Because of the Cariboo Gold Rush, more than 35,000 prospectors arrived in BC between 1858 to 1863. They were from many parts of the world; Britain, the Canadas, and Europe. However, only very few became rich. Many did not find gold. By the mid-1860s, gold was decreasing incredibly, and as a result people started leaving the Cariboo region, rapidly reducing the population. Because of this, the governments of Vancouver Island and British Columbia suffered greatly due to the financial losses. Thus the elected representatives of both colonies wanted to be united to maximize the efficiency of the economy. In 1866, Vancouver Island’s debt was $300,000; BC’s debt was over $1,000,000. The colonial office in Britain agreed with the idea of union. On August 6, 1866, the British government formally joined the two colonies. Together they undertook the name British Columbia. The governor was Governor Seymour, and the Legislative Assembly consisted of 23 members. However, union did not solve the financial problem, and an effective solution was desired. Between 1868 and 1870, confederation was debated. The elected representatives in the mainland wanted Confederation. In January 1868, the mainland representatives forwarded a series of solutions to the government of Canada. The solutions proposed many things. In particular, it proposed that Canada would become responsible for British Columbia’s debt and that the federal government build a transcontinental railway to link to the East. However, the resolutions had no influence on the government. Nonetheless, the mainland representatives, who believed that BC could not function on its own, continued to promote Confederation for the rest of the year. Those who opposed Confederation felt that BC was too far from the rest of Canada to be relevant. The mail going east had to carry an American stamp and go through San Francisco. The colony was large and rich in resources, however, the population was small and there were many problems. The colony had a large public debt, were experiencing an economic depression due to the end of the gold rush, and political unrest was rising.
In 1869, Governor Seymour died. A friend of John Macdonald, Anthony Musgrave, was chosen as his successor. In order to overcome opposition of Confederation, Musgrave sent a delegation to Ottawa. All the terms were accepted; Canada would take responsibility over the debt of the colony. Canada would provide money for public works and responsible government would be established in the province. BC would send six members to Parliament in Ottawa. On July 20, 1871, British Columbia joined Canada, entering Confederation as the sixth province.
In 1869, Governor Seymour died. A friend of John Macdonald, Anthony Musgrave, was chosen as his successor. In order to overcome opposition of Confederation, Musgrave sent a delegation to Ottawa. All the terms were accepted; Canada would take responsibility over the debt of the colony. Canada would provide money for public works and responsible government would be established in the province. BC would send six members to Parliament in Ottawa. On July 20, 1871, British Columbia joined Canada, entering Confederation as the sixth province.
Vancouver:
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The youngest major community in BC is Vancouver. In 1865, the area began changing. On the south side of the Burrard Inlet, Hastings Sawmill opened up, and the company gained timber rights to much of the southern peninsula, eventually controlling 19,000 acres. In the area that is now North Vancouver, a mill that specialized in sailing masts, was opened by Sewell Moody. As a result, the mill and the neighbouring community became known as Moodyville. In 1868, “Gassy Jack” Deighton arrived on the Inlet. Gassy Jack opened up a saloon, and soon other saloons and stores opened up. Because of him, the little settlement, which was officially known as “Granville”, became known as “Gastown”. In 1881, Port Moody, named after Colonel Moody, was specified as the terminus of the CPR. The eastern side of the Inlet began to receive much attention by speculators, who were eager due to the future metropolis. Much land was sold and bought. In 1884, arriving in Port Moody, William Van Horne established the exact location of the CPR terminus, the flat land ideal for rail yards. He named this site Vancouver. In the late 1885, when the CPR was completed, the townsite of Vancouver was laid out. By the end of 1890, Vancouver had a population of more than 5000.