2018 LILLOOET & AREA VISITORS GUIDE
Year-Round Adventure
Your new life awaits
Come explore the opportunities Lillooet has to offer. Discover our potential, Reap the rewards. F or more in f ormation , p lease see ou r w eb p ag e: lillooetc hamb erof c ommerc e. c a or c all u s at 2 5 0 - 2 5 6 - 3 5 7 8
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Geocaching in Lillooet Lillooet boasts many geocache sites to find that have breath taking views, cultural points of interest or historical significance. Come and seek the unique hidden treasures that are tucked away in the scenic District of Lillooet.
Fishing R ocks at X wisten Old Bridg e GC1TQF9 Lower Se ton GC1TTXQ Kaoham S Spawning Channe l GC1TT huttle RH Red Rock GC1VKHP Burkhold er Lake T GC1V1V4 rail Camelsfo ot Peak T GC3QN6R rail Horsesho e Bend Tra GC3QN8Q il Mission R idge Trail GC3QN7Z Pavilion L ake GC3QN60 Seton Rid ge Trail GC3P2XW GC3QN9X http://www.exploregoldcountry.com/things-to-do/geocaching/
Cayoosh Creek Scenic campground on the shore of the Fraser River. • RV sites (some pull-through) with 30 & 50 amp service. • Non-serviced (tenting) sites. • Sani-Dump service. • Washroom facilities with hot showers, toilets and sinks. • Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. • Potable water sources are spread throughout the campground.
Phone: 250-256-7527 Toll Free: (877) 748-2628 Fax: 250-256-4037 Email: cayooshcreek@lillooetbc.ca 3
The Community Banner Project – a unique way to say Welcome! Lillooet has come up with a distinctive way to say, “Welcome to Our Community!” – a series of vividly colourful one-ofa-kind banners stretching from Station Hill all the way to the Old Mill Plaza at the northern end of Main Street. The banners depict iconic local images ranging from a pack trip into the backcountry, leaping Fraser River salmon and Bighorn sheep to the Old Bridge, quilts, towering mountains and local wine and honey. As you stroll along Main Street look for other im-
ages that include a tribute to a local musician and a teacher’s contribution incorporating her pre-school students’ drawings. Notice how the sun hits the banners and the colours come through. The Community Banner project is truly a community project. In its first year in 2015, approximately 250 people were involved in bringing the dream into reality. Loggers harvested the wood used to frame the banners while they were being painted; the woodworking class at Lillooet Secondary
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Reservations 1-877-655-5506 or 250-256-4202 1237 Main Street Lillooet, BC
School crafted the frames; businesses donated paint and brushes; and an inspired group of artists volunteered their talent and time. When the banners were completed, other volunteers applied varathane to protect the banners, which were hung along the street by the local cable guy. The artists who design the banners make coloured drawings of their chosen images to scale, then transfer the outlines to acetate sheets and project them onto the cloth to be drawn in with pencil. Only then does the painting begin and since the paint doesn’t penetrate the fabric, the image has to be painted twice, front and
back. Surveying the striking banners that are so representative of Lillooet, original project co-ordinator Ale Waterhouse-Hayward observes, “In a rugged place, you can still have art and beauty.”
16TH A
Brand REG’D
• Camping • Fishing • unting • Clothing Footwear • ikes ccessories NNUAL
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ook your rips here!
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250-256-4848
• Superb Alfalfa\Sweet Clover Honey • Pure Natural Beeswax Candles
winnersedge@shaw.ca
FIELDS LOGO STANDARDS v2014-01
From housewares & sporting goods to footwear and fashion, you’ll find it at FIELDS
62 LOCATIONS ACROSS WESTERN CANADA TO SERVE YOU 155 Main Street • Lillooet • 250-256-7555 • www.fields.ca
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TOURS, GROUPS, & BUSES WELCOME!
