British Columbia Destinations

Back Roads to History: BC's off-the-beaten track attractions

By Sue Kernaghan

What's new in history? Plenty – especially in B.C.'s North, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, and Northern Vancouver Island regions, home to some of the province's most intriguing historic and cultural sites.

The most dramatic new addition to B.C.'s cultural landscape is taking shape on Haida Gwaii (also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) where the Haida Heritage Centre at Qay'llnagaay is nearing completion.

This striking glass and cedar complex, modelled after a traditional Haida village, is set to open in June 2007 at the old Haida village site of Qay'llnagaay, or “Sea Lion Town,” on the edge of modern-day Skidegate.

The centre's ocean-facing cedar longhouses, linked by a glass curtain wall, will house a carving shed, a canoe house, a performing arts theatre, an Eating House offering traditional Haida fare,a gallery displaying contemporary and travelling exhibits, and the new Bill Reid Teaching Centre, where emerging artists can hone their skills. Six totem poles, which represent the historic villages of the southern Haida, were raised during the project's first phase in 2001.

An important part of the complex will be the expanded Haida Gwaii Museum. Originally opened in 1976, it will almost double in size to accommodate a growing collection of Haida artifacts, art and technology, reflecting thousands of years of human settlement on the islands.

The Haida Heritage Centre is the newest of several sites in the north offering insights into the region's intriguing past.

At the 'Ksan Historical Village & Museum in Hazelton, visitors will enjoy an indoor and outdoor exhibition of Gitxsan culture, featuring seven traditionally styled Northwest Coast longhouses, towering totems and a conventional museum space featuring the cultural material of the Gitxsan (guests can explore the Museum year-round). At Fort St. James National Historic Site, north of Vanderhoof, costumed guides demonstrate the daily life of 19th century fur traders in one of the oldest continually inhabited European settlement west of the Rockies. Costumes will be closeted come end of September, with the Fort offerings guided winter tours on request.

After checking out the cafés and galleries in Prince Rupert's funky Cow Bay district, savvy visitors hit the region's top heritage sites: The Museum of Northern British Columbia is one of the best places in B.C. to see Northwest Coast First Nations art and artifacts; during the summer Tsimshian, Haida, Nisga'a and Tlingit carvers demonstrate their craft. At the North Pacific Historic Fishing Village, a National Historic Site in nearby Port Edward, visitors can wander through one of the best surviving examples of a coastal cannery village, which is open until mid-September.

Down the coast near Bella Coola is the less_known Tallheo Cannery. A short boat ride from town, the 1916 cannery's historic buildings, cosily renovated 1920 bunkhouse and restaurant, private beach and hiking trails are now open to visitors.

Further south, on Northern Vancouver Island, a number of cultural treasures are tucked away on off-shore islands and along back roads. Must-sees include the U'mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, accessible by ferry from Port McNeill. Here, a fascinating collection of Kwakwaka'wakw potlatch regalia, as well as modern works in cedar, silver, and gold, are housed in a model ceremonial Big House.

Another ferry will take you to Sointula, on Malcolm Island, to see the remains of an early 20th century Finnish commune. The newly expanded Sointula Museum tells the tale of a Utopian ideal gone awry (should you visit in the winter, appointments are recommended). Indeed, while a number of the colony's earliest residents departed, many families stayed on, with descendents of the commune – to this day – calling Sointula home.

A ferry back to Port McNeill and a short drive east takes you to the historic fishing village of Telegraph Cove, where brightly painted homes, net lofts, and boathouses rest on stilts along the ocean's edge. From here, whale watching boats head out to Johnstone Strait, one of the world's richest Orca habitats. At the village's new – and growing– Whale Interpretive Centre, staff have just unveiled their latest display: a complete 20-metre-long, 1,360-kilogram fin whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling; more skeletons are expected in the coming months. For winter months, guests can book a tour by appointment.

The Xats'ull Heritage Village is located north of Williams Lake.

About two hours south of Telegraph Cove is Campbell River and one of B.C.'s newest heritage attractions. The Campbell River Maritime Heritage Centre, opened to the public in 2005, is home to BCP 45, the fishing boat that once adorned the Canadian $5 bill, as well as an expanding collection of marine artifacts. Still under restoration, the boat itself is now a National Historic Site.

While here, don't miss the Museum at Campbell River. An award-winning regional museum, this treasure is rich with insights into First Nations and pioneer life on the Island, including a replica float house and a garden of indigenous plants.

Back on the mainland, it's real, rather than replica, buildings that populate Barkerville, a gold rush town 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Quesnel in B.C.'s Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region. The site of a major gold strike in the 1850s and once the biggest town west of Chicago and north of San Francisco, Barkerville is now the largest heritage attraction in Western Canada. With more than 130 restored buildings – including the newly-opened Nicol Hotel Museum – the town comes alive each summer with street theatre, musical theatre shows, stagecoach rides, and actors playing 1860s characters.

The Cariboo Chilcotin Coast is also rich in First Nations heritage sites. For example, at Xats'ull Heritage Village, north of Williams Lake, from May to October you can learn about the daily lives of the Xats'ull people, visit a sweat lodge, and learn to make traditional crafts. Visitors opting for the extended stay program can sleep in a teepee or pit house, visit with elders, and enjoy an immersion in Xats'ull culture.

Whether it's cultural immersion you're looking for, or just a taste of the province's rich and varied history, you'll find it somewhere in B.C. – if you know where to look. For more information see www.hellobc.com, or call toll-free 1-800-435-5622 (North America).

Further contacts
Arts & Cultural Guide to British Columbia: (888) 981-9886, www.art-bc.com

Barkerville Historic Town: (888) 994-3332, www.barkerville.ca

Campbell River Maritime Heritage Centre: (250) 286-3161, www.bcp45.org

Haida Heritage Centre at Qay'llnagaay: (250) 559-4643, Queen Charlotte Islands, BC www.haidaheritagecentre.com

Fort St. James National Historic Site: (250) 996-7191, www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/bc/stjames

Johnstone Strait Killer Whale Interpretive Centre: (250) 928-3129, www.killerwhalecentre.org

The 'Ksan Historical Village & Museum: (877) 842-5518, www.ksan.org

Museum at Campbell River: (250) 287-3103,www.crmuseum.ca

The Museum of Northern British Columbia: (250) 624-3207,www.museumofnorthernbc.com

North Pacific Historic Fishing Village: (250) 628-3538, www.cannery.ca

Sointula Museum: (250) 973-6683, www.island.net/~soinmuse

Tallheo Cannery: (250) 982-2344, www.centralcoastbc.com/tallheocannery

Telegraph Cove: (250) 928-3131 or (800) 200-4665, www.telegraphcoveresort.com

U'mista Cultural Centre and Museum: (250) 974-5403 or toll free 1-800-690-8222, www.umista.ca