1907
A Coast Besieged1907 A Coast Besieged
of Claims, Conflicts, and Relentless Expansion
When Frederick A. Brockway came to the coast of Malaspina Strait, he travelled where very few had in 1885, inside Malaspina Inlet. Land was becoming available through Crown grants, and timber was becoming the West’s investment. District Lot 525, granted to Mr. Brockway on April 23, 1885, sat alongside a recent Indian Reserve of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band.
This district lot was not an ordinary piece of land; it was prime land in a prime location, with access to the Theodosia River at two locations, and the timber on the land was between the Reserve to the West and burnt timber to the east. It was surveyed land, like District Lot 525, and people like Mr. Brockway brought others’ interests to land in the area of Malaspina Strait.
On a beautiful day in 1907, a photographer captured a photograph that later appeared on a postcard titled “A View at Lund, B.C.” The image, taken near the shore, highlights the original Malaspina Hotel, a small unprotected wharf, and several surrounding buildings. The postcard addressed Mrs. C.D. Smith of Victoria and included a message the sender wrote: “This place is for fishing and game past Vancouver. Didn’t go to Tacoma.”
On the island of Texada, an official Medical Health Officer was assigned on January 3, 1907, after John Henry MacDermot was appointed as the District of Van Anda resident doctor with an M.D.C.M. beside his name. Although he had lived on the Island for a while and provided medical care, the Province of British Columbia recognized his presence there.
At some point in January of 1907, the Sayward Lumber Company of Victoria announced in the Canadian Lumberman and Woodworking magazine that they were to construct a logging railway from Powell Lake to the salt water by September of the same year. The company has 100,000,000 feet of timber in its tracts in the district of Powell Lake, and a railway is necessary, as attempts to log with the river’s current have been unsuccessful.
The company announced that the railway will be 8,000 feet long and have a 12 percent grade. It will have a 30-ton engine to haul the cars. In addition to the engine, the logging road will lead to a 400-foot-long breakwater constructed to enclose the booming grounds, and will be able to bring logs from 12 miles back from Powell Lake.
Texada Island itself finally reached a peak in worldwide recognition. The Mining Record Magazine, published in January of 1907, had extensive information on the mining operations at Blubber Bay and Van Anda, including Gillies Bay. Some of the first pictures taken on Texada were featured in this article, from an Open Quarry Face to the Cornell Mine operations. At the time of this printing, the only producing mine was at Marble Bay, owned by the Tacoma Steel Company, and the Cornell was under lease to a Seattle syndicate. The Puget Sound Iron Company and the Copper Queen mines had promising workings, while the Loyal and Commodore Mines were still in the development stage and had not yet reached the shipping stage.
View at Lund – creator Philip T Timms (click on image to expand)
View at Lund – creator Philip T Timms back view (click on image to expand)
CDM MacMillan Mouth of Powell River 1907 (click on image to expand)
CDM MacMillan Shake Blockers Residence near the Powell River 1907 (click on image to expand)
From Postcards to Magazines, the newly discovered paradise of the Malaspina Coast was coming alive with adventurers. The Breeder and Sportsman’s January Edition of 1907 had a page written by J.X. DeWitt for the Rod, Gun and Kennel. It mentions hunting and camping spots along the coast, including Texada Island; in it, Mr. O.E. Garland and Mr. H.H. Hollingsworth of Hotham Sound claim to have seen sheep in the vicinity of Powell Lake and the mountains.
Mr. Garland, who took photographs on Goat Mountain around the 4000-foot level, described how he came across a ram, which stood up and stared at him for several minutes. Goat Island sits in the middle of Powell Lake, approximately 10 miles from the mouth of the river. As Mr. Garland passed the river’s mouth, he went by a hand logger’s cabin, the magnificent Powell Falls, and a log jam. He followed a trail that began along the coast south of where Teeshqout Creek entered the Strait, then walked up an old traditional path to reach the Lake.
Payment disputes frequently arose among members of the Indian Band when they completed work for individuals and companies that hired them. One such dispute involved the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indians and the Captain of the steamer St. Clair. In a letter Mr. McDonald received from the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indians, the payment was expected to be made by the Captain of the Steamer, as the letter referred to a written agreement between the two parties. Mr. McDonald writes in his reply to Chief Tom of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band that he is writing to the Captain for payment, but if they do not receive payment, to take the matter to court to assert their rights.
The beginning of 1907 saw legal letters regarding trespassing on Sliammon (Tla’amin) Reserve lands by Japanese Fishermen. Mr. McDonald writes to A.F. Creagh, a Barrister and Solicitor in Vancouver, regarding this alleged trespassing on January 2, 1907. In response to a letter from Mr. Creagh, it was stated that the Japanese fishermen fished under a license issued by the Fishery Department and did not interfere with the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Reserve; however, the Japanese erected shacks on the Reserve under a lease by the BC. Mills, Timber & Trading Company, and Mr. McDonald considered it an advantage for the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indians to have the Japanese operating there; otherwise, the Sliammon (Tla’amin) members would not be able to sell the fish they caught themselves.
Chief Tom was one of the band members who voted to approve leases on Sliammon (Tla’amin) Reserves; one of the lease agreements was to the Hastings Mill Company, in which the Sliammon (Tla’amin) members agreed to a yearly rent, and while this rent was paid, the company had the rights to that land whether they used it or not. Mr. McDonald writes to Chief Tom regarding this Lease on January 7, 1907, as it was understood that Johnny Louie, who was a member of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band, had taken for himself 160 acres of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Reserve, including a portion of the leased land.
