Forging Canada’s Pacific Gateway “The sea, more than the land, was the crucible in which Canada’s western destiny was forged. The Canadian Pacific Steamship Company was more than a fleet of ships—it was a bridge between continents, a projection of Canadian ambition into the vastness of the Pacific.” — Barry Gough, Fortune’s a River (2007)…
Uncharted Lands: The Explorers of British Columbia and the Shaping of a Province “The story of British Columbia is the story of discovery—a land unveiled by the courage and audacity of men who crossed oceans and mountains, often with little more than instinct and a crude map. These explorers charted the wilderness not just with…
Vancouver and Expo 86: A World Fair That Transformed a City In the summer of 1986, Vancouver hosted Expo 86, a world exposition that not only marked the centennial of the city’s founding but also heralded its emergence as a global hub for trade, tourism, and innovation. With its theme, “Transportation and Communication: World in…
By Greg Scott Richard Blanshard: The Reluctant Governor of Vancouver Island In the history of British Columbia, where larger-than-life figures such as James Douglas and W.A.C. Bennett dominate the landscape, the name Richard Blanshard often appears as a footnote—a brief, almost forgotten chapter in the story of a province’s birth. Yet, his tenure as the…
Listen to renown Historian Barry Gough discuss the dynamics of how commerce shaped and directed relations and development of relationships in British North America. The fur trade between the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) and indigenous peoples played a significant role in shaping the history of North America. It was a complex economic system that had…
Judge Matthew Baillie Begbie, also known as the “Hanging Judge,” was a prominent figure in the early legal history of British Columbia, Canada. Born on May 9, 1819, in Mauritius, Begbie eventually became known as one of the most influential judges in the province’s history. Begbie began his legal career in England, where he was…
