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Only top-level descriptions British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works
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Correspondence and other material

  • GR-0830
  • Series
  • 1900-1913; 1957

This series consists of correspondence and other records from the Department of Lands and Works, and its successor, the Department of Public Works. Records include correspondence inward and tenders for Victoria Court House, 1900-1904, Government House, 1900-1904, and Parliament Buildings, 1900; specifications for Victoria Graving Dock; specifications and agreement for Lytton highway bridge, 1913; and weekly building progress reports, Government House, 1957 (reports 30-75 only).

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Minutes of decision of Joint Indian Reserve Commission

  • GR-2982
  • Series
  • 1876-1949; predominant 1876-1907

The series consists of minutes of decision of the Joint Indian Reserve Commission (1876-1878) of governments of Canada and British Columbia and of the Indian Reserve Commission (1878-1907) of the government of Canada regarding allotment of Indian reserves in British Columbia.

Records consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports and coloured maps of the reserve allotments. Although these records are called Joint Reserve Commission records, they probably form part of the British Columbia Department of Lands and Works fonds. Most of the records are stamped with the Lands and Works Dept. stamp and also have Lands and Works file numbers assigned to each, after they were received from the Commission. Some files then had additional related records added to by Department staff, as reserves were surveyed or related issues came up. Additional records were added to several files by Department of Lands staff up to 1949.

In addition, the series includes an item level precis of each document, created by the Dept. of Lands in 1980. The precis are filed in the first file of each box.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Certificates of purchase

  • GR-1521
  • Series
  • 1859-1944

This series contains acknowledgements of moneys received by the Lands Department pursuant to the pre-emption or sale of crown land. These certificates of purchase include district, legal description of land, acreage, date and terms of payment, name of payer, pre-emption record number, certificate of improvement number, crown grant number and departmental file numbers. The certificates are divided into four series.

SERIES 1. CERTIFICATES OF PURCHASE BY LAND DISTRICT, 1859-1913. Volumes have alphabetical indexes.
SERIES 2. CERTIFICATES OF PURCHASE, 1874-1890. TOWN LOTS AND MISCELLANEOUS DISTRICT CERTIFICATES. Volumes have alphabetical indexes.
SERIES 3. CERTIFICATES OF PURCHASE, SERIES 4. CERTIFICATES OF PURCHASE, 1907-1944. Vancouver Island certificate books.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Lands correspondence

  • GR-0360
  • Series
  • 1896-1936

This series consists of selected correspondence files from the several branches of the Department of Lands and works, and its successor the Department of Lands: Lands, Surveys, Water Rights, and Forests. Records include requests for information concerning the availability of land in British Columbia, Water Rights Branch correspondence concerning various power projects and irrigation, forest fire reports, and files on Forest Branch launches. Note: "WRB" refers to Water Rights Branch.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Timber mark certificates

  • GR-3238
  • Series
  • 1890-1934

The series consist s of timber mark certificates. The certificates were created in accordance with the Timber Mark Act of 1890 (SBC 1890, ch. 47). The act instructed all persons engaged in the business of lumbering, or getting out timber by floating or rafting, shall select a separate and distinct mark and register the marks with the government.

Series consists of certificate numbers 1 to 16,000 created between 1890 and 1934. The certificate forms record the file number, who the certificate was issued to, information about the timber operation, the land district and forest district. The forms also record the gazette number.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Crown land grants

  • GR-3097
  • Series
  • 1869-1930

This series consists of crown land grant files for BC crown land grants issued from December 1869 - when all such grants have been centrally registered, regardless of location or type - to 1930. They are arranged by volume and registration number. Earlier registrations, organized by district or town and not centrally indexed, are found in GR-3139.

Crown land grants are issued when land owned by the government is conveyed to private persons and organizations under the authority of the senior official responsible for Crown lands.

Several different types of grants are inter-filed in the Crown land grant series. Under a process known as "pre-emption" (which continued until 1970) individuals could purchase land which had not been fully surveyed. However, grants to these lands were not issued until the applicant had made specified improvements, satisfied residency requirements, and had the lands fully surveyed. Other types of grants have included those for the purposes of mineral claims, town lots, mill sites, schools, returning soldiers' homesteads, and railway rights-of-way.

