Snuneymuxw chief Che-wich-i-kcan (historically known as "Coal Tyee") was the gateway to the coal industry in Nanaimo.
It was in 1849 that he mentioned the presence of burnable black rocks near his village to a blacksmith in Victoria.
The Hudson's Bay Company got word of the conversation, and asked Che-wich-i-kcan for verification.
The Hudson's Bay Company at the time was going through a transition period, and they were more interested in the natural resources of Vancouver Island, rather than the fur trade.
When they did verify the presence of coal in the Nanaimo region, they abandoned their previous coal pursuits in Fort Rupert and moved down island.

Upon the confirmation of coal in Nanaimo, Joseph William McKay was sent as a company clerk on behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company.
Joseph's family had worked for the HBC for a couple of generations.
He was Métis, born in Québec and worked his way across the continent with the Company.
McKay spoke many languages, including Michif, English, French, and a number of Indigenous languages.
He oversaw the construction of the Bastion, and used its first floor as his office to conduct the day-to-day operations.
These operations would have included overseeing the management of the local mines and settlement, ordering supplies, and storing/distributing trade goods.
Part of the managerial duties included maintaining correspondence with Fort Victoria, Locally, messages and people were carried via small "express canoes" between Victoria and Fort Langley, while supplies would have been carried on larger vessels such as the Beaver and the Otter.
 In some cases, supplies had to be ordered from England, and could take up to two years to be delivered.

The first floor of the Bastion has historic information on the trade industry of Nanaimo, and gives more insight on McKay's role in the coal industry in Nanaimo.
Snuneymuxw chief Che-wich-i-kcan (historically known as "Coal Tyee") was the gateway to the coal industry in Nanaimo. It was in 1849 that he mentioned the presence of burnable black rocks near his village to a blacksmith in Victoria. The Hudson's Bay Company got word of the conversation, and asked Che-wich-i-kcan for verification. The Hudson's Bay Company at the time was going through a transition period, and they were more interested in the natural resources of Vancouver Island, rather than the fur trade. When they did verify the presence of coal in the Nanaimo region, they abandoned their previous coal pursuits in Fort Rupert and moved down island.
Upon the confirmation of coal in Nanaimo, Joseph William McKay was sent as a company clerk on behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company. Joseph's family had worked for the HBC for a couple of generations. He was Métis, born in Québec and worked his way across the continent with the Company. McKay spoke many languages, including Michif, English, French, and a number of Indigenous languages. He oversaw the construction of the Bastion, and used its first floor as his office to conduct the day-to-day operations. These operations would have included overseeing the management of the local mines and settlement, ordering supplies, and storing/distributing trade goods. Part of the managerial duties included maintaining correspondence with Fort Victoria, Locally, messages and people were carried via small "express canoes" between Victoria and Fort Langley, while supplies would have been carried on larger vessels such as the Beaver and the Otter.  In some cases, supplies had to be ordered from England, and could take up to two years to be delivered.
The first floor of the Bastion has historic information on the trade industry of Nanaimo, and gives more insight on McKay's role in the coal industry in Nanaimo.
Nanaimo Bastion