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Only top-level descriptions British Columbia. Dept. of Lands
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Silviculture opening records

  • GR-3718
  • Series
  • 1943-2008

Series consists of silviculture opening records created by the South Vancouver Island district and its predecessor the Port Alberni Forest district from 1943-2008. The ministry defines silviculture as “the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society on a sustainable basis.” These files document the historical silviculture treatment work that has been undertaken on specific areas of land that are referred to as openings.

The files may contain a wide variety of record formats including textual records, photographs and maps. The textual records include computer printouts, photocopies, cards, reports and correspondence. Pre-1980 documents are usually photocopies but there are also many original documents from those years.

Most files are quite small. They usually consist of a map of the area and a computer printout titled the History of Crop Establishment and Tending. These computer printouts are dated from 1986 or 1990. They provide a history of crop establishment and tending and provide information regarding prescriptions, site preparations, reforestation and stand tending.

There are also larger files that contain a variety of other documents. These include prescription documents (which provide the management plan for the area), stand tending cards and reports (that show what forest treatments were taken), traverse sheets (that provide location information), pruning examination cards and printouts, planting reports, final harvesting reports, site preparation reports. Pre-1970 documents usually consist of copies of logging inspection reports.

The files are arranged numerically by a classification number. The first part of that number corresponds with the National Topographic System location codes and the second part of the number consists of a sequential number applied to each file.

Ministries responsible for the creation of this series, and the dates of the responsibility, are:

Dept. of Lands 1943-1945
Dept. of Lands and Forests 1945-1962
Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources 1962-1975
Dept. of Forests 1975-1976
Ministry of Forests 1976-1986
Ministry of Forests and Lands 1986-1988
Ministry of Forests 1988-2005
Ministry of Forests and Range 2005-2010

Classified as 18750-20 in the Forests Operational Records Classification System (ORCS).

British Columbia. Port Alberni Forest District

Quesnel Forest District range management records

  • GR-4058
  • Series
  • 1927-2006

This series consists of range management records created by the Quesnel Forest district in the Cariboo Forest Region, and its predecessors, from 1927-2002. This series may contain records created by the Prince George (also known as Fort George), Kamloops, Cariboo and Williams Lake Forest Districts and/or Grazing Districts. Note that the names and boundaries of districts and regions varied over the years. All files were managed by the Quesnel Forest District when the files were closed in or before 2006.

Records relate to the administration of Grazing Licences and Grazing Permits as defined under the Range Act, and Grazing Leases as defined under the Land Act. This includes their issuance, amendment, transfer, billing, monitoring, policy, and administration. This may include records concerning additions and deletions of land and/or authorized Animal Unit Months (AUM) from grazing tenures.

The series also includes individual range unit files which relate to the management of larger range units. These are areas of range land that may be shared by multiple tenure holders. This includes operational records such as range unit plans, inspections covering more than one range tenure, and general information concerning the history of the management of specific range units.

Records in this series include tenure application forms, grazing plans, range use plans, correspondence, maps, photos, surveys, reports, records determining range boundaries and use, and information on range improvements and clearing. Improvements can include infrastructure such as fences, gates and improving access to water sources for livestock.

Each file relates to a particular range tenure. Note that there may be additional individuals or companies who held the tenure over time which are not listed in the file title. Files within each box are arranged alphabetically by file title.

The ministries responsible for the Forest and Range Districts, and the years that they were responsible, are:
Dept. of Lands (1908-1945)
Dept. of Lands and Forests (1945-1962)
Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources (1962-1975)
Dept. of Forests (1975-1976)
Ministry of Forests (1976-1986)
Ministry of Forests and Lands (1986-1988)
Ministry of Forests (1988-2005)

This series is classified under ORCS number 15700-20 and 15720-20 of the Ministry of Forests schedule (881261).

British Columbia. Cariboo Forest District

100 Mile House District range management records

  • GR-3919
  • Series
  • 1923-2000

This series consists of range management records transferred from the 100 Mile House Forest district in the Cariboo Forest Region, 1923-2000. This series may contain records created by the 100 Mile House, Kamloops, Cariboo, Williams Lake and Clinton Forest Districts and/or Grazing Districts. Note that the names and boundaries of districts and regions varied over the years.

