1792 Captain George Vancouver (left), the first European to explore Burrard Inlet, noted that the naturally deep waters would make an ideal port location.
1808
Simon Fraser makes the pilgrimage to the mouth of the river that now bears his name.
1827
The Hudson’s Bay Company establishes Fort Langley and begins shipping salted salmon to markets throughout the Pacific.
1850s
During the Gold Rush, an influx of sail and steam ships on the Fraser River creates the need for an official port.
1859
The DL Clinch (right), carrying 60,000 feet of cabinet wood and 50 barrels of cranberries, receives a 13-gun salute as she departs New Westminster. She was the first vessel with a cargo of BC produce headed for a foreign port.
1860
The first sawmill opens in New Westminster and soon numerous mills were located along the Fraser River.
1864
The Ellen Lewis is the first export ship to leave Burrard Inlet. She carried lumber, pickets and railway ties and set sail for Australia from Moodyville on the North Shore. It took two months to load the ship.
1887
The first train arrives into downtown Vancouver after British Columbia joined Canadian Confederation in 1871 at the promise of a railway (left).