“The first christening of land in British Columbia” refers to the first time a European saw and named a piece of land in what would become British Columbia. The fact that thousands of Native Americans already lived there and had plenty of names for various landmarks was practically ignored by CN in this 1934 menu.

Click image to download a 873-KB PDF of this menu.

According to the menu’s back cover, in 1774 a Spanish explorer named Don Juan Perez sailed from Monterey, Mexico north as far as Queen Charlotte Island, naming a point on that island Santa Margarita. The name did not stick as it is now called North Point. Neither Perez nor his crew bothered to land on the island or anywhere else in what is now British Columbia, but they did meet many natives who canoed to their ship to engage in trade but otherwise were undeserving of mention on this menu.

The menu is dated July 28, 1934. It features a fish course of halibut or trout, an entrée of chicken or lamb, a joint of prime ribs of beef, and roast gosling. Diners had a choice of five different desserts plus cheese and fruits.