Records relate to the administration of Grazing Licences and Grazing Permits as defined under the Range Act, and Grazing Leases as defined under the Land Act, including issuance, amendments, transfers, billing, monitoring, policy administration, and plans specific to tenures, such as Grazing System Plans. Also includes records concerning additions and deletions of land and/or authorized Animal Unit Months (AUM) from grazing tenures. Records include tenure application forms, grazing plans, authorized livestock, correspondence, maps, records determining range boundaries and use, and information on range improvements and clearing.

Each file relates to a particular range tenure. Note that there may be additional individuals or companies who held the tenure who are not listed in the file title. Files are arranged alphabetically.

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

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands (1908-1945)
British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Forests (1945-1962)
British Columbia. Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources (1962-1975)
British Columbia. Dept. of Forests (1975-1976)
British Columbia. Ministry of Forests (1976-1986)
British Columbia. Ministry of Forests and Lands (1986-1988)
British Columbia. Ministry of Forests (1988-2005)

This series is classified under ORCS number 15700-20 of the Ministry of Forests schedule (881261).

British Columbia. 100 Mile House Forest District

Reference maps

  • GR-3813
  • Series
  • 1932-1995

The series contains a collection of maps used as reference in office of the Integrated Land Management Bureau and its predecessors from various ministries responsible for lands. These particular maps were transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Lower Mainland office in Surrey, B.C. The maps were produced by the surveys and mapping branch of the Ministry or its predecessors and cover a variety of areas in British Columbia.
The maps detail many features including roads, trails, railways, powerlines, reserved lands, surveyed lands, boundaries, campgrounds, mines, historic monuments, lighthouses, survey control stations, Forest Service lookouts, communications towers, customs offices, airports and airstrips, heliports, seaplane landings, buildings, elevations, dykes, contour swamp/marsh, intermittent lake/seasonal inundation, mud, sand, gravel, glaciers and icefields. Some maps also detail telephone lines, wells, falls, rapids, dams, cliffs, mile posts, orchards and even land lots.
The dates the maps were published do not necessarily coincide with when the data was collected to create those maps. Usually this information is present in the publication information at the bottom or top of each map. The maps would have held important reference information to Ministry workers and were probably consulted frequently. Several maps have annotations marking plots of land, new features, and other notes. Many of the maps are part of composites which can be placed next to each other to create larger maps. It is for this reason that it is believed that some duplications of the maps in this series exist. Most of the maps are topographical; however there are a few maps detailing lots and land registration as well as a few water source maps from the Water Management Division. Maps are printed on paper except for a few which are on Mylar. Maps do not appear to be arranged in any discernable order.

Maps of the following cities and areas are included in this series:
Alert Bay (1956, 1965, 1976)
Ashcroft (1966, 1975)
Boston Bar (1957)
Bowen Island
Bridge River (1970, 1979)
Bute Inlet (1960, 1970, 1991)
Buttle Lake (1977)
Campbell River (1981)
Cheakamus River (1969)
Chilliwack (1959)
Chilliwack Lake (1983, 1986, 1995)
Comox (1956)
Elko (1962)
Haslam Lake (1967)
Hope (1957, 1968)
Kamloops (1979,
Kamloops Lake (1979, 1995)
Kennedy Lake (1975)
Langley (1967, 1978, 1979)
Lardeau (1973)
Lillooet River (1979
Lytton (1968, 1979)
Manning Park (1960)
Merritt (1980)
Mount Urquhart (1955, 1960)
Mount Waddington (1968)
Nootka Sound (1960)
Pemberton (1951, 1972)
Pitt River (1973)
Port Alberni (1976)
Princeton (1980, 1995)
Revelstoke (1932)
Scuzzy Mountain (1956)
Shuswap Lake (1968)
Skagit (1960)
Spuzzum (1957, 1967)
Squamish (1952, 1972, 1982)
Sugar Lake (1956)
Texada Island (1950)
Toba Inlet (1979)
Tulameen (1958, 1978, 1986, 1995)
Vancouver (1959, 1975)
Victoria (1968)
Whistler (1993)
Yale (1966, 1976, 1979, 1995)

British Columbia. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks

Prince Rupert Forest District wild fire mapping records

  • GR-4048
  • Series
  • 1921-1991; predominant 1921-1980

This series consists of wildfire mapping records including fire atlas maps and fire reports from the Prince Rupert Forest District. The records date from 1921-1980. Collectively these records provide a comprehensive image of the amount and extent of forest fires in the area.

