 He continued on as Speaker of the Legislative Council of new colony until Confederation in 1871.By 1863 he had risen to the rank of chief trader within the HBC, and in 1870 Governor Musgrave appointed him to his executive council.Helmcken was in favour of British Columbia joining Canadian Confederation for a while in 1866, but by the time the issue was being seriously debated in 1870, he had dismissed it as impractical and against the financial interests of the colony.