Provincial Heritage Properties

Barkerville Historic Town & Park

In 1862, Billy Barker found gold at Williams Creek, a discovery that started a rush of fortune seekers from all over the world. In its heyday Barkerville was the largest town in the Canadian West.
Today Barkerville endures as a town of discovery, a unique streetscape with over 125 heritage buildings, the Theatre Royal shows, exhibits, entertaining street theatre during the summer, and unique shops filled with Victorian-era merchandise. Popular special events are staged each summer.

Cottonwood House

Constructed on the Cariboo Wagon Road between 1864 and 1865, Cottonwood House served miners and travelers heading to Barkerville and the Cariboo gold fields, or going west and south to Quesnel and Victoria. Horses were changed and hearty meals were offered to stagecoach drivers and passengers, as well as accommodation. In the General Store across from the house, all the hardware and provisions needed for survival in the mountain wilderness were available. John Boyd's family welcomed travelers and managed.

• Learn more about Cottonwood House

Emily Carr House

With an architecture described as both "San Francisco" and "English Gingerbread", all agree that Emily Carr House is on the must-see list of Victoria's attractions. Centrally located only four blocks from the Inner Harbour and the Provincial Legislature, the house offers its visitors a chance to gain an insight into Canada's first- and best known - independent artist and writer.

Emily was born here in 1871, just six months after British Columbia moved from British colonial status to becoming a province in the world's newest nation. She used her brushes and pens to proclaim her pride in this part of Canada for the rest of her life.

To the Totem Forests: Emily Carr and Contemporaries Interpret Coastal Villages is a curated on-line exhibit which compares paintings and historical photographs of First Nations coastal villages in the early 20th century.

• Visit Emily Carr House

Fort Steele Town

Fort Steele was originally known as "Galbraith's Ferry" during the Kootenay Gold Rush of 1864. It was renamed in 1888 to honour the achievements of Superintendent Samuel Steele of the North West Mounted Police, who peacefully settled tensions between white settlers and the Ktunaxa people. Spurred on by rich mineral discoveries in the area during the 1890's, Fort Steele thrived as the commercial, social and administrative centre of the region. Built in 1898, when the BC Southern Railway bypassed the town in favour of nearby Cranbrook, Fort Steele quickly declined, becoming almost a ghost town.

Today, you'll enjoy dramatic re-enactments of the town's history, as costumed townsfolk present and debate the issues of the day while going about their business. Over 60 original or accurately reconstructed buildings show off the upbeat spirit of the1890's and make it easier for you to imagine you've traveled back in time. The southern Canadian Rockies provide a majestic backdrop, horses graze in the fields and the Kootenay River swings past the town-site.

• Go back in time at Fort Steele

 

Historic Hat Creek

Historic Hat Creek offers a rare opportunity to explore the original buildings of a key location in the transportation history of the Cariboo. The site also presents the story of early use of Bonaparte Valley by people of the Shuswap nation and their more recent contributions to the growth of the ranching industry.

Prominent among the 20 historic structures here is Hat Creek House, established in 1861 by former Hudson's Bay Company trader Donald McLean. Originally a small log building, it soon became popular as a stopping house offering good meals for travelers and was enlarged over the years.

• Explore Historic Hat Creek

Find out why Historic Hat Creek is important, who values it and what the community's vision is for its future.

• Conservation Management Plan for Historic Hat Creek Ranch (PDF, 3.6MB)

Kilby Store and Farm

Located near the confluence of the Harrison and Fraser Rivers, the Kilby Store and Farm stands as the only reminder of the once thriving community of Harrison Mills.
Step back in time and take a guided tour of Kilby Store and Farm with its magnificent 1906 General Store Museum. Visitors may view a fascinating gallery of products and packaging dating back to the 1920s and 1930s.  Don't miss the intriguing artifacts in the Heritage Post Office and Manchester House Hotel.

• Ask us about Kilby Store and Farm

Point Ellice House

Positioned overlooking the scenic and historic Selkirk Water/Gorge Waterway, Point Ellice House, constructed between 1861 and 1862, is among the oldest homes in Victoria. In 1975, John and Inez O’Reilly sold their family home, Point Ellice House, to the Province of British Columbia. Taking only a few personal items, they turned the house over, complete with 108 years of family possessions: furniture, dishes, luggage, letters, pictures, paintings, musical instruments, clothing, and much more.

Victoria and British Columbia changed rapidly around Point Ellice House. Similar houses and properties were demolished, but Point Ellice House, its contents, and its gardens remain; it still has stories to tell.

• Take a trip back in time at Point Ellice House

Yale Historic Site 

Set along the banks of the mighty Fraser River, the Yale Historic Site allows visitors to explore the stories that shaped history in unexpected ways. Stroll along the pathways to experience the tranquil surroundings under the shade of the historic copper beech tree, wander through the pews of the St. John the Divine Church, and visit the Creighton House as it undergoes a reimaging of how it shares the stories of the community. With new exhibits and interactive features, this space is set to become a great draw for visitors travelling through the Fraser Canyon. Just a bit further down the road, visitors can also take a moment to relax in the gardens of the On Lee property. The site of a store and home of a prominent member of the Chinese community in Yale is off the beaten path in Yale, but well worth a visit to understand the Chinese community's contribution.

• Learn more about the Yale Historic Site