Applications for the special Cut-and-Carry away timber license were still the predominant license on the west coast of British Columbia. Mr. Robert Graham was one of the applicants. Mr. Graham applied on January 6, 1903, for such a license off the corner of McCormick’s pre-emption at Myrtle Point, near Froek and the Deighton farm.

As settlements expanded and families wanted to own their land, Crown Grants were applied for and granted. Fred Goffried Thulin finally received his on February 24, 1903, for District Lot 1611. First applied for in the late 1890’s, the land was finally in his possession. The Malaspina Hotel, located on District Lot 1612, adjacent to what later became recognized as Lund, played a significant role in history.

Inland from Malaspina Strait, between two small lakes, the Minister of Lands and Mines handed out another application for a Crown Grant to Mr. Peter E. Hanson. District Lot 1613, sitting just east of Mr. Thulin’s lots, included a lake area that had all the water flowing through it, and what is now known as the Lund Lake watershed.

For the residents of Sliammon (Tla’amin), leasing land was becoming an important part of their lives. Their priorities included leasing their land and constructing a new church. Later in the year, a woman from Sliammon was diagnosed with an illness linked to working at the ACME Cannery.

Texada Island was very active in 1903, as many mineral claims were still being filed and processed, and Mr. Albert J. Miluer and Mr. Bernard J. Toben received their mineral act agreement on March 2, 1903. This paperwork granted them Lot 187, which was the X-Ray Mine. Access to Texada, particularly Van Anda, was made more accessible by the water taxi, “Wood Nymph,” run by an Englishman named Walter Pinnock, otherwise known as “Steamboat Bob.”

Although the mines were highly productive, the Van Anda Smelter was ineffective. The original smelter, built in 1897 and installed on-site, exploded in 1898, destroying the initial setup, and the wharf collapsed after a storm that same year. Shipped in 1899, the new smelter began operating under Alex McKelvie that same year, and it immediately faced challenges due to poor ore quality and high operational costs. As a result, the furnace and McKelvie closed operations in Van Anda in 1903 and relocated to Ladysmith to remain competitive, thereby ending smelting activities on Texada Island.

The April 1, 1903, edition of The Daily Colonist had an article about a $250,000 lease with 50,000 acres of leaseholds, with ten timber cruisers actively engaged in proving up the limits. This article states that M. John Hanbury purchased, through a broker, the largest timber block ever transferred in British Columbia. This deal sealed leaseholds owned by the Bank of British North America, formerly owned by the Yorkshire Guarantee Company, for leases on Jarvis Inlet, Malaspina Inlet, and Malaspina Strait. This leasehold transfer also included leaseholds on Powell Lake and a leasehold managed by Messrs. McKinnon and Ferguson for the Thompson Estate claims situated on Dodd and Haslam Lakes.

Every year, the Province of British Columbia publishes statistics on everything that keeps people, businesses, finances, and every other aspect of the Province moving.

In 1903, R. E. Gosnell, Secretary of the Bureau of Provincial Information, published a 402-page report with fascinating information on Texada Island. This report is based on 1901 information, long before the Powell River Paper Company poured a foundation. In it, he writes that the Northwest Coast of the mainland is exceptionally thick with Douglas Fir, Spruce, Hemlock, and Red Cedar trees.

The area is characterized by many streams and deep fjords, with a landscape dominated by logger camps and Indigenous communities. Mr. Gosnell stated that the 1903 edition of the Yearbook of British Columbia documented communication with the northwest coast of the mainland. For example, he mentioned Froek, who maintained consistent communication with steamers for news and essential supplies, even though there were still no roads.

Mr. A.G. Deighton and Mr. N. Frolander, from Froek, sold their produce, which included potatoes, hay, and fruit. They advertised that in 1903, wages for white workers ranged from $2.50 to $3.00 per day, while Chinese workers earned only $0.90 per day, Japanese workers earned $1.00 per day, and Indigenous workers received $3.00 per day, all without board.

Powell Lake continued to capture attention, with monthly fishing, hunting, and excursions to the area. Land surrounding the lake was becoming available as the existing Crown Grant for Lot 450 approached its 25-year mark. No improvements or buildings went up during that period, and both Mr. R. P. Rithet and the Moodyville Sawmill Company logged off the timber and left the land idle without putting it to any further use.

