[BCMA] Fwd: BC's Gold Rush Town Set to Host Party of the Century (and a Half!)

Fri May 18 09:41:20 PDT 2012

  -------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	BC's Gold Rush Town Set to Host Party of the Century (and a 
Half!)
Date: 	Tue, 15 May 2012 14:43:35 -0700
From: 	James Douglas <JDouglas at barkerville.ca>

*_FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE_*

**

*BC's Gold Rush Town Set to Host Party of the Century (and a Half!)*

*May 15, 2012 (Barkerville, BC) --*Imagine... hand-digging through 
layers of soggy, worthless, frustrating gravel, hoping and praying the 
next shovel-stroke will expose a fortune in gold.  Twenty feet, thirty 
feet, forty feet: everyone says it's crazy, but there's too much at 
stake.  Then, just when the outcome seems impossibly bleak, at a depth 
of fifty-two feet, the ground begins to pay.  The lead is struck, and 
the greatest creek-side placer gold deposit the world has ever seen is 
suddenly yours for the taking.

This is Barkerville's story.

The Cariboo region of British Columbia's central interior has been 
profoundly shaped by gold, thanks in large part to a simple, 
working-class English prospector named Billy Barker. In August 1862, 
Barker helped spearhead a twenty-year, multi-billion dollar industrial 
revolution that literally helped to build a Province.   The 
extraordinary historic town of Barkerville, named in Billy's honour, now 
stands as a living testament to these golden beginnings.  Declared a 
National Historic Site of Canada in 1923, and later a Provincial 
Heritage Site in 1958, Barkerville is now the largest living-history 
museum in western North America.

"We are proud to be celebrating our 150^th anniversary in 2012," said 
James Douglas, Barkerville's Manager of Visitor Experiences.  "And the 
year is full of exciting adventures for the more than 65,000 
international visitors who flock to 'BC's Gold Rush Town' annually."

"Many of those visitors remain enamoured with Barkerville long after 
their trip," Douglas added. "We are doubly proud to have received our 
second platinum award as 'Favourite Historical Site in British Columbia' 
in /RVwest Magazine/'s sixth annual Readers' Choice Awards."

The signature event for Barkerville's year-long sesquicentennial 
celebrations takes place August 11^th & 12^th , 2012.  This 'Discovery 
Day' weekend will officially commemorate the 150^th anniversary of Billy 
Barker's astonishing gold discovery in 1862, and the subsequent birth of 
Barkerville Historic Town.  During the two day gala visitors to 
Barkerville will be treated to the triumphant return of the Canadian 
National Gold Panning Championships, hosted by 5-time World Invitational 
Gold Panning Champion and lifetime Barkerville resident, Scott Rea.

On Monday, May 21st, Barkerville will kick off its 150^th anniversary 
season with the annual Victoria Day Royal Tea at the famous Wake Up Jake 
Coffee Saloon and Restaurant. 'Queen Victoria' and Her Majesty's royal 
escort will be in attendance for several sittings during this popular, 
historically interpretive event.  Be sure to call 1-888-994-3332 for 
more details, or visit www.barkerville.ca <http://www.barkerville.ca> to 
keep updated on all the sesquicentennial fun at Barkerville in 2012!

*- 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

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

barkerville.wordpress.com

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