250-256-7231
CARIBOO APIARIES
4007 Moha Rd. Lillooet, B.C. 4 km North on Hwy 40 to Gold Bridge at the Bottom of the Hill
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The Best of Lillooet
Photo:Kevin Aitken
What makes Lillooet Lillooet? Is it the spectacular mountain scenery with its call to adventure? The great climate (hot summers and mild winters)? The strong Aboriginal heritage that flourishes here? The spirit of the place? The diversity and independence of the people who call it home? It is all that and more. And now it is yours to explore. Let’s begin with some of the best activities, attractions, stories and amenities Lillooet has to offer. AROUND TOWN
Lillooet’s Farmers Market is open every Friday from early May to the Thanksgiving weekend in October. Check out the local produce for sale, sample bannock (a traditional Aboriginal fry bread) or fritters, buy jam or a home-baked pie for the road or the campsite. Browse through the crafts for sale, perhaps listen to an impromptu performance by local musicians, meet old friends and make new ones. Dining options. Named one of the Top Five Places to Eat in the Seato-Sky Corridor, the Kitchen at Fort Berens Estate Winery opens May 18. 6
Executive chef JS Ouellette, who worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, blends fresh, local ingredients and classic old-world techniques. Enjoy exquisite food and friendly, attentive service; savour an award-winning wine; feel the summer breeze on the patio; and drink in the view over the lush green vineyards towards the Coast Mountains. The kitchen’s open daily for lunch, with a la carte dinner service on weekends, special wine-paired dinners and tapas nights during the season. Visitors can also enjoy outdoor dining on the patio at Dina’s Place Restaurant, which specializes in Greek dishes such as souvlaki, spanakopita and moussaka as well as pastas. Check out the homemade soups, sandwiches and treats at the Rugged Bean. Subway is a quick and convenient lunch option, and the Burger Family continues to satisfy hungry appetites at A&W. The DeOro Coffee Lounge is a comfortable place to relax over specialty organic coffees or enjoy a selection from the juice bar. Adding to your options is the delicious, fresh local food being served at Abundance Artisan Bakery’s Main Street location.
Other cafes serve sushi and Chinese food. Or ask a local and they will point you in whatever direction your taste buds crave.
and fractures all have different qualities. For good luck, Asian visitors rub the tall jade boulders at the Jadehenge.
The Jade Walk is a relaxing stroll through downtown Lillooet. Start at the Jadehenge at the Lillooet Museum and Visitor Centre and proceed along Main Street, pausing to admire the 30 pieces of jade on display. These art pieces have been cut, polished and mounted to reveal each individual “face” of jade, whose colours, shapes
Margaret “Ma” Murray was undoubtedly Lillooet’s most famous resident. She gained fame as the inimitable firebrand editor of the Bridge River-Lillooet News, and was known for her courageous and sometimes outrageous political commentary. The paper’s masthead proclaimed, “Printed in the sagebrush coun-
Lillooet Museum and Visitors Centre Celebrating Lillooet’s History! • See artifacts from the Cariboo Gold Rush days • First Nations Displays • View the old presses & printing equipment used by ‘Ma’ Murray to print the Bridge River - Lillooet News • Free local, regional & provincial information & maps
OPENING April 24th, 2018
We can help you make BC Ferries & Accommodation Reservations and so much more! FREE WIFI OPEN - JULY & AUGUST - Every Day - 9 am to 5 pm MAY, JUNE, SEPT. & OCT. - Tues. to Sat. - 10 am to 4 pm
