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116-408: The Island Corridor , previously the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N Railway), is a railway operation on Vancouver Island . It is owned by the Island Corridor Foundation , a registered charity. The railway line is 225 kilometres (140 mi) in length from Victoria to Courtenay , known as the Victoria Subdivision, with a branch line from Parksville to Port Alberni , known as

232-610: A $ 7.5 million grant offered by the BC Provincial Government, providing the required $ 15 million for basic repairs and upgrades to reopen the rail line. The line was expected to reopen, and rail services re-commence in 2013, as early as the spring, but was delayed due to failed negotiations between the Island Corridor Foundation and VIA Rail. In July 2014, an agreement was signed by VIA Rail to resume operations with plans to have services resume in

348-554: A cash grant of $ 750,000 from the federal government. Based on an average value of $ 10 per acre for the land the E&;N received, it cost the government $ 626,660 per mile to build the railway, which when complete was in private hands. The railway was given a massive amount of old-growth forest . Proceeds from the land grants helped build Craigdarroch Castle . The grant amounted to almost 10 percent of Vancouver Island and included mineral rights and all known coal deposits. The land grants to

464-428: A functioning island railway in perpetuity started with the colony of Vancouver Island joining British Columbia in 1866, Canadian Confederation in 1867, and the incorporation of British Columbia (BC) into Canada in 1871. The terms of union required that, within two years, the federal government was to start the construction of a railway from the "seaboard of British Columbia", joining the new province and Victoria with

580-443: A generally accepted economic formula for short-line railways, a minimum of 100 freight cars per mile a year is required before a line is profitable due to depreciation accounting. The old E&N route averages about 6.6 cars per mile. The ICF has estimated there is a potential business of 22,000 rail cars of freight each year on Vancouver Island. An ICF development strategies report estimated that 35,000 to 40,000 carloads per year, as

696-564: A homestead in Sooke . Following the brief governorship of Richard Blanshard , James Douglas , Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay post, assumed the role in 1851. The island's first legislative assembly was formed in 1856. Government buildings were built and were occupied in 1859; the replacement, today's Parliament Buildings , were opened in 1898. Fort Victoria had become an important base when prospectors, miners and merchants began arriving for

812-457: A major area for recreation. The northern, western, and most of the central portions of the island are home to the coniferous "big trees" associated with British Columbia's coast – western hemlock , western red cedar , Pacific silver fir , yellow cedar , Douglas fir , grand fir , Sitka spruce , and western white pine . It is also characterised by bigleaf maple , red alder , sword fern , and red huckleberry . The fauna of Vancouver Island

928-541: A number of trestles. In addition, CPR also supplied $ 2.3 million in "seed money" to the Foundation. Lands were also given that produce non-rail revenue generated by property leases and encroachments on the line. On 22 March 2006, RailAmerica donated ownership of the Port Alberni to Nanaimo portion of the railway to the Island Corridor Foundation. More people are starting to walk, hike and use off-road vehicles on

1044-404: Is Nanaimo , which has a population of 115,459 as of 2021. There are also five census agglomeration areas ( Alberni Valley , Campbell River , Comox Valley , Cowichan Valley , and Oceanside ) as defined by Statistics Canada . [REDACTED] Nanaimo [REDACTED] Duncan Within the island's largest city, Victoria , there is a significant IT and technology industry. According to

1160-520: Is 456 km (283 mi) in length, 100 km (62 mi) in width at its widest point, and 32,100 km (12,400 sq mi) in total area, while 31,285 km (12,079 sq mi) are of land. The island is the largest by area and the most populous along the west coasts of the Americas . The southern part of Vancouver Island and some of the nearby Gulf Islands are the only parts of British Columbia or Western Canada to lie south of

1276-476: Is a partnership of the various local governments and First Nations communities along the railway, including 14 municipalities, 5 regional districts and 12 First Nations. Beginning March 18, 2011 passenger service between Victoria and Courtenay was "temporarily suspended," due to safety concerns about the poor condition of the tracks. In April 2012 the Federal Government announced that it would match

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1392-607: Is called Craigdarroch Castle and is today a popular tourist destination and National Historic Site of Canada . He and Joan had the following children together: His son James Dunsmuir became premier of British Columbia and later, lieutenant governor of the province . His daughter Effie (Anne Euphemia) Dunsmuir was married at St. George's, Hanover Square in London, England on February 27, 1900, to Captain Somerset Gough-Calthorpe , R.N., Naval Attache to

1508-539: Is considered invasive for its voracious appetite and scaring away of the Douglas squirrels. The island has the most concentrated population of cougars in North America. The Vancouver Island wolf , a subspecies of grey wolf , is found only on the north part of the island. Harbour seals and river otters are common. Resident orcas live in two major groups, one in the waters of the south island and one in

1624-487: Is part of a group of peaks that include the only glaciers on the island, the largest of which is the Comox Glacier . The west coast shoreline is rugged and in many places mountainous, characterized by its many fjords , bays, and inlets. The interior of the island has many lakes ( Kennedy Lake , north of Ucluelet , is the largest) and rivers. The 49th parallel north crosses the island just north of Ladysmith on

1740-561: Is separated from the mainland of British Columbia by Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Strait on the north and northeast, and by the Strait of Georgia on the southeast, which along with the Strait of Juan de Fuca along its southwest separate it from the United States. West of the island is the open Pacific Ocean, while to its north is Queen Charlotte Sound . The Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca are now officially part of

