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Only top-level descriptions British Columbia. Dept. of Lands and Works
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Water rights plans

  • CM/S5-7
  • Series
  • 1892-1981

The series consists of records created by the Water Rights Branch, its predecessor, the Dept. of Lands and Works and its successor, the Water Management Branch. Throughout its existence, the Water Rights Branch (WRB) acquired and created a large central set of plans, maps, and engineering drawings which was assigned a single set of sequential water rights plan numbers. Over time, the original plan series was divided into separate sub-series for the use of particular operational units.

The water rights plans series documents a broad range of WRB activities. It includes: plans and engineering drawings submitted to the WRB by individuals, corporations, and municipalities as part of their applications for water licences or for approval of works; survey plans and maps prepared by WRB field engineers and regional engineers in support of licensing activities, irrigation studies, water power investigations and dam inspections; general reference maps used by WRB staff; and a variety of charts, graphs, and other items used for WRB functions such as stream measurement and precipitation monitoring. Taken as a whole, this series constitutes a wealth of often highly detailed cartographic information on regions and communities throughout British Columbia, information which in many cases is not available elsewhere.

Of particular interest are early large-scale maps and plans which provide extensive topographic information and vegetation notes for many areas of B.C. well before those areas were covered by standard topographic maps, including areas which were later flooded due to dam construction. As well, some of the early plans of towns and of agricultural, commercial, and industrial sites include such detailed cultural and cadastral information as the location and identity of buildings and the names of property owners affected by proposed water projects. The series also contains invaluable documentation of specific major hydro-electric, irrigation, and waterworks projects in the form of site plans and engineering (structural) drawings. The series' value is enhanced by the fact that many of the items contain numbers which can be used to link the items with related records such as water records, conditional and final licences; correspondence files, water rights and reference maps, field notes, and a variety of reports.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

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)

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

Cariboo Government Agent correspondence and other material

  • GR-0216
  • Series
  • 1860-1938

The series consists of records created by the Government Agent and the Gold Commissioner of the Cariboo District, between 1860 and 1938. It includes correspondence inward and outward; court, mining, land, financial and administrative records.

British Columbia. Gold Commissioner (Cariboo)

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

Vancouver Island pre-emption records

  • GR-1014
  • Series
  • 1885-1929

This series consists of pre-emption records for Vancouver Island, including Alberni, Barclay, Clayoquot, Nootka, and Rupert Districts. Consists of Certificate of Pre-emption Books (20 vols.), arranged numerically with nominal indexes. Includes name of pre-emptors date and location of pre-emption, disposition and further transactions, with some sketches.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Records of crown grant applications

  • GR-1405
  • Series
  • ca. 1904-1928

This series contains lists of Vancouver Island settlers who made Crown grant applications under provisions of the Vancouver Island Settlers' Rights Act, 1904, and subsequent amendments. Information includes name, acreage, and legal description of lands.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Public Works contracts and other material

  • GR-0054
  • Series
  • 1893-1926

The series consists of records created by the Dept. of Public Works between 1893 and 1926. The files contain contracts, specifications, and plans of Public Works buildings such as schools, gaols, court houses and hospitals. They are arranged chronologically.

British Columbia. Dept. of Public Works

Water rights records

  • GR-0835
  • Series
  • 1902-1925

This series consists of letters inward to the Chief Commissioner of Lands, the Deputy Commissioner of Lands and the Minister of Lands regarding water rights generally, 1902-1912. These letters were transferred to Water Rights Branch files from Lands files and do not appear on the microfilm of Lands letters inward. Letters are arranged chronologically.

The series also includes a page regarding the disposition of Indian water rights by Board of Investigation from 1921-1925.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Registers relating to Crown Grants

  • GR-1129
  • Series
  • 1900-1924

This series includes registers relating to Crown Grants, Similkameen Division and Osoyoos Division, Yale District (2 vols.) Volume 1 is a register of Crown Grant applications forwarded to Victoria and includes date and disposition of application, name and address of applicant, legal description of land, Crown Grant number. Volume 2 is a register of Crown Grants and includes date of notice, number of grant, legal description of land, payment schedule, disposition and Grown Grant number. The registers are arranged chronologically.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Public Works specifications and other material

  • GR-0070
  • Series
  • 1872-1924

The series consists of specifications for Public Works buildings, including occasional plans and contract forms, created between 1872 and 1924 by the Dept. of Public Works.