Public Washrooms located in Museum
www.lillooetbc.ca 790 Main Street, Lillooet, B.C. 250-256-4308 lillmuseum@cablelan.net 7
Lillooet Business Directory ACCOMMODATIONS
4 PINES MOTEL 108 8th Ave. 250-256-4247 CAYOOSH CREEK CAMPGROUND 100 Hwy 99 S 250-256-4180 FRASER COVE CAMPGROUND 1234 Davis Rd. 250-256-0142 HOTEL DEORO 639 Main St. 250-256-2355 LIL’TEM’ HOTEL & CRANE’S LANDING RV PARK Seton Portage 250-259-8052 MILE 0 MOTEL 616 Main St. 250-256-7511 RETASKET LODGE & RV PARK 1264 Bouvette Rd. 250-256-2090 REYNOLDS HOTEL 1237 Main St. 250-256-4202 WILLOWS AT 6 MILE www.willowscampground.com 250-256-0429
AUTOMOTIVE
INTEGRA TIRE & LILLOOET GLASS 561 Main St. 250-256-4111 KAL TIRE 249 Main St. 250-256-4198 LILLOOET AUTO BODY & TOWING 205 Main St 250-256-4687 LORDCO AUTO PARTS Old Mill Plaza 250-256-0599
CHURCHES
BETTER LIVING CENTRE-7TH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH 603 Main St. 250-256-9218 LILLOOET GOSPEL CHAPEL 1147 Main St. 250-256-7655 ST. MARY’S ANGLICAN/ST. ANDREW’S UNITED CHURCH 577 Main St. 250-256-7037
DINING/BARS
A & W RESTAURANT 165 Main St. 250-256-7789 DEANO’S PIZZA 107 7th Ave. 250-256-0064 DINA’S PLACE 690 Main St. 250-256-4264 FORT BERENS ESTATE WINERY 1881 Hwy 99 North 250-256-7788
Bridge River
Established by ‘Ma’ Murray in 1934
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 66 737 Main St 250-256-7332 RUGGED BEAN CAFE 824 Main St. SUBWAY Across from Old Mill Plaza 250-256-7807
RECREATION
BLACKCOMB AVIATION www.blackcombaviation.com 250-256-6000 DISTRICT OF LILLOOET REC CENTRE 930 Main St. 250-256-7527 FRASER CANYON RIVER RANCH 250-256-9282 HAYLMORE HERITAGE SITE Haylmore Lane, Gold Bridge HISTORIC HAT CREEK RANCH www.hatcreekranch.ca 250-457-9722 KUMSHEEN RAFTING RESORT 1345 Trans-Canada Hwy, Lytton 250-455-2296 LILLOOET MEMORIAL CURLING CLUB 178 Mountainview Rd. 250-256-4370 LILLOOET SHEEP PASTURE GOLF COURSE 5000 Texas Creek Rd. 250-256-0550 MIYAZAKI HOUSE 643 Russell Lane 250-256-6808 Thompson/Okanagan SEKW’EL’WÁS EXPERIENCE TOURS Hwy 99 S 250-256-0002 XWISTEN EXPERIENCE TOURS www.xwisten.ca 250-256-7844
RETAIL
ABUNDANCE ARTISAN BAKERY 77 8th St. 250-256-8756 BUY-LOW FOODS Old Mill Plaza 250-256-7922 CARIBOO APIARIES 4007 Moha Rd. 250-256-7231 FIELDS DEPARTMENT STORE Old Mill Plaza 250-256-7555 IDA LILLOOET PHARMACY 656 Main St. 250-256-7538 LILLOOET FARMERS MARKET May - October Fridays 250-256-7797 LILLOOET TIMBER MART 129 Moran Place 250-256-4141 LINDA’S PLACE ON MAIN 777 Main St. 250-256-1884 OLD AIRPORT GARDENS FARM MARKET Hwy 12 South 250-256-7051
Lillooet News www.lillooetnews.net
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PHARMASAVE Old Mill Plaza 250-256-4262 WINNER’S EDGE 644 Main St. 250-256-4848
SERVICES
BLACK TUSK/ROYAL LEPAGE REALTY 250-2567-8383 BRIDGE RIVER - LILLOOET NEWS 979 Main St. 250-256-4219 CAYUSE FLATS TRANSPORT Hwy 99 250-256-7155 DIRECT ELECTRIC 250-256-4157 DISTRICT OF LILLOOET 615 Main St. 250-256-4289 HUB INTERNATIONAL BARTON INSURANCE 682 Main St. 250-256-7596 LIGHTFOOT GAS Hwy 99 S 250-256-0010 LILLOOET CONTRACTING 109 Main St. 250-256-7669 LILLOOET & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.lillooetchamberofcommerce.com 250-256-3578 LILLOOET ELKS 250-256-7972 LILLOOET LIONS CLUB 250-256-1968 LILLOOET MUSEUM & VISITORS CENTRE 790 Main St. 250-256-4308 LILLOOET NATURALIST SOCIETY www.lillooetnaturalistsociety.org LILLOOET PUBLIC LIBRARY 930 Main St. 250-256-7944 LILLOOET REGIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES SOCIETY www.lriss.ca 250-256-4292 RADIO LILLOOET www.radiolillooet.ca 250-999-2086 RE/MAX REAL ESTATE LILLOOET 909 Main St. 250-256-7166 THOMPSON VALLEY FUNERAL HOME www.tvfh.ca 1-800-295-5138 TRADEWINDS HAIR PLUS Old Mill Plaza 250-256-7431
