Author

Kelly Black

Kelly's Latest Articles

A pop up tent sits at the back of an open field lined with trees

What Ye’yumnuts teaches us about ongoing efforts to protect ancient sites

By Kelly Black ● Cowichan Valley ● January 30, 2025

Historical records show that for 150 years, First Nations have called on colonial governments to protect ancient sites as they do their own.

black and white photo shows a mule and miner in an underground mine

The role of animals in Vancouver Island’s early logging and mining history

By Kelly Black ● Nanaimo ● June 27, 2024

Animals were key to resource extraction operations on Vancouver Island throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Revising Cowichan history: The story of Thomas Quamtany

By Kelly Black ● Cowichan Valley ● May 16, 2024

How one historian’s interpretation of Thomas Quamtany’s story shaped the telling — and retelling — of an important moment in Cowichan’s colonial history.

An archival black and white photo of a crew of construction workers in front of a house that is being built as part of the 100 Houses development.

How Lake Cowichan’s 100 Houses helped solve a housing crisis

By Kelly Black ● Cowichan Valley ● July 20, 2023

This wartime development in Lake Cowichan could point to housing solutions for the modern day.

The view of the Cowichan Valley from Swuq’us/Mount Prevost.

Finding ‘Cowichan’: How colonization redefined local landscapes

By Kelly Black ● Cowichan Valley ● March 9, 2023

It was the settlers, not the people of this land, who interpreted and applied the place names we commonly see on maps today, writes historian Kelly Black. And that can lead to confusion.

A 1925 map showcasing the Cobble Hill area as well as south Cowichan and parts of Greater Victoria.

Twists and turns: Establishing early roads in the Cowichan Valley

By Kelly Black ● Cowichan Valley ● May 19, 2022

Why are the roads so winding? These streets tell a story of history, geography and colonization.

Kelly Black

What Ye’yumnuts teaches us about ongoing efforts to protect ancient sites

The role of animals in Vancouver Island’s early logging and mining history

Revising Cowichan history: The story of Thomas Quamtany

How Lake Cowichan’s 100 Houses helped solve a housing crisis

Finding ‘Cowichan’: How colonization redefined local landscapes

Twists and turns: Establishing early roads in the Cowichan Valley

Nanaimo Affordable Housing Society name change to Ballenas ‘in discussion’ for years,’ says CEO

10 ways to better support tenants with vulnerabilities due to income, age or disabilities

‘I want it to stop’: Tenants and advocates allege bullying by non-profit housing provider

Q and A: What are vulnerable tenants rights in non-profit housing?

Who will protect low-income seniors from dying in extreme heat?

Seniors left in distress — or dead — for days in Nanaimo Affordable Housing Society units