Bruce County Genealogical Society

Box 1083, Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada N0H 2C0

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Previously printed in the Bruce Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 1, February 2002

Strays from the Victoria B.C. Daily Colonist

James McNeill, an old Cassiar miner, died at Juneau, Alaska Terr. Jan 17,1887, after a lingering illness. He was about 60. He was born in Scotland, and his parents emigrated to Canada. His widowed mother and family are believed to still reside in Paisley, Ont. About 20 years ago Mr. McNeill, being the eldest child, left home for the west. After lumbering in California, he mined in Cariboo and Cassiar [BC], whence he drifted to Alaska, and has lived in and about Juneau for about 6 years.

Mar., 1887 - Mr. George Montgomery died at Nanaimo, BC. He was 56, native of Bruce County, Ont., where he has 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Before coming to Nanaimo he had resided at Cariboo and is well known to many of the old Cariboo pioneers, who will learn of his sudden death with regret.

Aug. 9, 1887 - Mr James Matthews, who came from Bruce Co., Ont. to settle in Lake Dist [near Victoria, BC], brings with him his family, his household goods, all his livestock and considerable capital. He is prepared to engage in farming on a large scale. Mr. Matthews is the avant courier of a large colony of Ontarians who propose to settle in Lake and Saanich and along the Island railway. More power to their elbows, we say.

Dec. 24, 1916 - Another of the pioneers of Western Canada has passed away in the death which has just occurred at Vancouver of Mr. D. A. Hopper. The deceased was 64 years of age and a native of Paisley, Bruce County, Ontario. While quite young he went to Brandon Manitoba, arriving there in 1882, later removing to Vancouver, where in 1908, he established the banking firm of Hopper, Phillips & Co.. A Conservative in politics and a Presbyterian in religion, he gave much of his time in the building up of Chalmers Church in Vancouver. He was also a life member of the lOOF, and for many years took a keen interest in fraternal affairs.