As Mr. McDonald explains to Chief Tom in the letter, no member of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band can hold exclusive rights to any portion of the Reserve, and that the Reserve was laid out for all members in common. The only way Mr. Louie can receive exclusive rights is by obtaining the consent of the Chief and the other male members, as well as the Superintendent General of Indian Affairs or his representative. The letter continues to explain that if Johnny wishes to cultivate or otherwise use it for legitimate purposes, he should apply for permission, and his case will then be considered.
On January 22, 1907, the same day as he replied to Chief Tom of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band, Mr. McDonald, the Indian Agent responsible for the case, wrote to the Captain to request his account of the incident and to inquire about the reasons for the failure to pay for the work done in saving logs.
Breeder and Sportsman January 1907 (click on image for pdf)
CDM MacMillan full Log Jam Powell River 1907 (click on image to expand)
Government Gazette British Columbia January to June 1907 (click on image for pdf)
Mining operations on the mainland side of Malaspina Strait were few and far between, but they did occur occasionally. January 30, 1907, the McNaughton Bros. applied for a lease for quarrying purposes on lands in Malaspina Strait. These lands commenced at Timber Lease, 920 and contained 40 acres more or less. This land was located near Lund, B.C. and just north of Atrevida Reef.
Income from lease agreements on the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Reserves was deposited into the Trust Funds of the Sliammon(Tla’amin) Band. When a lease agreement reaches its annual term, rent is due. On February 6, 1907, Mr. McDonald sent a reminder letter to the BC. Mills, Timbers & Trading Company, informing them that rent of $100.00 was due for the year ending January 8, 1908. He requested that they kindly send a cheque for the payment.
Frederick A Brockway Lot 525 April 23 1885 (click on image for pdf)
It was not until March 14, 1907, that the $100 rent payment was received from the BC. Mills, Timber and Trading Company. Mr. McDonald wrote to Mr. Vowell, the Indian Superintendent, and enclosed the cheque, informing him that the rent had been paid, and then responded to the Company on March 20, 1907, acknowledging receipt of the payment.
Along with this letter was the same request, written to Messrs. Thulin Bros., for $25 toward the rent due for the year ending January 22, 1908. As the month went into February of 1907, across the Strait, Mr. Merville and Mr. P. Burt applied for a cut and carry license commencing at a post planted 3 miles southerly from Mr. J.H. Kilmer’s lot on the west coast of Texada Island.
Mr. L. Anderson, who was a timber locator, filed with the Brunette Sawmill Company for the cut and carry license on lands commencing at the post planted on the beach in Trevenon May in Malaspina Inlet. The application covered an area of 60 chains by 80 chains and thence 100 chains more or less to the beach.
On March 1, 1907, an application was filed by Mr. W.C. Palmer for a cut-and-carry license for the Malaspina Inlet. Commencing on the shore on the North side of Wootton Bay, Theodosia Arm in Malaspina Inlet, approximately 640 acres of prime waterfront timber.
As the mines grew, so did the demand for timber to maintain operations. Although many cut-and-carry timber licenses had already been issued on Texada Island, more kept coming. Glady and Fulmer applied for 8 licenses on March 7, 1907; all of them were commencing above or beside Timber Lease 10536 situated on the west shores of the Island itself.
There are several pieces of Crown-granted land from previous years that changed the course of many timber leases; the 1885 Crown Grant to Charles Harding was foremost among such lands. District Lot 1830, granted to Charles Harding on December 13, 1898, became the timber land linked to harvest licenses up Theodosia Arm. Positioned next to the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indian Reserve, it made use of nearby skid roads, routes others depended on because those within the Reserve were off-limits, which supported a wide range of logging outfits in 1907.
Rod and Gun Club December 1907 (click on image for pdf of pages)
Department of Indian Affairs – Departmental Letter Books 1907 (Pages 1-23) (click on image for pdf of pages)
Department of Indian Affairs – Departmental Letter Books 1907 (Pages 24-47) (click on image for pdf of pages)
The Gordon Pasha Lakes had a vast network of waterways, with many rivers from smaller lakes feeding it, which made the lakes themselves attractive to investors. Mr. Alex McEachern, on March 23, 1907, put in for a special license for a carry-away timber permit near the shoreline on the eastern shore of the Second Gordon Pasha Lake.
Special Cut and Carry Licenses issued around the Gordon Pasha Lakes exploded in 1907, and timber cruisers were walking the forests to get to the best timber they could find. When a BC. Forester applied for a special timber license for a vast area because a timber cruiser had come to cruise it and deemed it valuable.
Mr. Judson Freeman Clarke, a forester from Vancouver, B.C., applied for 5 special licenses from March 6, 1907 to April 11, 1907. Covering the areas from the head of Third Lake of the Gordon Pasha Lakes, Mr. Clarke put in his application for a combined area of 3200 acres of nearly untouched timber resources.
As Mr. A.M. Goodfellow applied for a neighbouring cut-and-carry licence for the Upper Gordon Pasha Lake on March 23, 1907, he was one of the few who put in a stake near the corner of Lease Lot 574. Mr. Goodfellow’s cut and carry license ran along the shoreline of the Upper Gordon Pasha Lake, giving him easy access to remove the timber.
Canda Lumberman and Wood-Worker (click on image for pdf of pages)
Theodosia PNWS03Tr02 (click on image to expand)
The land between Malaspina Strait and both sides of Powell Lake was beginning to see dozens of shanty homes, logging camps, as well as hunters and fishing expeditions coming up the coast. With all this activity, descriptions of the area were popular, so popular that Mr. Roland D. Craig applied to join all the others. May 25, 1907, was one of the dates Mr. Craig made two separate applications for a Special License to cut and carry on the shores of Powell Lake.
