Vancouver Island 1891 Census
Census District No. 3 - Vancouver
Sub Districts
No. 1 - Nanaimo City (North Ward) - W. F. Norris, enumerator
Is contained within the following boundaries, viz: - all that portion of the Provincial
District known and marked on the Official Plan of Vancouver Island and its Dependencies
in the Land Office at Victoria, as Nanaimo District, together with all that portion of
the Municipality of Nanaimo lying North of a line drawn due west from the end of Bastion
and Fitzwilliam streets, in the City of Nanaimo to the boundary line of Mountain District,
and including Lasqueti Island.
1891 population: 1,319
No. 2 - Nanaimo City (Middle Ward) - H. Stewart, enumerator
Includes all that portion of such District and Municipality lying between polling
division No. 1 last above described and the Old Victoria Road to the boundary line
of Mountain District.
1891 population: 1,535
No. 3 - Nanaimo City (South Ward) - A. Gibbs, enumerator
Includes all those portions of land contained within the said District of Nanaimo
and Municipality of Nanaimo lying the south of the Old Victoria Road.
1891 population: 1,732
No. 4 - Mountain - H. Campion, enumerator
Comprises the unsurveyed Provincial Districts of Wellington, Nanoose, Englishman's
River and Qualicum, as generally known or marked on the official plan of Vancouver
Island in the Land Office, Victoria.
1891 population: 1,624
No. 5 - Englishman's River, Nanoose & Wellington - J. Love, enumerator,
Div. 1; H. Campion, enumerator, Div. 2
Comprises the unsurveyed Provincial Districts of Wellington, Nanoose, Englishman's
River and Qualicum, as generally known or marked on the official plan of Vancouver
Island in the Land Office, Victoria.
1891 population: 148
No. 6 - Cedar, Oyster, & Cranberry - J. A. McKenzie, enumerator
Comprises the surveyed Districts of Cranberry and Cedar and the unsurveyed
Districts of Oyster and South Cranberry.
1891 population: 593
No. 7 - Gabriola, Mudge & DeCourcy Islands - D. S. R. Roberts, enumerator
Comprises Gabriola, Mudge, and the DeCourcy Group of Islands.
1891 population: 125
No. 8 - Alberni - F. McQuillon, enumerator
Comprises the District of Alberni.
1891 population: 191
No. 9 - Comox, North & Nelson- Eric Duncan, enumerator
"Includes the surveyed portion of Comox on the [Official Plan of Vancouver Island]
and the unsurveyed lands of the said Comox District which lie to the northward of
Courtney River, and including Nelson District." This district included the
settlements of Comox and Courtenay. Most of the settlers were farmers. In the
1891 census, a portion of the Comox District known as "Comox West" was
enumerated separately as "Union Mines" [Sub-District No. 19].
1891 population: 547
No. 10 - Comox, South - Robert Swan, enumerator
Includes all that portion or part of Comox District aforesaid between
Nelson District and the Big Qualicum River, and to include Denman
and Hornby Islands.
1891 population: 140
No. 11 - Cowichan, North - H. O. Wellburn, enumerator
Includes the municipality of North Cowichan, including all of Chemainus,
Somenos and Comiaken Districts, on the said map mentioned, and that part
of Cowichan and Quamichan lying to the North of Cowichan Main River,
together with all land west of the districts above named, and between
the extensions westward of the northernmost and southernmost boundaries
respectively of such district.
1891 population: 798
No. 12 - Cowichan, South - J. E. Norcross, enumerator
Includes all that part of Cowichan and Quamichan South of Cowichan Main River,
and not included in the Municipality together with the district of Shawnigan,
on the said map, and all lands unsurveyed to the west and south of Cowichan Main
River in all its courses.
1891 population: 411
No. 13 - Salt Spring Island, North - J. W. Mouat & Alex Wilson, enumerators
Includes all that part of Salt Spring Island commonly called the North Division of Salt
Spring Island, situate and lying to the north of the dividing line which forms the
southern boundary right across the Island of Section 14, North Division, as on the
said map delineated, together with the Islands adjacent thereto, namely: Thetis, Kuper
and Hall Islands.
1891 population: 196
No. 14 - Salt Spring Island, South - Alex Wilson, enumertor
Includes all that part of Salt Spring Island called the South Division of Salt
Spring Island, lying to the south of the last mentioned dividing line, and
including Moresby and Portland Islands which are adjacent thereto.
1891 population: 240
No. 15 - Mayne Island - Washington Grimmer, enumerator
Includes Mayne Island and all the Islands to the east of Trincomalee Channel,
namely: Galiano, Pender, Saturna, Prevost and Gossip Islands.
1891 population: 197
No. 16 - Saanich, North &South - Henry Brethour, enumerator
Saanich Districts, North and South, and the Islands east of same and adjacent thereto.
1891 population: 610
No. 17 - Highland &Lake Districts - Frederick E. Heal, enumerator
1891 population: 335
No. 18 - Sooke &Goldstream - Edward Gordon, enumerator
1891 population: 261
No. 19 - Union Mines - William R. Gilchrist, enumerator
[This sub-district contained the newly-established (1888) coal mining
settlement of Cumberland.]
1891 population: 576
No. 20 - West Coast - Harry Guillod, enumerator
"West Coast of Vancouver Island from Point San Juan to Cape Cook forming part of
[Vancouver] District and known as West Coast." Mainly Nuu-chah-nulth
people in the West Coast Indian Agency.
1891 population: 2,096
No. 21 - Cowichan Lake - J. E. Norcross, enumerator
1891 population: 121
No. 22 - North End of Vancouver Island - W. F. Rothwell, enumerator
"North end of Vancouver Island, from Campbell River to Cape Cook forming part of
[Vancouver] District, and known as North End of Vancouver Island."
Mainly First Nations in the Kwawkewlth Indian Agency.
1891 population: 682
No. 23 - East Coast &Southern Straits - W. H. Lomas, enumerator
"East Coast of Vancouver Island", from Point San Juan to Campbell River, and
known as East Coast of Vancouver Island."
Mainly First Nations in the Cowichan Indian Agency.
1891 population: 1,748