Brother XII: The Bizarre Tale of Canada's Most Notorious Cult Leader Who Vanished with Stolen Gold

How a charismatic mystic built and destroyed a utopian community on British Columbia's Coast in the 1920s

Mar 26, 2025

The salt wind whips across the empty island, carrying the taste of betrayal. Splintered wood and scattered stones mark the remnants of what was once a thriving community—a utopian dream now reduced to wreckage. In the fading light, a single figure stands amid the ruins, his weathered hands clenched with a lifetime of fury. Brother XII surveys the land that has been both his kingdom and his prison, knowing everything he's built is about to crumble.

The wooden structures around him, carefully constructed by devoted followers who once believed he was a spiritual messiah, now stand as silent witnesses to his downfall. Newspapers from Nanaimo to Vancouver will soon trumpet the scandalous details of his collapse. Lawsuits, allegations of black magic, claims of stolen gold. All of it is about to explode into the public consciousness.

But right now, in this moment, there is only the wind, the approaching darkness, and a man who has lost everything he manipulated so carefully into existence.

I’m so glad you’ve joined me for this deep dive into the life, legend, and strange world of Brother XII. There seem to be lots of documentaries about cults streaming these days, so I thought it would be interesting to explore a weird one from right here in Canada.

You might have heard him called “Brother Twelve” or even by his birth name, Edward Arthur Wilson. His story has been told in hushed tones on Vancouver Island for decades: a tale of mysticism, lost gold, devoted followers, and bitter betrayals.

Today, I’ll walk you through his journey from a young man born in England to a cult leader living in British Columbia’s coastal islands. Along the way, I’ll share testimony from people who knew him or studied him, quote from various court proceedings, and show you how this once-celebrated religious figure became the center of lawsuits, rumors, and endless treasure hunts.

By the end, you may find yourself wondering: Was he a misunderstood visionary, an outright fraud, or something in between?

Edward Arthur Wilson was born on July 25, 1878, in Birmingham, England. People often say he came from a strict Christian background: his parents belonged to the Catholic Apostolic Church, which emphasized spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues.

He later claimed that he experienced supernatural visions from a young age. According to one story, he described these early sightings as angelic figures and “Masters” guiding him toward a grand purpose.

While still in his teens, he trained aboard a Royal Navy windjammer as an apprentice. During this time, he learned the ropes of ocean navigation, eventually becoming a skilled sailor capable of guiding large vessels across dangerous waters.

This would profoundly shape his adult life as he travelled the sea, saw foreign shores, and developed a wider worldview than many of his contemporaries.

Some accounts say that during these years, he dabbled in esoteric teachings and Eastern religions. Though we can’t know precisely how deep his interest went at the time, we do know that, somewhere along the line, he became obsessed with what’s known as “Theosophy.”

Theosophy is an occult-based belief system that gained popularity in the late 19th century. It blends elements from Eastern faiths, Western mysticism, and other esoteric traditions.

Practitioners talk about karma, reincarnation, and “Masters” or enlightened beings who guide humanity. The idea is that these Masters watch over the world and occasionally reveal spiritual truths to chosen disciples.

Wilson embraced this way of thinking wholeheartedly. In late 1924, he settled briefly in southern France. While in France, Wilson had a vision of a levitating Egyptian Tau cross, which firmly changed the direction of his life.

He believed he was being led by the twelfth brother of the Great White Lodge, a group of spiritual beings (masters) that directed the world.

To honour his new master, Wilson changed his name to Brother XII. Years later, he spelled it as “Brother Twelve,” but the Roman numeral style stuck in most of his earlier articles and transcripts.

He was not shy about announcing his so-called calling that he had received in his dream. He wrote extensive tracts and manifestos, including one called A Message from the Masters of the Wisdom.

In it, he insisted that modern society was nearing collapse and that people would need safe havens to survive the troubles that lay ahead. He wasn’t alone in believing this prophecy.

Others like him believed that the Second Industrial Revolution—the technological revolution had ushered in all kinds of evils and excesses. Things that exploited human failings and flaws, and that a reckoning was on the horizon.

Over time, he promised, a new age, called the Age of Aquarius, would dawn. In that new era, only those who were spiritually awakened would thrive. And Brother XII believed it was his job to gather and train these chosen ones.

During the mid-1920s, Brother XII found an audience among spiritual seekers in England, parts of Europe, and later North America.

