The area that was to become British Columbia first caught the attention of European countries in the late 18th century. Spanish ships visited the coast in 1774, followed by the British explorer James Cook, who was searching for the Northwest Passage.

B.C. was a British colony until 1871, when it joined Canada. In 1885, the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed, opening the country from east to west. The railway increased trade and the movement of people and resources from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.