The Prince Rupert Forest District was divided into smaller Ranger Districts. These Ranger Districts changed over the years, but included: Burns Lake, Hazleton, Terrace, Prince Rupert, Kitwanga, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), Ocean Falls, Francois Lake, Smithers, Telkwa, Houston, Pendleton Bay, Kitimat, Lower Post, Topley, Bella Coola, Southbank, Telegraph Creek and Atlin.

Annual fire reports are oversized handwritten tables that provide detailed information on individual fires for the years 1921-1967. The tables list: name of the fire; name of officer in charge; date; district fire number; fire origin; cost of fighting and source of funds; area burned; total area of damage done; amount of merchantable and unmerchantable timber burned; amount of range land burned; amount of property or other damage caused; and the cause of the fire. Possible causes include lightening, recreational activities, railroad clearing, smokers, brush or range burning, construction, industrial activities, incendiaries, miscellaneous known causes and unknown causes. The pages are arranged by year, with one page used per Ranger District. Each year includes a summary sheet with the totals for all Ranger Districts.

Fire atlas maps and overlays show the location and type of fires, as well as the extent of some burned areas. The majority of the maps are forest cover maps which have been annotated or had overlays added with this additional information. Many of the maps have been cut to fit in the bound volume they were originally stored in. This can make it difficult to determine the precise year the maps were created and annotated.

The series also includes one scrapbook of newspaper clippings related to forest fires, fire protection and firefighting for the years 1988-1991. This item was created by the successor of the Prince Rupert Forest District, the Prince Rupert Forest Region.

Ministries responsible for the creation of this series, and their dates of the responsibility, are:
Dept. of Lands (1908-1945)
Dept. of Lands and Forests (1945-1962)
Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources (1962-1975)
Dept. of Forests 1975-1976
Ministry of Forests 1976-1986
Ministry of Forests and Lands 1986-1988
Ministry of Forests 1988-2005

British Columbia. Prince Rupert Forest District

Special timber licences

  • GR-3736
  • Series
  • 1911-1990 (primarily 1963-1982)

Series consists of special timber licences created by the Ministry of Forests and its predecessors. The ministry created these records to manage the process of providing applicants with the right to cut in forests. The records were created between 1911-1990 although the majority of the records in this series were created between 1963 and 1982. The records deal with all areas of the province and were created in accordance with the Forest Act and its sections on timber licences.

Special timber licences were first referred to in the 1888 Lands Act (SBC 1888, c. 16). The 1912 Forest Act (SBC 1912, c. 17) stated that a “special timber licence shall vest in the holder thereof all rights of property whatsoever in all trees, timber, and lumber cut within the limits of the licence during the term.” These licences remained in effect until the January 1, 1979 enactment of the new Forest Act (SBC 1978, c. 23). This 1978 act replaced special timber licences with a new form of timber licence.

The records are arranged by the timber licence number which begins with TL followed by a sequential number. The TL number was phased out in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s with the introduction of the timber licence files. Many files have the new timber licence number, which begins with “T”, written on the front of the file. There is also a sheet in the front of the file that contains information about the file that replaced it.

The files usually consist of a copy of the licence, renewal documentation, correspondence, logging inspection reports, and termination documents.

There are also two volumes of file 18043f from the Dept. of Lands and Works’ “O” files series. These files contain documentation about multiple licences. These have been placed in the last box.

Ministries that were responsible for this series include:
Dept. of Lands (1908-1945)
Dept. of Lands and Forests (1945-1962)
Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources (1962-1975)
Dept. of Forests (1975-1976)
Ministry of Forests (1976-1986)
Ministry of Forests and Lands (1986-1988)
Ministry of Forests (1988-2005)

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Timber sale licences from the Kamloops Forest District

  • GR-3760
  • Series
  • 1942-1989

Series consists of timber sale licence files from the Kamloops Forest District. These licences provide a licensee with the right to harvest timber in a specified area.

Each file documents the issuance, administration and cancellation of timber licences as per the Forest Act. The majority of the files in this series date from 1970-1989 although there are also some files that date back to 1942. The records are from the Kamloops Forest region.

The files consist primarily of copies of the licence, applications, maps, status clearance forms, harvesting inspection reports, renewal forms, deletion notices, correspondence and reports. There are also some cash timber licences in this series (boxes 168-172) that contain cash timber licence permits.

