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This series consists of a variety of administrative files related to the British Columbia Provincial Police Force. This includes Attorney General files P-291-2 and P-291-7, Policing of British Columbia, consisting of files on the take over of the B.C. Provincial Police by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and of various personnel files, 1942-1965.

Record books, 1928-1943. Vol. 1 (1928-1937) includes cases from Tofino.

This collection is comprised of records relating to the development, implementation and administration of game management policies in British Columbia from 1905-1927. It includes correspondence, reports, vouchers and licences, as well as information regarding firearms regulation and prosecutions under game laws. Records were created by the Provincial Game Warden, Deputy Game Wardens and other related staff.

Researchers will find these records particularly useful for tracking the development and implementation of early provincial game management policies. General correspondence and reports from Deputy Game Wardens throughout the province contain information regarding the status of game in various areas over time. Difficulties in enforcing policies such as regulation of trophy hunters and the need for firearms licences are documented in these materials. Development of the game base as an economic resource through payment of licence fees, and international promotion of the province as a sportsperson's centre, were key components of A. Bryan Williams' approach to game management and the results of this can also be studied in these records. Conflicts between the provincial approach to the game resource and that taken by some Indigenous peoples can be studied in this collection. Additional subjects include fishing, fur farming, wildlife management and conflict between hunting with other forms and land and resource use. Many of the Deputy Game Wardens saw military service abroad during World War I and the records include some relevant correspondence.

See Table of Contents below for a general sense of the collection organization and finding aid for a detailed file/item list. The contents of some files are listed in a hardcopy index (i.e. an item list) available in the reference room. The series is arranged by record type into the following sub series and sub-sub series:

A. Indexes
B. Correspondence
B(1) Personal and semi-official correspondence of A. Bryan Williams, Provincial Game Warden
B(2) Correspondence out
B(3) Letterbooks of correspondence out
B(4) General correspondence inward and outward
B(5) Correspondence re: firearms licences
C. Deputy Game Wardens
C(1) Monthly reports Boxes
C(2) Correspondence Boxes
D. Returns re: firearms licences
E. Vouchers
F. Licences
G. Prosecutions
H. Miscellaneous

The series consists of records acquired and created by Colin Clarence Campbell, Clerk in the British Columbia Provincial Police Force, between 1941 and ca. 1950. There are copies of general orders, 1941-1947; nominal rolls, 1941-1948; salary lists, 1947-1949, and seniority lists, 1941-1948. In addition there are two police publications: regulations from 1945 and consolidated general orders from 1947, some lists of officers working in Oakalla Prison, 1944-1948, a list of officers and their dependents, 1948 and a list from about 1950 of the city and district municipalities policed by the R.C.M.P.

This series consists of a variety of circulars (later referred to as orders), wanted posters, informations and warrants. The records were created and used by the Provincial Police Force from 1884-1920s and general orders from the 1920s-1948. The series contains several volumes with have both types of records intermingled. Some volumes are indexed by subject or name of the wanted person.

Circulars and orders provide a concise summary of changes to criminal charges, and other the directives and instructions sent to police staff. Most circulars are copied and provided to all constables and inspectors from the Police Superintendent or police Headquarters in Victoria, but some are sent from regional offices or other officials to their subordinates. General circulars or orders would have been sent to all offices.

Most of the wanted posters, informations, and warrants were received from police in other provinces or the United States, in hopes of locating wanted or missing persons. Some were created by the BC Provincial Police and are related to crimes committed in British Columbia. Photos or drawings of the individuals, fingerprints and writing samples may be included on the posters.

Two volumes were created by the central Provincial Police Force office from 1914 to 1923. Records include written circulars provided as instructions to various police force staff across the province; notices of changes to legislation or regulations; and wanted posters or descriptions of wanted persons. Records have been glued into volumes by the date they were created or received by the office.

There are also several files of loose circulars and wanted posters, some from the Nelson office of the Provincial Police Force and the Motor Vehicle Branch in Victoria. Some circulars may have be received from other members of government, such as the Attorney General. One file of circulars relates specifically to the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB).

There is also one file of nominal rolls from 1927 listing each staff and their position.

The series consists of Provincial Police Inspector's files created between ca. 1918 and 1923. The files are numbered from 50 to 106 and are subject files containing letters addressed to the Superintendent, Inspector and Chief Constable. The correspondence relates to the Victoria Police District.

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Police Force between 1858 and ca. 1933.
The records include correspondence and other material regarding financial matters such as budgets, estimates, vouchers issued, revenue returns, bills, statements and receipts. The records also include correspondence and lists regarding stores, uniforms, equipment and supplies; vehicle reports and some colonial era records relating to Victoria and Vancouver Island police, prison, fire department and prisons.

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Police between 1899 and 1927 relating to the enforcement of the Licences Act, 1888, the Liquor Licence Act, 1910, and the Government Liquor Act, 1921.

The records include correspondence of the Superintendent; circulars; newspaper clippings; hotel licence application and renewal files; indexes and list and files relating to prosecutions and convictions.

