▁to ▁the ▁rapid ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁city ; ▁in ▁fact , ▁the ▁C PR ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁real ▁estate ▁owner ▁and ▁housing ▁developer ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁While ▁some ▁manufact uring ▁did ▁develop , ▁including ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Columbia ▁Sug ar ▁Re fin ery ▁by ▁Benjamin ▁T ing ley ▁Rog ers ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁natural ▁resources ▁became ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁V ancouver ' s ▁economy . ▁The ▁resource ▁sector ▁was ▁initially ▁based ▁on ▁logging ▁and ▁later ▁on ▁exports ▁moving ▁through ▁the ▁se ap ort , ▁where ▁commercial ▁traffic ▁constit uted ▁the ▁largest ▁economic ▁sector ▁in ▁V ancouver ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁Tw enti eth ▁century ▁ ▁The ▁domin ance ▁of ▁the ▁economy ▁by ▁big ▁business ▁was ▁accompanied ▁by ▁an ▁often ▁milit ant ▁labour ▁movement . ▁The ▁first ▁major ▁sympathy ▁strike ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁when ▁railway ▁employees ▁struck ▁against ▁the ▁C PR ▁for ▁union ▁recognition . ▁Labour ▁leader ▁Frank ▁Rog ers ▁was ▁killed ▁by ▁C PR ▁police ▁while ▁pick eting ▁at ▁the ▁do cks , ▁becoming ▁the ▁movement ' s ▁first ▁mart yr ▁in ▁British ▁Columbia . ▁The ▁rise ▁of ▁industrial ▁t ensions ▁throughout ▁the ▁province ▁led ▁to ▁Canada ' s ▁first ▁general ▁strike ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁at ▁the ▁C umber land ▁coal ▁mines ▁on ▁V ancouver ▁Island . ▁Following ▁a ▁l ull ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁the ▁strike ▁wave ▁pe aked ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5