The series consists of records dating from 1937 to 2000, relating to the approval of building plans, as required by the Fire Services Act and pursuant regulations.

The records document the functions and activities of the Fire Commissioner’s office, including fire prevention measures and practices of the time. The plans and related correspondence also document the history of buildings which have played a significant role in the life of communities throughout the province.

Prior to 16 October 1992 plans were required for a wide array of building types. After that date, submission of plans to the Fire Commissioner was only required for licensed beverage establishments and bulk plants. Plans include those for proposed all-new construction and for proposed alterations and additions to structures.

Records include various types of architectural and technical drawings, including blueprints, and the correspondence and other textual records related to the building in question (a “case file).” The drawings include site plans, floor plans, and technical drawings such as those of alarm systems and emergency lighting. Typically, the files contain the plan(s), correspondence from the architect that has submitted plans, and a copy of outgoing correspondence, typically a letter granting approval.

Most of the records were ordered according to a classification system which included a number and a letter, with the letter signifying a type of structure, as follows:

A = Public halls
B = Recreational buildings
C = Schools and colleges
D = Bulk fuel plants
E = Theatres
F = Hospitals and seniors care facilities
G = Buildings (various types, including apartment buildings)
H = Miscellaneous
I = Indian schools
J = Alarm and emergency systems

The majority of the records date from prior to the name change in 1979 from Fire Marshall to Fire Commissioner. Creator offices of the records include five different regional offices: Vancouver Island, Vancouver/Fraser, Northern, Interior, and Kootenay.

Stock shots. 1. Fire alarm boxes - not in service - old service retired. 2. Shipyard. 3. Old apartment building; ancient fire alarm; windows locked shut. 4. Boycott of J.P. Stevens textile products. 5. Airlift of the killer whale "Miracle" at Sealand. 6. [Mayor of Victoria?] 7. Construction. 8. Opening of the Legislature. 9. Unidentified press conference. 10. Cabins - burned and damaged. 11. Rescue exercise at a bridge. 12. Architectural plans. 13. MacDonald's Bread. 14. Old run-down school. 15. Swearing-in of the Cabinet. 16. Tall ship [Nippon Maru from Japanese Navy?] 17. Loading up cases of beer. 18. Unidentified interview. 19. Fire! - on the waterfront [at Ogden Point?]. 20. Plans for a ferry - shipyard scenes. 21. Putting a tree in place -[Christmas?]. 22. Garbage truck in a ditch. 23. Ship at sea. 24. NORML spokesman George Baker - lobby to legalize marijuana.

File consists of 53 colour posters related to fire safety and fire prevention.

The series consists of records relating to appeals of fire inspections and orders as provided under the Fire Services Act and Regulations (RSBC 1996, c. 144, s .27, 28, 29, and 35). The Act stipulates that if a local assistant to the fire commissioner (local assistant) makes an order requiring an owner/occupant of a property to take preventative action regarding fire safety, the owner/occupier may appeal to the fire commissioner. The fire commissioner must then investigate each appeal, and affirm, modify, or revoke the order. The records in this series document this process.

The records include correspondence, memoranda, photographs, forms, appeal orders, appeal decisions, and other related records.

The records are arranged alphabetically by address. All of the records within this series refer to locations on Vancouver Island.

The series corresponds to Operational Records Classification System (ORCS) 80100. The previous ORCS number was 11000, which is reflected in the file code column of the attached file list.

Additional records relating to the fire safety appeal process may be found in GR-3572, General office files of the Fire Commissioner.

Stock shots. Shots of pilot and aircraft controls; a family enjoys a picnic, then abandons their campfire; suppression crew boarding a helicopter; views from helicopter approaching fire; crew disembarking and fighting the fire.

The series consists of administrative and operational records that document and support the functions and activities of the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) in improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability of municipal fire services in British Columbia. The Office of the Fire Commissioner is the senior fire services advisory authority in British Columbia and is responsible for administering the Fire Services Act and the BC Fire Code. The OFC is located in Victoria, and there are five regional offices: Vancouver Island (Victoria); Lower Mainland (Victoria); South East (Nelson); Thompson Okanagan (Kamloops); and Northern (Prince George). The records in this series come primarily from the OFC, however many also come from the regional offices.

The subject matter of the records includes: the training, certification, and recognition of firefighters; participation in national and provincial firefighter associations and conferences; emergency and disaster planning; hazard identification, regulation and enforcement; the standardization and safety testing of firefighting equipment and material; and fire protection surveys of municipal fire departments. Additionally, there are some records relating to building plan approvals and reviews (GR-3568), fire investigations (GR-3575), fire safety appeals (GR-3576), and fire safety inspections (GR-3577), however most of these records can be found in the aforementioned GR series descriptions.

