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Land, Indigenous peoples, settlers, and today’s communities.

Since time immemorial, Ancestors of the people called K’ómoks today consisting of the Pentlatch, Ieeksan (eye-ick-sun), Sasitla (sa-seet-la), Xa’xe (ha-hey) and Sathloot (sath-loot) people have been the caretakers of this land, which they called the “Land of Plenty.” This Land of Plenty stretched from what is known today as Kelsey Bay in the north, down to Hornby and Denman Island in the south, and included the watershed and estuary of the Puntledge River, also acknowledging that these boundaries and place names are colonial constructs.

The K’ómoks First Nation refer to the lands between the bays of Comox and the Beaufort mountain range as the path between, it was a travel and trade route to the Alberni corridor and a connection to the indigenous communities on the western side of the island.

Land agreements included the 1884 Settlement Act stripped these lands for its caretakers. At the Museum we acknowledge that we are a colonial created institution, and I would like to thank Charlene Everson, Emily Shopland and Violet Williams for guiding the museum in early discussion on what reconciliation could mean for our organization and how we could create actionable steps; in maintaining a positive dialogue with a forward focus, sharing contemporary K’omoks narratives, and incorporating First Nation languages where they felt it appropriate. Their time and guidance helped us gain insight and learn how to best support their voice in our museum’s walls. This is an ongoing process and we have so much more to learn.

Collection Item
Japanese Community Chinese Community

Original map of Bevan Townsite, 1919

Type:

Date: 15 July 1919

History

This map shows the Chinese and Japanese Canadian communities of the original townsite of Bevan. The lots are numbered and the owners of the lots are listed according to street number. Also of note is the building labelled “Hotel” which refers to the Bevan Hotel.
The town of Bevan was constructed in 1911 by the Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Ltd. to serve and house the workers of the No. 7 and No. 8 mines. The town was also home to loggers from the Comox Logging and Railway Company.
Bevan's heyday was short-lived, however. By 1918 coal production was on the decline, and as work moved elsewhere many of the town residents left and many of the 150+ houses were removed and relocated to Cumberland to house workers there instead. Bevan’s Chinese and Japanese communities remained, on the opposite side of the railway from the town, until a fire in 1922 destroyed them. Eventually what was once the town of Bevan dwindled down to just a few buildings, until in 1995 the last building from old Bevan, the Bevan Hotel, was torn down.
The map is missing a section of its bottom left side.

Description

1 map: white. 100 ft = 1 inch.

Item Details