District Lot 1901A became available from the Crown, sitting on the northern side of Teeshqout Creek, lower from the mouth of the river as it left Powell Lake, and was granted to Mr. Henry B. Thornson on July 16, 1903. According to the District Lot Registry, the District Lot 1901A was applied for on October 12, 1899, by the Industrial Power Company, surrendered to Henry B. Thomson, and approved on July 9, 1903. This district lot was not part of the original District Lot 450; however, it was within the Timber License granted in 1873/74 to Mr. R.P. Rithet.

Another company applied for the area around Lot 450, and Lot 1901a was the Pacific Coast Wood Pulp and Paper Company, formed in England, with a capital stock of 240,00 pounds, divided into 120,000 6 percent shares of 1 pound each. The Paper Trade Journal reported that investors organized the Company in 1903 with a single purpose: to build a pulp and paper mill on the Powell River.

Its promoters announced their intention to establish a full manufacturing plant, secure the necessary water power, and position the enterprise as one of the first large‑scale paper operations on the British Columbia coast. By placing the project in print, they signalled to the industry that Powell River had entered the field as a serious contender for future development.

On July 29, 1903, a historical document was signed at the Executive Council Chamber in Victoria, BC. Present were Mr. McBride, Mr. McPhillips, and Mr. Tatlow. This document changed the course of the Malaspina Strait and is the fundamental document in the development of Teeshqout Creek.

The Acting Provincial Secretary under Section 90 of Chapter 190: R.S. of the Water Clauses Consolidation Act of 1897, issued a certificate amending the consolidation of the first certificate issued on July 10, 1900, to the Pacific Coast Power Company, and by Order of Council on July 17, 1902, extending the time within which works of the Company were to be in operation, dated

The Pacific Coast Power Company, Limited, executed its memorandum on February 23, 1899, and secured formal registration in September of that year. Even before it became a registered company, it moved aggressively to secure water rights, acquiring 48,000 inches of water from the Powell River on May 10, 1899. The government granted its first Certificate of Approval on July 10, 1900, and later extended that approval on July 17, 1902, carrying the authorization forward to January 19, 1904.

The Pacific Coast Power Company submitted documents, along with John F. Shallcross’s declaration regarding the undertaking of a project. This project involved the construction of a dam, appropriate headgates, and a safe passage for logs and timbers not exceeding 50 feet in height.

The Company also secured explicit permission to divert water for the operation of waterwheels, allowing it to generate mechanical power on site. By obtaining this authority, the Company positioned itself to harness the river’s flow not only for industrial processes but also for the broader power demands of its planned development. This approval effectively opened the door for the Company to convert Powell River’s water power into a reliable energy source, reinforcing its long‑term ambitions for large‑scale industrial operations in the district.

Approved on September 13, 1899, was the construction of a dam not exceeding 200 feet above the falls and at such a height not exceeding 50 feet, and the right to back the water as they see fit, of Powell River and Powell Lake above the workings of the dam. This agreement was contingent on the dam and all the Company’s agreements being in operation on January 10, 1904.

The lands within these agreements consisted of all of Lot 1901A and a portion of Lot 450, Group One, New Westminster District. Commencing at a point on Powell River or Teeshqout Creek, being the southwest corner of the said Lot 1901A. Out of the total land on Lot 450, only 91.28 acres were designated by the Crown. After the Pacific Coast Power Company paid the approved amount of $10,000 to the Minister of Finance, it received the permit to build and occupy the land. Mr. A.E. McPhillips signed this permit on July 29, 1903.

There was a note in the August 1903 edition of the Canada Lumberman, stating that Benton E. Turner, a New York capitalist, was planning to build a pulp mill at the mouth of the Powell River after securing 250 square miles of spruce timberlands along the coast. The September 1903 edition also had an article published stating that the Pacific Coast Power Company had been granted incorporation and had acquired substantial timber rights on the Powell River for the purpose of constructing a pulp and paper mill. The Company listed the owners as Mr. Charles A. Stone and Mr. Edwin S. Webster, and the manager was Dwight P. Robertson.

After the Pacific Power Company received its permit, Ethel Tait made an application to cut and carry timber between District Lots 523, 1357, 498, and 450.

On August 18, 1903, Mr. John A. Humbird filed a notice to remove obstructions and to improve the property to be capable of rafting and holding logs. This published notice was substantial, as it covered the Gordon Pasha Lakes (Lois and Khartoum Lakes), Eagle Creek or Lewis River (Eagle River), Newton Lake (Nanton Lake), and Dodd Lake. This proposal was to hold all the waterways in his possession and to charge such tolls as were fixed by the Judge of the County Court.