One surprising aspect of Brother XII’s rise to prominence was the caliber of his followers. Unlike the typical stereotype of cult recruits as outcasts or poorly educated, many who joined the Aquarian Foundation were well-read, scholarly, and financially secure.

They included academics, teachers, authors, artists, and even retired professionals who genuinely believed Brother XII was offering authentic spiritual insight and guidance in troubled times.

Brother XII’s extensive writings were articulate, compelling, and filled with sophisticated references to classical philosophy, world religions, and esoteric knowledge. Historian John Oliphant pointed out that Brother XII quoted extensively from the Bible, ancient religious texts, and contemporary spiritual thinkers.

His arguments appealed directly to intellectual curiosity, offering complex explanations of world events and spiritual principles rather than simplistic platitudes.

This intellectual approach attracted followers who saw themselves as spiritually and intellectually enlightened. They certainly didn’t see themselves as victims. They were individuals who felt disillusioned by post-World War I society and were deeply concerned about modernity’s moral and spiritual direction.

Brother XII offered them a clear narrative: the world was approaching a pivotal spiritual crisis, and it was their responsibility, as knowledgeable and awakened people, to prepare for and guide humanity through it.

Of course, their education and social standing also brought credibility (and often considerable wealth) to Brother XII’s cause, enabling him to rapidly expand his foundation and its influence—at least for a time. Yet, as many of these same followers would eventually discover, intellectual sophistication offered little protection from manipulation, disillusionment, or tragedy.

*Image attribution: Brother XII sits with members of the Aquarian Foundation, John Oliphant*

His writings were circulated in Theosophical circles and occult magazines. He also spoke to wealthy supporters in person, using his deep knowledge of navigation and self-assured, worldly way of talking to impress them.

One of the main threads in his message was that British Columbia would be one of the world’s spiritual “safe zones.” He said an apocalypse or major cataclysm was coming, and B.C.’s west coast would be pivotal in humankind’s future.

And so, in 1927, he decided to settle on Vancouver Island, near the city of Nanaimo, in a place known as Cedar-by-the-Sea.

With funds donated by his believers, he bought acreage there. Some sources say around 126 acres, others go up to 200. From his new home in BC, he went about preparing for the collapse of civilization.

He sent word to his most chosen disciples and beckoned them to join him in Cedar-by-the-Sea. Invitees were to be welcomed to a group he called the Aquarian Foundation, referencing the coming “Aquarian Age.”

Soon, a small wave of devotees, including some from Europe and the United States, uprooted their lives and moved to coastal BC. There they built wooden structures and tried to live communally, working on farmland and following Brother XII’s teachings.

Despite the small number of people who physically joined him, some say only a few dozen at any given time, Brother XII boasted a much larger worldwide membership.

Newspaper articles from that era claim he might have had as many as 8,000 official supporters, many of whom mailed him financial contributions.

The largest gifts came from wealthy Americans or Britons who believed they were helping create a spiritual utopia. People who feared that the developed world was growing too fast, and many feared its inevitable collapse.

One of Brother XII’s early big money donors was Mary Connolly, a wealthy American socialite sometimes referred to as “Mrs. Connally.” She contributed around $25,000 (a large sum at the time) and even relocated to Vancouver Island.

Other notable followers included an Englishman named Alfred Barley, who gave $18,000 in gold. He was a retired London banker and a widower. His donation was made in an attempt to atone for funding WWI munitions.

He carefully marked some of the gold packages with initials or numbers so he could track them—a decision that would become significant in later legal disputes.

As money poured in, Brother XII purchased more land in the surrounding Gulf Islands, like De Courcy Island and Valdes Island, and set up expansions of his settlement.

Some people said he dreamed of building an entire new city there, safe from the outside world’s corruption.

He insisted all major donations to his foundation be given in gold instead of paper currency, claiming gold had a mystical importance and paper was worthless in the spiritual sense.

Over time, rumours started circulating that he was stashing away piles of gold coins for personal use. But his faithful followers maintained their belief that the gold was being used entirely for the benefit of the entire foundation.

Life in this community wasn’t all chanting and meditation. According to testimonies of ex-members, they farmed, fished, and built all the community’s structures with their own hands.

They tended to livestock. They posted guards around the property because Brother XII warned of intrusions by spies or enemies. Over time, watchers stood with rifles in hidden pits or behind trees, scanning the waters for any suspicious boats.

