Burrard Inlet: A History

Ann Turner is the financial and budget manager of the University of
British Columbia Library.

Archeological evidence shows that the much-indented shoreline of Burrard
Inlet has provided shelter and safe harbor for human settlements since
prehistoric times. Today its settlements include the cities of
Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, and Port
Moody, and its principal harbor is the Port of Vancouver, the
third-largest port in North America. The story of these modern
developments, which date back only about 150 years,

is full of life, personal drama, and political intrigue.

Local historian Doreen Armitage has woven a vast amount of factual
information drawn from both primary and secondary sources into a very
readable narrative. Characters such as “Gassy Jack” Deighton, Sewell
Moody, and The Three Greenhorns come and go, trying their luck at
various enterprises in the developing shoreline communities. Companies
form to log and mill the outstanding timber resources in the area. Other
companies develop to transport the finished products out to the world,
and bring the world’s goods back for trade. Service and recreational
industries spring up to support the growing population. Construction of
all kinds proceeds apace.

Through her research Armitage has identified many of the individuals
involved in these pioneering and entrepreneurial activities, and she
introduces them, their families, and their employees in a very personal
and engaging way. The history is carefully researched and documented,
with extensive endnotes to every chapter.