Conclusion

Hard as it might be today to imagine Burrard Inlet surrounded by heavily forested shorelines, punctuated by a few tiny sawmills, that is what the area looked like in the mid-1800s. As the first major community on the inlet, Moodyville exemplified the early pioneer spirit in British Columbia. Founders and inhabitants of the company town sustained themselves by exploiting the land’s raw material — in this case, wood — in keeping with British colonial attitudes of the time. In doing so, however, they also created the first vestiges of European-style civilization: a school, library, electric lights and eventually even a tennis lawn. But despite its early prominence and economic importance as an exporter of lumber, Moodyville was not well situated for the future. The basis of its industry shrank and the community became redundant, overshadowed by booming Vancouver across the inlet. Sadly, it disappeared completely before its historical significance was fully appreciated.

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