1856-447: Is similar to that found on the mainland coast, with some notable exceptions and additions. For example, mountain goats , moose , coyotes , porcupines , skunks , chipmunks , and numerous species of small mammals, while plentiful on the mainland, are absent from Vancouver Island. Grizzly bears are absent from the island, where black bears are prevalent, but in 2016, a pair of grizzlies were sighted swimming between smaller islands off

1972-519: Is still called by people living on the Island). It then spent three years as E&N Railfreight , an internal short line within then owner Canadian Pacific Railway . Operations were then sold to RailAmerica . The RailAmerica subsidiary was named E&N Railway Co (1998) Ltd . ( reporting mark ENR ), thus maintaining the historic name associations for the Vancouver Island line. Currently,

2088-667: Is the world's 43rd largest island , Canada's 11th largest island , and Canada's second most populous island after the Island of Montreal . Vancouver Island has been the homeland of many indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The groupings, by language, are the Kwakwakaʼwakw (also known as the Kwakiutl ), Nuu-chah-nulth , and various Coast Salish peoples . While there is some overlap, Kwakwakaʼwakw territory includes northern and northwestern Vancouver Island and adjoining areas of

2204-474: Is the extension of summer dryness to latitudes as high as 50 °N . Only in the extreme north of the island near Port Hardy is the rainfall of the driest summer month as much as one fifth that of the wettest months from November to March. West coasts of other continents at similar latitudes have a practically even distribution of rainfall throughout the year. Vancouver Island is mostly made up of volcanic and sedimentary rock which were formed offshore on

2320-489: The 49th parallel . The southeast part of the island has one of the warmest climates in Canada, and since the mid-1990s has been mild enough in a few areas to grow Mediterranean crops such as olives and lemons . The population of Vancouver Island was 864,864 as of 2021. Nearly half of that population (~400,000) live in the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria on the southern tip of the island, which includes Victoria ,

2436-745: The Colony of Vancouver Island as an indentured $ 5 a week miner for the Hudson's Bay Company , he died the richest man in British Columbia in sole control of an empire estimated to be worth $ 15 million ($ 509 million today). His obituary in the Vancouver News-Advertiser said of him "he was neither a politician nor a statesman, as judged by the usual standards applied to such, but was a very practical, hard-headed and level-headed legislator who knew what he wanted and usually took

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2552-618: The E&;N Rail Trail has been built beside the E&N tracks from Vic West to Langford . In April 2007 the Island Corridor Foundation agreed to lease its land in Greater Victoria to the Capital Regional District (CRD) for development of the bike trail. Construction began in 2009, and as of August 2021 there is approximately 3.6 km left to build to reach Humpback Road, the currently planned western end of

2668-638: The Farallon Plate , the Juan de Fuca Plate , are now subducting below the island. This process has led to Vancouver Island being one of the most seismically active regions in Canada. The subduction zone off the coast of the island forms a section of the Ring of Fire . The area has been known to host megathrust earthquakes in the past, the last being the Cascadia earthquake of 1700 . The Forbidden Plateau , in

2784-485: The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858. The Hudson's Bay lease expired in 1859 and the island reverted to Great Britain. The burgeoning town was incorporated as Victoria in 1862. Victoria became the capital of the colony of Vancouver Island, retaining this status when the island was amalgamated with the mainland in 1866. A British naval base, including Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard and a naval hospital,

2900-575: The Fraser River on Annacis Island shipping to Nanaimo via the Seaspan train ferry . The new train marine terminal was built with the help of $ 4.6 million in federal funding and cost $ 11 million. It increases the mainland's capacity and speed to load and unload railcar barges from the island. The amount of freight traffic in 2008 and 2009 was about 1,000 cars per year. According to the Rule of 100,

3016-751: The Lower Mainland . The capital was moved to Victoria in 1868. By 1867, Canada was established by the first of the British North America Acts , the Constitution Act, 1867 and the United Colonies joined Canada on 20 July 1871 through the British Columbia Terms of Union , following negotiations that secured the interests of the colonial elite in relation to a rail connection that would unite

3132-632: The Makah of the Olympic Peninsula , Washington state and the Ditidaht . The Coast Salish are the largest of the southern groups. They are a loose grouping of many tribes with numerous distinct cultures and historically speak one of the Coast Salish languages . On Vancouver Island, Coast Salish peoples' territory traditionally spans from the northern limit of the Strait of Georgia on

3248-555: The Nanaimo coal baron and a member of the provincial legislature, was interested in owning the railway project and in the province's coal reserves. The fact that Dunsmuir was a member of the provincial government making the deal aroused some suspicion about corruption. Dunsmuir and three partners ( Charles Crocker , Collis P. Huntington and Leland Stanford of California) incorporated the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (less formally

3364-599: The Royal Navy . The company bought out Farquhar in 1879 and in 1883 Diggle was paid $ 600,000 for his half share of the business, then producing a profit of $ 500,000 per year. Dunsmuir was one of the founders of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Company which built the rail line from Esquimalt to Nanaimo , later extended to Wellington , Victoria and Courtenay . His company received a grant of land comprising 20% of Vancouver Island as an incentive to build and equip

3480-550: The Salish Sea , which also includes Puget Sound . The Vancouver Island Ranges run most of the length of the island, dividing it into a wet and rugged west coast and a drier, more rolling east coast. The highest point in these ranges and on the island is the Golden Hinde , at 2,195 m (7,201 ft). Located near the centre of Vancouver Island in 2,500 km (970 sq mi) Strathcona Provincial Park , it

