1874 – 1876
Recognition of the Sliammon First Nation1874 – 1876 — Recognition of the Sliammon First Nation
After 1874, following the publicity surrounding the Texada Island scandal, land requests began to be submitted at an accelerated pace. Conducting quick surveys, prompting the newly formed Dominion Province of British Columbia to create smaller survey maps for various areas. Texada Island became particularly popular, receiving hundreds of requests for large parcels of land. Many individuals arrived at Gillies Bay and explored the island in hopes of finding gold, silver, or suitable farmland.
The Province introduced Free Grants, which allowed settlers west of the Cascades to acquire 160 acres of land simply by becoming residents and improving the land. The Joint Indian Reserve Commission was established in 1875 by the governments of Canada and British Columbia to define the boundaries of Indian Reserves in British Columbia. As demand for land increased, there was a greater focus on surveying and mapping Indian Reserves in the Interior and along the coast, ensuring their official recognition on Vancouver Island.
Before 1874, Texada Island was primarily recognized for its dense brush and mountainous terrain, appearing solely on nautical charts without any designated ports. However, everything changed that year when news of substantial iron ore deposits near Comox spread along the central coast of British Columbia. This discovery sparked what one contemporary described as “great excitement” in the region.
From Nanaimo, company officials and businessmen spoke openly of Texada’s promise. Letters from that time reveal how quickly rumors turned into ambition, with reports circulating that government officials had already begun staking claims. Within days, the excitement drew attention across the water. The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, accompanied by several prominent individuals, boarded a Royal Navy vessel and steamed to Texada to see the iron deposits firsthand. For a brief moment, the quiet island became the centre of colonial interest.
1876 McKinley Tip of Texada (click image to view PDF)
1876-McKinley-Journal-Pages (click image to open full PDF)
This discovery ignited more than just prospecting. By late 1874, the controversy led the provincial government to establish a Royal Commission to investigate how Texada Island was acquired and how mining claims were managed.
The Commission’s findings were still being examined and circulated in 1875 through the British Columbia Sessional Papers. Behind the scenes, questions regarding ownership, influence, and speculation followed every ton of promised Ore.
In 1874, lively correspondence from Nanaimo revealed that Texada’s iron deposits were gaining recognition as a vital international resource. Exciting reports highlighted the vibrant promotion of local claims in the London market, successfully showcasing the island’s ore as a valuable asset in the global trade and investment landscape. Regional business leaders were eager to discuss the potential of attracting foreign investment to transform this area into a thriving opportunity. While some were cautious about their interests, there was a shared belief that, with the right approach, developing Texada’s iron could bring incredible benefits to the country!
However, excitement did not immediately translate into industry. Through 1875 and into 1876, Texada remained a place of expectation rather than production. Surveyors, officials, and investors were far more talkative than they were productive. The island’s forests still dominated its shoreline, and its harbors remained quieter than the bustling coal ports of Nanaimo.
Here are some direct excerpts from the letterbook of the Vancouver Coal Mining & Land Company (Nanaimo Archives).
Source: Vancouver Coal Mining & Land Company — Letterbook, 1873–1883, transcribed by Marv Worden (Nanaimo Archives). Link provided: nanaimoarchives.ca
Verbatim extract (found in the transcript on Page 36 and repeated in the file):
“There is great excitement among us just now about the discovery of whole mountains, the reports say, of iron ore on Texada Island near Comox. Some government officials are staking out claims, and a day or two ago, the Lieutenant. Governor and four or five other gentlemen went to the Island on H.M.S. [‘Myrmidon’?].”
Context / dated entry (same letterbook — entry explicitly dated May 6, 1874, shown at (Page 144–145)):
“Will you please allow me to state, through the medium of the Colonist, that when writing to you on the 7th Feb’y last with reference to Texada Iron ore, I merely, as you will recollect, enquired for information as to the ownership of the Claims, that were, as I was advised, ‘on the London Market’… When Mr. DeCosmos was here in Feb’y I spoke to him on the subject of Texada Island, and understood him to say he had no share in the Iron Ore claims. He added, however, that it would be a great thing for the country if the Ore could be utilized and Capital obtained for that purpose.” — signed M. Bate, May 6, 1874 (Nanaimo).
Repeated references across the letterbook (the transcript contains multiple occurrences where Texada/”Texada iron” is discussed — e.g., notes about its value, government interest, and remarks about claims being placed on the London market). Examples appear in the transcript at several page positions (the site’s transcript shows Texada references at pages ~36, ~144–146, ~243, and elsewhere).Yet Texada’s fate had changed. Once a mere wooded island in the Strait of Georgia, it was now firmly planted in the colonial imagination as a source of mineral wealth. Although the iron had not yet changed the island, the belief in its potential had already taken root. In the years that followed, this conviction would attract more ships, more claims, and ultimately, the first actual industrial presence on Texada’s rocky shores.
As the year drew to a close, four significant men from the Dominion set sail aboard the Leonora on December 15, 1876. Their goal was to begin mapping Indian Reserves, starting at Burrard Inlet. They planned to stop at every location along the mainland coast before crossing over to Comox and continuing their mapping efforts along the eastern side of Vancouver Island.
“About 8 o’clock this morning, we found ourselves aboard the Leonora, the air crisp and fresh as we set sail on our journey to Nanoose…” – E_C_M21_Part01
The men aboard were Mr. Mohun, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Sproat, and Archibald McKinlay, the diarist. He later wrote, “As we made our way, the silhouette of the northern end of the famous Texada Island emerged on the horizon, a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us.” Sailing past the northern tip of Texada was as close as they came to Sliammon (Tla’amin), with no intention of mapping out their reserve.