There is very little actual waste land on Graham Island, the
muskeg areas are classified as such; but, as these, though useless for
forest purposes, have an agricultural value, they cannot be so classified

(i.e., as waste lands).
Regarding the climate the report has this to say:

The influence of the Japan current renders the climate of the

Queen Charlotte Islands very equable and, owing to the absence of
high mountains, the precipitation is less than half what it is on the
adjoining mainland. During the winter months a relatively small
portion of the precipitation is in the form of snow.
Precipitation at Masset Harbour, at the entrance to
Masset Inlet at the north end of Graham Island, and at
Queen Charlotte at the southern end, as reported by
the Dominion Meteorologist, is as follows:

Average Monthly Precipitation in Inches

Queen

Month Masset | Charlotte
Jamnidrty, Ue sestoe cle cese acter atau, eaten re titeos 5-62 7-31
Bebruany scorn ios eee ee ore eS 4-14 5-86
INA ar Gh eecce a Sets estan ae ae Ee 3-65 5-30
A Brtee: see heels ee ek haa oe! 4.85 4-17
ANA ES fe rp ene aide nec TE EVO CL in at 4-17 3-01
Atlee amacins mn meee Gaerne cae 2-42 1-12
a] whys eats witods o, Seiaeeer ey qine ae Sees 2-61 0-90
PAI SUSE ereomen cor teeny pace rect Polos ease cer hero 2-65 2°58
September: siege hcl hogs steeemaeee sine 4-04 3-99
@ctobersaceeee So ar ee omer 6-51 7-88
INowembertancewsetce cnrsecscie te Ace ster eee 7-01 9-54
Wecem bebe sn ear Nae eee ees 6-26 9-71
Nearly yess ees er eee erateets Caesar 53-93 61-37

Average monthly temperatures in the eastern section of
Graham Island compare very closely with average monthly
temperatures in the north of England. A comparison

with average monthly temperatures at Tunbridge Wells
in the south of England is given below:

Average Monthly Temperature

Tunbridge
Month Masset Ikeda Wells,

England
sJamUatcy Serene serene oepaeren ner roe 35 35 37:6
THAMES oo Gac one baee coo douscns < 36 37 39-0
IMbidelne eas, Good moses acd brrosus 38 40 41-8
[Nps cae conan esebessrebon Sots 42 44 46-7
IMENT oemouso ooo ab dioc sondocans. 48 48 52-4
tite GadicanseeonssDaueseusone6 52 52 57-9
Nib faucia mes acmadopsneden tar 57 55 61-5
NGAUS g Gogo Sab Co Oo ee SOAGHOU. 58 58 60-7
Septembere as. saree tie = 53 54 56-8
OQeualiscs oe danarnuameansocopccss 46 47 50-0
INGEN peu obabonoo cogaue ene: 40 42 43:3
Wecembels wet eer ie eee Cee 38 39 40-0

Nearly ieason meet cticane 45 46 49-0

[48 ]

There is probably no part of the British Empire that
is more similar to Holland and Denmark in precipitation,
temperature, topography, and original soil types than the
central and eastern sections of Graham Island. Like
Holland, it has a fishing industry, but one of immense
variety and potentiality; it has such timber as no country of
Europe has ever seen; it offers coal and other mineral
wealth, including promising oil areas. No part of the
agricultural section is more than a few miles from deep
water harbours. The proximity of the area to Prince
Rupert, the North Pacific terminus of the Canadian National
Railways, and to the direct ocean route between Prince
Rupert and the Orient will be of great importance in the
development of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The seven
teen present ports of call are served by Canadian National
Steamships and by coastal services.

While it has been the general view in the past that the
cost of bringing these lands into agricultural production—
more’ particularly in the removal of the overburden of moss
and other growth—would be excessive, reference might
be made to current Government-directed clearing and
settlement projects in the Clay Belt section of northwestern
Quebec, where the moss-covered and partially forested
terrain is very similar to these Graham Island lands. The
Clay Belt overburden of moss and peaty material is, more-
over, considerably deeper, running up to three feet or more
in places. The apparent success of these projects and the
progress in developing mechanical equipment and methods
best suited to this work should be invaluable as a reference

in any resumption of plans for clearing these Graham
Island lands. ;

These lands will obviously cost more to bring into
agricultural production than the parklands of the Prairie
Provinces, but their maritime situation, assuring easy
water transport, the equable climate and freedom from
drought and extremes of weather, taken in conjunction
with the wide range of contiguous natural wealth, make
this group of islands—and particularly Graham Island—
one of the most attractive and altogether promising sections
for assisted colonization in Canada.

Surveys should be made of Graham Island which should
have as objectives the determination of the characteristics
of the soils and the extent of the areas suited to agricultural
development and the planning of a system of drainage,
with an estimate of the cost of advancing the agricultural
lands of the island to a condition suitable for settlement.