3596-788: The United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia by the Act for the Union of the colonies, passed by the Imperial Parliament . Arthur Kennedy was appointed governor of the united entity. (He would leave office in 1866 and later became Governor of the West African Settlements, British West Africa .) Victoria became the capital but the legislative assembly was located in New Westminster on

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3712-604: The Wakashan family, is Kwakʼwala . The name Kwakwakaʼwakw means "speakers of Kwakʼwala". The language is now spoken by less than 5% of the population—about 250 people. Today, 17 separate tribes make up the Kwakwakaʼwakw. Some Kwakwakaʼwakw groups are now extinct. Kwakʼwala is a Northern Wakashan language , a grouping shared with Haisla, Heiltsuk and Wuikyala. Kwakwakaʼwakw centres of population on Vancouver Island include communities such as Fort Rupert , Alert Bay and Quatsino ,

3828-543: The railway system of Canada . On its part, British Columbia was to grant a band of public land of up to 32 kilometres (20 mi) in width along either side of the railway line to the federal government for it to use in furtherance of the construction of the railway. The Pacific terminus of the railway was not specified, but the proposed plan would have the railway cross the Rockies by the Yellowhead Pass and reach

3944-415: The 18th and 19th centuries, sea otters ( Enhydra lutris ) were protected by an international treaty in 1911. Despite protection, the remnant population off Vancouver Island died out with the last sea otter taken near Kyuquot in 1929. From 1969 to 1972, 89 sea otters were flown or shipped from Alaska to the west coast of Vancouver Island. This population expanded to over 3,000 as of 2005 , and their range on

4060-621: The BC coast at Bute Inlet . It would cross Sonora Island and Quadra Island and reach Vancouver Island by a bridge across Seymour Narrows . Through the influence of then BC Premier Amor de Cosmos , this plan was adopted by Order in Council by the federal government on 7 June 1873. Two shipments of rail were even delivered to Victoria from the United Kingdom. In 1873, Prime Minister of Canada John A. Macdonald had stated that Esquimalt ,

4176-659: The British Admiralty, Captain Vancouver reveals that his decision here was rather meant to honour a request by Bodega y Quadra that Vancouver: would name some port or island after us both in commemoration of our meeting and friendly intercourse that on that occasion had taken place (Vancouver had previously feted Bodega y Quadra on his ship); ...and conceiving no place more eligible than the place of our meeting, I have therefore named this land ... The Island of Quadra and Vancouver. Bodega y Quadra wrote, however, that it

4292-741: The British Embassy, St. Petersburg. He was the son of Lieut-General Hon. S. J. Calthorpe, and grandson of the 6th Lord Calthorpe. His daughter Maud Dunsmuir was married, in London, Eng., June, 1898, to Captain Reginald Spencer Chaplin, 10th Royal Hussars, only son of Col. J. W. Chaplin, V.C., C.B., of Kenilworth Hall, Leicestershire. He served as an A.D.C. to Field Marshal Lord Roberts and served in South Africa. Jessie Sophia became Lady Musgrave on her marriage to Sir Richard Musgrave. Thirty-eight years after arriving at

4408-459: The CRD built trail. In Nanaimo an 8 km (5.0 mi) trail was built in the 1990s. The E&N Trail is a multi-purpose paved trail for cycling, walking, roller blading and wheelchairs. It stretches from Townsite Road in the south to Mostar in the north where it connects to the 20 km (12 mi) Parkway Trail. In the fall of 2013 a partnership of various community groups interested in moving

4524-786: The Duncan-to-Parksville segment of the line was suspended following a risk assessment after the disrepair of the track had been continuously slowing train speeds down. No timeline was known for when service will resume. As of 2018, the only regularly operated track left is a truncated 10-mile section in the Nanaimo area, from Welcox Yard at the waterfront to Wellington siding, to serve the Superior Propane spur in north Nanaimo. In addition, some customers have their goods transloaded to trucks within Welcox Yard. The ICF

4640-671: The E&N Rail Trail forward was formed and the Nanaimo Regional Rail Trail Partnership was born. The NRRTP comprises the Downtown Business Improvement Association (DNBIA), Tourism Nanaimo, Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), the City of Nanaimo , Greater Nanaimo Cycling Coalition (GNCC), and the Island Corridor Foundation (ICF). As of 2015 the group has raised funds and is building the E&N extension trail from

4756-780: The E&N Railway to the Canadian Pacific Railway. The CPR built the railroad to Lake Cowichan , Port Alberni , Parksville , Qualicum Beach , and Courtenay . At its peak, the railroad had 45 stations on the main line, 3 stations on the Cowichan line, and 8 stations on the Port Alberni line. Between 1905 and 1999, the E&N Railway was owned and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway . Via Rail took over operation of CPR's passenger train service, called The Malahat , in 1978 when CPR demarketed its freight operation, claiming that freight traffic

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4872-467: The E&N Railway), with Dunsmuir president and owner of one half of the shares. The company estimated that it would cost $ 1.5 million to construct. Dunsmuir planned to integrate the railway with the systems being built in Washington and Oregon , with a train ferry link from Victoria. MacDonald gave British Columbia the choice of Dunsmuir or Lewis M. Clement of San Francisco , chief engineer of

4988-570: The E&N on 30 June 2006, with the Washington Group's Southern Railway of British Columbia taking over operations the following day. In 1978, VIA Rail assumed operational responsibility for the E&N Railway passenger service. Post ICF ownership, the rail operator agreement had the private company Southern Railway operate the daily inter-city passenger service from Victoria to Courtenay on behalf of VIA Rail. Train tickets had to be purchased three days in advance to avoid an increase in

