Links of Interest

  • Colonial Despatches
    This digital archive contains the original correspondence between the British Colonial Office and the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. This project aims to digitize and publish online a complete archive of the correspondence covering the period from 1846 leading to the founding of Vancouver Island in 1849, the founding of British Columbia in 1858, the annexation of Vancouver Island by British Columbia in 1866, and up to the incorporation of B.C. into the Canadian Federation in 1871.
  • The Governor’s Letters
    The Governor’s Letters website provides learning materials about the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia before the province was created in 1871. We’ve developed some Curriculum Challenges for students and teachers, which are suitable for elementary and secondary school classes. These puzzles are based on using historical documents, photos and maps from the Colonial Despatches Collection.
  • Hudson’s Bay Company Archives
    The Hudson's Bay Company Archives (HBCA), a division of the Archives of Manitoba, is home to one of Canada's national treasures - the records of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC).
  • Hudson Bay Company Biographical Sheets
    These have been created by Hudson's Bay Company Archives (HBCA) staff to provide employment information on individuals who were employed by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and/or the North West Company. Biographical sheets outline the person's employment history and may also include the parish of origin or place of birth; positions, posts and districts in which the person served.
  • University of Victoria Historical Cartographic Collections
    The University has acquired two major collections of historical maps related to the Fort Victoria era. The Early B.C. Maps from the National Archives of England include the main collection of maps relating to British Columbia in the Nation Archives of England, concentrated in the years dates 1846 – 1876. The collection Victoria Early History: Maps, includes maps from the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives.