The Fort George Murders of 1823: Crisis and Coexistence in New Caledonia by Geoff Mynett
Reviewed by Katie Ingram
Personally, I find anything surrounding the history of the Hudson’s Bay Company to be fascinating, and The Fort George Murders of 1823: Crisis and Coexistence in New Caledonia doesn’t disappointment. For me, it fits the slot of a now little known part of, at least to me, a 350-year-old story.
In 1823, two HBC employees were murdered at Fort George, near what was then known as New Caledonia in British Columbia. The murders were an event that would fracture already fragile relations between HBC and its Indigenous (Dakelh) neighbours. Expertly researched, author Geoff Mynett peels back the layers of history and digs through archival material to not only examine what lead to and what happened after the murders, but to cast a light on archival history.
Mynett repeatably mentions the story is mostly known from official HBC files and very little else. Mynett did use Indigenous sources as well, where available, specifically oral histories and available writings. This is an important part of the story overall. It shows that often what we know of history is one-sided or skewed because of how archival material was or is kept or what was or is deemed significant. At its core, The Fort George Murders of 1923 is a critical piece of history that should be widely known, but potential readers should always keep in mind, this is a history text. For the casual reader, it will feel a bit dry, so I do appreciate the timeline, use of large chunks of primary material (rather than paraphrasing someone’s thoughts) to help show personal insight, and a recap of what happened to certain key players.
If you enjoy Canadian history, true crime, or perhaps just want to find out more about the now defunct HBC during its non-department store years, I recommend The Fort George Murders of 1823.
About the Author
Geoff Mynett was born in Shropshire, England and qualified in England as a barrister. After coming to British Columbia in 1973, he requalified and practised law in Vancouver until his retirement.His first book, Service on the Skeena: Horace Wrinch, Frontier Physician (Ronsdale Press, 2019), received a Jeanne Clarke Memorial Award. His recent books, Pinkerton's and the Hunt for Simon Gunanoot, Murders on the Skeena, River of Mists, The Eventful Life of Philip Hankin, and A Gentleman of Considerable Talent were published by Caitlin Press; both Pinkerton's and the Hunt for Simon Gunanoot and Murders on the Skeena appeared on the BC Bestseller List for eight consecutive weeks in 2021, respectively. A believer in the importance of knowing our histories, Geoff Mynett is also an amateur artist. He and his wife Alice live in Vancouver.
About the Reviewer
Katie Ingram is a freelance journalist and the author of Breaking Disaster: Newspaper Stories of the Halifax Explosion and The Undesirables: A History of Rockhead Prison. She’s also a part-time instructor with the University of King’s College School of Journalism, Writing and Publishing.
Book Details
Publisher : Caitlin Press
Publication date : Jan. 27 2026
Language : English
Print length : 210 pages
ISBN-10 : 1773861794
ISBN-13 : 978-1773861791