5104-527: The E&N railway from 1884 to 1925 amounted to 20 percent of Vancouver Island. The company was to receive a grant with the following boundaries (Muir Creek is about 6 km (4 mi) west of Sooke ): The grant was facilitated by BC's introduction of the Settlement Act in December 1883, in which surface rights of existing "squatters" were acknowledged and protected. The last spike was gold and

5220-559: The Fraser River at Cisco, British Columbia and was moved 300 km (190 mi) to Niagara Creek Canyon circa 1910. The cantilever suspension bridge was pre-fabricated in England in 1883 and shipped to Canada. It replaced the original wooden trestle bridge, which was damaged in a washout on 12 November 1886. In 1905, Robert Dunsmuir's son, James Dunsmuir  – former BC premier and soon-to-be lieutenant governor) sold

5336-650: The Kula plate, leading to the formation of the distorted Insular Mountains . Much of the central mountainous region around Strathcona Park is part of the Karmutsen Formation , which is a sequence of tholeiitic pillow basalts and breccias . Since Vancouver Island has become an accretionary wedge on the North American continent, the Kula Plate has fully subducted beneath it and the remnants of

5452-465: The Kwakwakaʼwakw tradition of the potlatch was banned by the federal government of Canada in 1885, but has been revived in recent decades. The Nuu-chah-nulth (pronounced [nuːʧanˀuɬ]), are indigenous peoples in Canada. Their traditional home is on the west coast of Vancouver Island. In pre-contact and early post-contact times, the number of nations was much greater, but as in the rest of the region, smallpox and other consequences of contact resulted in

5568-502: The Port Alberni Subdivision, of 64 kilometres (40 mi), for a total 289 kilometres (180 mi) of mainline track. In 2006, the Island Corridor Foundation acquired the railway's ownership from RailAmerica and Canadian Pacific Railway . Passenger service has been "temporarily suspended" since 2011 due to poor infrastructure condition that resulted from deferred maintenance. The history of an island railway and

5684-564: The Southern Vancouver Island Railway each year. In 1998, CPR sold the middle part of the corridor to RailAmerica. Despite the purchase by RailAmerica, freight traffic continued to decline and the future of the E&N was still in doubt. RailAmerica sought a sale for its acquisition due to unprofitability and deferred maintenance issues. Restrictions from Canadian Pacific on the lease/sale agreement, and major reconstruction of Highway 1 from Victoria to Nanaimo and

5800-655: The Victoria Advanced Technology Council website, over 800 technology companies operate in the Victoria area, with combined annual revenues of $ 1.95 billion. High-speed internet is delivered to the island by Shaw Communications , Telus , and various local providers with their own networks. Wireless Internet connections can be found all over the island, many free for public use. While the island does generate much of its own power at several hydroelectric stations, increased demand required

5916-689: The Western Division of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad , for the contract. Dunsmuir travelled to Ottawa in 1882 with letters of introduction from John Hamilton Gray , one of the Fathers of Confederation , and Joseph Trutch , the first lieutenant governor of British Columbia , both men in favour with Macdonald. After a visit to Ottawa to present himself directly for this project, Dunsmuir went off to Scotland. While in Scotland, Dunsmuir received

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6032-522: The amount of business that would be required to bear the full capital cost of upgrading the railroad and maintain operations on a sustainable basis. If the capital costs of upgrading the railway are excluded, the business of 8,000 carloads per year would be required to pay for basic operating and maintenance costs. The most significant potential revenue is the Raven coal mine (west of Fanny Bay ) needing up to 10,000 carloads per year. The foundation report noted

6148-413: The capital it needed to exploit its claim. Once the crown lease the HBC held expired in 1859, it had become possible for claims to be staked by others. In October 1869 Dunsmuir was fishing for trout at Diver Lake, a few miles north and west of Nanaimo, when he found a coal outcrop. He staked a claim to 1,600 acres (647 ha) in a band 1,000 yards (914 m) wide and 4 miles (6 km) long including

6264-467: The capital of British Columbia. Other notable cities and towns on Vancouver Island include Nanaimo , Campbell River , Courtenay , Port Alberni and Parksville , all on or near the east coast. Indigenous peoples have inhabited Vancouver Island for thousands of years, long before the arrival of Spanish and British naval expeditions in the late 18th century. The Spanish and British conjointly named it Quadra's and Vancouver's Island in commemoration of

6380-407: The coast near Port McNeill . Vancouver Island does support most of Canada's Roosevelt elk , however, and several mammal species and subspecies, such as the Vancouver Island marmot are unique to the island. Columbian black-tailed deer are plentiful, even in suburban areas such as in Greater Victoria , as well as the native Douglas squirrels . The Eastern grey squirrel is found in the south and

6496-418: The colonies with the rest of Canada, establish Indian lands policy that would effectively perpetuate BC's pre-Confederation practices, and enshrine colonial officials' security of position. Victoria was named the capital of the province of British Columbia . Three delegates were appointed to the federal government. Vancouver Island is located in the southwestern corner of the province of British Columbia. It

6612-408: The company to purchase the 6,193 acres (2,506 ha) that made up its Nanaimo operation. With the new pit operational, the HBC sold its entire Nanaimo operation to the Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Company in September 1862 for $ 200,000. Dunsmuir worked from time to time as Superintendent of that company and, as well, for the Harewood Coal Company of his friend Dr Alfred Benson, which failed to raise

