January 22, 1906 the SS Valencia was traveling from the San Francisco to Seattle and Victoria when heavy winds, fog, and a strong current caused it to veer off course. The ship struck a reef along the coast of Vancouver Island and the surrounding sea was too rough and too shallow for other ships to attempt rescue. 136 perished and only 37 survived.

The steamer Princess Sophia left Alaska, October 24, 1918 with over 350 passengers on board. When the ship struck a reef and became stuck other small ships in the area decided to wait to attempt rescue until a larger ship could assist or the tide rose. Unfortunately, a severe storm made rescue impossible and all aboard perished.

Disease and Terror 1862: the first public health crisis in BC. Thousands of people lost their lives within one year of the arrival and spread of Smallpox. Medical pioneers, researchers, and doctors did their best to inoculate BC residents with a proven vaccine , provide medical care, and try to stop the spread of the disease.

In 1965 the side of a mountain near Hope, BC, gave way and significantly altered the valley below. The Hope Slide, the largest landslide in Canadian history, claimed lives but it could have been much worse.

BC's coastal and interior mountains often receive significant amounts of snow. Sometimes a heavy and unstable snow pack in these mountains can lead to disastrous avalanches, like it did near Revelstoke in March of 1910.

Traditional roles for women in the 1940s in British Columbia were that of wife and mother. On this episode of This Week in History we introduce you to Josephine Hart, in addition to being a wife and mother, she was also a respected marine biologist.

BC's first female pilot took flight July 1913. Alice McKee Bryant and her husband were both daring pioneers in the development of flight in our province.

Originally from Ontario, Pauline Johnson moved to BC to pursue a career in poetry and writing. She is recognized as one of Canada's greatest poets and admired for challenging racial and gender stereotypes.