Brother XII’s views about the outside world were steeped in conspiracy. He believed that huge monopolies, banks, and governments would eventually start a global conflict or meltdown.

A disturbing thread running through Brother XII’s teachings—and one often glossed over—was his embrace of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

He was convinced the world was secretly controlled by a small group of Jewish bankers whom he accused of orchestrating economic turmoil and global conflict. These claims echoed popular conspiracy theories circulating at the time, notably ones found in a forged document called The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which falsely alleged that Jewish leaders were plotting to dominate the world.

Brother XII wove these dangerous ideas directly into his spiritual teachings, warning followers that the imminent collapse of civilization was engineered by these shadowy figures.

According to historian John Oliphant, Brother XII argued in his writings and speeches that only spiritually awakened communities, like his own Aquarian Foundation, could withstand the coming economic and political upheavals masterminded by Jewish elites. His followers, drawn by promises of spiritual enlightenment, often accepted or tolerated these troubling beliefs without fully questioning their implications.

Such teachings weren’t just theoretical. They created an atmosphere of paranoia, mistrust, and prejudice within his community, ultimately contributing to its internal collapse. This dark aspect of his ideology underlines how dangerous charismatic leaders can become when they blend spirituality with hateful rhetoric.

Despite living in British Columbia, Brother XII set his sights beyond Canada. Around 1928, he claimed there was a spiritual imperative to shake up American politics. He warned that the United States teetered on the edge of destruction and declared that he was the only one fit to guide the country to peace.

In what many see as the height of his overreach, he tried to form a new third party ahead of the 1928 U.S. presidential election. Officially, this party was meant to spread what he called “Aquarian values”: an anti-corruption agenda mixed with his prophecies of social upheaval.

But rumours swirled that the group had curious ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Documents from that period suggest KKK members may have donated money, hoping Brother XII’s political push would help revive their influence.

No documented formal alliance existed, but the overlap in anti-establishment rhetoric allowed the rumour to spread quickly. Some historians argue the KKK link was overblown, a gossip campaign spread by his critics. Others say Brother XII welcomed any financial support he could get.

Either way, the proposed party fizzled fast when it failed to gather broad support, leaving Brother XII’s followers even more confused about whether they had joined a spiritual movement or a political one.

*Image attribution: A woodcut depiction of Brother XII preaching. John Oliphant*

The fiasco further eroded trust among his flock, who had expected a holy refuge, not backroom deals with extremist groups. But Brother XII wasn’t phased, and doubled down back in BC. According to him, the faithful still needed to get ready, both spiritually and physically. By physically, he meant training with weapons and fortifying the settlement.

He even acquired a Brixham trawler (a single-mast ship rigged with large sails) named the Lady Royal, which he sailed all the way from England, through the Panama Canal, to the west coast. It would, he said, help transport goods and people if civilization fell apart.

That voyage was no small feat back in the 1920s. It really speaks to the skill Wilson had as a navigator and seaman. At one point, a big storm kicked up and blew the Lady Royal over 500 miles out to the open sea, where it sat for weeks waiting for the wind to pick back up.

But when Brother XII made it back to BC, he became even more convinced of his divine purpose after surviving the ordeal.

On land, members said there was a rigid social order in the community. Brother XII was at the top. People called him the “visible head of the Masters.” He communicated the Masters’ will, and followers obeyed.

For a time, that was enough to keep people in line. But cracks soon began to show. Especially as people discovered that living in the remote coastal environment was far more challenging than they’d imagined.

Winters were cold and wet. Sickness spread easily. And many grew tired of the tight discipline and what they saw as the leader’s mood swings. But still, people stayed.

Among some of the most fascinating aspects of day-to-day life were the strong mystical beliefs shared by certain members. They often studied astrology charts, believing that being born under specific star signs made you either chosen or worthless.

One group referred to those unlucky enough to have the wrong sign as “astrobrats,” meaning they would never amount to anything spiritually. Such teachings appear in interviews with ex-members who recalled how the leadership hammered home these ideas.

And while some members were uncomfortable with these extremes, there were enough devout followers who stuck with Brother XII’s program. Some insisted that his presence alone proved he had spiritual powers.

A historian named John Mitchell once said of him, “He could look into your soul, know what you were missing—what you wanted to see—and he could be that for you.”

This suggests that, at least for a while, Brother XII had an eerie ability to captivate people. Some said he was simply a hypnotic manipulator, but others believed it was genuine charisma.