The Lillooet Visitors Guide is produced by The Bridge River - Lillooet News. www.lillooetnews.net • Email: pub@lillooetnews.net Toll Free: 1-877-300-8569 • Phone 250-256-4219 Fax: 250-256-4210 • Cover Photo Credit: evin it en
try of the Lillooet every Thursday, God willing. Guarantees a chuckle every week and a belly laugh once a month or your money back. This week’s circulation 1,744 and every bloody one of them paid for.” Ma’s legacy lives on in the Lillooet Museum, where her newspaper office has been re-created; in the B.C. and Yukon Community Newspaper Association’s annual Ma Murray Awards; and in the Lillooet News, which celebrated its 84th birthday this spring.
The REC Centre is the heart of Lillooet. Paying the drop-in fee gives visitors access to the public swims in the indoor pool (opening tentatively from May to July); the weight room, squash court and the bouldering wall, where wannabe mountaineers can test their climbing skills; as well as public skating in the arena in the winter. The arena also hosts numerous league hockey games and tournaments during the colder months.
The REC Centre – the REC stands for Recreational, Educational and Cultural – is home to Radio Lillooet (CHLS-FM, 100.5 on your dial), and the popular Lillooet Library, which offers public computers, youth nights, movie nights and other activities. The Sporting Life For a small community, Lillooet has more than its share of excellent athletes. In just this past year,
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Your Proud Community Supporter! Top quality produce, fresh bakery, deli & meats and award-winning service
Old Mill Plaza 250-256-7922 10
Lillooet Secondary School’s Wildfire wrestling team finished fifth out of 150 teams at the Western Canada Age Class Championship, with the team bringing home nine individual medals; boxer Jade Goldie won the Provincial Championship in the women’s welterweight division; motocross rider Blake Watkinson (Master Class) earned gold for the second time at the Pacific Northwest Motocross Championships; and rughy player and LSS student Callie
Photo:Debra Neufeld
Harder and her Team BC teammates won silver at the Las Vegas International Championships and bronze at the Canadian National Championships. In the coaching category, Lillooet Rowing Club founder Debra Neufeld received two prestigious awards acknowledging her contributions to women in sports. Last year, both the Midget Girls and Bantam Girls hockey teams won district championships in the OMAHA (Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association).
As well, the dedicated volunteers at Just Do It Sports provide coaching and mentoring for youth in their soccer, boxing and golf programs. Taste the difference. The Lillooet area has been known for its agricultural produce since the 1920s when a box of Seton Portage apples was delivered to Buckingham Palace every year. Today while shopping in local stores, be sure to pick up organic greens from Green Dirt Farm, garlic from Ucwalmicw’s Community Garden, organic carrots
Lightfoot Gas
TAKE YOUR PICK! Old Airport Gardens Farm Market
Pizza available for pick up! Fresh Made Daily: sandwiches, soup, pasta and more!
• B.C.’s Best Tomatoes • Fruits, Veggies, Herbs • U-Pick • We Pick Phone/Fax: 250-256-7051
Full Service Gas Station & Convenience Store Open Daily from 7am - 11pm
1/4 Mile South of Lillooet Turn-Off on Hwy 12
250-256-0010
Kitchen Open 6 days a week 7am - 6pm Mon - Sat 7 am - 7 pm Fridays
Highway 99 South
Make Hotel DeOro your home during your visit to our area. Located in the heart of historic downtown Lillooet, Hotel DeOro is one of the finest accommodations available.