From June to October 1903, the Department of Fisheries vessel, the D.G.F.C. Kestrel, patrolled the coast of British Columbia. Between September 13 and 19, it cruised the Malaspina Strait. It conducted a brief survey of the area around Powell River, from Grief Point to the small harbour of Froke (Froek), and of the northern end of Texada Island. During its patrol, the vessel visited all the notable streams where fishing occurs. The purpose of the patrol was to enforce fishing regulations, particularly during the spawning seasons along the coast.

In July 1903, the Commission of Indians completed a new map of the Sliammon Indian Reserve (Tla’amin). A letter dated August 1, 1903, was to be sent to Chief Tom Timothy, instructing that the map be properly stored. The letter, signed by R.C. MacDonald, the Indian Agent, noted that the map was requested by the Chief himself and asked for a confirmation of receipt.

On June 25, 1903, Mr. MacDonald met with Chief Tom Timothy, who personally requested a sketch. The Chief told Mr. MacDonald that the previous Indian Agent had promised a sketch some time earlier. In his July 9, 1903, letter to the Commission, Mr. MacDonald assured them that he would provide Chief Tom Timothy with a copy of the sketch.

In 1903, there were no schools in the Malaspina Strait. Chief Tom Timothy requested assistance from Mr. MacDonald to establish a school for the children of the Sliammon village (Tla’amin). Along with the request for a school, the Sliammon (Tla’amin) school would also need a teacher. Chief Timothy assured Mr. MacDonald that if a teacher accepted the position, the Sliammon (Tla’amin) community would take an active interest in their children’s education and would send them to school.

However, Mr. MacDonald, the Indian Agent, expressed doubts in a letter dated July 23, 1903. He questioned whether a day teacher would be willing to take charge of an Indian school. Additionally, he was unsure whether the people of Sliammon (Tla’amin) village would actually send their children to the school, which was essential to its success.

The topic was raised again in a letter from Mr. MacDonald regarding a lease request from Messrs. Merrill Bros. to log land belonging to the Sliammon near the Toquana Reserve. In response, Mr. MacDonald received a letter from the Chief of Sliammon (Tla’amin) stating that the Sliammon (Tla’amin) people refuse to sign the lease and returned the unsigned agreement on July 24, 1903.

On August 17, 1903, Mr. MacDonald received a telephone call from the manager of the Acme Cannery, who reported that several women from Sliammon (Tla’amin) were suffering from bowel inflammation and requested permission to send them to the hospital. Mr. MacDonald instructed officials to transport the women to Vancouver and promised to send an updated report after he saw them.

Steamers running up and down the coast of British Columbia carried loggers, miners, and homesteaders; occasionally, they also transported Indian Agents. Mr. MacDonald, the Coast Indian Agent, boarded the vessel around September 1, 1903, as the Sliammon (Tla’amin) and Homalco Indians had requested a meeting to discuss many matters. After having stopped in at the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indian reserve, he returned with more information on the application from the Messrs. Merrill Bros. to log land belonging to the Sliammon (Tla’amin) near the Toquana Reserve.

At a meeting of the male members of Sliammon (Tla’amin) of the full age of 21 on September 10, 1903, they gathered for the purpose of considering the application of Messrs. Merrill Bros. to log a right of way across their land near the Toquana Reserve. This application was for a 20-year lease, which included a logging road and a wharf on its waterfront, as well as the further privilege of reserving the timber now standing on the reserve.

The lives of the people on the coast trace a pivotal year in the early development of the Powell River Malaspina Strait region, highlighting 1903 as a moment of rapid change driven by timber licensing, Crown land grants, mining activity, and the first major moves toward industrial power development. It follows settlers, companies, and Indigenous communities as they navigated expanding resource extraction, such as large timber leases, new mineral claims on Texada Island, and the Pacific Coast Power Company’s push to secure water rights and build a dam on the Powell River—while also documenting the lived experiences of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) people, including land‑lease negotiations, health crises linked to cannery work, and efforts to establish a school. Alongside these developments, government patrols, corporate ambitions for a future pulp and paper mill, and the challenges of early infrastructure paint a picture of a region on the cusp of transformation, where industrial ambition, colonial administration, and Indigenous resilience intersected in complex and consequential ways.