Vancouver Island was a British colony from 1849 to 1866, located off the west coast of Canada. The island was named after Captain George Vancouver, who explored the coast of the Pacific Northwest in the late 1700s. The colony was established to support the Hudson's Bay Company's fur trading operations and was administered by the company until it became a crown colony in 1858. In 1866, Vancouver Island was merged with the mainland colony of British Columbia to form the modern province of British Columbia.

The colony was seen as a way to assert British control over the region and to counter American and Russian expansion in the area. The colony was also intended to provide a base for British trade and commerce in the Pacific, as well as to support the development of the region's resources, such as coal and timber. The establishment of the colony of Vancouver Island was a key event in the history of the Pacific Northwest and played an important role in the development of the region and the country of Canada.

James Douglas played a significant role in the establishment and administration of the Colony of Vancouver Island. He was appointed as the Governor and Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company's operations on Vancouver Island in 1851 and served in this capacity until the colony was merged with the mainland colony of British Columbia in 1866.

Douglas was responsible for the administration of the colony, overseeing the development of its resources, and establishing relations with Indigenous peoples and other colonial powers. He was instrumental in negotiating treaties with First Nations communities, such as the Douglas Treaties, which established land rights for the Indigenous peoples of the region.

Douglas was also responsible for promoting the growth and development of the colony, and for attracting settlers and investors to the region. He helped to establish Victoria, the capital of the colony, as a major port and commercial center, and was a strong advocate for the colony's integration with the mainland and the development of a unified British Columbia.

The British Foreign Office had several objectives in establishing the Colony of Vancouver Island in the mid-19th century. These included:

Countering American and Russian expansion: The British government wanted to establish a strong British presence in the Pacific Northwest to counter American and Russian expansion in the region, which was seen as a potential threat to British interests.

Establishing a base for trade and commerce: The British government saw Vancouver Island as a potential base for British trade and commerce in the Pacific region, and a way to expand British influence in the area.

Asserting British control over the region: The establishment of the colony was intended to assert British control over the Pacific Northwest and to establish British sovereignty in the region.

Supporting the Hudson's Bay Company: The British government was also interested in supporting the Hudson's Bay Company's fur trading operations, which were important to the British economy at the time.

Overall, the British Foreign Office had a number of strategic and economic objectives in establishing the Colony of Vancouver Island, and saw it as a way to assert British control and influence in the Pacific Northwest, as well as to support British trade and commerce in the region.