This Act defines the Railway Belt, sets rules for selling and entering the lands, gives certain squatters a prior purchase right, lets the Governor in Council make regulations, and gives the Dominion Lands Board related powers and duties.
An Act respecting Dominion Lands in British Columbia Short title This Act may be cited as the Railway Belt Act. Definition of Railway Belt In this Act Railway Belt means that tract of land in the province of British Columbia within which lie the lands granted to the Dominion Government for the purpose of constructing and to aid in the construction of the portion of the Canadian Pacific Railway on the mainland of the said province, by section one of the Act of the legislature of the said province, chapter eleven of the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty, as amended by the Act of the said legislature, chapter fourteen of the years one thousand eight hundred and eighty-three and one thousand eight hundred and eighty-four. Western boundary defined The western boundary of the said Railway Belt is defined as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the international boundary with the waters of Semiahmoo bay, a branch of Boundary bay, an arm of the Pacific ocean; thence westerly and northerly, following the shore of the said Semiahmoo bay, and of Mud bay, another branch of the said Boundary bay, to a point on the shore of Mud bay, at the intersection of the west boundary line of township two, New Westminster district, with the waters of said Mud bay; thence north along the said west boundary of township two to the northwest corner of said township two; thence northerly along the eastern side lines of the Mud bay (or Scott) road and the Yale road, to the south bank of the Fraser river at Brownsville; thence northerly, crossing the Fraser river to a point on the north bank of the said river where the eastern side line of the North road produced south would intersect the north bank of the Fraser river; thence north to the eastern side line of said North road; thence north along the said eastern side line of said North road to its intersection with the south shore of Burrard inlet; thence north to the north shore line of Burrard inlet; thence westerly and northerly following the shore line of Burrard inlet to the most northerly point of the peninsula between Bedwell bay and the North arm of Burrard inlet; thence northeasterly on a straight line to the point where the northern boundary of township thirty-nine west of the coast meridian intersects the eastern shore of the North arm of Burrard inlet; thence northerly, following upon the said eastern shore to the mouth of the Mesliloet river, a stream flowing from the north into the head of said North arm; thence northerly along the middle of the main channel of the said Mesliloet river to the point of its intersection with the northern boundary of township seven in range seven, west of the seventh meridian, according to the Dominion lands system adopted in the surveys of the Railway Belt in British Columbia. Lands open for sale The lands in the Railway Belt granted to the Dominion Government for the purposes and in manner aforesaid shall, in so far as they have not already been disposed of, be open for entry to bona fide settlers in such lots and at such prices as the Governor in Council determines. Rights of squatters Every person who squatted on any of the said lands prior to the nineteenth day of December, one thousand eight hundred and eight-three, and who has made substantial improvements thereon, shall have a prior right of purchasing the lands so improved, at the rates charged to settlers generally. Regulations The Governor in Council may, from time to time, regulate the manner in which, and the terms and conditions on which, the said lands shall be surveyed, laid out, administered, dealt with and disposed of. [Repealed, 1950, c. 50, s. 10] Issue of patent for land held by deceased settler In the event of letters patent issuing to or in the name of a person who is dead, they shall not be therefore void, but the title to the land thereby granted, or intended to be granted, shall vest in heirs, assigns, devisees, or other legal representatives of the deceased person according to the laws in force in the province of British Columbia, as if the letters patent had issued to or in the name of the deceased person during his lifetime. Dominion Lands Board to have jurisdiction The Dominion Lands Board shall, as respects such lands, have the like powers and perform the like duties as are conferred upon and assigned to them in relation to the Dominion lands for the administration of which provision is made by the Dominion Lands Act.