Documents
Biographies & Profiles
Biographies & business profiles, c. 1890
This section is a "work in progress." It features biographical portraits of
prominent businessmen and sketches of leading firms and factories in Victoria and Nanaimo.
The material is drawn from J. B. Kerr's Biographical Dictionary of Well-Known British
Columbians (1890), R. E. Gosnell's A History of British Columbia (1906) and
promotional works such as Victoria Illustrated (1891). More material will be
added in time. Researchers interested in the economic history of Vancouver Island
can use this material in conjunction with census data and other records on the
viHistory web site.
Population Figures
Population of B.C. & Vancouver Island, 1901
An abstract of 1901 Dominion census returns prepared by the Bureau of Provincial
Information. The census data was apportioned to provincial electoral districts.
Vancouver Island was covered by nine electoral districts — Alberni, Comox,
Cowichan, Esquimalt, Nanaimo, Newcastle, Saanich, Victoria, and The Islands.
Divisions & Boundaries of Victoria
City of Victoria Municipal Elections Regulations By-Law, 1873
This by-law divided the city into three municipal wards - Johnson Street Ward, Yates Street Ward
and James Bay Ward. The wards served as enumeration sub-districts in the 1881 census. The
boundaries of the wards (as defined in this by-law) were not altered until 1890
[see below].
City of Victoria Wards By-Law, 1890
Defining the boundaries of Yates Street, Johnson Street and James Bay wards, May
1890. The wards constituted enumeration sub-districts for the city in the
1891 census.
A By-Law for the Extension of Corporation Limits, 1890
This By-Law (no. 124) redefined and enlarged the boundaries of the City of Victoria, December 1890.
The neighbourhood of Victoria West was included in the new boundaries of the city,
and these boundaries were in force for the 1891 census.
Victoria City Act, 1892
This provincial statute confirmed the extended boundaries of Victoria
(as set out in By-Law 124, above).
City of Victoria Wards By-Law, 1892
Repealed the Wards By-Law, 1890 [above]; divided the City of Victoria into
3 new wards (North, Central and South Wards) and defined the boundaries of the new
wards.
Changes to Street Names in early 20th Century
Changes to Street Names in the early 1900's
This document contains a list of streets whose names changed in the early 1900's. If you are searching by street name, you need to be aware of these changes to ensure that you're finding all and only the results you want.