Mining was going at full capacity on Texada Island; small and large operations were abundant everywhere near the northern tip, and mines needed timber and lots of it. Loggers and timbermen were finding that out, and as Mr. Gordon Fleck was finding out, there was plenty of timber for the taking and for sale. Mr. Fleck applied for two separate parcels of 640 acres each on June 1, 1907, one near the West of the pre-emption of Claim 19 and the other near Claim 1.
Mr. Thomas L. Shevlin of Minneapolis, a lumber merchant, intended to apply for a Special License on the corner of Limit 913 on the east shore of Haslam Lake to the corner of Limit 915. Haslam Lake was not a widely used logging area in 1907; however, Mr. Shevlin sought to log it in his application, posted June 4, 1907, in the BC Gazette.
On May 28, 1907, Mr. R.J. Moore applied for a cut-and-carry license on Texada Island, commencing on the Pre-emption claim marked No. 19, as well as Claim 1. Mr. Moore staked his claim markings on May 23, 1907. Later, on June 6, 1907, a notice was issued by the Surveyor-General, Mr. E.B. McKay, stating that Lot 235 on Texada Island had been surveyed and that plans could be seen at the Lands and Works Department in New Westminster.
Stephan Anderson, who was a logging foreman of a logging camp, and Mr. J. Wilson of Texada, who was a rancher, both applied together for a Special Timber License. Two separate locations in the applications, both near Sections 19 and 22 on Texada Island, were published in the BC Gazette on June 24, 1907.
John M.L. Mackinnon Distirct Lot 1481 July 16 1907 (click on image for pdf survey and land title)
Newspapers (click on image for pdf of articles)
As the area around Malaspina Strait and Georgia Strait became better known for its shore-based lumber, other companies sought lumber farther inland. An announcement on July 13, 1907, in the Daily News informed its readers that a company known as the Merrill & Ring Lumber Company chose Theodosia Arm at the most northerly point of the Malaspina Inlet as their next site of operations. With the property in their possession, consisting of Crown Grants and leases, they propose to begin construction of logging railroads between five and ten miles long.
Mink Island sits just past the mouth of Malaspina Inlet, farther north on the equator lines and a nondescript type of Island. It is described as District Lot 1481 in 1907, and Mr. John M.L. Mackinnon applied for a Crown Grant for the entire Island and received it on July 16, 1907.
Mr. McDonald wrote to Rev. Father Chirouse at Mission City, BC, on July 29, 1907, to find a date that they could all leave for Sliammon (Tla’amin) from Vancouver, as Mr. McDonald needed to discuss the application of a Captain Johnson for a concession on the Reserve with Sliammon (Tla’amin) members.
Across a small mountain range, the same cut-and-carry licenses were being acquired on Powell Lake, which had the easiest access to remove the timber to the Strait. Mr. J.A. Sayward applied on August 1, 1907, for such a license for two separate permits, both of which commenced on a corner of District Lot 1610 on Powell Lake, which was 9 miles from the mouth of the river Teesqhout.
Mining Record Magazine January 1907 (click on image for pdf of pages)
BC Gazette July – December (click on image for pdf)
Following a resolution on August 9, 1907, by the male members of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indians, they hereby agreed to accept from the Thulin Bros for a concession held by them on the Reserve, the sum of $12.00 instead of the $25 per annum as heretofore paid. This resolution was moved by Chief Tom, seconded by Chief Charley, and signed by the full-aged male members of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band. The full-age members were Andrew Harry, Sandy Timothy, Peter, George, Jimmy Frank, Jim Timothy, Willie Bob, Harry Tom, Timothy, Bob, Domonick, Joseph, Felix, Harry, and Francis.
At the same meeting on August 9, 1907, another resolution was passed unanimously to request from the Indian Department to purchase for use and to pay for this use from the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Trust Fund for 350 feet of two-inch water pipe and to extend their water system to take the water from a higher level than at present.
Mr. McDonald penned a letter to the Department of Indian Affairs on August 13, 1907, in which Mr. Wilbur Johnston asked for a concession to build a fish-curing building on Reserve No. 1, if agreed to by the male voting members, for a yearly rental of $100.00. The portion of land was about an acre and would be used only for about two months a year for salting and curing, employing the Sliammon (Tla’amin) members and providing the opportunity to sell their fish to Mr. Johnston.
Tom Lewis, who was a Secretary and occasionally the acting deputy superintendent general of Indian Affairs in 1907, forwarded a letter dated August 15, 1907, from Mr. Wilbur Johnston. Mr. Tom Lewis, writing the letter on August 23, 1907, is responding to Mr. Wilbur Johnston’s request for permission to erect a building on the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indian Reserve No.1 and includes the communication from the local Agent along with the consent of the Indians. Mr. Tom Lewis replies that, owing to the claim made by the Provincial Government, the application should be given favourable consideration.
Charles Harding DIstrict Lot 1830 December 13 1898 (click on image for pdf of survey and land grant)
Coast of British Columbia 1907 (click on image for pdf of pages)
The Canadian Pacific Railway was offering coastal service on August 24, 1907, for the coastal waters of British Columbia. Their vessel, the SS Queen City, offered passage to many destinations every Wednesday, including Van Anda and Lund. The Union SS Co of BC also offered passage on their vessels to Van Anda and Lund, competing with the CPR vessels.
