Barkerville, B.C. – February 9, 2017
Once winter hits, Barkerville transforms into a playground for recreational activities, and thanks to the efforts of the Barkerville Heritage Trust and Northern Development Initiative Trust you can now visit the historic town and take in a magic carpet ride.
The Shamrock Lift and Tube Run is the newest activity in Barkerville where outdoor skating, backcountry snowshoeing, and sledding are already offered in the winter months. The Magic Carpet lift is a key feature of the newly opened Shamrock Lift and Tube Run, allowing tubers to enjoy their snowy runs without having to shuffle their way back up the hill.
Northern Development contributed $60,000 to the $170,000 project. These funds are additional to recent Trust support for improvements at Barkerville that include the visitor reception and outdoor activity centre, providing access to services such as food, gifts, first aid and a place to warm up in the winter months.
The historic site is located 81 kilometres east of Quesnel, nestled in the foothills of the Cariboo Mountains, traditionally attracting seasonal visitors from May through September. Recreational winter activities such as the Shamrock Lift and Tube Run is one of the ways the historic park is enhancing visitor experiences with the goal of becoming a year-round tourism destination. The project will provide not only off-season employment and income, but also the potential for other small businesses in nearby Wells to benefit from visitors, stimulating the local economy during the most difficult time of the year when both tourist and resident populations decrease.
The Shamrock Lift and Tube Run, named for the nearby historic Shamrock mine, will operate Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM until the snow leaves the hills (in Barkerville, that usually means mid-April). Shamrock Lift and Tube Run passes include lift ticket, tube rental, and optional helmet rental, all for the low daily price of $12.00 per adult/senior, or $10.00 per child or youth (under 18). Children under 42” in height ride free but must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Seasons passes and group bookings are available. Please contact Dawn Leroy at dleroy@barkerville.ca or 1-888-994-3332 for more information.
Quotes
Evan Saugstad, Board Chair, Northern Development Initiative Trust
Barkerville is not only of significant historical importance for the Cariboo, but also plays an important role in developing the tourism sector throughout our region. Northern Development is pleased to have again supported the expansion of off-season services to help develop the historic site’s ability to attract visitors, create jobs and build the local economy.
Don Basserman, Chair, Barkerville Heritage Trust
The Shamrock Lift & Tube Run is the first of many exciting offerings in Barkerville’s new Activities Season, and is already drawing families and folks from all around the region. The Barkerville Heritage Trust is committed to providing multi-season amenities and interactive programming for visitors to enjoy year-round.
Coralee Oakes, Cariboo North MLA
Offering unique experiences and rich historical significance, Barkerville is a wonderful place to visit and explore. The Magic Carpet lift will make an excellent addition to its many outdoor offerings, helping to build the site’s reputation as a choice year-round destination.
Robin Sharpe, Mayor, Wells
Barkerville’s new Shamrock Lift & Tube Run is a fun, low-impact outdoor activity for all age levels, and makes a wonderful addition to the wintertime recreation opportunities that have been the backbone of the Wells-Barkerville-Bowron Lake area for generations.
Todd Doherty, Cariboo-Prince George MP
Barkerville is a town rich in tradition where the very first Dominion Day in Canada was held, and where you can still pan for gold, or learn the ancient art of Chinese tea culture in one of Canada’s oldest Chinatowns. As we look toward Canada’s 150th anniversary, I am so pleased to welcome NDIT’s support for the Shamrock Lift and Tube Run, which will help ensure Barkerville continues to remain a top tourism destination in the North.
Quick Facts
- Northern Development’s Community Halls and Recreation Facilities program provides municipalities, regional districts, First Nations bands and registered non-profit organizations with up to 70% of a project’s budget to a maximum of $30,000 in funding to improve, expand, or develop facilities in order to increase the number of events held annually in the community, contributing to service sector revenues in the local economy.
- The Pine Beetle Recovery Account provides additional project funding for municipalities, regional districts, First Nation communities and non-profit organizations in Northern Development’s service area facing economic impacts related to Mountain Pine Beetle. The Cariboo region was one of the most impacted areas in the province during the 2011 outbreak.
- Northern Development has recently provided $183,991 in funding for other projects in Barkerville to help develop tourism-related activities in the region, including the Mid-Autumn Moon Chinese Festival and upgrades to both the Visitor Reception and Outdoor Activity Centre.
- Barkerville hosted close to 65,000 visitors in 2016.
About Northern Development Initiative Trust
Northern Development Initiative Trust combines funding with smart thinking to help Northern British Columbia thrive. The Trust was created for the north and is led by the north. Since 2005, Northern Development has found 2,500 ways to say “yes” to economic diversification in our region, attracting more than $1.3 billion in new investment to the region.
About Barkerville Heritage Trust
The Barkerville Heritage Trust is tasked with ensuring the continued operation of Barkerville as a high quality heritage site. They ensure that Barkerville continues to be recognized for its historical significance by being efficiently managed, educational and entertaining to visit and is sustained as a premier heritage resource attraction in B.C.
Contact
James Douglas
Manager, Visitor Experiences and Public Relations
Barkerville Heritage Trust
1-888-994-3332
james.douglas@barkerville.ca
