The Documented History Of Vancouver Island
Today’s article will discuss the oceans surrounding Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island, Canada is an extremely southerly Island belonging to Canada, very close to Washington State. It is the world’s 43rd largest Island, & it belongs to the country of Canada. It is across the Strait of Georgia from the metropolitan area of Vancouver. Its capital is Victoria, which resides on the southern tip of the island, in the administrative district known as the “Capital Regional District”. It has an approximate population of 864,000. The highest elevation on the island is the Golden Hinde Mountain, In the Vancouver Island Ranges. It is approximately 7,201 feet (2,194.865 meters) in height. The island itself is approximately 10.73 Nautical Miles (12.347863 miles or 19.87196 kilometers) from the nearest mainland area, that area being Washington State. The island is famed for its untamed beaches, beautiful rainforests, & fascinating wildlife. The island has a beautiful mountain range that blends in with the coastline, & the temperate rainforests, which creates a unique clash of terrain. Additionally, its proximity to both Washington State, & Canada, makes it so that creatures from both can migrate over from each area quickly. This creates a strange ecological environment, which can attract some of the strangest species. In this article, we will discuss the Documented History Of Vancouver Island, the Aboriginals of the Island, the Most Destructive Man-Caused & Natural Disasters of the Island, & finally the Economic state of the Island. With that being said, let us delve into the rich history of this temperate island.
The Documented History Of Vancouver Island
Before Colonization
Vancouver Island was formed approximately 150 million years ago, when Volcanic activity pushed sedimentary rock upwards from the sea floor, & thus the island was born. It was much different geographically, & possibly larger, due to rising the fact that sea levels were much lower. Vancouver Island has been populated for at least 13,800 years, by three main Aboriginal Groups, those being the Coastal Salish, the Nuu-Chah-Nulth, 7 Kwakwaka’wakw.
After Colonization
History From The 1700’s
In 1778, the esteemed Captain James Cook made contact with the island, & made its existence known on a map. In 1788, John Meares began trading in the region of otter pelts, & seal pelts. The island began to be geographically surveyed by George Vancouver, a British naval officer, in 1792. However, The mapping of the island was not completed until 1795, due to the sheer size of the island. Soon after, the island was acquired by the Hudson’s Bay Company, & was held by said company up until it was made a British Colony in 1849.
History From The 1800’s
During the early 1800’s, whaling became extremely popular & profitable among many hunters. Whales specifically were popular for their oil, which was used in a variety of cosmetics. In 1843, Fort Victoria was built, which reinforced the fur industry as it was an incredibly large fur trading outpost. It also boosted the economy on the island by a fair amount. In 1849, Vancouver Island was made a British Crown Colony, independent of British Columbia. In 1853, a few large coal mines opened in Nanaimo Harbour, which is on eastern Vancouver Island. This brought an entirely new industry to the island, & along with it came a new age of innovation. In the year 1860, the first sawmill on the island saw its first export, which began a boom in the lumber industry on the island. This also caused a mass influx of immigrants who were seeking the Canadian dream, & seeking stability. A surprising amount of Chinese immigrants came in during this period as well, but the majority of European immigrants wouldn’t come until a few years down the line. In 1866, Vancouver Island was absorbed by mainland British Columbia, & stopped being its province. The first medium-sized wave of European Immigrants came to Victoria in 1874, largely from Scotland. In 1904, the islands ' renowned gardens were built by Jennie Butchart, who along with her husband sculpted a limestone quarry, into a beautiful green oasis.
History from the 1900’s
In the 1900s many naturalist projects took place, which made the island much prettier generally. The first of which, was in 1904. In 1904, the islands ' renowned gardens were built by Jennie Butchart, who along with her husband sculpted a limestone quarry, into a beautiful green oasis. Soon after in 1911, construction on the Strathcana Provincial Park, which was the first nature preserve on the island. Beginning in 1938, Salmon fishing became an extremely popular leisure activity on the island, which attracted many tourists from both Canada & America. As the influence of Hollywood grew, many actors would have summertime or part-time residences on the island. One of the most famous of these celebrities was Bing Crosby, who often Salmon fished on the island. In 1958 the destruction of Ripple Rock caused the largest man-made non-nuclear explosion at the time. On the morning of April 5th, 1958 at 9:32:02 AM, Ripple Rock was destroyed. 699,998.547 US tons (635,028 tonnes) of rock erupted to a height of 1,000 feet (304.8 meters), in a spectacular sight of human innovation. All debris took about 10 seconds to fall into the water, leaving a smoke cloud behind. Thankfully, this did not cause any major issues. In 1960, a growing need for public transportation between the mainland & the island began becoming very apparent, so a ferry service formed. The first ferry trips were in 1960, & have been in regular service ever since. Unfortunately, in 1964, disaster struck the island with devastating effects. In 1964, in the south-central area of Vancouver Island, Port Alberni was struck by 2 tsunamis, which destroyed about 50 homes, & injured countless other homes. Many residents were displaced, & many commercial buildings were damaged. Thankfully though, there were no direct deaths as a result of the tsunamis. In 1970, the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve was established, bringing a more optimistic future for the island as a whole. Additionally, in 1974, The Islands Trust was formed to manage Vancouver Island, as well as the hundreds of small surrounding islands. This trust's Office is located at 1627, Fort St. Victoria, BC V8R 1H8, Canada. Additionally, the island's first ski resort was opened in 1979, at Mount Washington. This brought a whole new industry to the island, which made the island even more economically prosperous.
