Foundation of Community: Gristing at the Mill, 1860's

Walter W. Baer describes the 'early colonial years'

The rural territory of the Westshore area holds an interesting place in the story of 'colonial' days. Even more important to the area was the establishment of a Gristing Mill - a local mill where farmers brought their own grain to be ground into meal or flour, an essential staple. The following recounts some history of the area through the writing of Walter W. Baer.

Some features of its pioneer invasion are related so closely to the development occurring around Colwood that they must be regarded as a sequence of events. Until the early 1850's when settlement was pushing its way northward from Victoria and pioneers had begun the task of hewing homesites out of the forest out through Metchosin toward Sooke harbour, or enclosing the few naturally clear spaces with fences, the land around Finlayson Arm and throughout what was the Highland District were a terra incognita. That section soon began to be linked up with other sections because of the erection of the first grist mill on Vancouver Island. This mill was erected near Parson's Bridge. Power was secured by damming Millstream.

The article described the area and interactions with local First Nations. The wilderness of the Goldstream Valley was "the hunting ground of happy Indians….”