British Columbia Heritage

A collection of British Columbia Heritage resources useful to teachers, students, and history enthusiasts of any age

Download the Experiences BC History and Heritage Marketing Plan here.

Download Tusa Shea's History of Log Buildings in British Columbia. This pdf is a historical survey with case studies of BC log buildings built from the colonial period to the present. It is both a material history of specific log buildings and a history of the changing symbolic meanings associated with log structures.

	Teaching for Understanding: British Columbia's Heritage This resource is the product of two years of workshops conducted by the “TFU” (Teaching for Understanding) professional development network, which resulted in lesson plans developed by partner groups of teachers and curators. Curators provided primary source material and historical content and teachers provided the appropriate educational framework and lesson focus. The TFU model of critical thinking was used to phrase the lesson as an open-ended question to stimulate students to discover their own thoughts and answers about complex historical issues which are still evolving or continue to happen here in BC. Educator's Resource : Lesson Plans : Classroom Materials
	BC Heritage Fairs Heritage Fairs showcase Canadian history projects researched and designed by BC students Grades 4 - 9. Regional Fairs are public events held in over a dozen communities in BC and involve youth, schools, businesses and community groups in a contemporary celebration of our shared traditions and heritage.
	Moment in Time: Fort Steele - A Historic Metaphor will allow you to discover a slice of British Columbia's history. Fort Steele became a settlement in 1864 during the Kootenay Gold Rush. By browsing through stories and viewing photographs of the period between 1864-1898, you will experience life in Fort Steele through the eyes of the early white settlers, the Ktunaxa people and the North West Mounted Police.
	Early Transportation on the Skeena River In 1879, the Village of Hazelton became the interior post for the Hudson's Bay Company and the trading centre for the Upper Skeena Valley and Bulkley Valley. Unlike their other posts on the coast which could be easily accessed by sailing ships, transporting supplies to the post at Hazelton proved very difficult, and this site describes the ways these difficulties were surmounted.
	Traditional Plant Use in the Hazeltons Visitors to the Hazeltons, a collection of three small towns (Old Hazelton, New Hazelton and South Hazelton), in northwestern British Columbia come to admire two of our wonderful tourist attractions: the Hagwilget Canyon suspension bridge and the 'Ksan Indian Village and Museum. In this web site, we look at the various ways the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en traditionally and continually use the wide assortment of plants available here in the northwest. The types of uses have been divided into three categories: food-related, technical and medicinal.
	Emily Carr At Home and At Work This web site provides in-depth information and a great volume of images of the life and work of great Canadian artist and author, Emily Carr.
	To the Totem Forests; Emily Carr and Contemporaries Interpret Coastal Villages This web site is the first exhibit in which the voice of First Nations people is used to describe drawings, paintings and prints which were created by Emily Carr, Walter Phillips, A.Y. Jackson, George Pepper, Langdon Kihn and F.M. Bell-Smith.
	The Green Heart of the Valley The Green Heart of the Valley provides a window into the history of the the Upper Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Due to Chilliwack's position on the Fraser River, it played a key role in colonial British Columbia especially as a transportation hub during the Gold Rush. Those who decided to remain in the area became enterprising farmers and formed a chain of communities that now make up the Upper Fraser Valley - one of the most important agricultural centers in BC to this day. Educational Resource : Lesson Plans
	The Cariboo Gold Rush The purpose of "The Cariboo Gold Rush" is to provide accessibility to British Columbia historical documents, images, and other multimedia information in a format designed for school-age children. This web site is THE ONLY comprehensive on-line web site about "The Cariboo Gold Rush".
	The Cariboo Gold Rush Adventure Game Catch gold fever and collect a fortune’s worth of points in booming British Columbia. The Cariboo Goldrush Adventure Game may look like 'child's play', but is built on a solid technological database which remembers the player over time. Players can return to play again, taking up where they left off in their game. (For full effect use RealPlayer)
