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Mount Benson is rich with history and is loved by many user groups. As a distinct feature in our community, it has played a significant role in First Nations culture and has seen interesting changes over time.
Mount Benson is rich with history and is loved by many user groups. As a distinct feature in our community, it has played a significant role in First Nations culture and has seen interesting changes over time.
Indigenous Acknowledgements
Indigenous Acknowledgements
Te'tuxwtun (Mount Benson) has long been a valued landmark of Nanaimo and the surrounding area. While this section of our website will detail the colonial history of the mountain, the indigenous peoples of this area have a long and rich history with the mountain that vastly predates the history of Europeans settlers and colonialists. For information on the indigenous history of the mountain, please visit the Indigenous Connections section of our website. This Indigenous Connections page contains stories that have been shared with us by Elders local to the Nanaimo area. However, after speaking with these Elders, it is our understanding that there are many different stories about the mountain. These stories are often very personal and not typically shared with the public. For this reason, we must treat all stories about Te'tuxwtun (Mount Benson) with great reverence and be thankful to the people willing to share them. It is also important to understand that since there official story about this mountain, each story should be understood and appreciated for its own specific teachings, instead of being compared to others. Thank you for your consideration and happy reading!
Why Benson?
Why Benson?
Mount Benson is named after Doctor Alfred Robson Benson. In 1857, the Hudson’s Bay Company hired Dr. Benson to work as a physician at their coal-mine in Nanaimo. At that time, coal-mining was dangerous work, so having an experienced doctor on staff was very useful asset.
While working at HBC coal mine, Dr. Benson made a lasting impact on the Nanaimo community. He served as the community's only doctor, treating ailments of all kind in the local area. It is said that he was a kind-hearted and eccentric man. His odd way of dressing, messy hair, and large beard would have made him easy to spot in a crowd.
Soon after arriving, Dr. Benson met and married a local herbalist, named Ellen Philips. Sadly, in 1860, Ellen passed away after only one year of marriage. Her early passing is a testament to the difficult lives of early settlers. Historians estimate that life expectancy in North America was only 41 years old in 1860.
In addition to his marriage and medical career, Dr. Benson was also involved in politics. In 1859, Dr. Benson was elected to the provincial legislature for Nanaimo. At the time, he was the only qualified voter in Nanaimo, so he literally voted himself into power!
Through his medical career, kind-hearted personality and political influence, Dr. Benson made a lasting impact on the Nanaimo community. He was held in such high regard that, in 1859, British Naval officer, Captain George H. Richards, officially named the mountain after Dr. Benson. What a privilege it must have been to have a mountain named after you while you're still alive!
In 1862, it is believed that Dr. Benson returned to his home in England where he lived until his death in 1900. While he only lived in Nanaimo for a short time, his name lives on through the beautiful mountain that overlooks our city.
Mount Benson Logging
Mount Benson Logging
Large-scale logging projects on the slope of Mt. Benson began in the early 1900s. Clear-cutting practices were common at the time and, like in many parts of British Columbia, nearly all old growth trees on the mountain were harvested. Unlike today, the Eastern slope of the mountain (the one facing Nanaimo) was heavily logged and the large, barren cut-blocks could be seen from the city.
As the city grew, its residents began to protest logging on the Eastern face of the mountain. After extensive pressure from the city, the logging companies soon agreed to only log the west side of the mountain. Unfortunately, in 1951, just as the trees on the eastern face were beginning to thrive, a large fire spread across mountain. This fire heavily damaged the foliage of the mountain, leaving parts of it barren for years. Local residents attest that major regrown on the east side of the mountain has only occurred in the past 20-30 years.
Despite the historic efforts to prevent logging, new logging began to appear near the summit on the eastern side of the mountain in 2003. Once again, the Nanaimo community responded with immediate and urgent protests. Eventually the logging companies stopped logging the visible portions of the mountain in 2005. Today, only one small logged section remains visible from Nanaimo.
The Fire of 1951
The Fire of 1951
In 1951, a large forest fire spread across much of Mount Benson. While the cause of the fire is unknown, it incinerated much of the foliage on the eastern side of the mountain (the side facing Nanaimo). Local Nanaimo residents attest that the damage from this fire was so severe that the mountain remained visibly scarred 20-30 years later. While the mountain has made a remarkable recovery, there are many charred trees still visible on the main trail up the mountain. As you hike, see if you can spot the charred trees!
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