Quesnel, British Columbia

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Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada

Motto: In Situ
Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada.
Census division
Regional District	Cariboo Regional District
Area:	35.34 km²
Founded
Incorporated	1928
Population City Population	10,481 (2001)
Population density	296.6/km²
Time zone	Pacific: UTC -8
Postal code span	V2J***
Latitude Longitude	52°58′42.4″N, 122°29′33.6″W
Elevation	474 m MSL
Highways	Highway 97
Waterways	Bowron Lake Fraser River
Mayor
Governing body	Quesnel City Council
http://www.city.quesnel.bc.ca/
1(sc) According to the Canada 2001 Census. 2(gr) Geographic references.

Quesnel is a city in the Cariboo District of British Columbia, Canada. Located nearly evenly between the two larger cities of Prince George and Williams Lake, it is on the main route to Northern British Columbia and the Yukon. It is claimed to be home to one of the world's largest gold pans (disputed by Nome, Alaska and others). Quesnel is known for having a very competitive rivalry with Williams Lake.^{[citation needed]}

Quesnel is sister city to Shiraoi, Japan and Val d'Or, Quebec. Quesnel hosted the 2000 British Columbia Winter Games, an annual provincial amateur sports competition. To the east of Quesnel lies Wells, Barkerville, and Bowron Lake Provincial Park, a popular canoeing destination in the Cariboo Mountains.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Administration 3 History 4 Festivities 5 Economy 6 External links

[edit] Geography

• Location: 52°59′N 122°29′W
• Elevation: 474 m (1,555 feet)
• Average Annual Snowfall: 166 cm/year
• Average Annual Rainfall: 36 cm/year
• Frost Free Days: 179
• Average Winter Temperature: - 5 C
• Extreme Minimum Temperature: - 46.7 C
• Average Summer Temperature: 16 C
• Extreme Maximum Temperature: 40.6 C
• Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time

[edit] Administration

City council:

• Mayor: Nate Bello (elected November 2005)
• Peter Couldwell
• Mary Sjostrom
• Ron Paull
• Sushil Thapar
• Ron Craigmyle
• Coarlee Oakes

Canadian Federal Member of Parliament:

• Dick Harris, Conservative Party of Canada

Member of British Columbia Legislative Assembly:

• Bob Simpson, New Democratic Party of British Columbia

[edit] History

Quesnel was originally called 'Quesnellemouth' to distinguish it from 'Quesnel Forks', 60 miles up river. In 1870 it had been shortened to Quesnelle and by 1900 it was spelled the way it is now. Quesnel is located along the gold mining trail known as the Cariboo Wagon Road and was the commercial centre of the Cariboo Gold Rush. The name ultimately derives from Jules Maurice Quesnel, who accompanied Simon Fraser on his journey to the Pacific Ocean. It also marks one end of the Alexander MacKenzie Heritage Trail.

[edit] Festivities

Billy Barker Days is held every year on the third weekend in July. It's to celebrate Quesnel's heritage and the first gold miner, William Barker (for whom Barkerville is named), to strike it rich in the Quesnel area. There is a large fair in downtown's Lebourdais park. Throughout the weekend there are performers from all over Canada, from the great band Trooper to the inspirational "Yael Wand." There are contests and prizes, as well as many fun things for children to do, including a "kids day", where all the rides are on for a special price and all the entertainment is geared towards the younger children. The food is quite popular too, with many locals who set up food booths. The Rodeo goes on all weekend, and the whole thing ends with a fireworks display on Sunday evening.

[edit] Economy

Quesnel runs on its forestry industry. Home to 8 different factories, including a medium density fiber plant, plywood plant and two pulp mills, it produces enough income to support more than 27000 citizens. Because of Northern British Columbia's small population, it is surrounded by lakes and virtually untouched wilderness for hundreds of kilometers in any direction. Quesnel's economy is also reliant on the tourism industry, the minerals, and many locally produced goods. Although in the past Quesnel's largest economic resource has been forestry, today the Mountain Pine Beetle has forced Quesnel's Economic Development sector to rethink the city's economy. The Pine Beetle infests juvenile and mature timber, making it useless for most purposes in the forestry industry and therefore eventually closing the industry in certain areas of British Columbia.

[edit] External links

• City of Quesnel website
• North Cariboo Visitors website