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Our on-site coffee lounge uses only 100% organic, fair trade coffee and espresso beans to ensure the purest of aromas. Drop by for great music, or snuggle up on one of our comfy couches.
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grown at Fountainview Farms and Golden Cariboo Honey produced by local bees working for Cariboo Apiaries. If you love fresh, healthy homegrown produce – and who doesn’t? – be sure to visit Old Airport Gardens on Highway 12 in East Lillooet. Believe it when they say their tomatoes are the best in B.C., with that just-picked, fresh-from-the-vine aroma of Lillooet’s sun and soil. It’s not unusual for folks from the Lower Mainland to make their annual trip here to take home a hundred kilos of tomatoes for canning, preserving and
plain gold eating. The Abundance Artisan Bakery sells cookies, sourdough ryes, challah, a very popular flax bread, baguettes, cinnamon buns bursting with local fruits and berries, sausage rolls made with local beef and two kinds of croissants (the chocolate croissants are deliciously decadent.) Fort Berens Estate Winery operates the first commercial vineyard in Lillooet. Named for the Hudson’s Bay Company Fort that began construction here in 1859 on what is now the winery site, Fort Berens wines have won acclaim nationally and
internationally. In 2017, Fort Berens’ 2016 Chardonnay won silver at the National Wine Awards and at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. Its 2016 Pinot Gris took home a gold medal at the All Canadian Wine Championships, and the 2016 Riesling and the 2016 Dry Riesling each won gold at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition and at the Pacific Rim Wine Competition. There’s more positive news in the future for Fort Berens. This year the winery is expanding its vineyard, planting four acres of Merlot and five
• Free WiFi • 5 30 amp a ailable Po er and Water • Sani-Dump ot Sho er Fire Wood Pet Friendl • Shad Ri erfront Sand Beach Tent Sites • Stur eon Fishin from the Beach • Scenic al or bi e o er istoric ld Brid e to Shoppin Mall • 5 m north of A ard Winnin Fort Berens state Winer
23 Da is Road ust off pmortensen65 12
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acres of Cab Franc grapes. Just up the road from Fort Berens on Highway 99 is JAR Enterprises – an aquaponics business selling greens, herbs and fresh produce. Ask to see their giant salad spinner! And up the hill from JAR is the Bitterbine Hop Farm, home to Harvesters of Organic Hops (HOOH). Established in 2009, the local farm serves B.C.’s growing micro-brewing industry. In 2013, Old Jalopy Ale – the Canadian Brewing Awards Beer of the Year – was made with organic hops grown at Bitterbine. And Pemberton Distillery makes a Lillooet Apricot Liqueur from – you’ll never guess! – Lillooet apricots. A Little Night Music While you’re visiting, check out the ads in the Lillooet News, the Lillooet and Area Calendar of Events (LACE) at http://lillooetcalendar.com/calendar/ and posters, websites and the Community Kiosk for the latest info on what’s happening on the entertainment scene. The Miyazaki House will be offering a 2018 summer outdoor concert series on Wednesday evenings, starting on July 4. BYOLC (Bring Your Own Lawn Chair) or stretch out on a blanket on the lawn and enjoy live music at the gazebo. Lillooet Music offers a winter/spring concert season ranging from square dancing and folk singers to Broadway pop and improv comedy. Fort Berens Estate Winery is another venue for live music. St’at’imc communities and organizations host powwows. They’re an opportunity to see St’at’imc singers, drummers and dancers perform and learn more about Aboriginal tradition and culture. Visitors are welcome and are asked to respect the “No alcohol/no drugs” rules.
Photo: Allan Ogilvie Photography
A performance by dancer Laura Grizzlypaws in “Grizz,” her majestic grizzly bear regalia, will give you memories that last a lifetime. The T’it’q’et community
Lillooet Memorial Curling Club
• 4 Sheets of Jet Ice • Bar & Lounge • Lockers • Concession • Pro Shop
Season runs from October to the end of March, ending with our fun-filled April Fool’s Bonspiel!
