Barkerville was recently visited by an enthusiastic and influential guest.
That guest was Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Spencer Chandra Herbert, who stopped in to experience the culture and history of one of B.C.’s original boom towns.
Barkerville Historic Town and Park has been a cornerstone of tourism in the North since it was designated a provincial heritage property in 1958.
“Being one of the ministers responsible for heritage and tourism — what could be a better place?” said Chandra Herbert. “This is a place for discovering our past, but also bringing people together to imagine a better future.”
Barkerville has recovered significantly after evacuations due to wildfires. Since then, it has continued to showcase life on the BC frontier during the Gold Rush era, welcoming guests from across the globe.
Chandra Herbert has been touring the Cariboo region, including Quesnel and surrounding communities.
The minister hadn’t visited Barkerville in more than a decade and shared that his first connection to the site came in childhood.
“You have to understand your history to know your future,” he said. “When I was in Grade 4, I wrote a mock tourism brochure for Barkerville — having never actually been here — just because I’d read that Gold Rush history and had always wanted to come. I never would have imagined I’d get to visit as the tourism minister, to celebrate what Barkerville is.
“It’s such an opportunity to meet people — not just British Columbians, but people from around the world. Last time I was here, I spoke with some Chinese tourists who couldn’t believe the history of Chinese Canadians in the community, for example.”
During his visit, Chandra Herbert toured the site, engaged with staff and actors, and took in a performance featuring the town’s water wheel. He also visited the park’s metal and welding shop, where heritage builders maintain and restore Barkerville’s buildings.
However, the highlight of his visit was taking part in a drum circle led by Indigenous educator Mike “Sintsé” Retasket, who gifted the minister a drum.
“The drumming for me was the highlight,” said Chandra Herbert. “I think having the Lhtako Nation’s involvement here just completes the picture. It’s been a missing part of the story in the past. It was very focused on colonial history — and that’s important — but we have to understand Indigenous history too. It makes the experience much fuller.
“I think Indigenous tourism in BC is starting to find its place, and I’m really glad about that. In museums and heritage sites, it’s been missing for too long.”
Chandra Herbert told The Citizen he sees Barkerville as a vital part of BC's cultural fabric.
“BC was founded on a lot of things, but mining was one of the big reasons places like Quesnel exist as colonial towns,” he said. “Obviously, Indigenous folks have been here since time immemorial. But you can’t understand B.C.’s history if you don’t understand mining history, or forestry history.
“There’s active mining around the region right now, so it’s a huge part of both the heritage and the future of this province. People need to understand mining. I think in my community — down in the West End of Vancouver — people don’t get exposed to it the way folks in this region do.
“I’ve got, I think, more mining offices in my home community in the West End than anywhere else in the world — but people don’t know the history.”
The minister also outlined some ways he plans to support and promote Northern tourism moving forward.
“I’ve been working with the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, Tourism Prince George and Northern BC Tourism, because I think there are audiences that want to come here who don’t necessarily want to go to Vancouver,” he said. “Or maybe they want to stop in Vancouver on the way up here.
“I think there’s a huge market in German tourism. And if you’re just watching who comes through YVR or downtown Vancouver, you might miss that there’s a very specific audience interested in this region.
“So, we’re working with Destination BC to make sure we’re in those markets — inviting people in. And when we’re there, showing them what’s here. It’s not just Barkerville — there are whole regions that have so much to offer.”