Each Crown land grant is documented in this series with a land grant registration form and related records. These records describe the sale or transfer of specific parcels of Crown land and the terms and conditions governing these transactions. During the period covered by these records, each registration form documents the following: registration number; grantee name; location, acreage, and lot number of the land; and the amount paid. Attachments include sketches of land lots, applications for Crown grants, receipts for land and fees, certificates of purchase, and related documentation.

Alphabetical indexes for these files are found in GR-3096. An online index, albeit incomplete, is available at: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/gator/crowngrantsearchrequest.do.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Crown land grant indexes

  • GR-3096
  • Series
  • 1869-1930

Indexes to and registers of colonial and provincial crown land grants. Excludes crown land grants (letters patent) issued by the federal government for the Railway Belt and Peace River Block lands, 1885-1930. See GR-0436 for more information about Dominion land grants.

While crown land grants were issued from 1857 on, no comprehensive indexes were compiled before 1869. Copies of the crown grants and related documents can be found in GR-3097 and GR-3139. The indexes are recorded in bound volumes, each containing an alphabetical index to one or more annual volumes of crown land grant registers. The arrangement and content of the indexes has evolved over time.

From 1869 until 1912, each index volume consists of two sections. The first section is an alphabetical listing of surnames of grantees and of lots (in cases where a lot was given a name, for example "Copper King" ), with corresponding lot registration numbers. The second section, arranged by registration number, records additional information used for tracking the crown grant registration process. From 1869 until 1901, each index volume spans two or more years of grants. From 1902 onward, each index volume corresponds to one calendar year of registrations. Starting in 1908 (overlapping with the earlier indexing system for five years), a new indexing system was implemented and at first entitled "General Index to Crown Grants." These indexes consist of only one section, organized alphabetically by the first letter of the grantee's surname. Within each letter section, grants are recorded in order by date of registration. The first volume of the General Index includes grantees from 1908 to 1911; the second volume covers 1912. From 1913 on, when the first indexing system was discontinued, each index volume corresponds to a calendar year of registrations.

The following information is recorded in the indexes: district name, grant number and name, grantee name, amount charged for the grant, date of the grant, surveyed designation, acreage, how the land was acquired (including the method of purchase, such as at auction or by pre-emption, or the type of grant, such as mineral claim or returning soldier homestead) assessment district, surveyed designation, and location. An online index to crown grants issued between 1860 and 1930 is available at http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/gator/crowngrantsearchrequest.do. Note that the online index is incomplete.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Registers of the Board of Investigation

  • GR-1165
  • Series
  • 1896-1918

This series contains registers of the Board of Investigation, pursuant to the Water Act (3 vols.) Volume 1 is a register of land, water, mining, power and light, and lumber companies incorporated from 1896-1914. The registers are arranged alphabetically by company name and shows date of incorporation, capital, registered address, and file references. They include miscellaneous file references dated 1918. Volume 2 is a register of water claims in the Alberni district from 1905 to 1908, with Board of Investigation file references. Volume 3 is an alphabetical list of companies with water rights claims that are undated.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Crown land grants

  • GR-3139
  • Series
  • 1851-1878

The Crown land grants in this series have been recorded in registers covering particular districts or towns. Those registered after 1869 overlap with a centrally registered series of Crown land grants (GR-3097,1869-1930). Included in this series is an indexed volume of Hudson's Bay Company deeds to lands on southern Vancouver Island granted between 1851 and 1858.

Records from 1860-1878 have been indexed in the Historic Crown Grants database (http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/gator/crowngrantsearchrequest.do). Unlike the records in GR-3097, no volume or grant number is provided, only a reel number.