The ministry assigned A numbers to the files which have been assigned sequentially. There are many gaps in the numbering since the central ministry office and other forest regions also used the same numbering system and the ministry only transferred cancelled licence files to the archives. There are also some files that have been classified with an “LKS” or “X” number.

The majority of the files contain two parts. These were attached to both sides of the file folder are front to front. One part consists of a copy of the licence and other legal documents whereas the second consists of related correspondence, forms and reports.

The records were created by the Kamloops Forests District as part of the following ministries:

1942-1945 Dept. of Lands
1945-1962 Dept. of Lands and Forests
1962-1975 Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources
1975-1976 Dept. of Forests
1976-1986 Ministry of Forests
1986-1988 Ministry of Forests and Lands
1988-1989 Ministry of Forests

The records have been classified as 19620-25 in the Forest ORCS. The ministry also assigned a classification number of 850-5 to many of the files.

British Columbia. Kamloops Forest District (1913-1978)

Prince George Forest District operational records

  • GR-1110
  • Series
  • 1919-1985

This series contains operational records of the Prince George Forest District relating to forest administration, 1919-1981. Records are arranged according to the Forest Service filing system. These records include annual reports, ranger meeting summaries, records regarding timber exports, forest protection, forest reserves, the Peace River hydroelectric projects, the Mica Dam flood basin, land use, timber cruising, silviculture, aerial photography, rights-of-way, timber sales, timber licenses, Public Sustained Yield Units, tree farm licences, and forest wood lot licenses. Also contains construction and maintenance reports pertaining to ranger stations, lookouts, forest roads and trails, boathouses, telephone lines and other Forest Service facilities. Records consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, licenses, permits, plans, etc.

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

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands (1908-1945)
British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Forests (1945-1962)
British Columbia. Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources (1962-1975)
British Columbia. Dept. of Forests (1975-1976)
British Columbia. Ministry of Forests (1976-1986)

British Columbia. Fort George Forest District

Provincial Forest information files

  • GR-4083
  • Series
  • 1932-1983

This series consists of Provincial Forest information files created by the Ministry of Forests and its predecessors from 1932-1983. The records consists of tables recording the various tenures, permits and other forms of land use in Provincial Forests. These include: special use permits, logging road right of ways, reserves, map notations, land withdrawals for public use (parks, reserves, archaeological sites), and land withdrawals for other uses (personal, agricultural, commercial, industrial use).

The series also includes a file on stumpage rates paid, including statistical and financial information related to timber harvesting.

British Columbia. Ministry of Forests (1976-1986)

Forest Service lookout photographs

  • GR-3263
  • Series
  • 1936-1983

The series consists of ca. 4300 negatives and ca. 5000 photographic prints taken from forest lookouts between 1936 and 1993. Falling under the function of forest protection, "lookout photography" or "panoramic lookout photography" was first initiated in B.C. in 1936. It involved taking a set of eight large-format film images at 263 fire lookout sites.

The negatives were used to create 20 x 32 cm (7½ x 12¾" black and white photo prints, and a grid was photographically superimposed on each print, indicating the compass bearing from 0 to 360 degrees and vertical angle from +10 to -15 degrees from the horizontal. These prints were bound into book form, and kept on hand in the lookout and at the Ranger Station to aid in communicating the details of fire locations using visual references. They were also used to orient the fire finder in the lookout - a rotatable sighting device mounted over a map located in the centre of the building. The books list the date of the images and the location. Some books also contain notations on the photos. The series also contains 2 boxes of photographic proofs which contain information about the date and time that the image was taken and the weather conditions at that time.

In the photographing process, bearings were established with the use of a surveyor's transit and level, and an interchangeable camera. With the transit, the photographer determined the precise known bearing of a distant reference object (usually a mountain peak or another lookout, sometimes a topographic survey cairn). By lifting the transit off the mount and replacing it with the camera, they could then take their eight photographs at 45-degree horizontal intervals. Photographs from the lookout were taken in this order: shot #1, North; shot #2, 45 degrees; shot #3, East; shot #4, 135 degrees; shot #5, South; shot #6, 225 degrees; shot #7, West; shot #8, 315 degrees. A suitable camera was initially borrowed from another agency until one specially built by the National Research Council in Ottawa was obtained in the summer of 1945. One report from the late 1940s states that the eight views each included a horizontal angle of 50 degrees, so that the full panorama was completed with an overlap of 5 degrees per photograph. Photos were taken on infrared film to maximize haze penetration, and a duplicate set of negatives were taken with panchromatic.