6728-528: The construction of several high-voltage power cables, both HVDC and AC, connecting to the Canadian Mainland . Robert Dunsmuir He was recognized as a National Historic Person by the government of Canada in 1971. Dunsmuir was born in Hurlford , Scotland , to 20-year-old James Dunsmuir and his wife Elizabeth in 1825. At the time of his birth, his family was engaged in the coal business in his native Ayrshire . Dunsmuir's grandfather, Robert, had leased coal properties and bought out local competitors in

6844-552: The contract with the Hudson's Bay Company began. Gilmour struggled unsuccessfully to develop a producing coal operation at Fort Rupert until August 24, 1852 when Governor Douglas instructed them to move on to Nanaimo where a coal seam had been discovered. Work proceeded but living conditions were difficult. In 1854 when the term of their HBC contracts came up and Governor Douglas refused to increase their pay rates, Gilmour left to return to Scotland. Dunsmuir stayed on. He went on to propose to Douglas that he carry on personally with

6960-412: The cost of the fare. In 2011, due to the disrepair of the railway, VIA Rail and Southern Railway suspended the Dayliner passenger service, the Victoria–Courtenay train indefinitely. The train had scheduled stops at Duncan , Nanaimo , and Parksville , with many other flag stops (stops on request) along the way. VIA and Southern Railway did offer a bus service for several months after the closure, but

7076-424: The days before the arrival of the railway in the 1840s permitting him to increase prices. In 1832, in the midst of this prosperity, Robert's mother, father, grandmother and two of his three sisters died within days of each other in a cholera epidemic which swept the area. Three years later, grandfather Robert died a relatively wealthy man, leaving a third of his estate in trust for his orphaned grandchildren. Dunsmuir

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7192-449: The disappearance of some groups and the absorption of others into neighbouring groups. They were among the first Pacific peoples north of California to come into contact with Europeans, as the Spanish, Americans and British attempted to secure control of the Pacific Northwest and the trade in otter pelts, with Nootka Sound becoming a focus of these rivalries. The Nuu-chah-nulth speak a Southern Wakashan language and are closely related to

7308-427: The dispute by the Earl of Carnarvon , the colonial secretary . His award, given 17 November 1874, gave an extension of time for the construction and required that a railway be built from Esquimalt to Nanaimo . Despite the promises of both parties to be bound by his ruling, the federal government bill approving the award failed in the Canadian Senate . British Columbians were indignant, and withdrawal from Confederation

7424-426: The east and Ucluelet on the west. Southern Vancouver Island is typically considered to refer to the area south of Courtenay, while Northern Vancouver Island generally refers to the area north of Campbell River. Those cities and the area between them are sometimes described as "Mid-Island" or "Central Island". There are a number of rivers draining the island, some of which though short are large in volume. Among

7540-423: The east of the Vancouver Island Ranges , was the epicentre of the 1946 Vancouver Island earthquake that registered 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale , the strongest ever recorded on land in Canada. Vancouver Island was the location of the observation of the episodic tremor and slip (ETS) seismic phenomenon. Vancouver Island lies in the temperate rainforest biome . On the southern and eastern portions of

7656-419: The east side of Vancouver Island and covers most of southern Vancouver Island. Distinct nations within the Coast Salish peoples on Vancouver Island include the Stz'uminus , the Kʼómoks of the Comox Valley area, the Cowichan of the Cowichan Valley , the Esquimalt , the Saanich of the Saanich Peninsula , the Songhees of the Victoria area and Snuneymuxw in the Nanaimo area. Europeans began to explore

7772-447: The entire matter back to their respective governments. The friendly meeting between Bodega y Quadra and Vancouver led the former to propose that the island be named after both: "Quadra and Vancouver Island", which became the original name. While we know this island today as "Vancouver Island", the British explorer had not intentionally meant to name such a large body of land solely after himself. In his September 1792 dispatch log report for

7888-455: The first to use Dunsmuir's coal, invested $ 8,000 in the venture. Rear Admiral Arthur Farquhar , Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet invested a further $ 12,000. The two investors left the operation of the company to Dunsmuir. By 1873 the Wellington colliery was producing 16,000 of the 40,000 tons produced on Vancouver Island. By the end of 1875, Dunsmuir was producing 50,000 tons per year. Its two principal markets were San Francisco and

8004-447: The foundation for tax credits. In February 2006, the Canadian Pacific Railway donated its 225 km (140 miles) portion of the railway right-of-way , which averages 30.48 m (100 ft) in width between Victoria and Courtenay, to the Island Corridor Foundation. The donation tax credit exchange was estimated to be valued at Cdn$ 236 million and encompasses 6.51 km (2.51 sq mi) of land, six historic railway stations and

8120-428: The friendly negotiations held in 1792 between the Spanish commander of Fort San Miguel in Nootka Sound , Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra , and British naval captain George Vancouver , during the Nootka Crisis . (Bodega y Quadra's name was eventually dropped.) It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, who between 1791 and 1794 explored the Pacific Northwest . Vancouver Island

8236-404: The hammer was silver. On 13 August 1886, the last spike was driven at Cliffside , Shawnigan Lake, about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Victoria. Construction of the island railway took three and a half years. Prime Minister Macdonald drove the last spike, during his only visit to British Columbia. The railway was extended to Dunsmuir's mine at Wellington in 1887, and into Victoria in 1888. It

8352-700: The island in 1774 when rumours of Russian fur traders caused Spain to send a number of expeditions to assert its long-held claims to the Pacific Northwest . The first expedition was that of the Santiago , under the command of Juan José Pérez Hernández . In 1775, a second Spanish expedition under the Spanish Peruvian captain Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra was sent. By 1776, Spanish exploration had reached Bucareli Bay including

