COMOX VALLEY TIMELINE
5850 BCE First known human habitation Indigenous people, Bear Cove, Port Hardy 1579 Sir Francis Drake First European 1772+ Spanish and English explorers Seal and otter fur trade 1840s Whale hunting For their oils 1843 Fort Victoria built by HBC Under direction of James Douglas 1846 49th Parallel established between Oregon Treaty. Southern Vancouver Canada and US Island stays with Britain 1848 California Gold Rush 1849 Vancouver Island a British colony Inhabited by HBC employees and native (Fort Victoria, Nanaimo, Fort Rupert) Indians 1850 – 1862 George Mitchell and 9 others George stayed, applied for pre-emption in 1862, died in 1867 1853 Coal mine in Nanaimo Robert Dunsmuir 1858 Fraser River gold rush Short lived but increases population 1861-65 Civil War in United States 1862 Victoria incorporated as a city Overpopulated, encouraged settlement further north on island 1862 Grappler settlers land at Courtenay No list of names a. Pioneer cairn lists Carwithen, Bailey, Blaksley and Pidcock Aug 1862 from England James Robb and wife arrive from Not on Grappler England (originally from Scotland) First two families b. Harmstons arrive 1862-1872 Logging to get lumber for buildings Pidcock builds a sawmill 1865 Census by Cave Brown Cave 70 people in residence c. Census of 1865: 34 English, 13 Scottish, 6 Irish, 8 Canadian, 2 American, 1 Israelite (Jewish), 2 Norwegian, 1 Swedish, 1 Portugese, 2 half breeds. 41 of 70 were single, 12 married, 2 spinsters, 9 children, 6 cohabiting. There were 27 Anglicans, 23 Presbyterians, 11 Roman Catholic, 6 Methodists, 1 Lutheran, 2 Unbaptised. 1866 Colony of Vancouver Island merges Victoria is the capital but legislative with colony of British Columbia assembly is in New Westminster 1869 Railroad completed across U.S. Travel time much shorter 1869 Joseph Rodello arrived, took up land English speaking Italian (by way of New at Comox York?) 1869? Cumberland mining begins Union Coal Co. 1871 BC joins Confederation 1871 Chinese miners to Nanaimo Later to Union 1871 Wilson, Urquhart and McPhee arrive McPhee from Nova Scotia 1871 census 102 whites, 1100 natives Includes Hornby & Denman Is. 1874 Comox Wharf built
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COMOX VALLEY TIMELINE
1874 First Courtenay bridge built McPhee establishes store in Courtenay 1876 Indian Reserves set aside (3) Basically, where they were already living 1877 Eric Duncan arrives from Scotland 1882-1883 Directory of Comox District (heads Comox, Hornby Is., Denman Is. of household) 100 names (Courtenay not yet separate)
71 Farmers (5 on Hornby, 15 on Denman), 2 Carpenters, 13 loggers, 4 laborers, 1 school teacher, 2 storekeepers, 3 hotel keepers, 2 clergy (1 Presb., 1 Ang.), 1 blacksmith, 1 saw miller, 2 shoemakers, 1 MPP (Wm Dingwall) 1885 CPR completed across Canada Easier route for migration 1888 Union Colliery begins mining Union now known as Cumberland 1890+ Japanese arrive Mining and trades 1893 Townsite set aside as Cumberland East of Union 1894 Dec First hospital in Cumberland 1896 Klondike gold rush Some settlers leave, most come back 1898 Cumberland incorporated as a city 1910 Road to Nanaimo goes through 1910 Telephones, automobiles 1913 Beginning of St. Joseph’s Hospital Comox 1914-18 World War I 1915, 1 Jan Courtenay incorporated as a city 1918-20 War Brides arrive 1920+ Italian miners arrive 1920-22 Soldier Settlement in Merville Mostly destroyed by fire in 1922 1921 Canadian Census
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COMOX VALLEY TIMELINE
With a history of human habitation dating back some 4,000 years.
Town of Comox www.comox.ca
Prior to the arrival of early European settlers, the eastern shore of Vancouver Island had been home to the K’ómoks people for thousands of years. Considering that knowledge in First Nations communities is passed down from generation to generation through songs, dances and stories, an absence of written records make it difficult to pinpoint exactly when they arrived here.
