It was evident from the previous couple of years that the coastlines on both sides of Malaspina Strait were receiving increased traffic, leading to more reports and documentation. In 1881, Mr. Geo. A. Walkem, the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works in Victoria, imposed a moratorium on timber and land claims. This decision allowed his office, along with numerous surveyors, to catch up on all the applications submitted not only in the previous years but also those from 1881.

The Land Amendment Act of 1879 mandated that many applications undergo re-evaluation and reconsideration before any public acknowledgment or notices could be issued. An example of the slow application process is a Public Notice published on February 5, 1881, regarding Texada Island. This notice pertained to Lot 8 in Van Anda, which was finally surveyed and submitted to the Land and Works office under Mr. J.C. Hughes, Esq., Commissioner of New Westminster.

The Lot 8 application, originally filed on October 29, 1880, was nearly an entire year old. Lot 8 in Van Anda joined a future income for the Province of British Columbia alongside Lot 1, owned by Mr. H.E. Sturt, who paid $8.86 in land taxes, and Lots 3, 4 and 5, owned by Mr. S. Robinson, who paid $44.10 in land taxes.

Aboard the steamer Skidegate, steered by Captain Bladsdell, was a party of people travelling for 15 days, going from one location to another looking for ore sources. Stopping at Texada Island, reported on April 18, 1881, that they examined the copper and iron deposits, as two men worked at the copper mine to ship the ore to the smelting works at Port Townsend.

Most of the companies moving north into the Dominion of Canada were doing so as a result of a publication by the Statistics of the American and Foreign Iron Trades in 1880. This annual report, prepared by the Secretary of the American Iron and Steel Association, was published by Mr. James M. Swank and presented to the members on July 30, 1881. This year’s publication marked the fourth consecutive year this report highlighted Texada Island, noting its abundant limestone resources and the company that owns the Irondale Works’ intention to establish a branch furnace on Texada Island itself.

The west coast of British Columbia celebrated major news when developers established a smelter in a region rich in high‑quality ore, and hoped to attract new mines and investors to the area. Texada Island, long known for its abundant minerals and ore, also drove a steady trade in timber. The steamer Maude regularly stopped at Texada Island to load lumber before steaming back to New Westminster to unload its freight.

In sum, the activity surrounding Malaspina Strait and Texada Island in 1880–1881 reveals a region on the threshold of transformation, where rising coastal traffic, delayed land administration, and renewed surveying efforts intersected with the growth of mineral and timber economies. The provincial government struggled to keep pace with applications and surveys, even as early tax revenues began to trickle in from newly defined lots. At the same time, prospecting parties, American industrial reports, and the establishment of new smelting operations signalled that Texada’s mineral potential was attracting attention far beyond British Columbia.

Regular timber shipments and the steady movement of steamers underscored the island’s integration into regional trade networks. Together, these developments mark the moment when Texada Island shifted from a sparsely documented coastal outpost to an emerging resource district whose minerals, timber, and strategic location would soon draw sustained investment and reshape the Strait’s economic landscape.