Messrs. Thulin Brothers had business interests with the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band, as they held buildings and leases on Reserve No. 1. On August 23, 1907, they were sent a letter from the Department of Indians, Mr. Tom Lewis, to inform them that their annual payment for that agreement was $12.00 per annum, and they were to pay it. Later in the month, on August 27, 1907, Indian Agent Mr. McDonald wrote to the Department regarding the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band members’ application to purchase 350 feet of two-inch water pipe, to be paid from the No. 207 Account available in the Auditor General’s Report of 1905-1906.
The total amount requested for supplies was $46.50, including 350 feet of pipe at $38.50 and freight charges of $8.00. The current water pipe system in the village does not provide adequate pressure for fire protection.
The Sliammon (Tla’amin) water system was slowly being improved and, in doing so, required $46.50. On September 9, 1907, Mr. Tom Lewis, the Indian Agent, requested that amount from the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Trust Funds to pay the amount incurred for the Sliammon (Tla’amin) water system.
The world was watching Powell Lake, waiting in anticipation for a company to build a dam and a mill, and some of those companies wanted in on the business. The Vancouver Timber and Trading Company Ltd under C.O.P. OLTS, who was the acting Agent, applied for a special timber license over the following lands situated on the west side of Powell Lake. Commencing at the post planted at District Lot 2456, which included Timber License 11887, their claim of 40 chains by 120 chains by 40 chains to the shore of Powell Lake and westerly and northerly along the shore of the Lake back to the post, which they staked August 20, 1907 and applied and published on September 5, 1907, in the BC Gazette.
Thomas H Tracey Lot 24 October 2 1907 (click on image for pdf of survey and land grant)
Candian Forestry Journal September 1907 (click on image for pdf of pages)
The Canadian Forestry Journal Volume No. 3, published in September of 1907, had a section titled “Our Forest Lands and Timber Preservation”. In the section, references were made to the Public Domain Act of 1906; this act aimed to establish a policy to ensure responsible administration of Crown timber lands. Right after this article, “General Forests Description of the Powell Lake Basin,” was written by H.R. MacMillan.
Mr. MacMillan writes that Powell Lake lies one and one-half miles from the north side of the Strait of Georgia and 80 miles north of Vancouver. As well, the accompanying map shows that it bears NE and NW, has a length of 25 miles and an average width of one and one-half miles, broadening out in the centre to enclose Goat Island, an island about four miles wide and eight miles long.
He continues with many descriptions of the Lake’s features and includes that the Lake sits 150 feet above sea level, a fact that renders Powell River, though 100 feet wide and 3 to 10 feet deep, too swift to be navigable or drivable on account of the series of falls and rapids.
With descriptions of the mountains and ores in the area, and given that the area has often changed government jurisdictions, the oldest known Crown Grant, where the Government sold land and timber outright, went for approximately $1 per acre, and some leases went for as little as $0.05 per acre. Leases in the Powell Lake area cover around 39 square miles and have an annual rental rate of $140 per square mile for 21 years. The owners of these leases are required to pay a royalty of 50 cents per 1000 when timber is cut.
With fire destroying much of the good timber in 1899 and 1903, the unburnt timber now extends up the Lake for five miles from the south end and into a few valleys 2000 feet above, and over ten square miles of the Upper Powell and Trail Rivers. With descriptions of the types of wood and vegetation, Mr. MacMillan closes his article by stating that there are no agricultural lands at Powell Lake, and that the nearest Mill is in Vancouver, 80 miles away, with a boom towage rate of 75 cents per mile; it is feasible to tow them.
Cornell Wildcat Mine Van Anda BC 1907 – 1917 (click on image to expand)
Thomas Merril Lot 506 Apri 23 1885 (click on image for pdf of survey and land grant)
Mr. MacMillan states there is a fair mill site at the mouth of the Powell River and several thousand horsepower could be generated. A railroad grade of 4% can be built with little cost from the sea to the Lake, and most logging can easily be done with donkey engines. He continues to write that short railroads and chutes on Goat Island and Upper Powell could bring logs to the water for $4 to $6 per M.
The United States Navy publishes descriptive books on the coastlines, providing place names, details, and descriptions from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Portland Canal, including the Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands. In No. 96 Second Edition, published in 1907, it included place names such as Texada Island and Mount Shepherd, and listed a buoy 400 yards off the northern end of the Island, a black spar buoy in 6 fathoms of water just off the reef.
Place names such as Gillies Bay, Mouatt Islets and Upwood Point, all on Texada, indicate details Mariners need to be aware of and mark on their navigational charts. A feature that Captains would watch for is Mount Dick, a very remarkable hump-shaped hill, 1136 feet high, and Sturt Bay, a small inlet situated near the NE coast of Texada Island that is narrow; however, it has a wharf 114 feet long on the eastern side of the bay.
Of course, by 1907, the placename Van Anda is a well-known destination with a wharf and a settlement around the coppermines. The Sabine Channel between Lasqueti Island and Texada Island and the Sabine Channel is deep, 3 miles wide at its western end and 9 miles long. Opposite Texada Island, on the mainland side, is Malaspina Strait, a wide navigable channel separating Texada Island from the Mainland.
Malaspina Strait runs along the coast from mid-Texada to the north end of Texada and Harwood Island, where it re-enters the Georgia Strait, and has many placenames for coves, reefs, and inlets, including anchorage locations, degrees, and water depths. From Jervis Inlet, Nelson Island, Hardy Island and Agamemnon Channel on the southern portion of the Strait.
