2. Maritime history is the study of people’s various
relationships to the oceans, seas, and major
waterways.
Including: Watercraft and vessels, vessel design,
personality ships, captains, shipbuilding, shipping,
trade routes, marine artists, shipwrecks,
underwater archaeology, pirates …
What kind of Maritime History does
Pemberton deserve?
2
Alice, Tsawaysia Spukwus, is standing some rock art where you enter northern Howe Sound. Or is it where you leave northern Howe Sound?
We have a human mythological figure of coastal design, next to a wolf figure of interior artistic design – and, appropriately enough, the double-headed serpent. Evidence this is an ancient Coast-Interior trade and travel corridor.
They route they charted was an ancient “grease trail”. Grease from the eulachon fish harvested and processed near today’s Squamish tourist centre was taken north in exchange for dried sockeye salmon and other products from Lillooet.
In 1858 the colonial government (the McKay Expedition), and in 1859-60 the British Navy (Captain Richards and Lt. Mayne) charted this trade and travel corridor for themselves – of course, with the help of native guides.
It was when British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871 that Squamish was identified as an export gateway for CANADA. That year the provincial government looked at the British Navy charts and placed a reserve on half of the main island in the Squamish River delta. Perhaps it might be a railway or shipping terminus one day.
By agreement with the local chiefs in 1876, the boundary of that reserve became also the boundary for an Indian Reserve on the north half of the island. That boundary, showing up clearly on an 1893 map and 1930 aerial photo, is today’s Pemberton Avenue.
The shipping port of Squamish was to take shape later, however. It was instead the tourism, experience economy gateway role that saw activity first.
“Newport will be the funnel … Can you grasp the importance that fact?” – says a company selling real estate in today’s Dentville neighbourhood. There are only three export corridors – three “funnels” – to the Pacific: Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and Newport which serves the biggest hinterland piece of the three.
Cattle and other livestock from the Cariboo and Chilcotin were shipped through Squamish harbour for many years.
During the mid- to late 1930s more gold bullion was regularly shipped from Squamish than from any other railway terminus port in the world.
Round timber was the original freight brought to Squamish harbour, and logs still arrive by train sometimes, from as far as Fort Nelson.