Historic & Heritage Sites
Heritage buildings (Picture BC photo)
Quesnel's diverse history has a number of cultural influences.
These include Chentsit'hala Carrier First Nations tradition, Simon Fraser's 19th-century explorations, the 1860s gold rush era and subsequent Chinese immigration, as well as by industries such as mining and fur trading that have prospered along the Fraser and Quesnel Rivers.
Experience these rich cultural influences at Quesnel's 30 historic and heritage sites. Explore the Quesnel & District Museum's 30,000 artifacts, visit the Pioneer Cemetery and Chinese Memorial Cairn, or take a self guided historic and heritage walking tour.
Quesnel & District Museum
The Quesnel & District Museum (705 Carson Ave) contains more than 30,000 artifacts, including arrowheads that are thousands of years old, one of the most important collections of Chinese artifacts in North America, and the reconstructed pioneer Cariboo Home and Village Street, as well as an archive with a research facility and historical book reference section.
The Quesnel & District Museum is located in LeBourdais Park at Quesnel's city centre, home of the Heritage Rose Garden. After exploring the museum's artifacts, check out rare rose varietals, or enjoy a picnic in the park.
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Quesnel Pioneer Cemetery
The Quesnel Pioneer Cemetery, which borders on LeBourdais Park, is a peaceful area to learn more about the fascinating history of Quesnel's pioneer settlement. Note that Chinese burial plots run north/south according to Feng-Shui tradition, while European burial plots run east/west. The cemetery contains a Chinese Memorial Cairn, commemorating Chinese pioneers who died in the region. The design of the cairn represents the miles of hand-piled ditch lines built by the Chinese miners in the mid 1800s.
Historic & Heritage Walking Tours
The self-guided Historical Heritage Walking Tour (approximately 2.4km/1.5mi) highlights more than 30 historical sites throughout Quesnel, including the Quesnel & District Museum, the Quesnel Pioneer Cemetery, Hudson Bay Company building, and the Fraser River Foot Bridge (proclaimed to be the world's longest wooden truss footbridge). The tour takes about 30 to 40 minutes to complete. Pick up "Historical Walking Tour of Quesnel" booklet, available at the Visitor Centre.
Hudson Bay Company Building
Constructed in 1864, the original Hudson Bay Company (HBC) building is still in use today as the Cariboo Keepsakes store. Believed to be the oldest surviving HBC post still standing on its original site, the HBC building was designated a Provincial Historic Site in 1980, and subsequently purchased by the City of Quesnel in 1984.
For more information about the historic and heritage walking tours, and historic and heritage sites in and around Quesnel drop in the Visitor Centre, located on Highway 97 and Carson Avenue at the south entrance to Quesnel's city centre.
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