August 12, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
One of the most frequently asked questions I encounter as a Tourism/Visitor Information Councilor in Dawson Creek is: “what can I do in this part of the country?!” My answer to this is usually “what can’t you do in this part of the country!” The Peace Region is filled with natural beauty, historical interests and adventure packed outdoor recreation for all you adrenaline seekers! So, to make things a little simpler for your Peace Region trip planning needs here are the top ten things to see and do around the Peace!
1. Learn about the rich histories that this region has to offer! Dawson Creek has some of the best museums and historic walks you can find! Stop by the Northern Alberta Railway museum located in the Visitor’s Centre, which is the original building that once housed the railway station from 1931; the same station that brought American Soldiers to build the Alaskan Highway! After you are done make sure to check out the other side of the museum which houses natural history of the region as well as history on Dawson Creek! For more historic tales about Dawson Creek, ask one of the T/VIC councilors about the Dawson Creek Downtown Historical Self-Guided Walking Tour and they would be happy to show you on your way for a fantastic tour of all the historic monuments and murals of the Mile “0” city. After you have finished at the NAR Park be sure to head down to the Walter Wright Pioneer Village. This heritage museum is a recreation of Dawson Creek pre-Alaska Highway. Walk along the boardwalk and check out historic houses, schools, churches and shops. Once you are done reliving the 1920s, head to the Village of Pouce Coupe and stop in at the Pouce Coupe museum. Though small in size, this museum is a treasure trove of different information on the region as well as the Village its self! For a little bit of a different history, be sure to take a trip down to the Tumbler Ridge Dinosaur Museum to learn about the Peace Region’s prehistoric inhabitants! Be sure to investigate the museums in Fort St. John, Chetwynd and Hudson’s Hope for even more of historical journeys through time.
2. Fulfill all your hiking needs on one of the many beautiful hiking trails in the region! Enjoy a leisurely hike with gorgeous views of the valley along the rim rock trails located at the Bear Mountain Wind Park. If you’re looking for a bit of variety, be sure to stop in at the Dawson Creek or Tumbler Ridge visitor centers to pick of a map of all the hiking trail heads in and around Tumbler Ridge. These trails come in a range of difficulties and lengths; there is sure to be a trail that will fit everyone’s needs and wants!
3. From August to May be sure to catch magnificent displays of northern lights in the night sky. This ten month span is the best to catch some of the most breath taking lightshows! So once the sun sets, be sure to turn your head towards the skies for a chance to catch one of the world’s most brilliant natural performances.
4. Get an insider’s peak at life in natural wetlands at McQueen’s Slough. Located about fifteen minutes outside of Dawson Creek, this boardwalk through a nature preserve is sure to excite birders and wildlife enthusiasts a like!
5. In early August, come down to Dawson Creek to check out the Annual Fall Fair and Rodeo. This event has been dubbed “The Biggest Event in the Peace” and is sure to please everyone in the family! There is a full sized midway, with rides for little ones and adrenaline seekers alike. The rodeo portion holds all sorts of events from bull riding to barrel racing. If you stick around long enough, you can catch the Pro Chuckwagon races, which draw in crowds from all over the USA and Canada.
6. Drive a portion of the old Alaska Highway and experience history and an engineering marvel as you cross the world famous Kiskatinaw curved wooden bridge. Located at Mile 21 of the Alaska Highway, this is a must see if you’re going North or if you’re just in the region.
7. The views off the bridge are spectacular but the swimming under the bridge is even better! So pack a lunch, bring your camera and a swimsuit because you’ll be sure to spend the afternoon enjoying all the Kiskatinaw River has to offer.
8. Go to the Rolla Pub, located fifteen minutes outside of Dawson Creek. This little pub out in the country is jammed packed with local history, endearing locals and friendly staff.
9. Dip your feet in the mighty Peace River! Drive ten minutes on highway 2 outside of Dawson Creek to Pouce Coupe and head down to the Pouce Coupe Park. The river is a five minute walk away.
10. Lastly, partake in one of the amazing day trips around the BC Peace. Leave from Dawson Creek, goto Fort St. John, Hudson’s Hope, Chetwynd and loop back to Dawson, or go from Dawson Creek to Chetwynd down to Tumbler Ridge... really which ever route you want to take is sure to be alight with majestic wildlife, quaint towns, and gorgeous natural scenery.
There are so many things to do in the Peace that it’s hard to fit them all onto one list. Be sure to stop in at a Visitor Centre or ask a local and you’ll embark on an experience of a lifetime!
January 05, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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One of the prettiest sights in the Peace River Country is hoarfrost in the winter.
It happens when it's really cold and still overnight and there is a lot of moisture in the air. A thick layer of crystals forms on all the trees and when the sun hits the frost, the whole landscape sparkles like diamonds.
Any air movement causes the frost to drift off the trees, and it looks and feels like light snow is falling, even if the skies are clear and blue.
A hoarfrost morning is the perfect time for a walk, stand under a tree and shake it or a drive down a country road lined with trees and bushes.
The thing about this special frost is as mysteriously as it appears; it just as quietly disappears so make sure you take time to enjoy it.
October 31, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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We stopped into the historic cemetery in Tomslake, 20 minutes south of Dawson Creek on the day before Halloween.
This beautiful place is more than just a cemetery. It contains the cultural identity of the small Sudetan German Community whose members immigrated here in 1939 to escape persecution and death in Hitler's Germany.
A museum has been built to house the many artifacts donated by the community to tell the story of the journey to a new life of freedom in a new land.
The original Roman Catholic Church is now part of the museum. We stood on a stool and peeked in the windows. Nothing fancy, just hand built pews and some old pictures on the wall. Plastic flowers in a vase on the alter.
There is an impressive commemorative monument to the immigrants and their new home in Canada. It is quite emotional to read what the community went through for freedom. They came on transport ships and each ship and the date it sailed from Liverpool is listed along with the list of family members on the roster.
The cemetery itself is beautifully maintained with a simple rural backdrop. Entering through the iron gates was like entering a history book. The names on the granite headstones are mostly German and date back to the early 40's. I was struck by the short lives of many of the people laying to rest there.
Peaceful.
October 13, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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When we need to take a break from the daily routines we head down to the ClayHurst crossing over the Peace River 45 minutes north of town on the Rolla Highway and enjoy the fresh air that sweeps down with the water through the valley.
The Peace River is an interesting body of water. Up river is the W.A.C Bennett Dam and all the water that flows is first collected in Williston Lake and then goes through the turbines of the dam to generate hydro before being returned to the river.
The week this photo was taken, the river was low. The bottom of the boat ramp was 30 feet or so above the water. The river seemed calm and steady. We watched several river boats come and go.
We took our folding chairs, a small picnic and relaxed while afternoon turned to evening, listening to the sounds of the water and the almost eerie cries of a couple of hawks hunting on the far banks.
The following week, BC Hydro released more water and the boat ramp that had been so high on the beach was completely submerged under water. What a difference! There is a completely different energy. What had seemed like an almost lazy river had become a fast torrent that had risen way up under the bridge. The water was full of logs and debris as it rushed along.
October 10, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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This is the most beautiful time of the year to live in or visit the Peace River Country.
The leaves are all shades of red, orange and yellow. The wheat has been harvested and big golden bales of straw sit glistening in the sun.
The Canada Geese are gathering by the thousands in the fields to fatten up on the grains left by the machinery. It's quite a sight to see a few thousand geese converge on a field on the way to work.
Huge flocks fly overhead and if they are low enough you can hear the honking and sometimes hear the sound of their wings swooshing the air.
We just had a beautiful full harvest moon and fall equinox within days of each other. The air is cooling, the sky is clear, the stars are out. It doesn't get any better than this.
August 29, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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Fall is such a wonderful time of the year here in the Peace River Country. The nights are getting longer and cooler and there is a smell in the forest that is hard to describe and signals the change in season.
Family from the Kootenays came up with their 5th wheel for a visit so most evenings were spent outside around a firepit, kids roasting marshmallows and adults talking late into the dark.
What a sky we have! It's like an amphitheater above stretching from horizon to horizon.
Each night the sunsets have been spectacular! The sunsets have been followed by the most amazing night sky full of countless stars and a waning moon. Being serenaded by coyotes completes the scene.
There is something timeless and mesmerizing about being outside late into the night, telling stories of childhood adventures and sharing hopes for the future.
This is a great time of the year!
July 11, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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I love it when we can find the perfect activity to do with our out of town guests! Our "city-folk" friends were up for a visit with their children. They live in a big city and this was their first trip to the north.
