Deserter Islands Murders Cost Governor His Job
Who did Gough mean by the Grand Inquisitor and the Monopolist? The reference to feuding governors gave it away for me: Richard Blanshard and James Douglas, the first and second governors of the Crown Colony of Vancouver Island. The story within the story is that of the tragedy that precipitated Blanshard’s resignation after less than two years in office. That sad tale, and how the Deserter Islands got their name in next week’s Chronicles. Feuding Governors: The Grand Inquisitor versus the Monopolist. Recent notice of this talk by acclaimed historian Barry Gough as one of the Marion Cumming Lecture Series hosted by the Oak Bay Heritage Foundation, reminded me yet another great story within a great story. In this case, how the northern Deserter Islands near Port Hardy got their name. Ill-starred Richard Blanshard’s governorship of Vancouver Island was...
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