Thunder Bay is one of the southernmost points with a placename before the Prince of Wales Reach, and Hotham Sound has no anchorage points at all. As one travels north up Malaspina Inlet, the book tells of Harwood Island, just off the north entrance to Malaspina Strait, 1 and a half miles from the continental shore and about 3 miles north of Point Marshall. The Island itself is 2 and a half miles long and 1 and a half miles wide and sits 150 to 200 feet above the high tide.
Rebecca Islet and Bare Island are next in the book, Rebecca lying midway between Marshall and Hardwood and having a reef that sits at about 5 feet above high water. Bare Island, 1 mile West of the south end of Hardwood Island, is but a cliffy rock around 400 yards and 30 feet above high water.
Malaspina Strait itself, westward from Jervis Inlet to the north shore, is 11 miles, terminating west at Grief Point, then runs north to the continental shore of Georgia Strait, where it then runs to Sarah Point and Desolation Sound.
There is a freshwater stream at Powell River, of considerable size, 4 miles north of Grief Point, communicating from 2 miles from shore with Powell Lake, which extends 20 miles northward towards the head of Toba Inlet. At Powell River, there are remarkable falls only 100 yards from the sea.
Past Powell River is the settlement of Sliammon (Tla’amin), which sits NE of Harwood Island, and at Sliammon Beach, it dries off some 400 yards southward of the village. Vessels anchoring off Sliammon (Tla’amin) should keep Dinner Rock open off the point westward of the village. For navigation, Captains can use the Roman Catholic Church mission as the conspicuous sight from seaward.
After passing Sliammon (Tla’amin), there is the Atrevida Reef and buoy with Hurtado point that clears the reef, and then one is at Dinner Rock, sitting 35 feet high and 1 and a quarter mile from shore. Savary Island sits opposite Lund, BC, a settlement with a wharf, and only 6 miles from the northern end of Harwood Island. The Island is 4 miles long and 1 mile wide and sits at elevations of 80 to 120 feet above sea level, with remarkable white sandy cliffs.
Mystery Rock, 2 and three-quarters of a mile from the east end of Savary Island, is considered to be an area to sail with great caution. Still going north, one comes across the Ragged Islands, White Islet, and Double Islets, including the Powell Islets. Across from these Islands and Islets is Sarah Point, 20 miles NW of Malaspina Strait, which is near the entrance to Malaspina Inlet and Theodosia Arm. So many place names are listed in 1907, some not yet appearing on some charts, and many that have been on charts since the 1860s.
Mr. W. Myers of Vancouver, BC, who was an Electrician, filed with the intent to apply for a special timber license described as lands at Powell Lake on September 5, 1907. The intended lands commenced at a post planted on the north bank of Goat River. This application also included the south bank of Goat River, which drained into Powell Lake and ran to Lease Lot 925.
Another publication in the BC Gazette was from John R. Hulbert of Vancouver, B.C., a timber dealer intending to apply for the special cut-and-carry license. Mr. Hulbert concentrated his applications on Powell Lake. Of the few that were made, one commenced at a post planted four miles southeast of Powell Lake, near a small creek which empties into Powell Lake. The second application commenced at a post four miles southeast of Powell Lake and a quarter of a mile north of the small creek that empties into Powell Lake.
The third application, filed on September 6, 1907, commenced at a post planted about four miles southeast of Powell Lake, a quarter mile north of a small creek, and one-half mile from the head of the Lake. Meanwhile, the fourth commenced at a post planted three and a quarter miles northeast of the Timber Lease No. 135 and almost 40 rods west of the creek that empties into Powell Lake.
The final application commenced at a post four and a quarter miles northeast from the head of Powell Lake and about 15 rods west of a creek emptying into the northeast corner of Powell Lake. In all, Mr. John R. Hulbert was set to acquire a large portion of available timber when a mill and a dam were built at the mouth of Powell Lake.
Timber Cruiser Eustace Smith from the City of Vancouver made several applications on September 12, 1907, for the Special Timber License on the following lands. The first was commencing on a post planted four miles north of the river which flows out of the First Gordon Pasha Lake into Malaspina Strait and near the Brunette Saw Mill CO. Lot 913. Mr. Smith’s second application commenced at Lot 913 and ran to Malaspina Strait and was marked Claim No. 3 E Smith
An odd correspondence from Mr. McDonald was sent on September 19, 1907, to Felix at the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indian Reserve. The letter was a reply to Felix’s September 16, 1907, letter stating that he and his wife were not getting along and that he had moved to Lund. Mr. McDonald explains he wrote to Felix’s wife and advised her to return to live with Felix at once, saying it is too bad that older adults like both of them should not get along, and that showing a bad temper is a very bad example to the young Indians. In the letter sent to Mrs. Felix on September 13, 1907, Mr. McDonald replied that he had been informed she had left her husband and taken everything she possessed, including a net belonging to Mr. Felix. If she did not agree to return to Mr. Felix, and that a woman her age should have better sense than not to do it this way, but if she did not return, she needs to give back the net.
Mr. Herman Muller of Seattle, Washington, USA, published in the September 21, 1907, edition of the Week Newspaper an ad that he was a timber cruiser and was acting as an agent for Willard N. Fos of Seattle, Washington, USA, who was a real estate dealer. Mr. Muller intended to apply for a special timber license over a few claims, one commencing at the south-southwest corner of Lot 1519, containing 640 acres, and staked on July 29, 1907, on the shoreline of Powell Lake. The second claim was near the Timber Limit 8731, containing 640 acres more or less and staked on July 29, 1907.