8468-579: The island remained in dispute between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Spanish Empire in the early 1790s. The two countries nearly began a war over the issue; the confrontation became known as the Nootka Crisis . That was averted when both agreed to recognize the other's rights to the area in the first Nootka Convention in 1790, a first step to peace. Finally, the two countries signed

8584-452: The island's west coast expanded from Cape Scott in the north to Barkley Sound to the south. The majority of Vancouver Island's population lives in the Capital Regional District , more specifically in the primate city and the provincial capital of Victoria . With a population of 397,237 (2021), Greater Victoria is the island's largest population centre and one of its two census metropolitan areas . The island's other metropolitan area

8700-452: The island, this is characterized by Douglas fir , western red cedar , arbutus (or madrone), Garry oak , salal , Oregon grape , and manzanita ; moreover, Vancouver Island is the location where the Douglas fir was first recorded by Archibald Menzies . Vancouver Island is also the location where some of the tallest Douglas fir were recorded. This southeastern portion of the island is the most heavily populated region of Vancouver Island and

8816-469: The last moment. On 24 hours' notice of this opportunity, Dunsmuir signed on. They sailed on the Pekin , for Fort Vancouver , via Cape Horn , on December 19, 1850. It took 191 days for them to arrive. Eight days later, on July 8, 1851, Joan Dunsmuir gave birth to their third child, James Dunsmuir . On July 18, 1851 they set sail for Fort Rupert , and when they arrived on August 9, the three-year term on

8932-713: The mainland, the Nuu-chah-nulth span most of the west coast, while the Coast Salish cover the southeastern Island and southernmost extremities along the Strait of Juan de Fuca . Their cultures are connected to the natural resources abundant in the area. The Kwakwakaʼwakw today number about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the mainland. They are also known as Kwakiutl in English, from one of their tribes, but they prefer their autonym Kwakwakaʼwakw . Their indigenous language, part of

9048-559: The market potential for sourcing of aggregates like gravel for the Victoria market from alternative reserves up-Island. However, this market would be extremely competitive due to the availability of shipments of aggregate by barge from the Lehigh Materials (part of Lehigh Hanson) facility in Sechelt and the new Johnson Street Bridge providing barge access to downtown Victoria. In November 2014, SRY freight service along much of

9164-1003: The more notable rivers are the Somass River in the Alberni Valley , the Nimpkish River in the North Island region, the Englishman River up island from Nanaimo near Parksville , and the Cowichan River whose basin forms the Cowichan Valley region in the South Island region. The climate of Vancouver Island is the mildest in Canada, with temperatures on the coast even in January being usually above 0 °C (32 °F). In summer,

9280-528: The mouth of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington , and Sitka Sound . Vancouver Island came to the attention of Britain after the third voyage of Captain James Cook , who spent a month during 1778 at Nootka Sound , on the island's western coast. Cook claimed it for Great Britain. Maritime fur trader , John Meares arrived in 1786 and set up a single-building trading post near

9396-539: The naming of the city of Vancouver in 1885. By March 1843, James Douglas of the Hudson's Bay Company and a missionary had arrived and selected an area for settlement. Construction of the fort began in June of that year. This settlement was a fur trading post originally named Fort Albert (afterward Fort Victoria ). The fort was located at the Songhees settlement of Camosack (Camosun), 200 m (660 ft) northwest of

9512-427: The native village of Yuquot (Friendly Cove), at the entrance to Nootka Sound in 1788. The fur trade began expanding into the island, eventually leading to permanent settlement. The island was further explored by Spain in 1789 with Esteban José Martínez , who established the settlement of Yuquot and the artillery battery of Fort San Miguel at Friendly Cove , which Spain called Puerto de San Lorenzo de Nuca. This

9628-453: The new freeway from Nanaimo to Campbell River, led to reduced driving times for the full length of the E&N. This development also affected the privately owned rail line, which did not have the benefit of the provincial subsidies accorded to its competing highways. Freight traffic dropped to about 2,000 carloads a year after the loss of their largest freight customer, a Catalyst Paper pulp mill in Port Alberni. RailAmerica ceased to operate

9744-562: The news that the provincial government had chosen the Vancouver Land and Railway Company controlled by Clement for the job. Dunsmuir was surprised that Clement would take the contract without a cash grant in addition to the land and commit to building the railway to Seymour Narrows , near Campbell River . When Clement and his company failed to come up with the necessary financial security, Macdonald quickly moved to accept Dunsmuir's terms. The court ruled that this grant did not entitle

9860-581: The north , while a third group of transient orcas roam much farther and avoid the resident orcas. Residents are watched from a distance and are numbered, with many being named as well. Humpback whales and gray whales are often seen on their migration between Alaskan waters where they feed in the summer and southern waters such as around California and Mexico where they give birth in the winter. The island's rivers, lakes, and coastal regions are renowned for their fisheries of trout , salmon , and steelhead . After near-total extirpation by fur traders in

9976-425: The north half of Diver Lake and running right to Departure Bay in the area known as Wellington . In order to stake a claim of this size, he was required to form a company, to be known as Dunsmuir, Diggle & Company. His sons James and Alexander and some others were partners but signed off once the legal requirement of partners in the venture had been met. Wadham Diggle, commander of the naval vessel Boxer , one of

10092-548: The now disappeared Kula oceanic plate . Around 55 million years ago during the Paleogene Period , a microplate of the Kula Plate subducted below the North American continental margin with great strain. A volcanic arc on the surface of the Kula Plate was thus accreted and fused onto the western edge of North America. These terranes were subjected to extreme warping from continued subduction of

