[BCMA] Fwd: Billy Barker's Great-Great-Granddaughter to attend 150th anniversary celebrations at Barkerville Historic Town, August 11th & 12th

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Billy Barker's Great-Great-Granddaughter to attend 150th 
anniversary celebrations at Barkerville Historic Town, August 11th & 12th
Date: 	Tue, 7 Aug 2012 15:34:06 -0700
From: 	James Douglas <JDouglas at barkerville.ca>



*_For Immediate Release_*

**

*Billy Barker’s Great-Great-Granddaughter to attend 150^th anniversary 
celebrations at Barkerville Historic Town, August 11^th & 12^th *

*August 7, 2012 (Barkerville, BC)*– Elaine Edgington, the 
great-great-granddaughter of Barkerville namesake William “Billy” 
Barker, is leaving her home in England this week and heading straight 
for the historic town in British Columbia’s Cariboo region that was 
named after her ancestor 150 years ago.

Mrs. Edgington, who is a descendant of the wife and daughter Billy 
Barker was forced to leave behind in Cambridgeshire when he first 
travelled to North America to look for work in the late 1840s, will be 
Barkerville’s guest of honour at the 2012 Canadian National Gold Panning 
Championships August 11^th & 12^th , and will speak at a special 
“Discovery Day” ceremony planned for 3:30pm on Sunday.

“We really must thank Supporting Sponsor /Williams Creek Gold Limited/, 
as well as the Government of Canada’s /Building Communities Through Arts 
& Heritage/ program, for helping make our Discovery Day celebrations 
possible,” said Fairlith Harvey, Barkerville’s Special Events 
Coordinator. “These two groups, together with Community Supporters /the 
District of Wells/ and /the Wells Chamber of Commerce/, and Print Media 
Sponsor /The Prince George Citizen/, are helping make Barkerville’s 
Discovery Day a fabulous 150^th anniversary event.”

“Discovery Day,” which caps off a weekend of sesquicentennial 
celebrations at Barkerville, is the National Historic Site of Canada’s 
official commemoration of Billy Barker’s astonishing placer gold strike 
in August of 1862. Barker and his partners “discovered” a 30-foot layer 
of rich gold-bearing gravel 52 feet below the surface of lower Williams 
Creek that averaged a hundred ounces of gold per day. This auriferous 
find not only gave birth to the extraordinary heritage site known as 
Barkerville, it spearheaded a 20-year, multi-billion dollar industrial 
revolution that literally helped build the Province of BC. Discovery Day 
events will include musical performances throughout the town, a brand 
new Billy Barker historical interpretation, a visit from “The Spirit of 
Cariboo Cameron,” and a 100+ pound “Happy Birthday Barkerville” cake.

Rounding out Barkerville’s weekend of 150^th anniversary fun is the 2012 
Canadian National Gold Panning Championships, presented by Integris 
Credit Union. Hosted by Barkerville’s own five-time World Invitational 
Gold Panning Champion, Scott Rea, the 2012 Canadian National Gold 
Panning Championships is a two-day extravaganza that is sure to appeal 
to gold enthusiasts of all ages. Competition categories include child, 
adult, seniors, professionals, teams, dash for the dentist (a children’s 
candy-hunt), scavenger pile (an adult free-for-all), grudge match, and 
King of the Creek (the ultimate contest for bragging rights and a 
$1000.00 cash prize). Each category has cash prizes and sponsored gifts 
for the winners (including a $1500.00 high bank sluice for the adults 
courtesy of Greywolf Highbankers, and a Razor electric scooter for the 
kids). Anyone can participate, provided they register 10 minutes prior 
to each event.

In addition to Presenting Sponsor Integris Credit Union’s generous 
contribution to Barkerville’s Gold Panning Championships, Barkerville 
would like to thank Community Sponsor (and Event organizer) Eldorado 
Gold & Gifts, Community Supporters the District of Wells and the Wells 
Chamber of Commerce, Print Media Sponsor The Prince George Citizen, and 
Radio sponsor 94X Prince George.

*- 30 -*

**

*ABOUT BARKERVILLE HISTORIC TOWN*

Barkerville Historic Town is the largest historic site in Western North 
America (www.barkerville.ca).  Barkerville is provincially, nationally 
and internationally recognized for its historic significance associated 
with its place in western Canada’s gold rush era and the role the gold 
rush played in BC joining Canada. Barkerville is widely known as a “must 
see” for travel itineraries in western Canada.  The historic town is 
also a significant contributor to the Cariboo regional economy and is 
widely regarded as a unique component of the regional identity.

The Barkerville Heritage Trust, as Barkerville’s operating and managing 
partner, works in conjunction with the Province of British Columbia, the 
owner and statutory guardian of Barkerville’s heritage resources, to 
ensure that Barkerville is efficiently managed, entertaining and 
educational to visitors, and financially stable as the premier heritage 
resource and tourism attraction for the Cariboo. The ultimate aim is to 
maintain and enhance Barkerville’s position as a nationally significant 
heritage resource and tourism attraction for British Columbia and Canada.

Barkerville is situated 80 km east of Quesnel, British Columbia in the 
foothills of the Cariboo Mountains, close to Troll Mountain Ski Resort 
and Bowron Lake Provincial Park. The nearby community of Wells (8 km 
from Barkerville) is the service and housing centre for the area 
(www.wellsbc.com) and is itself a dynamic cultural community, home of 
Island Mountain Arts, the acclaimed Toni Onley Artists’ Project, the 
International Celtic Harp School (www.imarts.com), the dynamic indie 
music festival ArtsWells (www.artswells.com), and the Sunset Theatre 
(www.sunset-theatre.com). Wells is also situated close to a wide variety 
of winter and summer outdoor activities.

*MEDIA INQUIRIES*

James Douglas | Manager, Visitor Experiences

B  A  R  K  E  R  V  I  L  L  E     H  I  S  T  O  R   I  C     T  O  W  N

Box 19 | Barkerville, BC | V0K 1B0

250-994-3302 ext. 41 | 888-994-3332 toll free | 250-994-3435 fax

james.douglas at barkerville.ca

www.barkerville.ca <http://www.barkerville.ca/>

barkerville.wordpress.com


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