The Aboriginals Of Vancouver Island
It is important to know, that there are many more Aboriginals on Vancouver Island, & these are just the 3 main groups of Aboriginals. We cannot cover all of the groups in this article, due to informational constraints.
No. 1: Coastal Salish Aboriginals
The Coastal Salish Aboriginals are a group of indigenous peoples found on southwestern Vancouver Island. They are also found in British Columbia & along Puget Sound. They seem to have inhabited the area for at least 8,000 years, alongside others. There are 3 distinct subdivisions, & 9 distinct dialects of said languages. These subdivisions are Nuxalk, Coast Salish, & Interior Salish. All of these languages are incredibly endangered, & only have 3-4 native speakers each at any given time. Before Colonization, they primarily sustained themselves by fishing. The majority of their inland villages were along rivers, to fish more easily. They would often construct houses out of logs, & build permanent winter lodging instead of going south. Their basic familial unit is centered around the extended family, rather than the nuclear family. Usually, all family members would just live in one large house. They often held ceremonies in the winter, which would consist of dancing. It seems that these ceremonies were often very individualistic, & differ between different families, but this is unconfirmed. Their modern population estimates are at 25,000.
No. 2: Nuu-Chah-Nulth Aboriginals
The Nuu-Chah-Nulth Aboriginals are an indigenous peoples group, who hunted whales along the Pacific Coast for years. They were primarily found along the western coast of Vancouver Island. They were formerly referred to as the Nootka, which is what gave Vancouver Island the original name of, Nootka Island. The Nuu-Chah-Nulth is about 15 different tribes of closely related people, instead of just one group. They used to have a very plentiful population, but when they made contact with settlers, massive smallpox outbreaks caused the majority of them to die. This also caused the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Language to become extremely endangered. Their culture is one of the few northwestern traditions in which whaling is practiced. Whaling is an important part of their spirituality, as can be seen in their songs, folklore, names, & territorial names. The most popular example of this being reflected in their spirituality, was prayer houses, such as the Yuquot Whalers Shrine. These temples were used to undergo spiritual preparations before going on a whaling expedition. They have hunted whales for at least 4,000 years, primarily of the grey & humpback species. They also seem to have hunted Orca on occasion, as it was regarded as high quality. Additionally, Social status affected whether or not you were allowed to join the whaling hunt. If you were not in a high social position, you would not be allowed to join the hunt, nor would you get much of the whale blubber. To join the whaling hunt was seen as an honor by the Nuu-Chah-Nulth, which is why the hunts were primarily led by the chief or head of the village. Their diets primarily were fish & crustacean-based, these fish included Herring, Rockfish, Salmon, & Halibut. They also seemed to have clams, mussels, & sea urchins as a large part of their diet. Berrying was also common practice, with the most popular berries being huckleberry, & blueberry. A few tribes would also pick crabapples, but that was much less popular. Lots of oral history about the traditional diets of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth has survived to this day, & been published as a 90-page cookbook. For their choice of wood for housing, it was often red or yellow cedar wood trees. This wood was also used for carvings of statues, & shrines.
No. 3: Kwakwaka’wakw Aboriginals
The Kwakwaka’wakw are a group of indigenous peoples who inhabit Vancouver Island, as well as the nearby British Columbia region. Their current population census is estimated at 3,665 individuals. They currently have 13 organized band governments. Their lifestyles are very ocean-oriented, & whaling is an important part of their tradition. Their songs, traditional dances, folklore, & ceremonial rituals reflect their cultural emphasis on oceanic life, & connection with nature. Aside from whaling, they often would hunt salmon & oolichan, a kind of silvery fish. The Kwak’wala language contains 43 alphabetical characters, & unfortunately is endangered. Their complete alphabet is linked here: https://umistapotlatch.ca. There are currently about 14 communities that still speak the Kwak’wala language. Currently, there are approximately 585 native speakers of the Kwak’wala language. The Kwakwaka’wakw celebrate a large cultural gathering known as a potlatch. In this gathering, they will gather, feast on many different dishes, exchange gifts, & perform dances. This tradition has persisted into the modern day, & is still extremely commonplace among these individuals. They share this tradition with the Nuu-Chah-Nulth, & many others. Currently, the U’mista Cultural Society works to preserve the Kwakwaka’wakw heritage & culture.
