Texada Island sits within the traditional territory of the Tla’amin people, who use the island seasonally for fishing, shellfish harvesting, and travel through the Malaspina Strait and the Sabine Channel. Archaeological evidence of middens, fish weirs, and lithic scatters attests to long-standing Indigenous presence along the west shore. Texada Island, once known only in Spanish and entered on Spanish charts, has the earliest documented European event on Texada Island: its naming by Spanish explorers in 1791, first called Tejada, named after Felix de Tejada.

In 1871, word spread quietly, known only within a small network of miners and traders of ore discovered on an island in the Malaspina Strait. Two years after the initial discovery, the prospector brings an ore sample to Sewell P. Moody, a prominent sawmill operator with influence in regional industry and politics. Recognizing the commercial potential, Moody organizes a rapid speculative expedition. He charters the Cariboo Fly, a small coastal vessel, and brings aboard a politically charged party. This party consisted of Moody himself, Victoria’s Mayor Dalby, MLA J.C. Hughes, and Premier Amor De Cosmos. Upon reaching Welcome Bay, the group stakes four 160‑acre pre‑emptions surrounding the ore body, effectively attempting to secure control of the island’s most valuable mineral ground. News of the pre‑emptions spreads quickly, provoking public outrage.

Soon, land claims were filed, and individuals sought to acquire as much of the area as possible. Mr. Dalby and Mr. Robertson were just two of a few dozen people, including Harry Trim, who is credited with the first land claim to seek rumoured riches off Texada Island. It was, however, Mr. Springer and Mr. R. Foord who filed in 1871, which was the source of the ore claim—filing for District Lot 305, Group 1, S.E. 1/4, Section 9 and Section 8 on Texada Island.

In the Sessional Papers of 1872, specifically on pages 31-76, the published report noted that ore was discovered on Texada Island, leading to a surge in applications. Between 1873 and 1874, a significant number of land speculators arrived on the island. Applications from the Dominion and Province of British Columbia, along with surveys, indicated the area was “next to Samuel Robinson’s claim.” Consequently, Texada Island became the most sought-after location on the coast.

By 1878, Texada was firmly on the map as a mineral island, but the decisive pivot that happened in 1874, as the Land Grab led to a tight loop between ore discovery, political land grab, public outrage, and the Royal Commission, forever changed the landscape, ownership, and future of Texada.