	The Gold Rush Town of Yale From 1858 to 1870 thousands of miners set out on the Gold Rush Trail, seeking fortunes on the Fraser River and, later, in the goldfields of the Cariboo. Yale was the head of navigation for paddlewheel steamers following the Fraser River inland from the coast. Prospectors and all their supplies literally had to "hit the trail" here, heading north through the spectacular Fraser Canyon.
	Wells: Mining the Motherlode Strike it rich with the Cariboo's second gold rush! After the well known gold rush in Barkerville in the late 19^th century, Wells B.C. experienced it's own gold rush. Instead of miners though, companies like the Cariboo Gold Quartz Company mined millions of dollars worth of gold and built a prosperous and vital town around the industry. Educational Resource : Lesson Plans
	The Biggest Little Rodeo in the West Have you ever wanted to be a cowboy or cowgirl? Well saddle up for your visit to the B.C.'s Kispiox Valley Rodeo, the Biggest Little Rodeo in the West! The Hazelton District Public Library employed two local youth to complete this Web site that has sparked the imagination and cooperation of the residents of Hazelton. Educational Resource : Lesson Plans
	Artifacts B.C. This web site is an Internet exhibit that showcases artifacts, archival material and historic sites in the Province of British Columbia. It is a one-stop finding aid that allows students and researchers to do primary research on archaeology, anthropology, conservation, museums and historic sites.
	Point Ellice Collection of Household Victoriana Point Ellice was the 19th century home of Peter and Caroline O'Reilly and their children, Frank, Kathleen, Mary Augusta and Jack. The house remained in the O'Reilly family for three generations, becoming a Provincial historic site in 1974. The finest collection of on-line Victorian era artifacts can be found here.
	Teaching, Learning and Farming at Craigflower Farm This was one of Vancouver Island's first farming communities, established in 1853 along Victoria's Gorge Waterway to meet the Hudson's Bay Company's obligations to Britain to support colonization. On lands purchased from chiefs of the indigenous aboriginal people, Kenneth McKenzie oversaw construction of a self-sufficient settlement. The Kosapsom people still harvest shellfish, salmon and herring from the tidal waters that separate the Manor from the Schoolhouse.
	Pacific Coast Salmon Fisheries Learn something about salmon, their habitat, and the story of our relationship with these creatures, which are such an integral part of life on the Pacific Coast.
	"Measured Drawings" An Architectural Heritage of British Columbia The Measured Drawings of British Columbia bring to the Internet a collection of "As Found" drawings, exhibiting a sampling of the architectural diversity of historical buildings in British Columbia. The original "As Found" drawings were completed by third and fourth year architecture students at the University of British Columbia.
	Dr. J. S. Helmcken Pioneer Doctor and Legislator Dr John Sebastian Helmcken set up house here and in 1852 he married the daughter of Governor Sir James Douglas. Built by Helmcken and expanded as both the prosperity and size of the family grew. A surgeon with the Hudson's Bay Company, he went on to become a statesman and helped negotiate the entry of British Columbia into Canada as a Province.
	Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Victoria This web site outlines the history about Fort Victoria. Learn about the people who built it and made it a success.
	The Pioneer Explorations of 'Scotch Boy" John Tod John Tod, a Scottish fur trader worked his way through the ranks of the Hudson's Bay Company. John Tod was a fascinating and eccentric historical personality. He became a Chief Factor for the Hudson's Bay Company and later was appointed to the Legislative Assembly. Fortunately for historians, John Tod was a prolific writer, producing a volume of letters and memoirs which documented events around him.
	Coast Salish Collections: Archaeology and Ethnology of the Gulf of Georgia First Nations documents and aural histories present aspects of the long and complex history of the Salish people who inhabit the Pacific Northwest Coast of America. Viewers can search the Archaeological Collections from the Salish archaeological sites of Kosapsom and Xa:ytem and view artifacts that were made for hunting or fishing over 2000 years ago.
