Stories from our pages over the last 150 years.
The wealth at Victoria's elbow on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, and the interest of the city in pressing for the construction of a wagon road and cheap railway line into that country, were described by Mr. C.L. Harrison at a meeting of the Centennial Church forum Sunday afternoon.
"What are the prospects for our city?" asked Mr. Harrison.
"The Royal Roads at Esquimalt are equal to anything on our coast. This port used to be a source of wealth in the days of sailing ships and sealers, but now we must look elsewhere for an attractive natural resource.
"Such is to be found in the West Coast district which is geographically tributary to Victoria; and just as it has been good business for the C.P.R. to build lines into Nanaimo and Comox for coal and to Port Alberni and Cowichan Lake for timber, so also it should be good business for the Government to build into the West Coast district where much of the natural resources still belong to the Crown.
"In the Renfrew district there are such tremendous timber resources that they would stand seventy-five years of modern methods of cutting. Copper is also abundant, and there are rumors that the C.P.R. is planning great developments for its Sunloch mines.
"From the mouth of the bay at Port Renfrew west, is the Swiftsure Bank, a most valuable fishing ground for halibut. This is shipped in schooners direct to Vancouver. During fishing operations cod is also caught, but is at once killed and thrown back.
"At times, as much as three miles of dead cod have been seen floating on the water. With a freight road connecting this West Coast with Victoria, the cod could be shipped through here and on to Seattle in refrigerator cars, in about twelve hours after being caught."