On Sunday, after a leisurely start to the day, we piled in the vehicle and headed out to the
Sewell Valley Game Farm about a half hour drive north of Dawson Creek. I had thought ahead and made an appointment for our visit.
What a treat to watch the kids meet the baby animals. We saw young fallow deer, wild boars, bison and a mountain goat and lots of other animals. Our 2 legged 'kids' met their 4 legged 'kids'.
The farm is amazing. Clean and organized, the owners obviously take their role as caretakers very seriously. The animal's environments seem well designed for comfort. All the animals are the picture of health and seemed to have names and a story.
My favorite was seeing a large herd of plains bison with their young grazing peacefully in a field. It was a flash back to the times when they roamed free.
When we finally had to leave, my friend bought a necklace made from an antler in the gift shop and I bought some bison meat to barbeque at home.
It was a great day! Our friends really enjoyed themselves.
June 30, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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We love to take our out-of-town visitors on Sunday Drives for picnic lunches. We are really lucky here in the Peace River Country, because we have so much history and a lot of great scenery to choose from.
We took our cousins for a drive and picnic lunch to the
Kiskatenaw Park. This trip is a guaranteed hit with all visitors.
The park is in a canyon right below the famous
Kiskatenaw Curved Wooden Bridge that was built in 1942 during the construction of the Alaska Highway.
It's about 20 miles north of Dawson Creek on the Alaska Highway. You have to pay attention to the signs, because it is off the beaten path. The curved bridge can still be driven across but had to be protected from modern heavy trucks so a new section of highway and new bridge were built to bypass the original. The old one is now a historical site.
The wooden bridge is amazing and quiet enough to stroll across and enjoy the river far below.
In the late summer, the river is often quite low and you can walk across it. There is a sandy area, a swimming hole, a playground and campground. We found some great hiking trails and walked for a couple of hours.
Although we didn't bring any fishing gear, I've heard that the river has pike, bull and rainbow trout. Maybe next time.
June 25, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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One of our favorite rest stops on the Hart Highway is on the west side of the Pine Pass at Bijoux Falls. It's easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. You have to watch for the sign on the north side of the highway.
Bijoux Falls is about the half way mark between
Dawson Creek and Prince George and the perfect spot to take a break from driving, get out, stretch your legs and breathe in the cool mountain air.
There is something special about the feel and smell of air around a waterfall isn't there?
The falls themselves are quite high and cascade quite dramatically down the side of the mountain. The last time we stopped, the sun was hitting the mist of the fall just right and we saw a rainbow.
There is a viewing landing surrounded by a chain link fence, but if you look, you will also find a well used short path that ducks in behind the fence and leads down to the shallows and rocks at the bottom of the falls.
If you are adventurous, you can pick your way up the creek a bit on the rocks. Chances are, you will end up getting your feet wet, I always do. The water is cold even in the middle of the summer.
The outhouses are very clean and well maintained. There is plenty of parking for RVs and several really nice picnic spots with tables.
April 26, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
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The big blue bridge you use to cross the Peace River in Taylor, BC when you travel the Alaska Highway is not the original, it's actually the replacement.
My Dad operated heavy equipment during the building of the Alaska Highway in 1942, long before I was born.
I remember driving north with him and when we crossed over the long
Peace River Bridge he told me that the original had collapsed in 1957. Dad said a landslide caused it.
I did a bit of digging and found a great article by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC.
The original wooden suspension type Peace Bridge was built in 1942 as an essential piece of the Alaska Highway and was considered one of Canada's great bridges at the time of it's opening. It was the longest on the whole highway.
In 1957, a truck driver noticed unusual settlement in the road so the army (responsible) immediately closed it. Over the course of the next day, the bridge structures continued to shift and just after noon on October 16, 1957, the bridge collapsed into the Peace River.
They determined that the bridge failed due to a landslide in the shale bedrock that it was built on. Shale is simply mud that has hardened over millions of years... from the time when dinosaurs walked the earth.
The problem with shale is that once it's exposed again to water, it will eventually turns back to mud.
It's believed that the bridge foundation likely began to deteriorate soon after it was constructed and continued until the time of the collapse.
A portable Bailey bridge was erected for immediate use while the Train Bridge was planked for traffic until the new bridge was built and completed in 1960.
Now, when you cross the big blue bridge, you will notice a strange feel and sound. Don't worry, it's the steel deck. It's a unique sensation and no matter how many times you drive across it, you will notice it. We all do.