The series consists of records created by Inspectors in the British Columbia Provincial Police between 1908 and 1911. It includes correspondence inward to Inspectors J.H. McMullin (to Dec 1909) and Colin Campbell (Sep 1910 - Dec 1911); Inspectors' correspondence outward, 1909-1911 (indexed); and reports on inspection tours by Campbell, 1910-1911.

The series consists of Provincial Police Force personnel records created between 1858 and 1950, mostly from after 1900. The records include applications, correspondence regarding applications, oath books, pay lists and other salary records, staff registers, nominal rolls and personnel cards. Some records may relate to staffing provincial gaols and game wardens.

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Police between 1917 and 1920 relating to the enforcement of the Amusements Tax Act, 1917. Includes record of ticket sales [Victoria?] and stock book of amusement tax tickets, 1919-1920.

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Police between 1909 and 1917 relating to the enforcement of the Clubs Regulation Act, 1909. The records include the following:
Box 1: correspondence re applications for licenses, 1909-1910
Box 2: applications, reports, etc., 1912-1916
Box 3: correspondence, Dec 1916 - Jan 1917
Box 4: register of applications, 1909-1916.

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Police between 1913 and 1921 relating to the enforcement of the Act to amend the Pool-rooms Act, 1913. Records include correspondence re applications for licenses and "Report on application", 1913-1927; counterfoils and licenses numbered 651-950, 1918-1921.

The series consists of records created by the British Columbia Provincial Police between 1877 and 1925. The records relate to the Victoria district and include the following: Police and gaol diary, 1877; Provincial Police record books, Jan. 1894 to Nov. 1898; office diaries, 1911 to 1914 and 1921 to 1924; report book, 1916 to 1925; files relating to informations, warrants and depositions, 1893 to 1909; and deposition case files from 1919 to 1923 and 1925.

The series also includes correspondence files from Otway Wilkie, Senior Police Constable, Victoria, dated 1922-1923. This position is also referred to as the Officer commanding “A” Division. “A” Division of the BC Provincial Police Force included subdivisions for the Victoria and Vancouver regions, but had its headquarters in Victoria. The Senior Constable may have been located in the same office as the Police Superintendent, which was responsible for the entire province. Many records are to or from the Superintendent or include stamps from the Office of the Superintendent. These records include circulars, correspondence, game reports, coroner inquisition records, reports on various crimes. Correspondence may be with other police officials or from public reporting or providing information on crimes.

There is also a scrapbook of newspaper clippings from the Vancouver Daily Province from 1927-1928 created by the Victoria Criminal Identification Department. The clippings relate to a variety of crimes reported in the paper. They are arranged by date and indexed by name of the individuals in the paper. The scrapbook was likely used as a reference for tracking repeat offenders.

The series consists of two Provincial Police Force registers of outgoing mail from 1923 to 1926. The registers list names of addressees only with no indication of subject.

This series contains a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, reward posters, and other material. The scrapbook covers the period 1901-1910. The three reward posters have been photographed.

The series consists of records created by the Superintendent of Provincial Police between 1917 and 1929. The records relate to the Victoria district and "A" division and contain files relating to various acts including the Sheep Protection Act and the Poll Tax Act from 1917 to 1921; vouchers and correspondence re vouchers from 1917 to 1925; and vouchers and miscellaneous letters from 1928 to 1929.

The series consists of a record of licences, created by the Provincial Police Force from 1919 to 1921 under the Motor-Traffic Regulation Act. Includes licences 19680 to 19915.

The series consists of five files created or acquired by the Chief Mining Engineer between 1938 and 1955. The files include: an illustrated 1938 report on Zeballos written by T.W.S. Parsons, Assistant Commissioner of the B.C. Police; a distribution list for a 1942 report on iron and steel; an illustrated copy of a 1948 report of Canadian National Railways on use of coal from Hasler Creek, B.C. in railroad locomotives; correspondence relating to the 4th Empire Mining and Metallurgical Congress and other staff matters from 1947 to 1950 and correspondence re Alaska Pine and Cellulose operations in Peace River district, 1955.

This series consists of a variety of administrative and operational records from the office of the Superintendent of the BC Provincial Police Force. The series includes records from 1861-1936, but records are predominantly from 1903-1936.

The wide variety of records have been arranged into 6 sub-series of records:

1. Administrative : equipment, statistics and finances. Most files consist of forms, correspondence or reports and statistics submitted from police divisions, districts and stations across the province to the Superintendent’s office. Some of this information was compiled into various ledgers in the Superintendent's office. Records regard lockups and stations; car, launch and mileage reports; Gasoline Tax Act exemptions; monthly financial analysis; monthly crime analysis, revenue analysis and collections; monthly revenue analysis submitted to the Attorney-General; monthly and annual financial statements for provincial police expenses in each municipality; and inventories of government property or equipment.

2. Administrative : personnel. Records include staff pay lists; lists of constables; and advances for constable expenses. This includes staffing data complied to answer questions asked of the Attorney General in the Legislative Assembly regarding staff who left police service and soldiers returned from World War I.