Leagues • Ladies Please email for specific • Mens days and • Mixed times. • Drop-In
178 Mountainview Rd., LILLOOET 250-256-4370 www.lillooetcurling.ca lillooetmcc@gmail.com
Quiet, Comfortable & Clean in Downtown Lillooet 2 1/2 Stars on Canada’s Select Star Rating
4pines
• 47 Units • Air Conditioned • Cable TV • Kitchenette • Honeymoon Suites with Jacuzzis • Suites with Jet Tubs • Guest Laundry • Direct Dial Phones/Voice Mail • Internet Access available • Seniors Discount • Reasonable Rates • Complimentary Tea, Coffee & Ice
MOTEL
Toll-Free Reservations
1-800-753-2576 Ph: 250-256-4247 Fax: 250-256-4120
www.4pinesmotel.com 108 8th Ave. Lillooet, BC
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is the home of Juno-award winning singer-songwriter-musician-actor George Leach. Seeing him perform before a hometown audience is another special memory. THE GREAT OUTDOORS Come Fly with Me. Is it time to get down on bended knee and pop the question? Do it in high style on a mountaintop with stunning vistas and popping champagne corks. Blackcomb Helicopters offers heli fishing, alpine picnics, sightseeing, hiking and flights to uniquely romantic locations for proposals and weddings. Local pilot Scott Taylor is a world traveler himself and joined an expedition to Antarctica two years ago. With Gold Bridge as a base, take a flight-seeing tour for a once-ina-lifetime flight to the Lillooet Ice Fields’ Bridge Glacier. Watch ice bergs calve into the glacier’s lake and take a walk to the toe of the two-kilometre long mass of ice. British Columbia Magazine calls the Bridge Glacier flight one of B.C.’s Top 7 Tours. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt using GPS enabled devic-
es. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then try to find the geocache container hidden at that spot a treasure hunt. There are 11 fun and fascinating geocaching locations in the Lillooet area. They are the Xwisten fishing rocks, the Old Bridge over the Fraser River, the Lower Seton Spawning
Channels, the Kaoham Shuttle, Red Rock, the Burkholder Lake Trail, Camelsfoot Peak Trail, Horseshoe Bend Trail, Mission Ridge Trail, Pavilion Lake and the Seton Ridge Trail. The Lillooet Geocache sites are part of Gold Country Geotourism Adventures, the largest geo-tour in all of Canada.
Fraser Canyon River Ranch ECO Adventures Glamping Lodging S ta y w ith u r i ve r si a n d L illo o e t
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W e of f er D aily G u id ed • Sturgeon Fishing Tours • ayak Fishing Tours • Paddle oard & ayak entals
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w w w . f rase rca nyonrive rranch . co m For re se rva tions ca l l Tol l Fre e 1 -8 0 0 -6 8 3-5 1 32 or 2 5 0 -2 5 6 -9 2 8 2 or e mail us: inf o@ f rase rca nyonrive rranch . co m
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Grassroots Golf As it should be! 2 Can Play for the Price of 1
Purchase one round of golf and Receive one round of golf Free by showing this ad at the Clubhouse. One redemption per person. Valid until October 1, 2018
5000 Texas Creek Rd
250-256-0550
www.lillooetgolf.com 15
Go for the Gold Gold seekers came here in the 1860s seeking their fortunes in the sandbars and gravel bars of local rivers and creeks. Follow in their footsteps and try your luck gold panning. Cayoosh Creek Campground is a provincially-designated Recreational Gold Panning Reserve. Easy access to the Fraser River’s back eddies can also be found at the BC Hydro Restoration Site, located off Powerhouse Road. Gold seekers are welcome to use hand pans, hand shovels and metal detectors in their search for precious placer gold nuggets and “colour” that has washed free of the motherlode.
