Strathcona Centennial Expedition - Report

When he returned to Victoria from the 1910 Strathcona Discovery Expedition the Hon. Price Ellison wrote a report to Premier Sir Richard McBride and the Executive Council (provincial cabinet). Ellison submitted his report on October 8, 1910 recommending that the Government of BC set aside the area known as the 'Strathcona Reserve' on Vancouver Island as parkland. The resulting Strathcona Act passed through the Provincial Parliament on February 2, 1911 and received Royal Assent and becoming law on March 1, 1911. This created Strathcona Park as the province's first Provincial Park. Download and read Ellison's Report (PDF) >

On completion of the Strathcona Centennial Expedition the Strathcona Park Public Advisory Committee also prepared a report, to be submitted to the BC Government on the one hundredth anniversary of BC Parks on March 1, 2011.

That report will be posted here when released.

Price Ellison's Report to Premier McBride is in the BC Legislative Library

PORT ALBERNI - One hundred years ago on March 1, the Strathcona Act received Royal Assent creating British Columbia’s first Provincial Park. The Act was the result of a report submitted to Premier Richard McBride in October 1910 by the Chief Commissioner of Lands Hon. Price Ellison. During the summer of 1910, Ellison had led twenty-three people on a six-week expedition through the Strathcona Reserve to survey and explore the proposed parkland between Campbell River and Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. Price Ellison’s report from the 1910 Strathcona Discovery Expedition formed the case for enacting BC’s first conservation-legislation, protecting natural areas in the province.

Ellison cited environmental concerns, endangered species protection and economic benefits of establishing, managing and safe-guarding wilderness parks. Responding to Ellison’s recommendation the Strathcona Act was drafted by the Government of BC and passed through the Provincial Parliament on February 2, 1911. A month later on March 1, 1911 the Act received Assent making Strathcona Park British Columbia’s first Provincial Park. Since then, over 800 areas of natural, cultural and historical importance have been protected in every corner of the province within BC Parks. To celebrate the anniversary the Government of BC will be celebrating BC Parks 100 throughout 2011.

BC Parks 100 got off to an historical start last summer with the Strathcona Centennial Expedition. In July and August 2010 a group of BC outdoors-people, under the organization of BC Parks and the Strathcona Park Public Advisory Committee (S.P.P.A.C.), commemorated the 1910 Discovery Expedition by re-enacting Ellison’s 300 km journey. Over three weeks the Strathcona Centennial Expedition traversed Vancouver Island through Strathcona Park. The adventurers travelled over the Campbell Lakes by canoe, to the summit of Crown Mountain, down the postcard-beautiful Buttle Lake and across the Island’s ‘Great Divide’ via Great Central Lake to Port Alberni. The expedition was widely reported and followed keenly by supporters across the province and further afield.

To honour Price Ellison’s legacy, as well as his endeavour, the Strathcona Centennial Expedition have prepared a report on the success of their journey with recommendations to the Government of BC. The report will be released on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 on the one hundredth anniversary of Strathcona Park. The Strathcona Centennial Report described the state of the park today and recommends that: the Government of BC increase funding to better serve our world-renowned park system, reaffirms the Government’s obligation to manage parks in the public trust and to make park conservation a priority.

As part of ongoing BC Parks 100 celebrations the documentary film of the 2010 Strathcona Centennial Expedition has been playing in communities across Vancouver Island, culminating with a presentation at the University of Victoria on the evening of March 1, Strathcona & BC Park’s 100th birthday. For additional information visit the expedition’s web site at www.sce2010.ca