Did You Know: Fort S. James is the longest established non-First Nation community in BC, Simon Fraser and his Métis voyagers established the fort in 1806. In 1888, A.C Murray rebuilt the HBC facilities at Fort St. James. Murray was a Métis who achieved a high status in the Hudson Bay Company. The "Murray" configuration of the fort is the same as the restored fort in what is now the Fort St. James Parks Canada National Historic Site. Parks Canada describes the main warehouse building as "a fabulous example of piece on piece or "Red River" (we say Métis) log house construction, it carries Parks Canada's highest designation for a historic building - equal to that of Canada's Parliament Buildings in Ottawa". For more information go to: http://www.pc.gc.ca

Parks Canada, the New Caledonia Métis Association and Métis Nation BC would like to invite everyone to the opening of the new Métis Exhibit at the site on August 27, 2011. The exhibit will focus on A.C Murray and other Métis involvement in the Fort. August 27 has been designated Métis Day at this National Historic site.

In a letter of March 5, 1859, James Douglas informs Joseph Despard Pemberton that Nicholas Auger, John Lemon and Jean Baptiste Jollibois are each entitled to 20 acre grants on Portage Inlet (part of present day Victoria) in recognition for their service as Victoria Voltigeurs. The Voltigeurs were primarily French Canadian half-breeds that Douglas referred to as half-white. They were the first official Police force in the history of BC.

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Métis Joseph McKay came to the pacific coast from the Red River in 1844. Among this exceptional mans accomplishments are: the first salmon fishery station, negotiated the Douglas Treaties, built Nanaimo, explored the interior of Vancouver Island, started the Vancouver Island Steam sawmill company, managed HBC operations at Fort Kamloops and Fort Simpson, personally inoculated 1300 Shuswap First Nation people against Smallpox, conceived the first BC pulp mill and many other significant accomplishments. Picture: Fort Victoria - where representatives of the first legislative assembly west of the Great Lakes was sworn in (1856), including Joseph McKay elected representative for Victoria District.

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Did You Know: The City of Golden was originally called "the Big Cache" until it was renamed "Golden City" by trade store owner Baptiste Morigeau in the late 1880s . Baptiste was the son of Francois Morigeau and Isabella Taylor (Red River Métis) who came to the Columbia Valley in 1822. Baptiste was born in the upper Columbia in (about) 1840.

For more information go to
archive.ilmb.gov.bc.ca

Did You Know: In 1855, Isabella Ross, a Métis woman, became the first female land owner in the history of British Columbia. Part of her land became Victoria's Ross Bay Cemetery in 1872.

For more information go to
www.oldcem.bc.ca

Did You Know: Christina Lake in south central British Columbia is named after Christina McDonald, Métis daughter of Chief Factor Angus McDonald, (Hudson's Bay Company) and Catherine Baptiste (Métis). Christina became the first female store keeper in BC history and operated a store in Kamloops starting in 1873.

For more information go to:
archive.ilmb.gov.bc.ca