We do know that the first Europeans came in search of gold in the mid 1850s and the first ‘official’ settlers arrived in 1862. (Of these, only two were women!) The name ‘Comox’ is derived from a term in the Coast Salish (Kwakw’ala) language that translated into “plentiful” or “rich.” Recognizing that this was, indeed, a “land of plenty,” European settlers later adapted the name to Comox.
The first Comox wharf was constructed in 1874, which soon resulted in the opening of a number of commercial enterprises and inns. Soon after, a Naval Training Base was established, marking the start of Comox as a proud military town.
The Town of Comox was incorporated in 1946. Today, Comox covers approximately 14-square- kilometres (5.48 square miles) and has a population of 12,000. The most seaside-like community of all of the jurisdictions within the Valley, Comox has many marinas and ocean-related businesses and attractions. The Town of Comox is home to the Canadian Armed Forces Base (CFB) Comox 19 Wing, St. Joseph’s Hospital and the BC Ferries Little River Terminal, which serves the mainland coastal city of Powell River.
City of Courtenay www.courtenay.ca
Early pioneers arrived to the area we now call ‘Courtenay’ after the gold rush in the 1860s. In an effort to take some of the strain off of the City of Victoria, the governor at the time offered land for $1 an acre and a free boat ride ‘up island’ to anyone who would take it! Early pioneers arrived to discover a valley with abundant resources that was ripe for agricultural development. The City of Courtenay, incorporated in 1915, was named after Rear Admiral George William Courtenay who sailed the HM Constance along the coast of Vancouver Island over 150 years ago.
Courtenay’s early economy depended largely on logging and farming. (Courtenay’s farmers sold produce to the employees of Cumberland’s coal mines.) After World War I, Courtenay enjoyed a measure of prosperity. Immigration and a post-war baby boom resulted in significant population growth .. and the resulting increased demand for new homes, schools and businesses. Courtenay continues to be a growing concern! In 1996, this little city on the Island gained the distinction of being ‘the fastest growing city in all of Canada!’
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COMOX VALLEY TIMELINE
Courtenay now serves as the regional center for business, recreation and tourism for the entire Comox Valley. Both Courtenay and Comox have intertwined economies with residents using services from each area, regardless of their home location. The city covers approximately 27- square-kilometres and has a population of 22,000.
Village of Cumberland www.cumberlandbc.net
The 1852 discovery of coal near Comox Lake resulted in entrepreneurial-spirited miners and ‘get rich quick’ hopefuls flocking to the area. In the span of just a few years, a village was established, linked by railway to the Comox wharf, and by 1862, more than 350 men – many of them Japanese and Chinese immigrants – were working in three mines producing tens of thousands of tonnes of coal each year.
The Village of Cumberland, formed in 1898, owed its very existence to ‘black gold.’
Cumberland remained an economic powerhouse for decades. The end of World War II, however, marked the end of an era for the Village. By the 1960s, coal mining in Cumberland no longer provided any opportunities for employment. The resulting population decline was tough on the local economy and families left the area in record numbers.
Today, Cumberland’s historic charm and affordable housing have resulted in revitalization. The village is regaining its title as one of Vancouver Island’s ‘communities with a future.’ Cumberland is known for its small-town charm and as a great place for families. The current population is about 3,000.
Cumberland boasts a variety of shops and services, a museum, antiques and collectibles, live entertainment venues and a variety of restaurants. Situated against the Beaufort Mountains, it is an excellent location to access the numerous parks and trails located just to the west.