The Most Destructive Man-Caused & Natural Disasters To Affect Vancouver Island
No. 1: The Port Alice Landslide Of 1975
On a November Morning of 1975, major rains affected the area of Port Alice, & caused a massive landslide. Port Alice had a population of about 1,500 people at the time, but due to a local lumber company, they had many people traveling through for work. Many people in Port Alice didn’t listen to any warnings telling them to not build their houses on cliff-sides, so there was much more to destroy than there should have been. There were thankfully no casualties, but it did cause many displacements of families.
No. 2: The Vancouver Island Earthquake of 1946
On June 23rd, 1946, at 10:13:26 AM, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Vancouver Island. This was the largest onshore earthquake to affect Canada at the time. The earthquake was felt as far as Portland, Oregon, & knocked down approximately 75% of the chimneys in the surrounding area. Unfortunately, 2 deaths happened as a result of the earthquake, & 1 person drowned due to their small boat capsizing. Another person died indirectly as a result of the earthquake, from a heart attack in Seattle, Washington. Many people were displaced as a result of the earthquake, & it took many months to fully recover. As a result of the earthquake, many schools & commercial were seismically reinforced, to protect civilians.
No. 3: The Alberni Valley Tsunami Of 1964
The Alberni Valley Tsunami was caused by the great Alaskan earthquake, which measured 9.2 in magnitude. The tsunami was not just 1 gargantuan wave, instead, it was 6 big waves. The tsunami waves cost about 5,000,000 million U.S.D in 1964, which adjusted for inflation is approximately 49,305,000.00 U.S.D. Thankfully, there were no casualties as a result of the tsunami.
No. 4: Columbus Day Storm Of 1962
The Columbus Day Storm was a typhoon that affected the Southern Coast of Canada, & the Pacific Northwest of America. It lasted from September 28th, 1962, to October 27th, 1962. It first made landfall on Vancouver Island & Washington on October 13 of 1962, before curving northwestern. The storm caused 46 casualties across Oregon, Northern California, Washington, & British Columbia. One reason for its massive power is that it absorbed another storm before hitting Washington. The total damage caused was approximately 230,000,000 U.S.D at the time, which adjusted for inflation is 2,328,110,264.90 U.S.D.
The Economic State Of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island’s economy is extremely diverse, with thriving Aquaculture, Manufacturing, Software, Tourism, Agriculture, Finance, Forestry, & Construction industries. Vancouver Island’s GDP per Capita is approximately 46,250$ as of 2024. The total GDP of Vancouver, is roughly 37 Billion, despite only having 870,000 people. The average townhouse on Vancouver Island costs approximately 561,500 U.S.D. There are usually between 200 to 300 homes on the market that are on the island at any given time.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “Vancouver Island”, Written by the Editors Of Encyclopedia Britannica, & published first on July 20th, 1998. Published by the Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 2: “History & Heritage Of Vancouver Island”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Bluewater Adventures. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 3: “Vancouver Island - An In-Depth History”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Nanaimo Yacht Charters. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 4: “Coast Salish”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the First Nations Website. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 5: “Coast Salish”, Written by the Editors Of Encyclopedia Britannica, & First Published on July 20th of 1998. Published by Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 6: “Nuu-Chah-Nulth”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Museum Of Natural History. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 7: “Our People: People Of The Potlatch”, Written by Unknown & Published at an Unknown date. Published by the Virtual Museum Canada. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 8: “Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwakiult)”, Written by Gloria Cranmer Webster, & first Published on November 21st of 2006. Published by the Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 9: “5 Natural Disasters On Vancouver Island To Remember”, Written by Dave Flawse, & Published July 5th, 2022. Published by Vancouver Island History. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 10: “The M7.3 Vancouver Island Earthquake 1946”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Government Of Canada. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 11: “Landslide That Hit Port Alice 1975 ‘All We Saw Was Mud’”, Written by Sandra McCulloch, & Published on March 23rd, 2014, at 2:28 PM. Published by Times Colonist. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 12: “The Alberni Valley Tsunami Of 1964”, Written by Unknown, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by Alberni Valley Tourism. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 13: “Columbus Day Storm (1962)”, Written By Jeff LaLande & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 14: “An Evolving Economy”, Written By Unknown & Published at an Unknown Date. Published by the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 15: “What Vancouver Island Would Look Like As An Independent Country”, Written By Tristan Hopper, & Cameron Welch, & Published at an Unknown Date. Published By The Capital Daily News. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
Citation No. 16: “Vancouver Island Real Estate Board”, Written By Unknown & Published, at An Unknown Date. Published By the Canadian Real Estate Association. Retrieval Date: September 7th, 2023.
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