10208-496: The old Nanaimo train station to 7th Avenue in the south. It planned to have that multi-use trail finished by 2019. Concurrently, north of Nanaimo, the Regional District of Nanaimo started with two new sections in 2018. The first sections of trail will total approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) and will connect the City of Parksville with Coombs and French Creek . In 1996 a BC Transit report proposed renewing

10324-505: The operation of a seam that Gilmour had thought was played out. On October 12, 1855, Dunsmuir commenced work on his own account and within a month was producing seven tons of coal a day. This venture was a modest success, but as the seam ran out, Dunsmuir was again employed to operate a new pit that the HBC opened in 1860. The lease from the crown that gave the HBC the rights to all of the coal found on Vancouver Island ran out in 1859, requiring

10440-536: The period. But as Spanish interests in the region dwindled, so did the use of Bodega y Quadra's name. The Hudson's Bay Company played a major part in the transition; by 1824 'Vancouver's Island' had become the usual designation in its correspondence for the island. A quarter of a century later, Vancouver Island had become such a well-known geographical feature that the founding of the Colony of Vancouver Island in 1849 gave this name full official status. Period references to "Vancouver" referred to Vancouver Island until

10556-581: The present-day Empress Hotel on Victoria's Inner Harbour . In 1846, the Oregon Treaty , which ended the Oregon boundary dispute , was signed by the British and the United States to settle the question of the U.S. Oregon Country borders. The Treaty made the 49th parallel latitude north the official border between the two countries. In order to ensure that Britain retained all of Vancouver Island and

10672-614: The railway line to be owned and operated by the company. The Dunsmuir railway station was named after him. Dunsmuir was elected to the BC Legislature representing Nanaimo in the 1882 election while away on a European holiday, and was re-elected in 1886 . Shortly after election to the legislature, he entered the cabinet. Dunsmuir died at Victoria, British Columbia while still in office. The home he built for his wife Joan Olive (White) Dunsmuir in Victoria, British Columbia

10788-500: The railway to dispossess existing settlers. The company applied for compensation and received a further grant of 35,112 hectares (86,763 acres) between Crown Mountain and Seymour Narrows. In 1883, the British Columbia government signed a contract with Dunsmuir to build a railway between Esquimalt and Nanaimo in exchange for the same grant of land that Clement had negotiated, amounting to 323,749 hectares (800,000 acres), plus

10904-467: The return of rail service to Vancouver Island. The VITCC mandate is to promote modernizing the former E&N rail corridor as the backbone of the Island's future transportation system for commuters and freight alike, integrating with all other forms of transportation. They also seek to expand the cycling and pedestrian trails alongside the railway from the current more than 100 kilometres. A bike path named

11020-472: The right of way Railway and ICF officials are asking people to stay off the tracks for their own safety. ICF chose Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY) to operate the Island railway on Vancouver Island, after ICF's acquisition of the railroad. The operator agreement started on July 1, 2006. In January 2010, the Southern Railway of British Columbia new train ferry terminal started operating in

11136-744: The right of way and rail line is owned by the Island Corridor Foundation and operated under contract by Southern Railway of British Columbia, a part of the Washington Companies . The not for profit Island Corridor Foundation is a partnership between the Cowichan Tribes and local governments along the rail line. After years of work and negotiations, the ICF came to agreements with the Canadian Pacific Railway and with RailAmerica to hand over its Island rail assets to

11252-545: The second Nootka Convention in 1793 and the third Convention in 1794. As per that final agreement, the Spanish dismantled their fort at Nootka and left the area, giving the British sovereignty over Vancouver Island and the adjoining islands (including the Gulf Islands ). For decades, Quadra's and Vancouver's Island was the most prominent name on maps of the coast, and appeared on most British, French and Spanish maps of

11368-444: The service was discontinued August 7, 2011. VIA's bus tickets had to be bought three days in advance and fewer than ten people a day used their temporary bus service. The VIA passenger service used Budd -built Rail Diesel Cars (Dayliners). Those rail cars are no longer on Vancouver Island, and at least one is now owned by Rapido Trains , a model railroad company. Until 1996, it was called the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (which it

11484-521: The site of a naval base , would be the terminus of the "Pacific Railway". However, both the federal government and the Canadian Pacific Railway placed a low priority on construction of an island railway, as it had low traffic potential and would duplicate an existing steamer service. In 1874, British Columbia threatened to withdraw from Confederation, and BC premier Walkem petitioned Queen Victoria for relief from these delays. Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie and Walkem agreed to accept arbitration of

11600-493: The southern Gulf Islands, however, it was agreed that the border would swing south around that area. In 1849, the Colony of Vancouver Island was established. The Colony was leased to the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) for an annual fee of seven shillings; the company's responsibility in return was to increase the population by promoting colonization. The first independent settler arrived that year: Captain Walter Grant started

11716-497: The southernmost harbours frequented by American fur traders at 51 degrees north and 128 degrees west . He relates that since Captain Robert Gray of Tiverton, Rhode Island , had sailed the Columbia River in 1792, the trade of the northwest coast had been almost entirely in the hands of Boston merchants, so much so that the natives called all traders "Boston Men". A settlement was not successfully negotiated and ownership of

11832-625: The summer of 2015, but in April 2015, the ICF stated that the resumption of service has been put on hold while the BC Ministry of Transportation and provincial government review the funds for covering repair costs. Scheduled passenger service has yet to resume. A non-profit society, the Vancouver Island Transportation Corridor Coalition (VITCC), announced formation on July 7, 2020, to facilitate