Most lookouts were photographed at least once; some were photographed two or three times. This “rephotography” was deemed necessary when there were appreciable changes, over time, in a view from a lookout. Changes in view were caused by various factors: elimination of vegetative cover due to wildfires or logging; the erecting, rebuilding or relocation of a tower; construction of dams; or the change in view caused by tree clearing at the mountain summit. Most lookouts were sites that had established structures; however, some were undeveloped sites.

The photography was sometimes carried out by a two-man crew consisting of UBC forestry students. In time, "visibility mapping" to evaluate potential new lookout sites was combined with lookout photography at existing sites; in some years a two-man crew would do both. Access to lookout sites by helicopter was used by 1960. The same crews sometimes also took photographs on behalf of the National Parks Service for parks lookouts located in B.C. For some years there was limited or no field work undertaken in either lookout photography or visibility mapping. The last photos were taken by professional surveyors on a contract basis as a pilot project.

The majority of the lookout structures were built by the B.C. Forest Service; however, several had been built by the federal government to fulfill their obligation to protect timber from wildfire within the Railway Belt. In 1930 the Railway Belt and its lookout structures were turned over to the Province of B.C.

The number of lookouts that were staffed declined in the late 1970s and early 1980s as other means of fire detection became more efficient, notably, aircraft patrols and public reporting. In addition, the electronic lightning location system that began in 1980 indicated where lightning activity had occurred, and computer models then predicted the likely location and number of new lighting-caused and people-caused fires. The decline in fire lookouts was due to technological changes, and cost-benefit analyses probably showed that some lookouts were no longer good investments. Lookout photography was given up as lookouts declined in value.

The photographs are a resource for studying landscape change. Old harvesting, regeneration, and the impacts of wildfire and urban expansion may be observed in many of the photograph sets.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Timber berth administration files from the Kamloops Forest District

  • GR-3770
  • Series
  • 1930-1983

Series consists of Railway Belt timber berth administration files from the Kamloops Forest District. Timber berths were an area based system of timber tenure established by the Dominion (Federal) Government in 1872.

Under the British Columbia Terms of Union that were passed in 1871, the BC Government agreed to convey to the Dominion Government “public lands along the line of railway throughout its entire length in British Columbia, not to exceed, however, twenty (20) miles on each side of said line.” This land was used to provide aid in the construction of the CPR Railway.

The Dominion Government retained responsibility for the Railway Belt lands until 1930 and managed land use until that time. In 1930, they transferred responsibility for the Railway Belt lands to the Province of BC. BC managed existing land tenures following the transfer including the management of timber berths. These files document the period of time after 1930.

The series is arranged by the timber berth number. The number is sequential and runs from 233 to 645 with major gaps. Files contain correspondence, licence to cut timber forms, plans, logging inspection reports, final harvesting inspection and scale and royalty accounts.

The records were created by the Kamloops Forests District as part of the following ministries:
1930-1945 Dept. of Lands
1945-1962 Dept. of Lands and Forests
1962-1975 Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources
1975-1976 Dept. of Forests
1976-1983 Ministry of Forests

The records have been classified as 10000-60 in the Forest ORCS.

British Columbia. Kamloops Forest District (1913-1978)

Kamloops District grazing permits

  • GR-3756
  • Series
  • 1931-1982

Series consists of grazing permits from the Kamloops and Vernon Grazing District. The records were created in accordance with the 1919 Grazing Act (SBC 1919, c. 30) and subsequent legislation. The Ministry of Forests, and its predecessors, was responsible for managing this program. The records document activities in the Kamloops Region which includes areas such as Vernon.

The government approved permits annually for the use of the land. The permit set out the name of the applicant, the area, and the number of cattle/sheep/horses that would be grazing on the land.

Series is arranged alphabetically by the name of the individual or business that holds the permit and licence. The records consist primarily of a copy of the application for a grazing permit, the approved permit, correspondence among staff and the applicant as well as sketches of the geographic area. Some files also contain copies of inspection forms completed by ministry staff.

Ministries responsible for these records are:

Dept. of Lands 1908-1945
Dept. of Lands and Forests 1945- 1962
Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources 1962-1975
Dept. of Forests 1975-1976
Ministry of Forests 1976-1986

Records were classified as 15700-20 in the Forests Operational Records Classification System.