3. Operational : licences. This includes correspondence regarding the issuing of licences and records regarding the applications and issuance of licences. Licences issued by the Superintendent of Police evolved over time and include firearm licences, retail licences, trade licences, wholesale licences, liquor licences, and licences to operate an employment agency. See sub-series 4 for motor vehicle licence and GR-0446 for additional records regarding firearm, fishing, hunting and game licences.

4. Operational : motor vehicles licencing. Records regard the application, issuing, renewal and transferring of licences; payment and refund of licencing fees; accidents; as well as incidents related to the cancellation or suspension of licences throughout the province.

5. Operational : miscellaneous correspondence. Relates to a variety of subjects such as Special Constables at Sooke Lake Reservoir, licence districts, Industrial School supplies, and other subjects.

6. Operational : miscellaneous subject files and other records. Subjects include murders of August Carlson and Indigenous men Zelak and Kwa-zitl, Pinkertons investigations looking for wanted persons, a 1909 Cariboo stage coach robbery, hotel and liquor licence inspections, and the admittance of Lord Verney to a mental hospital. This subseries also includes some 1918 circulars and examples of cattle brands burned onto pieces of wood.

The series consists of 11 volumes of revenue receipt books created by the British Columbia Superintendent of Police between 1897 and 1922.

Each volume (many identified as Form J) lists revenue receipts of monies collected by the Provincial Police and the associated payments made to the Treasury. The revenue receipts are arranged chronologically and include payments received for various licences such as liquor trade, peddler, motor vehicle and chauffeur licences, firearms, dogs, angler and other game licences. Other entries include fines, prisoner's keep and poll tax payments.

Many of the early entries are signed by Superintendent F.S. Hussey.

The series consists of 2 volumes of revenue receipt books created by the British Columbia Superintendent of Police between 1907 and 1914.

Each volume, identified as form J, lists revenue receipts of monies collected by the Provincial Police and the associated payments made to the Treasury. The revenue receipts are arranged chronologically and consist of payments received for licences for anglers and permits for export of game. There are also licences for firearms, listed as ordinary, general and special licences.

Volume 1 is from August 1907 to October 1913 and volume 2 is from October 1913 to October 1914.

This series consists of a police court record book from Sechelt, covering the dates 1919-1920.

Record books. Vol. 1: July 1938 - June 1960; vol. 2: July 1960 - Aug 1973.

The series consists of Superintendent of Police correspondence inward from 1891 to 1910. The correspondence is generally filed chronologically and alphabetically by sender's name.

With the exception of certain files in 1896 and 1897, the correspondence from 1891 to 1900 is organized by date and then by letter of the alphabet. From 1901 to 1910 the correspondence is organized by alphabet ranges, and then by varying date ranges, e.g. Jan 1901-Mar 1903 for Aa-Bx but Jan 1901-Sep 1902 for Caa-Cz. Correspondence for a particular time period is therefore also not sequential. A single year or date range is distributed over several different boxes, depending on the name of the correspondent. Date ranges are not exact, i.e. files may contain earlier correspondence than indicated if it is part of an ongoing issue. The letter ranges are guides only and do not necessarily reflect the exact contents of a file, e.g. Com-Cz may contain correspondents ranging from Cotton to Cutter only.

The series consists of correspondence inward to Superintendent of Provincial Police from May 1910 to August 1912.

The records are filed chronologically within the following categories:

1. General, from government departments (1907-1912) (Volumes 1 to 4)
2. Wanted or missing (Volume 5)
3. District: Atlin, Hazelton, Skeena, Boundary, Cariboo, Hazelton, Kamloops, Kootenay west, east, southeast, and northeast, Nanaimo Comox, West coast, Vancouver, Vancouver Westminster, Victoria and Yale (Volumes 6 to 31).

The series consists of correspondence inward to the Superintendent of Police between 1912 and 1922. The records are numbered subject files which are arranged in numerical order. The series includes "aliens and enemies" files; "Form A" files in boxes 14 - 20 contain the names of enemy aliens who were required to register and report to the Provincial Police, but remained "on parole" within the community. They also include the names of enemy aliens who were already imprisoned in local jails. Other correspondence deals with issues such as bigamy, seduction, illegal sale of liquor, prostitution, burglary, sudden or mysterious deaths, gambling, arson, and escaped prisoners. During this period, the police also conducted searches for individuals reported missing by overseas family members. Such letters were usually written when an emigrant family member had fallen out of contact with his or her relatives in their home country, and are not indicative of foul play.

The series consists of copies of telegrams sent by the British Columbia Provincial Police in 1913 and from 1941 to 1945.

The fonds consists of official and private correspondence, diaries, account and appointment books, photographs, reports, manuscripts of articles on police matters and radio plays. Fonds includes maps of Tweedsmuir Park and northern B.C.

Provincial Police Court record books showing name of prosecutor, name of defendant, nature of the charge, costs, name of arresting officer, name of gaol or lockup, order or conviction, amount of fine, name of presiding magistrate or justice and "remarks".