Crown land grants in this series are documented with a land grant registration form and, in many cases, related records. Most of the forms originally consisted of "a" and "b" parts; the latter was given to the grantee, and the former (a long, narrow "counterfoil" ) was kept by the government. These counterfoil records describe the sale or transfer of specific parcels of Crown land; some also describe the terms and conditions governing these transactions. Some counterfoils contain very little information. Registration forms generally document the following: registration number; grantee name; location, acreage, and lot number of the land; and the amount paid. Registration dates are in most cases distinguished on the forms from the dates land was initially acquired; this reflects the fact that purchase of land may not have been finalized until months or years afterwards, when all required improvements had been made. In rare cases, no registration or acquisition date is recorded. Attachments (usually glued to the relevant counterfoil) include sketches of land, applications for Crown grants, receipts, certificates of purchase and title, conveyances recording sale of granted land to other persons, state of title forms, court documents, and related correspondence and other documentation.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Lands and Works records regarding Cariboo District roads

  • GR-0831
  • Series
  • 1899; 1912-1914

This series consists of three volumes of records relating to road construction and repairs in Cariboo district. Volume 1, road expenditures, 1899 created by the Department of Lands and Works. Volume 2, road appropriations and expenditures, 1912-1913. Volume 3, road appropriations and expenditures, 1913-1914. Volume 2 and 3 created by the Department of Public Works.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Allowed applications to purchase unsurveyed land

  • GR-4265
  • Series
  • 1910-1913

This series consists of one register documenting applications to purchase unsurveyed Crown land. Information includes the date a notice was posted in the government gazette, the name of the applicant, the amount of acreage applied for, the district, location of the acreage, and a remarks column documenting whether or not the application was successful and any Dept. of Lands correspondence numbers relevant to the application. The register covers all areas of the province. There is an applicant name index in each register. Note that the volume also includes cancelled or disallowed entries.

This item is volume 2 and covers 1910-1913. Volume 1 is item GR-1069.II.136 and covers 1906-1910.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Department of Lands correspondence inward

  • GR-0897
  • Series
  • 1901-1910

This series consists of Semi-official correspondence inward received by the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works (1901-1908) and the Chief Commissioner of Lands (1908-1910). Arranged alphabetically.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Correspondence regarding steam boiler inspections

  • GR-4096
  • Series
  • 1907-1909

This series consists of one volume of correspondence outward related to steam boiler inspectors and contraventions of the Steam Boiler Inspection Act, from 1907-1909. The majority of the correspondence is from the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works. The volume is labelled volume number two and is indexed alphabetically by name of addressee.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Public Works contracts, plans, and correspondence

  • GR-0087
  • Series
  • 1862-1909

The series consists of records created by the Dept. of Lands and Works between 1862 and 1909. The records include contracts, specifications, plans, correspondence, returns of work performed, reports and accounting material pertaining to the construction, maintenance, and repair of diverse roads, bridges, dams, wharves, and buildings. The records are arranged roughly by district.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Register of timber licences

  • GR-1186
  • Series
  • 1907-1908

This series contains 2 volumes of Timber Licences Indices. These registers contain information such as the name and licence number, date, fee amount, some file references and clippings of gazette notices related mostly to the Cariboo district. Volume 1 covers the period 23 July 1907 to 12 June 1908 and contains a nominal list, an index to the Departmental Map, and the notation, "to be used in conjunction with the Timber Licence Register." Volume 2 covers the period 22 October 1907 to 27 April 1908.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works correspondence outward

  • GR-0898
  • Series
  • 1903-1904, 1906-1907

This series consists of semi-official correspondence outward of the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, 1903-1904 (vol. 1) and 1906-1907 (vol. 4). Each volume has a nominal index.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Records of the Public Works Engineer, Works Branch

  • GR-1172
  • Series
  • 1905-1907

This series contains the records of the Public Works Engineer, Works Branch. It includes records such as annual reports on roads, streets and bridges, including reports and memoranda of district road and bridge superintendents. It also consists of records of expenditures necessary to build, maintain and repair bridges and returns on highways and bridges in British Columbia that would have been submitted by Government Agents.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Applications to purchase and lease lands in the Bulkley Valley

  • GR-1139
  • Series
  • 1907

This series includes applications to purchase and lease lands in the Bulkley Valley, Skeena district. Includes affidavits and a list of applicants indicating lot numbers, acreage, and purchase price.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Records relating to the South African War Land Grant Act, 1901 and subsequent amendments