The series is comprised of both operational and administrative records. The archivist has maintained the original order of these records, which includes interfiling of operational and administrative records. Generally, the administrative records relate to committees and councils, participation in national and international associations, standards, legislation and regulations (the BC Fire Code and Fire Services Act in particular), and the production of the newsletter, “Infiremation.”

The operational records fall under the classifications defined in the Operational Records Classification System (ORCS) for the Office of the Fire Commissioner (schedule 116756). These are listed below, with the corresponding number from a previous ORCS provided in parentheses. It is often the previous ORCS number which has been used as a file code, and can help the user quickly identify the general nature of the file. When relevant, the GR series has also been provided in parentheses.

• 80000 (10000) Office of the Fire Commissioner - General
• 80050 (unknown) Fire Service Information System
• 80100 (11000) Fire safety appeals (GR-3576)
• 80200 (12000) Fire service award
• 80300 (13000) Fire investigations (GR-3575)
• 80400 (14000) Fire safety inspection (GR-3577)
• 80500 (15000) Fire fighting equipment
• 80600 Hazardous material – general: Compressed gases (16000) and Flammable and combustible liquids (17000)
• 80800 (18000) Solid fuel burning appliances and equipment
• 80900 (unknown) Equipment testing approval
• 81000 (20000) Fire protection surveys
• 81100 (21000) Building plan approvals (GR-3568)

This series is comprised of several different accessions. In some cases, a single accession is comprised of both operational records and administrative records, arranged chronologically. However, in some cases, an accession may be comprised of a single type of record (e.g. fire protection surveys). As a result, the series itself is not arranged in any particular way, but the container numbers in the left-hand column, as well as the file code number may provide some insight to the arrangement and organization of records. Original order of the records has been maintained.

This series consists of operational records of the Okanagan Shuswap Forest District and its predecessors, 1987-2011. This series may contain records created by the Salmon Arm Forest District, Penticton Forest District and Vernon Forest District in the Kamloops Forest Region. These districts (or parts of them) were amalgamated to form the Okanagan Shuswap Forest District in 2003.

Records primarily relate to resource management, silviculture audits, appeals and procedures.

Resource management related records regard integrated resource planning guidelines, geomorphology studies, fish inventory reports, stream classification studies, watershed research projects, community watershed policies, pesticide application reports and a local resource use plan (LRUP) for Cherryville. Records include correspondence, briefing notes, manuals, forms and reports.

Silviculture audit and assessment files audit the processes and status of timber cut blocks to ensure foresters are keeping sites clean, following rules and complying with their silviculture obligations. Major licencees’ files can include multiple assessment forms for different cut blocks. Records can include pre-harvest silviculture prescription regulation checklists, pre-harvest silviculture prescriptions, correspondence, Forest Practice Board audit and investigation records for specific timber sale licenses (TSLs), and compliance reports for soil conservation, regeneration, and free growing obligations.

Appeal records include a few files from the Timber Harvesting Appeal Board, appeals to the Chief Forester and pricing appeals to the Regional Manager. Records can include procedures, decisions and correspondence.

Procedure and policy files regard residue and waste measurement, forest revenue inspector investigations, utilization, timber harvesting, billing, accounts receivable, pricing, silviculture compliance, silviculture, timber sale licences, district evaluation, protection, fuel management, fires, aviation management, trespass, collection management, timber export, waste management, scaling, compliance, tree farm licences, soil degradation, hydrology, geomorphology, research, visual resource management and forest planning. Records include correspondence, briefing notes, manuals, forms, reports, reference materials and training materials.

The ministries responsible for the Forest and Range Districts, and the years that they were responsible, are:

British Columbia. Ministry of Forests and Lands (1986-1988)
British Columbia. Ministry of Forests (1988-2005)
British Columbia. Ministry of Forests and Range (2005-2010)

This series is classified under ORCS numbers, 12210-30, 19910-20, 17370-25, 17370-40, 12605-20, 18360-60, 18765-20, 18765-30, 19020-40, 19020-30, 21680-20 and 14680-40 of the Ministry of Forests schedule (881261). Procedures and policy files end with the secondary numbers "-00" and "-02".

Series consists of posters created by various B.C. government ministries. Topics and events include, but are not limited to, centennial and bicentennial celebrations, travel within the province, Expo 86, venereal disease prevention, drinking-driving counterattacks, trades' skill profiles, birds, animals, and environmental protection.