Joseph William McKay
| Joseph William McKay | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 31, 1829 (Rupert’s House) Waskaganish, Quebec |
| Died | December 17, 1900 (aged 71) Victoria, British Columbia |
| Occupation | Fur trader, Explorer, Politician and Justice of the Peace |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Holmes |
| Children | 4 daughters and 2 sons |
| Parent(s) | William McKay and Mary Bunn |
Joseph William McKay (Mackay) (31 January 1829 – 17 December 1900) was a fur trader, businessman, politician and explorer who had a long career in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada.
Joseph William McKay was born on January 31, 1829 at Rupert's House in Waskaganish, Quebec, to William and Mary Bunn McKay, both Métis. His father was a clerk with the Hudson's Bay Company. His grandfather, John Richards McKay, and uncles were active in the fur trade. When he was nine or ten years old Joseph William was sent to the Red River Academy where he remained for five years, boarding with his maternal grandfather, Thomas Bunn; according to family tradition his parents had intended to send him to school in Scotland but he literally missed the boat. He married Helen Holmes at Victoria, British Columbia on June 16, 1860. Together they had four daughters and two sons.
He began working for the Hudson's Bay Company in Fort Vancouver in 1844 at the age of 15 and was sent by Governor Simpson to serve as an apprentice seaman on a Pacific coast vessel. After serving his apprenticeship he moved to Fort Victoria where when not carrying on his clerical duties, he acted as surgical assistant to J. S. Helmcken. The following September he accompanied the British naval officers Captain Henry W. Parke and Lieutenant William Peel on their reconnaissance of Oregon Territory. In 1846 he was transferred to Fort Victoria where he participated in a survey that winter of the area around Victoria and Esquimalt. In 1848 he was promoted to the rank of postmaster, and the following year he was Roderick Finlayson’s second in command at Fort Victoria. Eventually he rose to become second-in-command under Governor James Douglas.
McKay was instrumental in the discovery of coal at Nanaimo. He moved there in 1849 and took possession of the coal fields for the HBC in 1852. While in charge there McKay opened a coal mine, a sawmill, a saltern, and a school in the settlement. He is credited with the construction of the Nanaimo Bastion.
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