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…
