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Coal was discovered on the northern tip of Vancouver Island at Fort Rupert. The person who discovered the coal is unamed. The discovery of the coal brought the HBC Company to began a coal mining industry. This became the begining of Nanaimo and surrounding cities.
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The first shipment of coal was taken by the HMS Cormorant, a steam sloop. The ship departed from Beaver Harbour, headed to San Fransisco to be tested.
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The Hudson's Bay Company of "Vancouver's Island" was granted a ten-year exclusive trading by Queen Victoria. There was one condition, to develop and settle the island.
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Experienced Scottish Ayshire miners were enlisted by the HBC aqnd were brought to Fort Victoria aboard the first immigrant ship the Harpooner. They were transported to Fort Rupert to begin the mining operations.
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Coal Tyee discovered an abundance of coal in the Nanaimo Area.
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Eighty more immigrant miners arrived on the Norman Morrison and were sent to Fort Rupert to assist with the mining operations.
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Joseph William McKay began to search for coal in Nanaimo. He discovered the Douglas vein, Coal tyee had taken his samples from this location. Joseph D. Peberton and Benjamin William Pearse began surveying the Nanaimo district.
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150 labourers and their families and eighteen recruits from the Orkney Islands in Scotland arrived aboard the Tory.
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The Dunsmuir, Dick, and Gilmore families arrived on at Fort Vancouver, on the Pekin. While travellign across the Columbia River, the passengers were tranfered to the Mary Dane for the trip to Fort Rupert.
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Governor James Douglas made a canoe trip from Fort Vctoria to Nanaimo
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When he arrived in Nanaimo, he ahd written instructions from Douglas to take over the coal beds, and sell coal to any ship that offers payment. McKay also began builfing the first cabin.
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The miners from Fort Rupert arrived in Nanaimo aboard the Cadboro.
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The first shipment of coal from Nanaimo, it departed of the Cadboro with 480 barrels of coal. The barrels of coal had been mined and loaded by the Snuneymuxw.
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Joseph W. McKay wrote in his journal that squaring wood for the construction of the Bastion, he noted that it had been Versailles and Robillard who had begun the construction.
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The HBC purchased 6,193 acres of land to secure land for the Nanaimo coal mining operation. The purchased land was from the Crown and it included Cameron, Newcastle and Protection islands. ANother 1,024 cres were reserved for public use, for roads and the benefit of the Snuneymuxw.
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The first House of Assembly of Vancouver Island met for the first time in Victoria.
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The discovery of gold on the Fraser River brought many prospecters, the discovery brought Great Britain to the conclusion that they should establish a new colony on the mainland named British Columbia.
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The name Nanaimo had already been adopted by McKay and Douglas. Colville was formally removed from maps and the town was officially named Nanaimo.
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Thomas Crosby began teaching the Snuneymuxw children. He began to learn the language and he put together a small dictionary. He taught by the example and taught them how to plant fruit trees and vegetables.
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Collectively 32,818 tons of coal were exported to California