A third claim commenced at a post planted one mile West of Powell Lake at the northwest corner of the Timber Limit 11887, and the fourth claim was along the same Timber Limits.
In Okeover Arm, another Special License to cut and carry was applied for on September 24, 1907, by Mr. John Duncan McNeill, who was a BC. Transferman from Vancouver, B.C., and was applying for 40 chains by 40 chains, then 120 chains by 80 chains from the northwest corner of Lot 1308.
Mr. John Anderson, who was a Timber Cruiser, yet again filed on September 28, 1907, for another Special Timber License that commenced at the south-westerly corner of Surveyed Lot No. 500 in Malaspina Inlet and ran to the north boundary of Lot 1260. All the lands in this application were around 640 acres.
The New Westminster Land District received a notice that Mr. R.D. Craig of Vancouver, who was a Forester, intended to apply for a special timber license commencing at a post planted 40 chains east and 40 chains north of the south end of a Lake, No. 1 east of Powell Lake. This application, dated September 3, 1907, listed Roland D. Craig and H.R. MacMillan as his agents.
On October 2, 1907, paperwork was filed at the Crown Office by Thomas H. Tracey. Mr. Tracey requested ownership of Lot 24 on Texada Island at the Land Office, and the request was granted.
The Primeau and King Company, under the Agent Joseph Primeau, applied for a special timber license that commenced on a post planted on the shore of Sabine Channel on the south-west side of Texada Island. The application, staked on October 22, 1907 and applied for on October 28, 1907, was 1/2 mile in the north-westerly direction from the south-west corner of Lot 19.
Across the Strait and up Powell Lake, another special license to cut and carry was being processed by Mr. John Mouncer. Mr. Mouncer wanted the timber from the Big Island on Powell Lake. Situated in the middle of Powell Lake, the application was one mile north of the northwest corner of Lot 1371 on the Island itself and ran south along the shore.
Timber Licenses, as the year went on, came and went from the office issuing them; Harriet Ford of Hammond, B.C., applied for 6 of them at the same time. From commencing at Lot 15, to Timber Limit 9828 and 9827, Harriet Ford was covering a large area in the November 7, 1907 application.
On the same day, Harriet Ford applied for other lands for the special permit to cut and carry timber, 7 of them in total. Commencing on Lot 235 in Gillies Bay was the first one, when the second and third were at the southeast corner of Section 22 and five miles southeast of Gillies Bay. The fourth application commenced at Location No. 9 about four miles south-easterly of Gillies Bay, to Lot 235. Another application commenced at Section 21, about 4 miles south-easterly of Gillies Bay and around 160 chains by 40 chains. The 6th application commenced at a post planted at the south-west of Section 7 as shown on the map, and a half mile north of Gillies Bay, and the last application was 40 chains north on the southeast corner of Section 6 and about a half mile north of Gillies Bay on Texada Island.
Up the coast of the Mainland at Lund, B.C., a man named Lewis Anderson had filed applications as a Timber Cruiser on September 27, 1907, for a special timber cut and carry license from a post planted two miles in an easterly direction from the head of Theodosia Arm and to the southeast corner of Timber Limit 502.
A very strict letter was written to William of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Reserve on November 21, 1907, by Indian Agent Mr. McDonald. The letter clarified that Chief Tom had filed a complaint against William and that William told Chief Tom he was the actual Chief. Mr. McDonald was quick to point out to William that Chief Tom was appointed Chief by the Government, and that, as an Indian Agent, Mr. McDonald looked to him for law and order amongst the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indians. The letter went to tell Williams that Mr. McDonald hoped Williams would set a good example for the young people, be friendly with the Chief, and assist him in all he could in the proper management of the Band’s affairs.
On November 21, 1907, it was not only William from Sliammon (Tla’amin) who drew the ire of Mr. McDonald; Jim Williams, Felix Williams, and George August of Sliammon (Tla’amin) village did as well. Mr. McDonald wrote to all three members of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band regarding their intoxication and the assault on Sandy Timothy on a trail between Sliammon (Tla’amin) and Lund.
The three accused were informed by the Indian Agent that it was a very serious charge and if true all three could be liable for being imprisoned for several years. Mr. McDonald advised them that if there were further complaints, they would be dealt with in accordance with the law and sentenced for any offences they may be found guilty of.
Mr. Wilbur Johnston of Vancouver received a letter from Mr. McDonald, dated October 2, 1907. The letter contained the official receipt for $100 paid for the concession granted to him on the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Reserve. The concession was valid until September 18, 1908. Another letter arrived at the office of Messrs. Thulin Bros., of Lund, B.C., for their receipt of $24.00 in payment for their concession held on the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Reserve. This payment was for two years and ended on January 22, 1909.
In the office of the Department of Indians, an Indian Agent opened a letter on October 18, 1907, and found a complaint from Frank Williams of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indian Reserve. Mr. Williams phoned the office to complain that the Japanese were fishing at or near the mouth of the creek with their seines out. The letter written by Mr. McDonald was addressed to Captain Wilbur Johnston of Vancouver, as Mr. McDonald was concerned Mr. Johnston was not honouring the understanding between the Sliammon (Tla’amin) members and Mr. Johnston.
Mr. McDonald continued to write that, besides the location of the Japanese fishing spot, they would also not pay them more than $0.02 per fish, which was contrary to the understanding of $0.04 per fish. Frank also stated that only two Indians were employed by the Japanese and that others also wanted to be employed as per the agreement.
The Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indians were as well dissatisfied with Captain Johnston, as understood, would be present during the fishing season to ensure that the Japanese were carrying out the agreed order, and, with this, Mr. McDonald requested that it would be convenient for Captain Johnston to go to Sliammon (Tla’amin) at once.
In a separate letter of October 18, 1907, on the same matter, Mr. McDonald sent a copy of the letter from Chief Williams of Sliammon (Tla’amin) to R.G. Taylor, Inspector of Fisheries. Mr. McDonald stated in the letter that Chief Williams’s position was that an agreement regarding the amount paid for the fish was not being honoured, as the Japanese refused to pay $0.04 per fish, and that Mr. Taylor ordered the Japanese not to purchase the fish from the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indians. Still, the Japanese said they would buy them anyway at $0.02 per fish.
Chief Frank Williams explained in the letter that Sliammon (Tla’amin) was quite willing to buy the sealing license and requested the Fisheries Officer to go to Sliammon (Tla’amin) to arrange the matter, and that Sliammon (Tla’amin) should be able to fish on a Sunday without breaking the law, as the Japanese were fishing on Sunday, so it should be alright for them as well.
Mr. Peter Byrne had a concern about information he received regarding logs being offered for sale by Willie Bob and Jim Timothy, two Sliammon (Tla’amin) Indians, who were offering to sell the logs on Theodosia Arm. In his October 24, 1907 letter, he responded to the Powell River Company’s October 20, 1907 letter. In the letter, Mr. Byrne expressed concern that he was unaware of any logging in the vicinity and would have to investigate the matter.
Given the conversations about the timber available near the Gordon Pasha Lakes, it was not surprising to see more applications submitted. From October 2, 1907, to October 28, 1907, Sidney staked and surveyed 5 areas. S. Bond. The notice published by Jean Bourgeois, Mr. Bond’s Agent, described the areas as on the east shore of Horseshoe Lake at the corner of Lease 1370, and another at the corner of Lease 1369. The third application ran the dividing line between Leases 1360 and 1370, corner to corner. The fourth application ran the length of Lease 1369 to a said boundary line. The fifth was farther south, towards the Second Gordon Pasha Lake, on the north-east side of Lease 571.
By 1907, the shorelines of Malaspina Strait from Frolander Bay to Lund, B.C., were one logging camp after another; booms, skid roads and old abandoned camps riddled the land beyond high tide. Among all this was timber no one wanted, such as small logs and fallen timber a hand logger could not get to shore, but things started to change in 1907. Mr. Jasper Jerome Johnson wanted some of that discarded timber, and on November 11, 1907, Mr. Wm. Leslie, his Agent, applied for a special timber license. Situated at Myrtle Point, Malaspina Strait, this license commenced along the corner of Timber License 12759 and was marked J.J. Johnson’s S.E. Corner. Running along the old Timber License 12759 for 80 chains to Timber License 11131 right to the shoreline gave Mr. Johnson access to the Strait to remove his timber.
It was uncommon to apply to lease Crown Land in 1907, as most of it was either Crown Granted or Timber Leased, yet on December 2, 1907, Mr. Harry McMicken Keefer did just that. Apply for a small section of land on Savary Island, of around 800 acres, along the eastern end of the Island and from the low water to high water marks included.
The rent from Merrill Byce for his lease concession on Toquana Indian Reserve was paid on December 2, 1907, to Mr. McDonald. It was requested that the $100 payment for the concession for the year ending December 5, 1908, be placed to the credit of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band to whom the Reserve belongs.
Timber cutting on Texada Island happened, but because most of the Island is so rugged, special cut-and-carry licenses were rarely applied for under those circumstances. On December 9, 1907, Mr. A.A. Stubbs requested 6 areas, with his Agent, Mr. F. Stubbs, making the actual application. These applications all commenced at a post planted on the south-west coast of Texada Island itself.
Companies from outside the Dominion were beginning to take notice of the area around Powell Lake, largely due to the widely publicized announcement of a Pulp and Paper Mill. Mr. Charles W. Scarff of Burlington, Vermont, was a lumberman looking to capitalize on the timber. Staking his area on December 7, 1907, he applied for a stake on Powell Lake, nine miles north of Powell River along Lot 1591 and to the south along Timber Limit 8731. Going to the shore of Powell Lake, there was a waiver of any claim in this stake that overlapped Timber Limit 14790 in case a survey should be determined for the 640 acres requested.
In a letter drafted by Indian Agent Stewart on December 12, 1907, he mentions a letter written on the 4th, in which he was informed that rent had been forwarded and that a bank draft for $100, paid by Messrs. Merrill Bros., had been received. The amount in question was the rent for concessions on the Toquanna Indian Reserve, and it should be credited to the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band of Indians. Mr. Stewart seems confused about which Band the credit should be given to, as the schedule of Indian Reserves in British Columbia lists five divisions of the Sliammon (Tla’amin) Band. He listed the five divisions as Harwood Island, Paukeamun, Toquona, Tokenatch and Kahkaykay, and he needed to know, before entering into the ledger, the Department desired for the proper account; he required the proper band name.
Some very old crown grants paved the way for people to log the land, ultimately allowing both the Sliammon (Tla’amin) people and adventurous land speculators to utilize its resources. One such grant was awarded to Thomas Merrill, who received District Lot 506, located in Malaspina Inlet, on April 23, 1885. There was early speculation about the timber’s value and a strong desire to profit, motivating individuals to outpace their competitors. They understood that these Crown Grants would become valuable assets in the future.
