The colonial postal systems and postage stamps of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, 1849-1871 examines the immense logistical challenges of establishing reliable communication networks across the vast, unforgiving terrains of Canada's westernmost colonial frontiers. Deaville details how early postal routes struggled to penetrate the region's extreme physical barriers, tracking the movement of mail from the isolated maritime hub of Victoria on Vancouver Island through the treacherous, steep-walled canyons of the Fraser River. By mapping the perilous overland express trails that supplied remote gold rush encampments deep within the rugged Cariboo interior, the narrative highlights the profound physical isolation of these early mainland settlements. Ultimately, the book illustrates how the development of early postal infrastructure was a direct, necessary response to the sprawling and mountainous topography that separated this rugged Pacific Northwest outpost from the rest of the world.

British Columbia, British Columbia Vancouver Island, History, Postage stamps, Postage stamps British Columbia, Postage stamps British Columbia History, Postage stamps British Columbia Vancouver Island History, Postal service, Postal service British Columbia History, Postal service British Columbia Vancouver Island History, Postes Colombie-Britanniq

Reprint of the 1928 ed., printed by C.F. Banfield, Victoria, B.C., which was issued as memoir no. 8 in series: Archives of British Columbia, issued by the British Columbia Provincial Archives DeptIncludes index

Reprint of the 1928 ed., printed by C.F. Banfield, Victoria, B.C., which was issued as memoir no. 8 in series: Archives of British Columbia, issued by the British Columbia Provincial Archives DeptIncludes index