. ▁ ▁Though ▁the ▁r ush ▁was ▁largely ▁over ▁by ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁min ers ▁from ▁the ▁r ush ▁spread ▁out ▁and ▁found ▁a ▁sequence ▁of ▁other ▁gold ▁fields ▁throughout ▁the ▁British ▁Columbia ▁Inter ior ▁and ▁North , ▁most ▁fam ously ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib oo . ▁ ▁The ▁r ush ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁inst ig ating ▁ ▁European - Can ad ian ▁settlement ▁on ▁the ▁main land ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁catal yst ▁for ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁Col ony ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia , ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁early ▁road ▁infrastr ucture , ▁and ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁many ▁towns . ▁ ▁Gold ▁r ush ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁area ▁had ▁been ▁m ined ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁years , ▁news ▁of ▁the ▁strike ▁spread ▁to ▁San ▁Francisco ▁when ▁the ▁governor ▁of ▁the ▁Col ony ▁of ▁V ancouver ▁Island , ▁James ▁Douglas , ▁sent ▁a ▁ship ment ▁of ▁ore ▁to ▁that ▁city ' s ▁mint . ▁ ▁People ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁and ▁the ▁California ▁gold ▁fields ▁gre et ed ▁the ▁news ▁with ▁excitement . ▁ ▁Within ▁a ▁month ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁men ▁had ▁desc ended ▁upon ▁Victoria . ▁ 4 0 0 0 ▁of ▁these ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁pione ers ▁sett lers ▁were ▁Chinese . ▁ ▁Until ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁village ▁had ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁only ▁about ▁ 5 0 0 . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁record ▁for ▁mass ▁movement ▁of ▁min ing ▁populations ▁on ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁front