Xá:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre
Many have left their footprint on the Vancouver, Coast & Mountain’s history, from early Aboriginal settlers, Gold Rush pioneers, to cannery workers and the famed explorer Simon Fraser, resulting in a unique and eclectic past. Othello Tunnels , contemplate a working Benedictine monastery , explore BC’s oldest known settlement at the Xa:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre and descend underground into an old mining tunnel at the BC Museum of Mining . Many Visitor Centres have self-guided tour brochures that highlight local historic sites.Learn more about Vancouver, Coast & Mountain's Culture and History , Museums , and Aboriginal & Cultural experiences.
Historic Aboriginal Sites The Xa:ytem Longhouse Interpretive Centre (near Mission ) is BC’s oldest known settlement and contains over 9,000 years of the Sto:lo First Nations’ history, spirituality, and culture. Guides share legends passed down from Sto:lo ancestors and the story of “transformer rock”, where three chiefs turned to stone. Tour the pithouses to see underground circular dwellings.Fort Langley National Historic Site is the “birthplace of BC” and an 1827 Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading post. Beaver pelts and HBC blankets are on display and demonstrations of blacksmithing and barrel-making are given by costumed, interpretive staff. Walk through the 1840s storehouse, believed to be BC’s oldest building.Kilby Historic Site (near Mission ) is a reminder of the once thriving community of Harrison Mills, now a ghost town. Goods from the 1900s are stocked at the General Store Museum. Experience the living conditions of the rural 1920s at the Manchester House Hotel, or explore the adjacent farm with friendly animals – a big hit with children.Powell River’s Historic Townsite , the only declared National Historic District in western Canada (and only one of seven in Canada). This unique, well-planned city was first constructed in 1910 and is remarkably intact, with over 400 original buildings remaining. The Patricia Theatre is the oldest, continuously running theatre in Canada.Gold Rush Sites One of the Gold Rush boomtowns was Yale. In its heyday it was hailed as the largest city north of San Francisco and west of Chicago. Now much smaller, Historic Yale still evokes the spirit of the Gold Rush. Explore one of the oldest churches in BC – St. John the Divine – or, walk through Pioneer Cemetery with headstones dating from 1862. Lillooet marks the start of the historic Cariboo Wagon Road – the Gold Rush route that hopeful miners travelled to Barkerville .Historic Buildings and Structures
The Othello Tunnels (near Hope ) are a 1900s engineering feat: they were constructed by slicing through solid granite, almost entirely by hand, to link the Kootenay Rockies region of BC to the coast by rail. Named for the engineer’s love of Shakespeare, visitors (and Shakespeare buffs) can now trek through the tunnels.Westminster Abbey Monastery in Mission . On site are the abbey grounds, seminary campus and the monks' farm (which supports their self-sufficient lifestyle). Admire the beautiful stained glass windows and hear the chimes of the 10-bell tower. Visitors are welcome for services.Hope Christ Church , a National Historic Site, and the oldest, continuously operating church on the BC mainland.Historic Cannery, Mine and Power Plant The BC Museum of Mining (between Whistler and Vancouver ) is the site of the old Britannia Mines – once one of the world’s largest copper mines. Mining artifacts and original blueprints of Mill 3 (a National Historic Site) are available for viewing. Board an authentic mining train and descend underground into a 1910 tunnel; wait for the lights to go off (briefly) to see how miners would have worked. Activities involving fossils, minerals and gold panning are also on site.Gulf of Georgia Cannery (near Richmond ) was built in 1894 and is one of BC’s last remaining intact canneries. A collection of buildings including the main cannery, icehouse, drum storage shed and others, sit atop wood pilings and can be toured. Browse the cannery’s 10,000 well-preserved artifacts.Power House at Stave Falls in Mission tells the story of BC’s power industry. Interactive games and informative displays explain how electricity is created. See turbines and generators, as well as a Detroit model electric car, all from 1912!
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Built in 1894, this museum is one of the few remaining 19th century salmon canneries still in existence. It pays tribute to the history of the West Coast fishing industry, complete with model canning line, fish processing equipment and tools.
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