As mentioned earlier, despite the steady stream of money flowing through the community, rumours started among the faithful that their leader was hoarding some of the cash for himself.

The real spark came when one disgruntled member—said to have once been a Pinkerton detective—levelled charges of embezzlement against Wilson.

The claim was that Brother XII used Mary Connolly’s $25,000 for personal gains rather than for the group. This led to a dramatic moment in a local courtroom.

Early records mention a hearing in Nanaimo, with a magistrate named C.H. Beevor-Potts presiding. Brother XII was accompanied by a lawyer named F.S. Cunliffe. Meanwhile, supporters of the disgruntled member demanded justice.

One might expect a routine legal proceeding, but something bizarre happened: some witnesses and even one attorney reportedly fainted during the hearing.

According to a local lawyer named Victor Harrison, who later recalled the event in an oral history interview, people collapsed to the floor as if under a spell. Some believed it was mass hysteria; others swore Brother XII had the power to knock people unconscious through supernatural means.

Harrison said: “I saw Mr. Morton, the lawyer, collapse on the bench and four or five people collapse and they fell to the floor. I thought this was a very extraordinary performance.”

He also said that Brother XII walked up to him and said, “They’re trying to prosecute me, but there’s nothing in it. You’re going to be appointed by the crown to prosecute this case.”

Harrison reportedly told him to go away and not talk to him. The hearing was quickly adjourned by a shaken judge. Stories like this spread, fuelling the leader’s mystique. Some observers called it a well-orchestrated trick or group panic, but others felt there had to be more to it.

The charges soon fizzled out because Mary Connolly took the stand, swore that she’d donated the money willingly to Brother XII’s personal use, and that no fraud had occurred. Thus, the matter ended… for the time being.

However, distrust continued to spread among the rank-and-file. Some wanted their money back, or at least more transparency.

A group formed within the foundation, seeking legal advice from local lawyers about how to recoup their losses or force Brother XII to open the books. They complained he had become paranoid and controlling, forming a “fortress mentality” on De Courcy Island.

His failure to predict and select the next president of the United States had really damaged his credibility within the group. They weren’t keen on getting involved with politics to begin with. And then to have their leader fail so pathetically had snapped them out of whatever spell he previously held over them.

Another big turning point in the saga came in the form of Brother XII’s involvement with a woman named Mabel Skottowe, better known as Madame Z (sometimes spelled “Madame Zee”).

They met in 1929, and soon she moved to the settlement to be his companion and, as some said, co-ruler. She claimed to share his mystical experiences, adopting exotic titles like “Isis” and “High Priestess.” Isis was Osiris’s sister-wife, harkening back to the Egyptian mythology Brother XII ascribed to.

From that time on, the community became a darker, more fearful place.

Followers began reporting harsh punishments, verbal abuse, and the threat of black magic. People who had once found Brother XII warm or at least approachable complained that Madame Z yelled at them, belittled them, and forced them to do endless labour.

Rumours even circulated that a member had been chained in a basement for disloyalty.

*Image attribution: barn built by followers of Brother XII as a dormitory - MARK LESTER/COLLIERS*

One elderly member named Sarah, in recollections recorded by Victor Harrison, claimed she was told to commit suicide in order to “ascend” to a higher plane and gather intel in Heaven for the foundation.

The story went that Madame Z or another close associate demanded that Sarah row out and drop herself into the sea. The frightened woman tried multiple times but could never bring herself to do it. Each time, she waited for a “silent little voice” calling her home, but it never came.

When she failed, she said Madame Z showed up to call her vile names, accusing her of cowardice and spiritual weakness. Finally, Sarah and others fled the settlement, fearing for their lives.

Perhaps the person who suffered the worst abuse was Mary Connolly. She was physically and emotionally abused daily and made to suffer hard physical labour even though she was a senior. Some reports claim she was even yoked to a plough and made to pull it as if she were a horse. Horrendous accusations were hurled at her by Madame Z and Brother XII that she was toxic and poisoning the group.

Since arriving on the island, she had dropped close to thirty pounds and was growing weaker by the day. A few years later, she would concede that she believes that Brother XII and Madame Z were trying to kill her to get the rest of her money. The Depression had affected every corner of the world, including their little island refuge, and things were getting desperate.