The Hon. Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works’ office must have been very busy, with daily applications for Crown Grants and Special Licenses arriving; it is a wonder they were only 1 or 2 months behind. Mr. M.C. Drew applied for a Special License at two locations on December 20, 1907. The first was on the S.W. Shore of Malaspina Peninsula, at the South end of the North Island of the Ragged Islands. The Second License was on the NW shore of Theodosia Arm near Timber Limit 7468, which bordered the Indian Reserve.
Travelling the coast in a steamship in 1907 is like travelling on a cruise ship in 2026, so when a person did it in 1907, it was either because they were high society, looking for work, visiting, or, in Mr. Walter B. Anderson’s case, doing it for a story in a newspaper. Writing the article for the Daily Colonist in the December 22, 1907 edition, Mr. Anderson tells of his voyage.
In his travels, he wanted to go to the places where traders, loggers, and miners were going, and after leaving Victoria, his adventure began. As his vessel ran up the Gulf of Georgia, passing Nanaimo, the first stop was Powell River; then there was a stop at Van Anda.
He describes arriving at the Powell River, an outlet from the Lake of the same name. After arriving, a camp is made, sufficient necessities are taken ashore, and the rest is left on the launch, which is securely moored. A stay of three days, which involved time for the voyagers to explore the Lake, a sheet of water fifty miles long and about two miles wide, he writes.
The river is short, he continues, about three-quarters of a mile from the outlet to seawater, a series of beautiful waterfalls. On the shores of the Lake are some of the finest timber claims, sitting between it and the Gordon Pasha Lakes. Much of the timber had been held in reserves to be logged, and several attempts to log on Powell Lake had been made but were unsuccessful, with too little money spent and no proper preparations.
After their three days, three very different-looking men from the world-worn travellers who left Victoria embarked for Van Anda. After a short stop at Van Anda, the travellers passed Harwood Island, then through a narrow gap dividing the Mainland and Savary. The group continued north, passing Campbell River and, aware that Lund is on the Mainland across from it, they kept their course to many other places, as the article continues, as they left the area of Powell Lake.
This group of travellers was not among the first to arrive at Powell Lake, as it had been a tourist destination in 1907. A party of sportsmen left for Powell Lake on July 27, 1907, for a two-week adventure. Mr. W.H. Braham, A. Emerson and Roy Stoney camped at an old prospector’s cabin near the Lake. The boys said game was plentiful and returned with six deer and one goat.
Jim Williams
Sliammon Indian Reserve
Dear Sir.
This is how Mr. McDonald began his letter, written on December 23, 1907, to Mr. Williams. The letter was in response to Mr. Williams’ letter of December 7, 1907, in which he wrote that he was putting a lot of sheep on Harwood Island Reserve, and the next time Mr. McDonald was to visit Sliammon (Tla’amin), he would like to see what could be done with furnishing Mr. Williams with a Ram as requested.
The letter continued with a question about whether Mr. Williams would like some quality fruit trees. If so, the writer offered to visit Mr. M.J. Henry’s place in Vancouver next time Mr. Williams was in town to help select the best varieties. In December, Mr. McDonald wrote to the Pacific Coast Pipe Company in Vancouver requesting cheque payment No. 3912, amounting to $41.32 for the water pipes for Sliammon (Tla’amin) Village.
In the December 1907 issue of the Rod and Gun and Motorsports in Canada Christmas edition published by W.J. Taylor in Woodstock, Ontario, there was an article, minor but informative just the same. Inside was an article titled “Our First Goat,” written by Aird Flavelle, about his hunting visit to Powell Lake. He was told that goats and bears were plentiful, and when they arrived, they planned to go to Big or Goat Island.
Four men sat in August’s big twenty-five-foot dugout canoe, and each man positioned themselves in the canoe for balance; Mr. Flavelle sat on the duffle in the middle. Arriving at the southeast end of Goat Island, they spied a goat close to the water’s edge, not 150 yards away. Hunting and shooting at the goat, they seemed always to miss; two men went ashore, Mac and Craig, who immediately had issues with the rough mountainside.
Eventually, all the men were out of the canoe, and all the men were hunting for that one goat, and when Mr. Flavelle sat on a ledge, 40 feet above the shore with a cliff going straight down to the Lake, he waited. After finally shooting the goat and watching it fall, the two men now had to find their way back down to the shoreline. When they arrived, they found the other two men already skinning the goat, and afterwards got back in the canoe to find a suitable camping ground.
Locating one, and having gone two days without meat, all the men looked forward to it, only to be disappointed. Mr. Flavelle says in the article, “Have you ever eaten an old goat?” I have, and I honestly believe you could get more nourishment out of a bunch of elastic bands. None of the men could eat the goat meat, but Mac had a slender pair of horns and a magnificent hide in which August tanned for him to remind him of his adventure.
By the close of 1907, the Malaspina coast had become a landscape in motion with its forests staked and surveyed, its lakes mapped and coveted, its inlets threaded with new claims, leases, and ambitions. Timber cruisers, mining syndicates, railway promoters, and government agents all pressed northward, leaving behind a paper trail of applications, concessions, and correspondence that revealed a region transforming faster than its own maps could keep pace.
From Sliammon (Tla’amin) Reserve politics to Powell Lake timber booms, from Texada’s mines to the quiet coves of Malaspina Inlet, every acre seemed to draw someone’s interest, and every interest left its mark. What had once been remote shoreline and scattered homesteads was, by year’s end, a contested frontier of industry, governance, and opportunity with its future already taking shape in the steady accumulation of surveys, leases, and the relentless push of men who believed the coast was finally ready to be claimed.