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- 48 VICTORIA ILLUSTRATED.
whole province, for 1890, was estimated by Fishery Inspector Mowatt to be 19,895,992 one pound cans.
These, at a low estimate, were worth at least two and a half millions of dollars. The city of Victoria
is now, and has long been, deeply interested in the prosperity of the salmon fishery. The canneries have
received the greater part of their supplies from that city, and it is the port from which the great bulk of the
pack is exported. Victoria capital is largely invested in the canneries, and all the business concerns of the
city, large and small, are either directly or indirectly connected with the industry. An intelligent opinion
as to the extent of the salmon fishery in British Columbia, and its importance to the province, may be formed
by an examination of the following statistics :
BRITISH COLUMBIA SALMON PACK, SEASON 1890.
[table data excluded; image only available]
DEEP SEA FISHERIES.
Although large quantities of deep sea fish such as halibut, true cod, rock cod and many others abound in immense
quantities in the waters surrounding Vancouver Island ; and although it is a fact that the people of British Columbia
have never as yet gone extensively into this industry, which is already one of considerable and yearly growing importance
to the Massachusetts fleet of schooners from the Puget Sound cities ; yet it is of interesting note that a company is
now forming with English and British Columbian projectors, and a capital of twice the total amount at present operated
on Puget Sound. The purpose of this company to establish freezeries both in the North on the fishing grounds as well as
here will guarantee the placing of perfectly fresh Pacific fish in the Eastern markets where there is a large demand;
the company will not confine its attentions entirely to deep sea fish but will also freeze salmon for Eastern shipment;
and, in order to be able to supply the United States markets freezeries will be located across the line as well. The company
will start operations next spring with a capital of two million dollars, and as it is fair to assume that other companies
or individuals will soon follow their example it may be expected that another large source of revenue will soon be added
to the great list of resources.
LUMBER AND LUMBERING.
Owing to the immense size to which the Douglas fir and the cedar attain in the Province of British Columbia, and the
Island of Vancouver in particular, the local timber interest is a very important one. The quality, too, of the timber
produced, is regarded by the trade as being the very best, and commands top prices in the market. Messrs. King and Casey,
the well known loggers, have actually cut and measured 50,000 feet of lumber per acre in the Comox district, and everywhere
limits running under 20,000 feet are scarcely thought to be worth acquiring. In addition to the woods already mentioned,
spruce, maple and oak are also grown. The principal lumber, however, which is produced
WAREROOMS OF WEILER BROS., CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH.
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