British Columbia. Kamloops Forest District (1913-1978)

Subject files from the Port Alberni Forest District

  • GR-3696
  • Series
  • 1956-1981

The series consists of subject files from the Port Alberni Forest District. These files were created as part of the regular activities of the district office and include both operational and administrative files. The majority of files relate to tree farm licences (TFL) although there are also a few files that relate to log salvage, Cascara bark use, and water licences.

The series contains correspondence, circulars, reports, maps and ledger sheets. The files are arranged by their classification number. The files classified as 870-3 relate to tree farm licences. These consist of the vast majority of files in this series. The 860 files consist of permit and licence applications.

The majority of the TFL files relate to the administration of tree farm licences 20 and 21 which are located in the Clayoquot area of BC. The correspondence with the licensee deals with administration and management of the TFL. This includes issues with the licence, amendments to the licence, the stumpage rates, amendments to the licence, future cutting plans, includes copies of the licence and subsequent amendments. Some of the material in the files duplicate the material in the main TFL series of GR-3659.

There is information relating to stumpage rates. There are many letters from the ministry to licensees about rates. The series also contains ledgers that were used to calculate the stumpage fees. The administration and policy files contain documentation about how the ledgers functioned.

The ministries that were responsible for these records are:
1956-1962 Dept. of Lands and Forests
1962-1975 Dept. of Lands, Forests and Water Resources
1975-1976 Dept. of Forests
1976-1981 Ministry of Forests

British Columbia. Port Alberni Forest District

File check list of Lands correspondence

  • GR-0991
  • Series
  • 1981

The series consists of a copy of a 1981 file check list to Lands correspondence "O" files (or O series) 1918 to 1970, created by the Surveys and Land Records Branch.

The checklist lists O file numbers 1 to 40,000, arranged numerically. Inactive files, which were transferred to the BC Archives in 1980 and 1981 and returned to Crown Land Registry in 1997, have been annotated in the list with an original box number.

Use this list to determine whether a Lands "O" file is in the custody of the Crown Land Registry by finding the file number in the list and checking to see if there is an annotation next to it. If there is, contact Crown Land Registry for access.
If no annotation appears, check the file disposition list (GR-1225) for further information about other possible locations of files. Files may have been microfilmed, been transferred to another ministry or may have remained active with Crown Land Registry all along.

British Columbia. Surveys and Land Records Branch

Operational records

  • GR-1191
  • Series
  • 1917-1981

This series contains the operational records of the Kamloops Forest District relating to range and timber management. The records include correspondence files pertaining to improvements, pest control, public sustained-yield units, timber berths, tree farm licences, farm woodlots and timber marks. Some records were inherited from Cariboo, Vernon and Southern Interior Forest Districts, and from the Canadian Forestry Service during its administration by the Railway Belt.

British Columbia. Kamloops Forest District (1913-1978)

Correspondence index to lands files

  • GR-0993
  • Series
  • 1980

The series consists of indexes to correspondence files relating to the administration of Crown lands and natural resources. The records were created in 1980 from a computer print-out of various departmental indexes and includes references to files created by various branches of the Dept. of Lands and Works (1872-1908), the Dept. of Lands (1908-1945), the Dept. of Lands and Forests (1945-1962), the Dept. of Lands, Forest and Water Resources (1962-1975) and the Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing. It provides access to active, microfilmed and obsolete O series files and pre-1918 files.

The records consist of one subject index and two lists which can be used to identify and locate Lands Correspondence files. They are not comprehensive, as they do not cover all the correspondence files created between 1871 and 1986.

The index and lists may be used to locate a file number for a subject area of interest, or to determine the subject of a file when only the number of the file is known.

Note that a listing in these documents does not necessarily mean that the file is held at the BC Archives. Many active files remain with the Crown Land Registry.

British Columbia. Surveys and Land Records Branch

Crown Lands records

  • GR-1088
  • Series
  • 1877-1980

This series includes correspondence files relating to the administration, management, conservation and development of Crown lands and natural resources. Series 1: early chronological series (files created, 1877-1911). Series 2: 1912 series (files created, 1912-1917). Includes correspondence, memoranda, reports, plans, 1877-1980.