	Fort Steele Welcome to the real west. All you need to know about Fort Steele Heritage Town's location, services, admission fees and hours of operation. Explore the exciting Special Events offered this year as well as the new exhibits and programmes offered. Take a moment to explore the research holdings or examine nearby attractions. You can also visit a number of online exhibits related to Fort Steele.
	Kootenay - an exploration of historic predjudice and intolerance Behind the peaceful facades of Kootenay towns in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the forces of prejudice and intolerance were an everyday occurrence. The Chinese, Italians, and British Remittance Men who came to this country looking for a new life, knew this first hand. Theirs were lives plagued by discrimination. However, each group dealt with it and went on to become an integral part of Canadian society.
	The Year Book of British Columbia and Manual of Provincial Information (also found at http://hp.bccna.bc.ca/Library/Yearbook/ ) This Year Book of British Columbia by R.E. Gosnell (1860-1931), the first British Columbia Legislative Librarian and first Provincial Archivist, is a fascinating look at life in this province at the turn of the century. This is the 1901 edition, which includes information back to 1897. The 1901 edition of his Year Book was selected for digitization because it coincides with the start of the 20th and 21st centuries.
	Fossils in British Columbia Fossils can tell us a great deal about the history of British Columbia. By examining fossils we can tell how plants and animals lived in the prehistoric period.
	Our Northern Heritage The Vancouver Maritime Museum's photo archive of Canada's North. Over 2,500 images related to the Arctic and the St. Roch, the first vessel to transit the Northwest Passage as well as the first vessel to circumnavigate the entire North American continent.
	Where Two Rivers Meet Prince George has not always looked the way it does today. Explore the city from the meeting of two cultures, the pioneer experience, logging, the railway, sternwheelers, and get vision of how the modern city came to be the way it is.
	The J. Simonson Photographic Collection Simonson's photos are part of the Wally West Collection acquired by the Fraser-Fort George Regional Museum in 1993, and consist of 230 images and 120 glass plate negatives. Dated between 1910-1925, these photos are the single most significant collection of the early settlement days of this area. Many of his images capture important "firsts", such as the first sternwheeler, the first stage coach, and the first Fall Fair, later known as the Prince George Exhibition. Overall, Simonson's images illustrate his attachment to the land as well as to the lives of the early settlers, each photo suggesting a story about it's subject.
	UVIC Archives: George Pearkes and Victoria College This project is intended to provide an introduction to two significant collections of archival material: George R. Pearkes Collection and Victoria College fonds. From Special Collections, the life of The Right Honourable George R. Pearkes V.C. (1888-1984) is illustrated from the Pearkes Collection of photographs, interviews, maps, and war diaries. Pearkes was an acclaimed military leader in both world wars who later went on to become Minister of Defence in Diefenbaker's cabinet, and Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. From the Archives, an illustrated tour is provided of the life and times of students during the Victoria College era (1902-1963). The selections from the Victoria College fonds provide evidence of student academic and social life, student journalism and student activism.
	A Visit To A BC General Store A Visit to a B.C. General Store uses resources from the collections of the Kilby Store and Farm to provide us with a glimpse into rural British Columbian life in the nineteenth century. We learn about the adventurous and enterprising store owners, who helped to shape outpost and gold mining settlements into the enduring communities of British Columbia. Educational Resource : Lesson Plans
	Ghosts of the Northwest Coast Featuring the lively Celtic music of the popular West Coast folk band Tiller's Folly, "Ghosts of the Northwest Coast" is an exploration of early British Columbia from the perspectives of various historical figures. The "Ghosts of the Northwest Coast" concept is based on the Tiller's Folly School Show which started touring the Province of British Columbia extensively 1998 and continues today. Educational Resource : Lesson Plans : Music

Questions or Comments mailto:jennifer.iredale@gov.bc.ca

			British Columbia Ministry of Education Recommended.
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