providing for the wants and comfort of its patrons, as its line of
Dining Cars and Mountain Hotels wili at all times testify, supplied, as
they are, with all that the most fastidious can desire.
TRANSCONTINENTAL SLEEPING CARS
Are provided with Smoking Compartments, etc., and offer all the comfort
and convenience of First-class Hotels. They are specially constructed to
admit of the Scenery being viewed in all directions.
Through tickets from Halifax, St. John, N.B., Quebec, Montreal,
Ottawa, Prescott, Brockville, Toronto, Hamilton, London and all
points in Eastern Canada; also from*- New York, Boston, Chicago,
St. Paul, Minneapolis, and all the principal points in, the United States,
to Vancouver, Victoria, and all points in British Columbia, and to
Portland, Ore., Paget Sound Ports, Whatcom, Seattle, Tacoma,
San Francisco, etc., and also to points in Alaska, this being the
shortest and best route to the Yukon and Atlin Lake Gold Fields.
Insist on getting your tickets via the Canadian Pacific Eailway.
Colonists receive special attention by this route, Free Colonist
Sleeping Cars being supplied for their accommodation.
Freight Shippers can have their goods transported without the
vexatious delays and damage incidental to the frequent transfers necessary
by other routes, and without the expense and annoyance of customs
requirements."""@en, "A handbook of trustworthy information."@en ;
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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. SPAM8136"@en ;
dcterms:subject "Canadian Pacific Railway Company"@en, "Canadian immigration literature (English)--1897-1918"@en, "Land settlement--British Columbia"@en, "Industries--British Columbia"@en, "British Columbia--Description and travel"@en ;
dcterms:title "British Columbia, Canada's most westerly province : its position, advantages, resources and climate : new fields for mining, farming, lumbering, fruit growing and ranching, reached by the Canadian Pacific Railway"@en ;
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dcterms:description ""@en .