British Columbia. Surveys and Land Records Branch

Kamloops Government Agent land records

  • GR-0522
  • Series
  • 1877-1977

The series consists of the business records, 1877-1977, of the office of the Kamloops Government Agent, including the records of several additional positions usually held by the same individual: Gold Commissioner, Mining Recorder, and Land Commissioner for the Kamloops Land District. The series also includes records of the Canadian Department of the Interior; most created and received by the Dominion Lands Agent at Kamloops as part of the administration of the Railway Belt.

Record types and subject matter include, but are not limited to the following: land alienation through pre-emption or purchase from the provincial government and homesteading or purchase from the federal government; a variety of leases of Crown land; other more general types of records; and records regarding Indigenous peoples and Indian Reserves.

Records related to land alienation include: applications for pre-emption records; land classification reports; forms completed by land inspectors of the Department of Lands Inspection Branch; declarations of occupation and permanent improvement on pre-emption claims; applications for homestead entry, cancellation, and abandonment; homestead Inspector’s reports; affidavits in support of an Application for Entry for a homestead, pre-emption or purchased homestead; land sales records including applications to purchase and certificates of purchase.

Records related to a variety of leases and other uses of Crown lands include: grazing leases; foreshore leases; dredging leases; indentures to reassign leases; special use permits; timber permits; water records including conditional water licenses, and permanent water licenses; applications for irrigation schemes; petroleum and natural gas leases; quarry leases; bar leases; coal leases; mining leases regarding surface and subsurface rights; applications for lease of crown-granted mineral claims; applications for placer leases under the Placer-Mining Act; and the lapse of a lease or forfeiture of a mineral claim to the Crown.

Other more general types of records include: correspondence regarding Crown grants; inquiries about land availability; surveyor’s reports; preliminary plans and correspondence for the surveys of townships; Soldier Settlement Board records including forms, correspondence and records of soldier land grants; attestation papers and discharge certificates; naturalization papers; personal correspondence; correspondence files on specific topics such as hay permit regulations or precipitation measurements; records regarding taxes; and business records of the office, including inter-department correspondence, circulars, and memorandum related to matters of land administration.

Files also exist for specific Indian Reserves, and can include correspondence; water records; surveys; and inspection reports created in the process of allotting new, and canceling existing Indian Reserves. Some files document instances of overlapping land use and conflict between settlers and Indigenous peoples on specific parcels of land.

Files are generally either correspondence files on a particular subject, or a variety of records related to a particular piece of land. Many files cover a wide time period and may be associated with multiple individuals or companies as land rights were often transferred to others or cancelled and reapplied for. Only the name of the first and last individual listed on the file is included in the file list. This means there may be additional names associated with files not included on the file list. The file list may also only include part of the legal description of land in cases where the description was exceptionally long, or included many different pieces of land. Single individuals may also have multiple files for each piece of land they are associated with.

Cartographic materials, consisting of blueprints and hand-drawn maps or plans, indicating the parcels of land relevant to the file, are commonly found throughout the records.

No file list or indexes were transferred with these records from the Kamloops Government Agent. Most files only included numbers with no clear names, so titles were created by the archives based on the contents of the files or by transcribing information on relevant file backs.

A fire on 17 September 1893 at the Dominion Lands Office in Kamloops destroyed some files. The contents for these files are marked [empty]. Files marked as [file back only] were likely destroyed in the fire, but then had their titles and some additional information transcribed by Lands employees onto file backs from letter books or other surviving records which were not transferred with these records.

British Columbia. Government Agent (Kamloops)

Disposal of Crown Lands to Sons of Freedom

  • GR-0073
  • Series
  • 1959-1975

The series consists of files created by Judge William Evans dealing with disposal of crown lands to members of the Sons of Freedom sect of Doukhobors. The records cover the period 1959 to 1975 and contain correspondence, maps, registers, and accounting material. The maps were transferred to the Archives Map Division (see photocopy of map accession slips attached to print finding aid).

British Columbia. Lands Branch

Government agency land records

  • GR-1383
  • Series
  • 1910-1973

This series contains land administration records of the Government Agent and District Land Commissioner for the Cariboo Land District. Records consists of selected purchase, Crown grant, and lease files.

British Columbia. Government Agent (Williams Lake)

Correspondence relating to petroleum leases

  • GR-1325
  • Series
  • 1929-1962

This series contains correspondence relating to petroleum leases. The records consists of enquiries relating to oil lands in British Columbia (1940-1943), a general file on oil lands (1940-1956), and correspondence files on petroleum leases in Block 4593, Kootenay District, held by Borden Oil Company.