11948-524: The track and enhancing road crossings, to travel 13.3 km (8.3 miles) to arrive over the bridge into downtown Victoria from Station Avenue, Langford . The travel time was 24 minutes, using the existing track, including stops, and restricting the speed to 25 km/h (16 mph) due to the condition of the railway and street crossings. In 2008, a report by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure put

12064-511: The travel time at 36 minutes, using the existing track, and having a train travelling a further distance of 17.2 km (10.7 mi) from West Langford. This includes six stops and stopping at each station for half a minute. The speed varies from 8 to 65 km/h (5 to 40 mph). Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia . The island

12180-502: The warmest days usually have a maximum of 28–33 °C (82–91 °F). The southeastern part of the island notably has a warm summer (Csb) Mediterranean climate with numerous vineyards . The rain shadow effect of the island's mountains, as well as the mountains of Washington's Olympic Peninsula , creates wide variation in precipitation. The west coast is considerably wetter than the east coast. Average annual precipitation ranges from 6,650 mm (262 in) at Hucuktlis Lake on

12296-538: The west coast (making it the wettest place in North America) to only 608 mm (23.9 in) at Victoria Gonzales, the driest recording station in the provincial capital of Victoria . Precipitation is heaviest in the autumn and winter. Snow is rare at low altitudes, but is common on the island's mountaintops in winter. Skiing is popular at Mount Washington in the mid-island, with an elevation of 1,588 m (5,210 ft). A notable feature of Vancouver Island

12412-557: Was Vancouver who made the suggestion of combining their names to designate some geographical feature. In 1792, the Spanish explorer Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and his crew were the first Europeans to circumnavigate Vancouver Island. On April 8, 1806, Captain John D'Wolf of Bristol, Rhode Island , sailed the Juno to Nahwitti (Newettee), a small inlet in the northwestern promontory of Vancouver's Island. The captain described Newettee as one of

12528-488: Was a sacred obligation; it was admitted that there was a treaty made with British Columbia, with the people and the Government of British Columbia, and not only was it an agreement and a solemn bargain made between Canada and British Columbia, but it was formally sanctioned by Her Majesty's Government. It was a matter of Colonial policy and Imperial policy in England that the road should be constructed." Robert Dunsmuir ,

12644-452: Was also born in Scotland in 1849. At the end of 1850, Dunsmuir's mentor, and his aunt's husband, Boyd Gilmour, had signed on with the Hudson's Bay Company to exploit a coal finding on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island at Fort Rupert (near present-day Port Hardy ). Because some of those who were to travel with him decided not to go upon hearing news of the conditions and prospects there, Gilmour sought replacements for his party at

12760-419: Was commandant of Santa Cruz de Nuca in 1792. Vancouver had sailed as a midshipman with Cook. The negotiations between Vancouver and Bodega y Quadra ended in a deadlock with nothing resolved. Vancouver insisted the entire Spanish establishment be turned over, but Bodega y Quadra held that there were no buildings seized in 1789, and the only possible land was a tiny and useless cove nearby. The two decided to refer

12876-424: Was declining. In 1996, CPR reorganized the E&N as an "internal short line" named E&N Railfreight while the railbarge operations were sold to Seaspan Intermodal . In early 1999, shortline operator RailAmerica purchased the route from Nanaimo to Port Alberni, and leased the balance of the line. At that time, approximately 8,500 carloads of forest and paper products, minerals, and chemicals were transported by

12992-707: Was established at Esquimalt in 1865 and eventually taken over by the Canadian military . Today, as CFB Esquimalt , it is the home port of the Maritime Forces Pacific and parts are designated as National Historic Sites of Canada . The economic situation of the colony declined following the Cariboo Gold Rush of 1861–1862, and pressure grew for amalgamation of the colony with the mainland colony of British Columbia (which had been established in 1858). The two colonies were merged in 1866 into

13108-480: Was extended west to Port Alberni in 1911, west to Lake Cowichan in 1912, and north to Courtenay in 1914. The E&N Railway was to have been built all the way to Campbell River , but that plan fell through due to the outbreak of World War I . The present-day bridge, 17 km (11 mi) north of Victoria, over Niagara Creek Canyon ( 48°28′57″N 123°33′27″W  /  48.4825°N 123.5574°W  / 48.4825; -123.5574 ) previously crossed

13224-517: Was raised again. John A. Macdonald gave a speech in 1881 in the House of Commons on the CPR and criticized Alexander Mackenzie for tinkering with the preconditions of British Columbia and Vancouver Island uniting with Canada. MacDonald said, "Both the Government of which I was the head and the Government of which he was the head were bound by the original resolutions." He continued, "It was admitted that it

13340-544: Was schooled locally at the Kilmarnock Academy and then at the Paisley Mercantile and Mechanical School , a training helpful in the coal business. He then went to work in local coal mines under his Aunt's husband Boyd Gilmour. On September 11, 1847, at the age of 22, Dunsmuir married 19-year-old Joan White. Eight days later, their first child, Elizabeth Hamilton was born. Their second child, Agnes,

13456-551: Was to be the only Spanish settlement in what would later be Canada. Asserting their claim of exclusive sovereignty and navigation rights, the Spanish force seized the Portuguese-flagged British ships. British naval captain George Vancouver was sent to Nootka Sound in 1792 in order to negotiate a settlement. His Spanish counterpart in the negotiations was Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, who

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