Settling In British Columbia

Three Masted Sailing Ship,
Princess Royal
PDP05260
My father left England and sailed once again to Canada West, in a ship that looked something this. It took him a month to travel across the ocean from England.

Once he arrived in North America, friends told him to keep travelling to a place called Vancouver Island.

In those days, British Columbia didn't even exist yet. What we call British Columbia today, was called New Caledonia back then, and Vancouver Island was a colony of Great Britain.

Prospecting for Alluvial Gold
in British Columbia, 1864
PDP02612
Gold had been found on the rivers in New Caledonia, and some people hoped they would discover gold of their own and get rich!

With so many people moving to Vancouver Island because of the gold rush, there were supposed to be lots of opportunities for work.






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