Political Factions in Early British Columbia

Political Factions in Early British Columbia

In British Columbia, formal political parties didn't emerge until the 1900s. But before that, loosely affiliated political factions provided some coherence to political decisions.

James Douglas was part black, married to an aboriginal woman and headed the honourable Hudson Bay Company which was the legal government in British Columbia. He was opposed by Amor De Cosmos who introduced the Chinese Head Tax to Parliament and was linked to labour organizations.

Political factions developed, called the Douglas Conservatives and the De Cosmos Reformers.

Roots of Government

Roots of Government

British Columbia has two systems of government - parliamentary and municipal. Parliamentary government is rooted in law making (legislative): Municipal in law keeping (judicial).
Losing Columbia

Losing Columbia

The loss of the heartland of what was Columbia and then became British Columbia was the defining drama of our history. Yet it is largely ignored in many history books.
Political Factions in Early Vancouver

Political Factions in Early Vancouver

Before the evolution of political parties in Vancouver, politicians organized themselves in loose political factions. These were related to earlier political factions that had already developed in Victoria.
Urban Density in BC

Urban Density in BC

Only cities have the mandate to permit the density needed to reduce house prices and environmental degradation. Vancouver urban planning is beginning to embrace city densification, and it is important to explain and describe density and its benefits.