Another chilling story concerned a married couple, known in some accounts as “Rudy” and his wife. The wife was said to be young and attractive, and Brother XII developed a personal interest in her.

To get her away from her husband, the leader supposedly concocted a scheme: the wife would pretend to despise the colony, prompting them both to leave. Once they were off-island, she would slip away from her husband and return to Brother XII’s side.

In one version, that’s exactly what happened. The husband was left perplexed when she vanished from their Seattle hotel room. By the time he realized she might have gone back to De Courcy Island, the foundation was ready with guards and a plan to keep him off the property.

When Rudy sought police help, officers were allegedly misled by colony members into believing his wife was not present.

Brother XII’s use of deception to isolate followers (and their spouses) is well-documented. For example, he similarly manipulated Myrtle Baumgartner, a New York physician’s wife, by claiming they were reincarnated Egyptian deities.

These incidents reflect a broader tactic of using emotional and sexual manipulation to control followers. For instance, he claimed relationships with female members were spiritually ordained, as with Myrtle Baumgartner and Madame Zee.

The story echoes themes seen in modern cult dynamics, where leaders exploit trust to dismantle familial bonds. Scholar John Oliphant notes Brother XII’s tactics foreshadowed 20th-century cult leaders like Jim Jones.

On top of these personal dramas that kept popping up, more money still poured in, and more wealth disappeared. Some foundation members alleged that Brother XII stashed gold coins in canning jars and hid them in secret caches around De Courcy and nearby islands.

You might ask why people didn’t just leave. Some say they were too scared to attempt to flee the island. They admitted later that they didn’t dare try for fear of being shot in the back by their paranoid and delusional leader.

But, by 1932, a major group of now fed-up, worn-down, disillusioned followers, including Mary Connolly and Alfred Barley, bravely banded together against Brother XII. At this point, they really felt they had nothing left to lose.

Remember those gold bars Barley had marked with his initials? When Barley and Connolly decided they’d had enough, he thought it would be easy to track down the etched bars. They sued Brother XII to get their gold back and to take control of the property.

An intense legal battle ensued, covered by newspapers that seized on the more sensational aspects: black magic, fainting attorneys, allegations of wrongdoing, and bizarre cameo appearances by the leader.

This time, the trial had real consequences, though. After hearing testimony about the large donations, the harsh living conditions, and the refusal to open the foundation’s financial records, the judge ruled in favour of the disillusioned members.

In a statement from the bench, the court found that the donated sums were meant for the community, not just for Brother XII and Madame Z to control privately. He was ordered to return the property titles and large amounts of money to the plaintiffs. If he refused, the registrar would sign the deeds over, effectively taking the land from him.

Throughout the proceedings, strange claims of supernatural interference surfaced again. One follower insisted Brother XII had tried to assassinate enemies through hexes or curses. Another said, during the trial, that the judge growled like a dog for reasons nobody could explain.

Skeptics say these stories were simply rumours spread by people who wanted more drama or wanted to discredit Brother XII. Believers, however, argue that unexplained forces were at work.

In either case, the judge’s official ruling was clear: Brother XII was at fault, and the disgruntled members had a legal right to restitution.

The day after the ruling, or shortly thereafter, a sense of shock settled over the settlement. Some people left quietly, not wanting to be part of the meltdown. Others wandered the island in a daze, unsure of where to go.

Meanwhile, Brother XII was furious. He swore vengeance on the government, the justice system, and anyone he felt had betrayed him.

As you can imagine, the court ruling was a disaster for the Aquarian Foundation’s leadership. No longer safe from lawsuits or potential criminal charges, Brother XII and Madame Z decided to vanish.

But not before one last act of defiance. Several witnesses said they saw Brother XII and a few loyal followers destroying important buildings on De Courcy Island, smashing structures they themselves had built.

Brother XII and Madame Z also reportedly scuttled his beloved boat, the Lady Royal, so it couldn’t be seized. It’s also said that, as they left, they cursed the island and anyone who might come looking for them.

Local folklore claims that as he stood on the deck of a departing boat, Brother XII brandished a heavy mallet, smashed a chest full of gold coins, and watched them spill into the water.

This story may be exaggerated, but it fed the legend that somewhere near the region, caches of gold remain hidden to this day. Over the decades, treasure hunters have scoured De Courcy Island, turning up only scraps, broken artifacts, or empty holes.