British Columbia. Dept. of Public Works

Records relating to miners' certificates and permits

  • GR-1057
  • Series
  • 1895-1918

This series consists of records relating to miners' certificates and permits issued by the Dept. of Lands and Works and the Dept. of Lands at Victoria. Includes Free Miner's Certificates, 1897-1912; Special Miner's Certificates, 1899-1906; Leave of Absence permits, 1895-1906; mining receipts, 1897-1903; Crown Grant fee receipts pursuant to the Mineral Act, 1911-1918.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Records relating to the Vancouver Island Settlers' Rights Acts, 1903 and 1904

  • GR-1090
  • Series
  • 1882-1918

Contains land records file relating to the Vancouver Island Settlers' Rights Acts, 1903 and 1904. Includes correspondence, memoranda, reports, legal briefs and sketches pertaining to land disputes between settlers and the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Company. File 145321/12, 1912 Series.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

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

Lands Department executive records

  • GR-0440
  • Series
  • 1872-1918

This series consists of letterpress copies of letters outward from the Deputy Minister of Lands, Deputy Commissioner of Lands, Surveyor-General, Deputy Commissioner of Lands and Water, and Chief Commissioner of Lands & Works, and associated registers. Volumes 1-241 are accessed through separate registers (series II, vols. 1-22); volumes 242-314 contain their own registers.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands. Deputy Minister

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

Yale Government Agent records

  • GR-0252
  • Series
  • 1858-1914

The series consists of records created by the Government Agent in Yale between 1858 and 1914. The records include correspondence inward and outward; records of placer and mineral claims, water records, land records and financial records.

The series includes one file transferred from container 913433-0222 that relates to the Ashton v. Agassiz case. This correspondence can be found in the letterbook in GR-1780.

British Columbia. Government Agent (Yale)

Orders-in-council relating to water works and water power projects

  • GR-0839
  • Series
  • 1892-1913

This series consists of an index and list of orders-in-council relating to water works and water power projects pursuant to the Rivers and Streams Act, 1890, the Water Clauses Consolidation Act, 1897, and the Water Act, 1909. Includes alphabetical index of companies and cities granted certificates of approval and chronological lists.

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

Registers of timber leases and royalties

  • GR-1184
  • Series
  • 1872-1913

This series contains registers of timber leases and royalties (7 vols.). The series also consists of registers of leaseholds and licences maintained by the Lands and Works Dept., Victoria and the Timber Inspector, Vancouver; journals of timber lease payments in arrears (1891-1910), and a ledger of timber royalty payments (1908-1913). Volume 7 is oversize.

British Columbia. Office of the Provincial Timber Inspector

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

Records relating to auction sales of Prince Rupert land

  • GR-1407
  • Series
  • 1909-1912

This series contains records relating to auction sales of Prince Rupert lands in 8 volumes. The records consist of a register of auction sale of Prince Rupert lots sold on May 25, 1909 and the following days at Vancouver and Victoria, as well as a register of auction sale of Prince Rupert lots sold on August 28 and 29, 1912 held at Vancouver. The records include receipt certificates for the May 25, 1909 sale (6 volumes). Volume 1 and Volume 8 are oversize.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Similkameen District land records

  • GR-1067
  • Series
  • 1900-1912

This series contains records relating to pre-emptions, subdivisions, Crown Grants, and town sites in Similkameen District. Consists of five registers, including Register of Town Lots, Tulameen, B.C.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Records relating to the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Belt and the Canadian Pacific Railway terminus at Burrard Inlet

  • GR-1404
  • Series
  • 1860-1912

This series contains records relating to the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Belt and the Canadian Pacific Railway terminus at Burrard Inlet. The records consist of correspondence, memoranda and other records from the Lands Department. Central files are extracted and filed separately (see f.1 for a list of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo files). These includes correspondence and plans of government reserves at Burrard Inlet and indenture of grant to British Columbia and Vancouver Island Spar Lumber and Sawmill Co., 1860-1866; these materials were filed separately as they pertained to lands comprising the Canadian Pacific Railway terminus at Coal Harbour.

British Columbia. Dept. of Lands

Records relating to water projects

  • GR-1131
  • Series
  • 1911

Series contains lists relating to water projects. List of Certificates of Approval for water works, diversions, dams, spillways, etc. issued between 1898 and 1911; includes grantee, date of approval, purpose and nature of grant. List of power, light and water companies, registered or licenced in the province of British Columbia, including those under statute, those with grants of water rights, and those with Certificates of Approval pursuant to the Water Clauses Consolidation Act (1897) and the Water Act (1909).

British Columbia. Water Rights Branch

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