Vancouver Island Local History Society

10/09/2026

Our work travelling The Great Vancouver Island Land Grab exhibit would not be possible without financial support from sponsors such as the Nanaimo Foundation. We are grateful for this wonderful organization and all that they make possible in our communities. Find out more about their impact at NanaimoFoundation.com

10/05/2026

Help us make The Great Vancouver Island Land Grab affordable and accessible to small museums and organizations! Travelling the exhibit has costs – we hire an installer and rent a truck. Help us keep these costs down for host venues across Vancouver Island. You can donate on our CanadaHelps page and receive a tax receipt: Canadahelps.org/en/charities/vilocalhistory/

09/22/2026

Have you seen the exhibit yet? Check it out in Duncan at the Vancouver Island Regional Library’s Cowichan Branch.

Vancouver Island Regional Library + Fans Nanaimo Museum

09/14/2026

In this interview, now up on our YouTube channel, Professor Brian Thom from the University of Victoria introduces us to the historic E&N Railway land grant, what it means for today, and how maps and ideas of property can inform our understanding of the great land grab.

Dr. Brian Thom’s research investigates the critical intersections of Indigenous legal orders, governance, and land rights with colonial state power, focusing on the dynamics of knowledge, culture, and place. His award-winning, community-engaged scholarship, conducted in close collaboration with Indigenous communities in Coast Salish territories, integrates ethnographic, archaeological, and applied policy research approaches to support Indigenous self-determination, advance reconciliation, and foster transformative public understanding.

In this interview, Professor Brian Thom from the University of Vict...

09/01/2026

🚨 Attention educators! 🚨
Are you looking for course materials for the school year? Consider teaching The Great Vancouver Island Land Grab. Our exhibit Learning Guide is available in English or French and includes learning objectives and educational activities that link to the BC Curriculum for Social Studies 9, Social Studies10, BC First Peoples 12, Social Justice 12, and Law Studies 12. You can download the guide on the exhibit website, TheGreatLandGrab.ca

08/26/2026

🎨Artist Profile: Jordanna George
Jordanna George is a T’Sou-ke and Ukrainian illustrator and comic artist whose work blends traditional forms with a non-traditional personal digital style. They illustrated the graphic-novel panels for The Great Vancouver Island Land Grab exhibit. You can find out more about Jordanna’s work on their website, JordannaGeorge.com

08/24/2026

Help us make The Great Vancouver Island Land Grab affordable and accessible to small museums and organizations! We have a goal of raising $5,000 over the next two months. Travelling the exhibit has costs – we hire an installer and rent a truck. Help us keep these costs down for host venues across Vancouver Island. You can donate on our CanadaHelps page and receive a tax receipt: Canadahelps.org/en/charities/vilocalhistory/

08/17/2026

The next stop for The Great Vancouver Island Land Grab exhibit is Duncan! You can see the exhibit at the Cowichan Branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library beginning August 26th. Check it out with your friends and family, and let us know what you think! TheGreatLandGrab.ca

07/29/2026

We have been getting amazing feedback on The Great Land Grab exhibit from Nanaimo Harbourfront Library visitors! If you think this kind of work is worth supporting, please consider a donation through our CanadaHelps page and help us keep the exhibit accessible to as many communities as possible!

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/vilocalhistory/

07/14/2026

Canada promised British Columbia a coast to coast railway when it joined confederation. Learn more about this railway at the Great Vancouver Island Land Grab exhibition, on now at the Nanaimo Harbourfront Library!