An excerpt from the Fall 2025 edition of British Columbia History.

1 Stories in Stone

Fanny and Evan Hooson, who are buried in the Pender Island cemetery, were among those lost in a 1911 shipwreck.

If you journey to Pender Island, make time to pause and reflect at the local cemetery.

Established in 1905 on land donated by Rutherford Hope, its white stone crosses cascade down the gentle slope beside Bedwell Harbour Road. A headstone in memory of Fanny Hooson and her son Evan references the sinking of the S.S. Iroquois in 1911, which took both of their lives and reminds us that cemeteries also form a community archive.

The 82-foot (25-metre) steamship was overloaded with coal, iron bars, and bales of hay stacked on the deck during a return trip to Pender Island from Sidney. Fighting 45-knot southeasterly winds, the cargo shifted and within minutes the S.S. Iroquois rolled over. The Pender Islands Museum remembers Fanny and her son on the museum’s virtual timeline:

The S.S. Iroquois sinks in a squall off of Sidney. Twenty-one people drown, including Pender school teacher Fanny Hooson, 38, (ne Lawson), her 3 year old son, and several new workers for Coast Shale Brick Factory. The ferry capsized three years earlier but was returned to service. The initial capsizing should have been a warning of the vessel’s unseaworthiness when overloaded.

Only 10 people survived — some rescued by members of the Cowichan First Nation in dugout canoes and by other bystanders. The wreck is now a Provincial Heritage Site near Sidney and during a 2020 dive by the Underwater Archaeological Society a whiskey jug could still be seen fused to the flywheel. Three-year-old Evan is buried at Pender Island Cemetery; Fanny’s body was never recovered.

2 Man Behind the Name

Langley City mayor Nathan Pachal and Clyde Duncan, former president of GCCABC (Guyanese Canadian Cultural Association of B.C.) Courtesy Mark Forsythe

The names connected to streets, parks, and landmarks can lose relevance and meaning, unless their stories are carried forward. Indeed, the names of some streets and communities (e.g., Trutch, Queen Charlotte City) are being eliminated, which has generated heated debate among academics and the public.

Recently the Langley Heritage Society assisted in developing content for a trio of new interpretive signs in Langley City’s Douglas Park to provide some context for visitors. James Douglas was born of a Creole mother and Scottish father in British Guyana, and he would become one of BC’s most significant figures during the transition from fur trade territory to British colony.

The signs were unveiled by Langley City mayor Nathan Pachal, who also is of mixed heritage. He noted, “A lot of the history of Black folks has been ignored. The fact that Douglas was Black and biracial spoke to me and it shows that we belong here.”

James Douglas was a man of his times who, for a while, served two masters: the Hudson’s Bay Company and the British Crown. He is credited with resisting American expansionism and possible annexation during the chaotic gold rush era that began in 1858. He was knighted for his leadership and may still provide lessons in creative ways to assert sovereignty.

3 Economic Engine Builds Up Steam

Locomotive #2141 in action. https://kamrail.com

For the first time in almost six years, the legendary “Spirit of Kamloops,” locomotive #2141, has rolled out of the Kamloops Heritage Rail Society shop under its own steam. The locomotive was built in 1912 for Canadian Northern Railway and was mothballed at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. It recently underwent testing for Technical Safety BC and Transport Canada certification with the hope that tourists will once again be climbing aboard.

The society has plans to launch a 230-kilometre round trip from Kamloops to Vernon in 2026, creating one of the longest steam-powered rail excursions anywhere. This still requires insurance, access to CNR tracks into the North Okanagan, and more fundraising.

The society’s new board of directors is dreaming big and keen to build a modern roundhouse conference and hospitality facility to help boost Kamloops as a tourist destination. Indeed, hardcore rail enthusiasts have been known to circle the globe in search of unique steam locomotive experiences. The #2141 is owned by the City of Kamloops; the society is tasked with maintaining and operating the locomotive. Kamloops Heritage Rail Society is accepting donations for its steam dreams through the Kamloops Heritage Rail website: https://kamrail.com.

4 Book an Historic Room

Triplexes at North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site. Courtesy North Pacific Cannery

The Port Edward Historical Society, stewards of the North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site, has restored triplexes that were once home to Japanese Canadian fishermen and their families. The updated units are available to rent at the cannery museum site, located at the mouth of the Skeena River where time stands still. Rentals in the onsite bunkhouse are also an option.

Built in 1889, North Pacific is one of the few remaining cannery sites on the BC coast. Funding for restoration came from the Japanese Canadian Legacy Society, established as a redress initiative by the provincial government in 2020. The triplexes form part of the multicultural history of BC’s fishing industry where Indigenous, Chinese, Japanese, and Europeans laboured and lived, in mostly segregated conditions. A new interpretive display highlighting Japanese-Canadian cannery history is also part of the restoration project.

Parks Canada notes North Pacific Cannery is the oldest surviving cannery on the west coast of North America; it closed in 1981 after almost 100 years of operation. For more information, visit the Society’s website at northpacificcannery.ca.

5 Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist

Entrance to Chief Dan George exhibit. Courtesy Mark Forsythe

Developed by the Museum of North Vancouver, an exhibit focused on the life and legacy of Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George has been touring the province since 2017. Its most recent stop was at the Fort Langley National Historic Site, where visitors surveyed information panels, classic movie posters, videos, and paintings that tell a remarkable story of “Chief Dan George, Actor and Activist.”

Born in 1899, Dan George got his first acting role in CBC TV’s Cariboo Country. He also appeared in the film version of the ground-breaking Ecstasy of Rita Joe and was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Hollywood’s Little Big Man. He was also a musician, elected chief, First Nations rights activist, and environmentalist.

His poem “Lament for Confederation,” spoken during a Canadian centennial celebration event at Empire Stadium, was gripping and stark.

“How long have I known you, Oh Canada? A hundred years? Yes, a hundred years. And many, many seelanum more. And today, when you celebrate your hundred years, Oh Canada, I am sad for all the Indian people throughout the land.”

Dan George was at the forefront of the native rights movement. The exhibit notes: “Before reconciliation became part of the lexicon of First Nations relations, Dan George lived and practiced reconciliation.”

To host this travelling exhibit, contact MONOVA curator Andrea Terrón at Terrona@monova.ca. •

Mark Forsythe travels through BC and back in time, exploring the unique work of British Columbia Historical Federation members.