The Yankee Plot to Steal BC

In 1881, two teen siblings find work in Victoria, capital of the new Canadian province of British Columbia. Their adventure begins when they encounter an American promoter who has come to town on a mission. His cause: persuade or bribe the population to join the US.

Bill Freeman’s novels for young readers are always based on historical fact. This story reflects the deep dissatisfaction in BC at the time due to Canada’s failure to complete the promised railway to the East. It builds on American expansionism and the Alaska purchase of 1867. Bringing British Columbia into the United States was an appealing next step.

In this story, the Bains siblings find their jobs as reporter and newsboy for the Victoria daily newspaper puts them at the centre of the plot. They come up with imaginative tactics to foil the agent of the US investor eager to grab BC’s rich furs, fish and gold.