According to the Courtenay Museum and Paleontology Centre, Sir Francis Drake visited this area in 1579. This assertion is based on research by Samuel Bawlf, who in The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake, 1577-1580 suggests that Drake's reference to landing in what he called New Albion (the name of the region of North America explored by Drake) was, in fact, what is now known as Comox.[1] This conclusion is not shared, however, by other historians such as Jules Verne and Samuel Johnson. What does not appear to be contested is the assertion made in the online version of the Canadian Encyclopedia that first contact in Comox between the original First Nations inhabitants and the first European visitors occurred in 1792 when HMS Discovery anchored in Comox Harbour.[2]
The first European colonists arrived in the spring of 1861 intending to start farms. At that time, Governor James Douglas was encouraging settlers arriving in the Colony of Vancouver Island to establish themselves in the Cowichan Valley and the Comox Valley rather than the gold fields of the mainland as these were the two areas that had agricultural potential on the island. The first settlers were Nanaimo coal miners and Hudson's Bay Company employees, John and
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COMOX VALLEY TIMELINE
William Biggs, Thomas Dignan, Edwin Gough, Adam Grant Horne, Thomas Jones, Alexander McFarlane, George Mitchell, Thomas Williams and Charles York all of whom had arrived on Vancouver Island before the 1858 gold rush. Of these, only Mitchell remained by 1862 when the Grappler arrived with the Comox Expedition. Dignan went to Gabriola Island. Horne and most of the others went to Nanaimo.[3]:39–42 A small pox epidemic in 1862 decimated the native population. There were three groups of indigenous people, the Comox, the Pentlach (who were then nearly extinct), and the Lekwiltok, in the valley when the European settlers arrived.[3]:45– 48 In 1862, Surveyor General Pemberton secured funding from the colonial government in Victoria to construct the first road into the Comox area from Nanaimo. When it became clear that a 15-foot (4.6 m) wide wagon road would be too expensive, a bridle path with some bridges was built instead. Flooding and tree falls made maintenance of this road impossible. Until the mid-1890s, access to the area was by sea.[3]:101 In 1874 the 1,015-foot (309 m) government wharf and the first bridge over the Courtenay River were constructed.[3]:108
Present day[edit]
During the 1990s, the region was one of the fastest growing in British Columbia, although the growth rate between 2001 and 2006 has averaged just 2.0% annually.[4] Its growth is mostly due to a building boom in Courtenay, but other parts of the area are being suggested for development, including Cumberland and Union Bay. The growth industries are tourism and construction, with the Canadian Forces in the form of CFB Comox having long provided significant economic stability since the decline of logging and mining in the region after the 1960s and fishing in the 1990s. The service sector accounts for over 50% of employment.
Originally developed as an agricultural settlement in the 1860s in the wake of the Fraser Gold Rush, the area became the centre of one of the British Empire's largest private railway concerns, the Comox Logging & Railway Company. Comox Logging owned Block 29, one of the world's best stands of Douglas Fir timber, stretching from south of Courtenay well to the north of Campbell River. This stand is now owned by TimberWest[5] and is being cut for the second time. For many years, logging provided the largest single paycheque in the community, but since most workers in the industry commuted to camps and logging operations further north on the Island or the mainland Coast, the Field lumber mill in Courtenay was disassembled in the fall of 2006. The legacy of the Comox Valley's once proud forests is scattered amongst small woodlots on individual farms, or in isolated parks that give a sense of the timber wealth once drawn from the region.
The wealth of today lies in its combination of natural beauty and rich cultural scene. Besides the many music and arts festivals the region has a legacy of dramatic and musical instruction in its high schools and through the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre,[6] which draws students from around the world. The community is also rich in its numerous volunteer and non-profit organizations devoted to cultural pursuits. The many small communities in the region also boast a wealth of education and skills, and a devotion to 'place' that gives each neighbourhood and hamlet an inviting texture and atmosphere. For these reasons, as well as relatively mild (for Canada) climate, the Comox Valley is very attractive to people looking for small town and rural alternatives to suburban homogenization and urban congestion. With air service direct
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COMOX VALLEY TIMELINE to Calgary and points south and east, as well asEdmonton, Albertans have in recent years become a major driver of the real estate and population boom.
The evolution of the Elk.
The Elk Hotel was originally built in 1874 by Joe Rodello at the waterfront about the same time as the first Wharf was built. It was called the “Wharf Hotel”. Joe Rodello went on to build a big store on the other side of the Wharf and rented the Wharf Hotel to John Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick bought land up the hill and within a couple of years he built the Lorne Hotel.
In 1913 the Elk Hotel was taken down and a new building was built by John Carthew. By now some fill had been added in front of the Hotel and it was no longer right on the water as the first building was. In the 1920’s a tennis court was built on this reclaimed land area.
