| In June,
1848, Lord Aberdeen, British Foreign Secretary, proposed a treaty making
the 49th parallel the boundary to the sea giving England the whole of Vancouver
Island. The treaty was concluded on June 15,1855.
Point Roberts provided a natural
stopover for gold seekers headed north along the Fraser River during the
gold rush of 1858, as they arrived by small boats and canoes from Victoria
and New Whatcom, which is now Bellingham. A "swinging" business center
mushroomed to accommodate the travelers.
After the colorful era of the gold
rush faded, "The Point" was made a military reserve so no permanent settlers
could make it their home. It became a popular and practical hiding place
for smugglers and renegades.
In 1894, a colony of Icelandic families
migrated from Victoria and settled in the area. These hardy pioneers cleared
farmland from the forest and hewed logs for homes. To obtain mail or supplies
meant a seven mile walk to Ladner, B.C.
Early in the 1900's the military
reservation was canceled, and President Theodore Roosevelt extended homestead
rights to the settlers, who previously had enjoyed only "squatters' rights". |
They continued
to farm and fish in the area. Fishtraps and canneries were developed to
take advantage of the Fraser River salmon run. The waters around Point
Roberts still provide an estimated several million dollars worth of salmon
annually. Both commercial and sports fishing boats frequent the area.
 Long
sandy beaches, sunny climate, and the aura of tranquility soon attracted
Canadians who built summer cottages, even though they had to travel either
by way of New Westminster or the old Ladner Ferry.
In May of 1959, the opening of the
Deas Island Tunnel under the Fraser River shortened the trip to Vancouver
to less than a half hour. More weekend visitors decided to build cottages
and become "summer people", swelling the area's population during the summer.
Observing that their 'summer camps"
were within the same commuting area as Tsawwassen, they came to spend more
and more time at Point Roberts, and less and less in the city. As a result.
the trend during recent years has been toward year 'round residency, and
much subdivision has taken place as more permanent homes have been built. |
