Union Bay, British Columbia

Union Bay in British Columbia, Canada is a small community approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) south of Courtenay, British Columbia, the largest city in the Comox Valley. Union Bay is populated by about 1200 people and is an unincorporated site within the Comox Valley Regional District. The main drag along Highway 19A features a boatlaunch, dive shop, and market. Also along the highway are the heritage Gaolhouse museum, Post Office, church, and school. The community has a rich history that is intertwined with that of Cumberland, British Columbia.

History

Union Bay was first established as "Union Wharf" back in 1887. The community was developed as a port for the thriving coal mines at Union to the Northwest (later reincorporated as Cumberland). Originally the Union Coal Co. had intended to ship coal out from Royston to the north of what is currently Union Bay, but Robert Dunsmuir bought out the company. Dunsmuir's sons decided that a port at Royston would be too shallow for their needs. The deep water near Hart Creek (in present-day Union Bay) was perfect for the deep sea vessels that would ship the superior quality coal across the globe. A large wharf nearly 600 ft (200 m) long was constructed, along with a rail network connecting the mines to the port in 1887-1888. Many of the masted freighters of the early days were so large that they had to be escorted by tug up Baynes Sound between Denman Island and Vancouver Island. The most famous of these ships was the "Pamir". Several structures were built on the collierie's lands including a shipping wharf, a coal washer, machine shops, and coke ovens. The community of Union Bay developed to support all of this industry and even had a small chinatown. Many company houses were built for the workers and their families. In its hey-day, Union Bay had a population of about 10,000, (nearly 10 times its current population). A few large hotels were built to accommodate the sailors who took shore-leave. These included the fancy Nelson hotel, and the Wilson hotel, both of which burned down. The town also had a general store, the "Fraser and Bishop", with an extravogant facade. One night in March of 1913 the general store was robbed by the Henry Wagner, the "Flying Dutchman" as he was called. On this particular night two officers, Constables Westaway and Ross, walked in on the pirate and his partner. A gunfight ensued during which Westaway was fatally wounded. Ross, however, managed to tackle Wagner and apprehend him after a long and bloody fight. Wagner was quickly hanged in Nanaimo. During the two world wars Union Bay was a very active port because ships often coalled up there before crossing the Pacific. The coal industry slowly faded around the 1950s and many of the structures, including the coal wharf were torn down by the early 1960s.

[http://members.shaw.ca/unionbayhistoricalsociety/index.html More about Union Bay History]

Heritage Row

Some of Union Bay's History has been preserved in what is called "Heritage Row". This row along Highway 19A includes the Gaolhouse, Post Office, Church, and School. It is preserved and maintained by the Union Bay Historical Society.The Provincial Gaolhouse was constructed in 1901 and served Union Bay until the 1950s. Today it is the Union Bay museum.The old wooden Post Office was constructed in 1913 and was a twin of another Post Office built in Comox (which was torn down). The Union Bay Post Office is one of only two wooden Post Offices left in Canada.The Union Bay United Church was constructed in 1905 or 1906 and is still the site of Sunday Services.The schoolhouse was built in 1915 but has seen many renovations to prepare it for the seismically active west coast.

Contemporary Community Issues

The community of Union Bay faces many issues because of its limited size and proximity to the larger city of Courtenay. Recently homeowners voted in a referendum and decided to install a sewer network rather than rely on septic tanks. The future of Union Bay's elementary school is also in question. It has been argued by the provincial government that the community is too small to support this service, while community organizations state otherwise. In early April, 2006 the regional district voted to shut down the school, although community groups vowed to fight the decision. Another major issue facing Union Bay is its future development. Currently, public meetings are being held to discuss a proposed plan by Kensington Development. This plan would develop the Union Bay "coal hills" into a waterfront marina, living space and hotels. The plan also calls for the development of a 27 hole golf course on the inland side of the old island highway. A major concern which must be addressed is the use and source of water for the project.