*settlement from the 20th century
I'm a bit naive as to how large countries like Canada monitor their space, but is it possible there are unknown long-term (multi generational) "settlements" separate and unknown to the rest of the world still out in the middle of nowhere in Canada? Feels like a good subject for a novel :-)
They have these all over the western US as well. Mostly Chinese though I think. Back from mining, logging, and rail building times. Many are for the most part undocumented or barely documented with short footnotes in texts from the time. I was thinking how cool it would be to bring a metal detector to one of the spots since they've been for the most part untouched.
Early 20th century settlement found 14 years ago and excavated for the past 14 yrs.
I had no idea that Canada had a Japanese relocation/internment program during WWII. I only knew of the one here in the US.
The Ainu people of Hokkaido,Japan are no different than the indigenous peoples of the Aleutian islands of Alaska. I do not think it's a stretch that the supposed icebridge over there Bering sea would have given a direct route to British Columbia. I think it is common knowledge that life originated in Africa and dispersed from there. Thoughtfully, people of the ancient world would have been in the Northern reaches of Japan before they would have ventured to North America. If there was a link to Japan I would see it as almost natural that it would connect the cold regions of British Columbia and Hokkaido.
I live on this mountain. These are not settlements. These are logging camps or seasonal work camps. My grandfather worked up there and he was jealous of the Japanese for their beautiful shacks when the Norwegians were in canvas tents. Of course, he admitted that the Japanese just worked harder to make their own quarters.
There were orchards, livestock, farms of potatoes, onions and legumes, but most of the activity was in hauling out doug fir to tidewater with oxen or steam donkeys or building miles-long flumes to shoot WRC shinglebolts down to the river or Burrard Inlet.