Crown Mountain, sometimes called Ellison Peak, is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

located in

Strathcona Provincial Park Strathcona Provincial Park is the oldest provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, and the largest on Vancouver Island. Founded in 1911, the park was named for Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal, a wealthy philanthropi ...

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

History

The mountain has historic significance in British Columbia. It formed one corner of the large land grant given to

Robert Dunsmuir Robert Dunsmuir (August 31, 1825April 12, 1889) was a Scottish-Canadian coal mine developer, owner and operator, railway developer, industrialist and politician in British Columbia. He was recognized as a National Historic Person by the governm ...

to fund construction of the E&N Railway. A segment of the boundary of that grant later became a boundary of

. When BC Premier Sir

Richard McBride Sir Richard McBride, (December 15, 1870 – August 6, 1917) was a British Columbia politician and is often considered the founder of the British Columbia Conservative Party. McBride was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1898 e ...

set aside a reserve for the park, his Minister of Lands,

Price Ellison Price Ellison (October 6, 1852 – December 10, 1932) was an England, English-born blacksmith, farmer, rancher and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Yale-East from 1898 to 1903 and Okanagan (electoral district), Okanagan fr ...

, lead an expedition to explore the new park reserve which included the first ascent of Crown Mountain on July 29, 1910. The crew included Ellison's 20-year-old daughter, Myra King Ellison, who was first to set foot on the peak, as well as Colonel William Holmes, J. Twaddle, A.L. Hudson,

Harry McClure Johnson Harry McClure Johnson (May 13, 1886 – March 29, 1932) was a Chicago lawyer and member of the firm of Offend, Bulkley, Poole and Scott. He is the son of one of the oldest and most influential families of Illinois. He was the official journal chr ...

(a cousin of Myra's), Charles Haslam, James Hasworth and Frank Ward.

References

External links

''Strathcona Provincial Park'' from British Columbia Ministry of Environment website
One-thousanders of British Columbia Vancouver Island Ranges Nootka Land District {{BritishColumbia-geo-stub