The courtroom victory was a somewhat hollow one. Barley, Connolly and the rest of the group were never able to recoup their funds. Although the property was signed over. Whether the gold was hidden, destroyed, or carried away during their escape is still debated.

After 1932, the historical trail of Brother XII goes cold, at least in British Columbia. Some believed he fled to Switzerland, where he allegedly died on November 7, 1934.

The death certificate on record listed that date. But even that raises eyebrows: the doctor who signed it was said to be a known follower of the Aquarian Foundation, so he might have been covering for the leader who a few people think might have faked his own death to avoid persecution.

Stories popped up in newspapers about sightings of Brother XII in far-flung locations—San Francisco, Canada’s east coast, the south of France. Because he had ample funds (in gold, presumably), if he faked his death, he would have had the means to vanish anywhere on Earth.

Others imagine he lived out his days on a quiet estate somewhere, or possibly travelled the world until old age. Certain diaries of ex-members mention receiving cryptic letters or hearing secondhand accounts that he was definitely alive post-1934. None of these leads have been confirmed.

Some people have posed a theory that Madame Z may have offed Brother XII and taken the fortune for herself. Some who believed she was pure evil think this theory has merit. But rumours and conspiracies as outlandish as the ones Brother XII used to espouse himself continue to swirl.

After Brother XII’s disappearance, Madame Z also vanished from public record. Her later whereabouts remain a mystery.

If you visit De Courcy Island today, you can still find traces of the Aquarian Foundation. At least one battered building remains, along with piles of stones from old rifle pits.

People who keep summer homes in the Gulf Islands share local legends about hidden gold, the ghosts of Brother XII’s disciples, or strange lights in the night. Most of these stories can’t be proven, but they do reflect the sense of wonder and unease attached to his memory.

Historians have debated how a single man managed to attract thousands of followers, big financial gifts, and enough devotion that people uprooted their lives to settle on rough land.

Part of it is timing: the 1920s were an era when spiritualism, Theosophy, and occult beliefs had wide appeal. Some folks yearned for a new world after the horrors of World War I. They wanted to believe in a teacher with hidden wisdom. Others see it as a classic cult dynamic: a charismatic leader preying on vulnerable seekers.

Journalist John Oliphant once said, “Brother XII changed. Originally he was a humble man, and many people were impressed by him. But gradually he became corrupted by money, sex, and power. That’s a version we see so often with cult leaders.”

Another commentator put it more bluntly: “He offered spiritual salvation if you gave him your loyalty and your gold. Over time, people realized it wasn’t all about spirituality.”

Then there’s the idea that he might have believed in his own mission, at least in the beginning. He wrote in one of his pamphlets about hearing a voice that said, “Humble thyself. Prepare thy mind for that which shall illumine thee.”

He later convinced some that he was a reincarnated Egyptian pharaoh, channeling the power of the sun god. Critics argue that if you start to see yourself as chosen, it’s easy to justify anything you do.

The story of the fainting courtroom, the boat journeys, the forced labour, the lawsuit, and the mysterious gold has overshadowed any deeper spiritual message he taught. Yet if you read his earliest tracts, they talk about universal brotherhood and compassion. It’s almost tragic how far the group fell from those lofty ideals. By the end, the Aquarian Foundation was known less for spiritual teachings and more for scandal.

Over the years, developers have built summer cottages and tried to transform parts of De Courcy into a peaceful retreat. Current residents sometimes prefer not to talk about Brother XII, tired of random treasure seekers trespassing or digging holes.

But the legend never quite fades. And perhaps his last prophecy was his most accurate. In 1932 after Brother XII fled, a groundskeeper found though they’d found his cache under a floorboard, but instead all they found was a note scribbled by Wilson that simply read: “For fools and traitors – Nothing!”

And with that, Brother XII vanished. Not just from De Courcy Island, but from history itself.

Donate

Have a rad rest of your day!

Sources used to research this story:

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/brother-xii-edward-arthur-wilson

https://bcanuntoldhistory.knowledge.ca/1920/the-saga-of-brother-xii

https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/wilson_edward_arthur_16E.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_XII

https://www.bcmag.ca/brother-xii-occult-leader-of-a-1920s-bizarre-bc-colony/

https://www.nanaimoarchives.ca/transcripts-and-recordings/historical-society-transcripts/brother-12-xii

https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/brother-xii-the-shadowy-past-of-a-sailor-seducer-and-swindler-1013057

http://www.decourcyisland.com/history-decourcy-island/