  • GR-1396
  • Series
  • 1901-1907

This series contains records relating to the South African War Land Grant Act, 1901 and subsequent amendments. It includes a register of applications (1 volume, oversize) which includes the name of applicant, location of land, and legal description, and Crown Grant number. The series also include 4 volumes of record books of land scrip issued between 1903-1905. The series also contains a descriptive entry written in 1931 by the Dept. of Lands.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway belt land conveyance register

  • GR-4090
  • Series
  • 1886-1907

This series consists of one volume recording land use and alienation in the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway belt (E&N Railway) from 1886-1907. This area of land was transferred to the Railway from the Canadian government. After the completion of the railway in 1886 some land was conveyed or sold off to settlers. The volume documents patents issued by the Dominion government, preemption conveyances issued by the E&N Railway Co., conveyances of land not pre-empted. Some records also relate to the conveyance of mineral or subsurface rights.

The records related to land in the entire railway belt which covered most of south eastern Vancouver Island, including the following land districts: Alberni, Cedar, Chemainus, Comiaken, Comox, Cranberry, Cowichan, Ladysmith, Mountain, Nanoose, Newcastle, Oyster, Quamichan, Shawnigan, Somenos, Wellington and others.

The creator of this volume is unclear, but estimated to be the Department of Lands and Works.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands

  • GR-1376
  • Series
  • 1885-1907

This series contains records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands, Nicola. The records include a register of water records in the Nicola Water Recording District and a nominal index.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Yale District water rights records

  • GR-0845
  • Series
  • 1857-1906

This series consists of three volumes of records of the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works, Yale District, relating to water rights. Volume 1 contains Irrigation Water Records for Yale and Ashcroft Water Districts, 1873-1885, Book No. 4. Volume 2 is an index to Water Records, 1859 to 1900, Books 1, 2, 3, 4. Volume 3 is a list of Water Records, Yale District, 1857-1906.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Appeal book and judgements

  • GR-1208
  • Series
  • 1906

This series contains an appeal book and judgements of the British Columbia Supreme Court in the case of James S. Emerson, timber dealer v. Robert T. Skinner, Provincial Timber Inspector, regarding the seizure of three booms of cedar under the Timber Manufacturing Act, 1906.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Administrative records relating to Government House

  • GR-1051
  • Series
  • 1876-1906

This series contains records relating to Government House. Inventories of household goods, furniture, and effects, 1881-1882, 1899-1900, 1903; lists of goods damaged in the Government House fire, May 18, 1899; one letter regarding Government House fire insurance, July 7, 1899; Government House Insurance Policies, 1876-1906.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Letterbook regarding scaling

  • GR-0965
  • Series
  • 1906

This series consists of a letterbook containing press copies and some typed carbon copies of correspondence and accounts of the Supervisor of Scalers concerning timber scaling.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Records relating to the South African War Land Grant Act

  • GR-1173
  • Series
  • 1901-1903

This series contains papers relating to the South African War Land Grant Act. It includes statutes with notations, published nominal rolls of Canadian contingents for special service in the field in South Africa, and lists of applicants for land pursuant to the Act.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Financial records, correspondence and lists of timber lease holders

  • GR-1769
  • Series
  • 1903

This unit consists of two unrelated parts. Part 1: records of expenditures for the construction of the Westminster-Ladner Waggon (sic) Road, and correspondence regarding the right-of-way for the road and funding arrangements. June 16, 1903 - November 21, 1903. Part 2: list of timber lease holders, showing acreages and effective dates of the leases, ca. 1903.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

Correspondence and memoranda

  • GR-1132
  • Series
  • 1895-1903

This series contains correspondence and memoranda of the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works with the Assistant Commissioner of Lands and Works, Nelson, regarding land disputes. File 1 contains correspondence relating to the disputed pre-emption claim of E.P. Dunn at Slocan City, 1895-1897. File 2 deals with a three-sided dispute over lands at Bonnington Falls between the City of Nelson; L.A. Campbell's application for a mill site (under the Mineral Act), and the West Kootenay Power and Light Company.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works

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