Fort Langley History

Fort Langley, also known as the "birthplace of British Columbia," became a National Historic Site located in Langley, British Columbia.  It was established by the HBC in 1827 as a fur trading post and a center for bartering with aboriginal peoples.

The HBC selected the site for the fort because of its strategic location at the confluence of the Fraser River and the Nicomekl River. The area was also home to the Kwantlen and other Original Nations people, who traded with the HBC for furs, salted salmon, and other goods.

Fort Langley quickly became an important hub for the HBC's operations in the Pacific Northwest, and also played a key role in the development of the British Columbia colony. The fort served as a center for trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange between the HBC, aboriginal peoples, and settlers.

In 1858, following the Fraser River Gold Rush, the British government established the Colony of British Columbia, with Fort Langley as its administrative center. The fort became a focal point for the development of the new colony, with its craftsmen and traders supplying the growing population with goods and services.

Over time, with the decline of the fur trade and the gold rush, Fort Langley lost its prominence. In 1923, the HBC sold the fort to the province of British Columbia, which eventually became a National Historic Park in 1955. Today, the Fort Langley National Historic Site is restored to its 1850s appearance and is a popular tourist attraction, offering visitors a glimpse into British Columbia's rich historical events as a center for trade, commerce, and cultural exchange.

The Original Inhabitants of the Land

The Kwantlen Nation is a First Nations community located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Their traditional territory encompasses the area along the Fraser River, which runs through modern-day Greater Vancouver. 

The local indigenous people have a rich and ancient history that dates back thousands of years. They were traditionally fishing and hunting people, relying on the abundant resources of the Fraser River and the surrounding forests and wetlands.

Despite facing colonization and displacement, the Kwantlen people have maintained their culture and traditions through the centuries. Today, the Kwantlen Nation is a thriving community with over 200 members, and is recognized by the Canadian government as a "status Indian band".

The Kwantlen Nation is actively involved in economic and community development projects, with a focus on sustainable development that respects the environment and honors their cultural heritage. They operate a number of businesses, including a gas station, farm, and eco-tourism company. The Kwantlen Polytechnic University, which is located on the traditional territory of the Kwantlen Nation, is also named after the community.

The Kwantlen Nation is committed to sharing their knowledge, culture, and traditions with others, and regularly participates in cultural events and educational initiatives around the Lower Mainland. The are reviving their language, Halkomelem, which is one of the Coast Salish languages from the region.

The Gold Rush of the Fraser River

In the spring of 1858, James Douglas, the prominent Hudson's Bay Company official, sent 800 ounces of gold to the San Francisco Mint, knowing that the news of the gold's arrival would spread quickly in the gold-focused city. The supervisor of the mint was also a member of the local volunteer fire department, and within hours of the fire department's next meeting, rumors of a new gold discovery began to circulate.

By late spring of 1858, prospectors started arriving in Victoria and New Westminster, British Columbia, and over the next few months, thousands traveled up the Fraser River and into the interior in search of gold. At the time, the small settlement of Fort Victoria had a population of no more than 500 immigrants, mainly Hudson's Bay Company employees, farmers, and their families. However, within two months, the population grew to over 20,000 as Victoria transformed into a tent city, with miners purchasing their mining licenses and stocking up on supplies before journeying to the gold fields.

The Fraser Canyon War

There were real tensions between the influx of miners and the Nlaka'pamux, the Indigenous people living in the heart of the Fraser Canyon. The Nlaka'pamux nations wanted a negotiated agreement with the miners and the Colony of British Columbia before allowing the miners to enter their traditional territory upstream of Yale.

The Fraser Canyon was the homeland of the Nlaka'pamux, who did not want the miners to explore further upriver into their lands until an access agreement could be reached. This led to a series of brief but violent clashes, known as the Fraser River War. During this conflict, a number of Aboriginal towns were ransacked and burned, and men, women, and children were killed.

The violence only ended with the arrival of Governor James Douglas and the Royal Engineers in Yale, who were able to restore some semblance of order between the miners and the Nlaka'pamux. The conflict highlighted the need for the colonial government to negotiate with the Indigenous peoples before allowing unfettered access to their traditional territories.

British Columbia as a Colony