I’ve been reading bits about the history of Weldwood on Gabriola Island. According to a page at the Islands Institute library, Until 1994 Weldwood of Canada owned 2800 acres, approximately 1/4 of Gabriola Island. Weldwood seems to have been a forestry company. (It’s since been purchased by West Fraser.)

Apparently Weldwood wanted to develop some of their Gabriola land — note the white parts inside the green-edged shapes in this map, which apparently shows one proposal made in 1993.

OK, so what I do know about the Weldwood proposal is that there was much division on Gabriola about it. And it seems that Weldwood’s proposal wasn’t accepted…right? Otherwise there would be development in the areas they wanted to develop, like on the lands between North Road and Whalebone beach.

But now those lands (between North Road and Whalebone) are owned by the Government of Canada (you’ve seen their no tresspassing signs along the Tunnel), and are called the Kensington Lands. How’d we get from Weldwood to Kensington? Kensington seems to refer to Kensington Island Properties. Their website says Since 1996, Kensington Island Properties have been in the land development business on Vancouver Island and Gabriola Island.

So I’m assuming that Weldwood logged the land, and then Kensington bought it, hoping to develop it. Is that right? Did Kensington develop other land on Gabriola?

Who drilled wells (see this photo and that photo) in the forest – Weldwood or Kensington?

I hope people who’ve lived on Gabriola since the early 1990s will be able to supply some of the details that I’m missing.

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