British Columbia. Petroleum Resources Division

Land records relating to the sale of townsite lots

  • GR-1093
  • Series
  • 1911-1958

This series contains land records files relating to the sale of townsite lots at Terrace, B.C. Includes correspondence, memoranda, lot lists, reports, sketches, newspaper clippings, etc. From the Dept. of Lands early chronological series of lands files, file No. 21797/11.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Forests

New Westminster Land District forfeiture certificates

  • GR-2617
  • Series
  • 1915-1957

This series consists of New Westminster Land District forfeiture certificates of lands reverted to the Crown from 1915-1957. Records relate to the Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Matsqui Dyking Districts. The certificates are arranged chronologically without regard to Dyking District. Information may include the legal description of the land, the plan number, the date it was subject to forfeiture, the date of the end of the period of grace, and the date of forfeiture. Certificates are indexed alphabetically by owners name, and numerically by plan to folio numbers.

Coquitlam Dyking District lies within the limits of the City of Port Coquitlam, and the Municipality of Coquitlam.

Pitt Meadows No.2 Dyking District lies within the defined boundaries of the Municipality of Pitt Meadows, and is situated 1 1/2 miles north of the Dewdney Trunk Road at the confluence of the Pitt and Alouette Rivers.

Maple RIdge Dyking District lies within the boundaries of the Municipalities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, including the Townsite of Hammond.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Cariboo Land District township register

  • GR-2593
  • Series
  • 1913-1956

This series consists of one Cariboo Land District township register, for Townships 21 and 39-42.The earliest entries begin in 1913 and the volume was superseded by 1956 (i.e. no further entries were made after 1956). The registers list land in numerical order by Sections within Townships and record the alienation of land from the Crown (by purchase, pre-emption, lease, etc.): information may include the name of the purchaser, dates and numbers of certificates issued (including Crown Grants), dates and amounts of payments, and reference numbers to correspondence files and field books. There is an alphabetical name index in the volume.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Tweedsmuir Park photographs

  • GR-3281
  • Series
  • 1937, 1955

Series consists of photographs acquired by the Dept. of Lands regarding Tweedsmuir Park and the 1937 visit of John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir and Governor General of Canada to the area. The photographs were probably collected in order to produce the souvenir brochure “Tweedsmuir Park, British Columbia, Canada” which was published by the Dept. of Lands in 1938 to commemorate the 1937 visit. The series also includes four negatives of Osoyoos and lake from Anarchist Mountain taken in 1955.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Pre-emption record files, Penticton

  • GR-1386
  • Series
  • 1920-1955

The series consists of a selection of pre-emption record files originally created by the Dept. of Lands Government Agent W.R. Dewdney, stationed at Pentiction. The selection is a random sample of 13 cm from the original ca. 2.5 metres of records and covers the period 1920 to 1955. The files contain correspondence and other information regarding land
pre-emptions in the Penticton area.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Forests

Sales book

  • GR-1082
  • Series
  • 1904-1954

Series contains a sales book, lands in Kootenay District. Arranged by lot number. Includes owner, acreage, improvements, and assessed values in 1911-1912.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Records relating to the University Endowment Lands

  • GR-1161
  • Series
  • 1925-1953

This series contains the Lands Service records relating to the University Endowment Lands [UEL] adjacent to the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. They contain ledgers of lot sales which show purchase payment, improvement tax schedules, and interest charges. Boxes have nominal indexes. Box 5 is oversized. For related records, see GR-1068.

British Columbia. Lands Service

Coast Land District, Range 3 lot register

  • GR-2604
  • Series
  • 1888-1953

The series consists of records created by the Department of Lands between 1888 and 1953. It contains a Coast Land District, Range 3 lot register, covering lots 1-720. The register lists the lots in numerical order and records the alienation of land from the Crown (by purchaser, pre-emption, lease, etc.). Information may include the name of the purchaser, dates and numbers of certificates issued (including Crown Grants), dates and amounts of payments, and reference numbers to correspondence files and field books. The volume contains an alphabetical name index.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Crown land records

  • GR-1408
  • Series
  • 1901-1952

This series contains certificates granted with the object of facilitating registration of title to a portion of Crown lands granted to the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway Company and the Kaslo and Slocan Railway Company (2 vols.), 1901-1904. It includes notices from the Deputy Minister of Lands certifying grants, 1920, 1937, 1941, and 1952.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

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