VANCOUVER ISLAND FACTS - History

• Vancouver Island was created as the result of Volcanic activity over a period of 200 million years starting approximately 360 million years ago south of the equator.



• At a speed of seven centimetres per year it took approximately 360 million years to reach its present location. (170 million years ago it was beside present day Mexico. 80 million years ago it was beside present day California.)
• Vancouver Island is actually the top of a huge undersea mountain range. The mountain range that runs North - South on the Island is called the Beaufort Range.
• The Native peoples were probably the first inhabitants migrating here approximately 5000 to 10,000 years ago. However, large stone figures of individuals gesturing toward the sea have been found on the north east coast. It is not known by anyone who these people were. The same applies to many petroglyphs found along the east coast. In both instances they pre-date the present day Natives.
• There is strong evidence that indicates the Japanese explored this area in very early times.
• The Chinese story of Fusang describes the visit of a Buddhist Monk and other accompanying Priests in the year 499AD.

  

• Probably Captain Juan Perez of Spain was the first European to see the island in 1774.
• Captain Cook (England) was the first to trade goods with the natives(1778).
• Captain Vancouver was the first to circumnavigate the island (1792-1794) and prove that it actually was an island.
• Captain Vancouver originally named the island "Quadra and Vancouver's Island" to commemorate the friendly meetings that took place there between himself and the Spanish Captain Quadra.



• The English and the Spaniards vied for control of the island in the late 1700's with the English finally taking control. This is why there are many Spanish named landmarks on and around Vancouver Island.
• The Oregon Treaty of 1846 established the border, between Canada (Vancouver Island) and the United States, at the 49th parallel. The United States wanted the border to be at the 54th parallel.
• In 1849 Great Britain made Vancouver Island a Crown Colony and leased the whole of the island to the Hudson's Bay Company for seven schillings a year.



• The mainland and Vancouver Island politically merged in 1866 and were then known together as the colony of British Columbia.
• The British North America Act established the Dominion of Canada in 1867 and British Columbia joined the Dominion in 1871 becoming the sixth province. Victoria, on Vancouver Island, was established as the capital of British Columbia.