In 1973 the Elk Hotel burned down and was replaced with an apartment building.
This building can be seen near the entrance to Marina Park on Port August Street. With the continued addition of fill this property is now well back from the water’s edge. All the land between the building and water edge has been reclaimed from the sea over the years.
Beginnings
Some of the first settlers who arrived in the Comox Valley looked around to find an ideal location for a wharf that could service large vessels and form a future shipping trade. The best place would have a town site adjacent to it. The James Robb family figured it out and pre- empted the land that today is located from Stewart Street to Anderton Road and from the waterfront to Noel Avenue. This is the business heart of the Town of Comox.
First Developments
In 1874 this vision started to take shape when George Drabble, a government agent and surveyor, lobbied the Government for funds. The first wharf was built in almost the same location as the current day marina. Drabble had the British Navy survey ship verify the location as being the best site to maintain deep enough water level (even at low tide) to keep the larger ships afloat. 1015 feet long, 12 feet wide between the hand rails, supported by 40 foot piles every 20 feet, and cross braces made-up the structure of the wharf. At the head was a 40 foot by 60 foot platform that permitted the ships to dock beside it. A storage building was built to house merchandise being transferred or loaded. The wharf held up very well with the first major repairs occurring in 1895 when it was re-decked. There was a speed limit and a toll charge that was well enforced.
Development along Comox Avenue started in 1878 with the Lorne Hotel.
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COMOX VALLEY TIMELINE
Here is a look at the Post Office that sat on the other end of the block.
The first Post Office was built on the corner of Comox Avenue and Church Street in 1913. At the same time an identical building was built at Union Bay to house their Post Office. The building at Union Bay has been preserved and can be seen from Hwy 19A.
The Comox Valley was “The Land of Plenty”.
The soil was good. A lot of the land was open and could be adapted to cultivation quite easily.
But, and there were many big BUTS… Most of the people who arrived as settlers were single men who had gold fever.
Most of the settlers had few or no skills or experience at working the land, building homes, or raising livestock. In fact most of them had few skills for cooking and gathering food. Several settlers were individuals with higher education but lacked skills in manual labour. There was an abundance of fish and wildlife in the valley. But, again most of the settlers had no tools or equipment or experience in capturing, preparing and storing the food.
Most of the settlers struggled with loneliness, isolation, and hunger. By 1863 the settlers were requesting help from the Government with road building, mail service, cattle, and seeds. Most of the settlers had limited resources. By the beginning of December, after one year) there were thirty-three settlers who had pre-empted land totalling about 4,000 acres but only about 50 acres were under cultivation and another 60 acres were fenced. There were 24 log houses and 9 barns.
By the spring of 1864 when Dr. Robert Brown visited the valley he noted that the settlers were living in poverty and suffering from lack of enthusiasm and knowledge for farming. He thought that the gold rush attracted people who were not particularly suited for this type of life. He further commented that the Settlers of Comox were generally more enterprising than the farmers of Cowichan and Chemainus. Brown also stated that the few who were bred to farming were the men who were doing the most, but this country is new and should not be compared to the old established Colonies.
Four cousins and friends came from England together with gold fever but decided to take up farming instead. Some came and took up land then got gold fever and left, some returned and some never did. The first family to arrive was the Robbs who came just prior to the October 2, 1862 arrival of the Grappler which had about 35 settlers on board. The second family was the Harmstons who came in November of 1862. Some of the settlers were eccentric bachelors who built small log cabins and had few domestic skills. Some jointly obtained land and left one to look after the claims while the others went off in search of gold.
The early settlers experienced a high mortality rate. The surveyor Benjamin Pearse who visited the area frequently during the 1860’s commented that the lack of “female influence” was to blame for the ills that befell the transient male colonists. The population was very unstable during the 1860’s and 70’s. Some drowned, some were shot, some went to the gold rush and never came back, some returned to their homes (mostly England), and some got jobs elsewhere.
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COMOX VALLEY TIMELINE
Through the buying and selling of the land, and the comings and goings during that 10 year period the land began to fall into the hands of those who farmed, those who built, those of entrepreneurial spirit and the Comox Valley put down roots from which has grown Comox, Courtenay, and Cumberland complimented with a thriving rural surrounding.
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