Photo: Heather O’Riordan
. e l p sim . l a c lo . h s e fr
77 8th Street | Lillooet, BC | Phone: 250.256.8756 |
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Gone fishin’ Rainbow trout, lake trout, Dolly Varden, steelhead and salmon abound in the rivers, lakes and creeks in and around town. Seton Lake offers good fishing for trout and Dolly Varden off the dock or by boat at the south end of the lake at Seton Portage/Shalalth. Fountain, Pavilion, Crown and Turquoise Lakes are all favourites for those using flies or conventional tackle, and there are great trout fishing lakes in the Bridge
Organic, rustic baked goods made from the best local ingredients, locally roasted organic, fairtrade coffee and a fresh made selection of breakfast and lunch items. Enjoy our deck or head out on the road, either way, we’ll take care of you! Now located on the corner of 8th and Main, Downtown Lillooet!
Email: abundanceartisanbakery@gmail.com
River Valley as well. The Bridge and Fraser Rivers are both home to chinook, the largest salmon species. Sockeye salmon are found in the Bridge River in the
fall, while steelhead are found in the winter. The salmon and steelhead fisheries are subject to local openings, so please check local regulations before wetting a line.
How about a hike? The “bible” for hikers in this area is the Lillooet Naturalist Society’s “Canyon to Alpine Hiking Guide.” It includes trail and access information on 32 hikes, dazzling colour photos by Ian Routley, route maps and topographical information. Close-to-town hikes include the Bridges Walk (it’s a total distance of approximately 10 kilometres and includes the Old Bridge and the Bridge of the 23 Camels; this is also the route of Lillooet’s annual Terry Fox run); the Lions Trail, the Powerhouse Restoration Site, the Seton Spawning Channels, the Canal Walk and the trail above Lillooet to Red Rock (becoming known among the hiking fraternity as the Lillooet Grind). Tips for the trails less traveled: - travel in a group of at least three people - carry enough water and food for your trip. Hiking in the mountains requires extra energy and Lillooet’s hot, dry climate can cause heat exhaustion - leave enough time to return in daylight - leave an outline of your intended
EXPLORE THE HISTORY & LIVE THE ADVENTURE OF LILLOOET, BC W he the r b uying or se l l ing , I w il l g o A B O V E & B E Y O N D TH E O R D I N A R Y to he l p you ach ie ve your re al e state g oal s. 250.256.8383
dawn@blacktuskrealty.com 1234 Davis Rd., Lillooet BC V0K 1V0 Office Direct: 604-898-5904 C onne ct ing b uye rs and se l l e rs f rom Sq uamish to L il l ooe t
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XWĂ?STEN
EXPERIENCE TOURS
Traditional Fishing & Archaeological Village Tours Available June to September
BOOK NOW
250-256-7844 www.xwistentours.ca email: tours@xwisten.ca
Shuttle Service Available
Community Link Bus
Serving Bridge River & Lillooet Areas Operates July and August Schedule available at: www.xwisten.ca
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for in-town pick-ups. Call for more details.
hike, including your location and expected time of return, with someone who can report you missing in case of an emergency - please remember your wilderness ethics. Walk on established trails, bring along a small garbage bag so
&
Photo: Robin Strong
you can pack out your garbage and be respectful by staying back from nests, young animals, dens and feeding and rutting spots. All aboard the Kaoham Shuttle! No less an authority than the
BBC has called the Kaoham Shuttle “Canada’s Greatest Hidden Rail Trip.” Adventurers will discover that truth first-hand when they climb aboard the two-car, 30-passenger train on its trip from Lillooet to the remote lakeside communities of Seton Portage and Shalalth. The shuttle provides great opportunities to see California Bighorn sheep, deer, bear, eagles and waterfowl. It makes unscheduled stops to allow passengers to capture those vivid wildlife images on their cameras and phones and the engineer provides fascinating commentary. For train buffs, the shuttle winds along some of the sharpest curves on the entire CN Rail line and through CN’s third-longest tunnel in B.C. Take the 10:30 a.m. trip from Lillooet for the one-hour ride to Seton, with options of returning straight back (no time to stretch your legs) or staying overnight in Seton Portage before returning the next day. Because of construction in the area, make sure to reserve a place to stay overnight Reservations must be made for the shuttle. 1-250-259-8300.
Lillooet Glass
Got a Windshield Chip? A Flat Tire? No Problem... Come visit us! on Main St. across from the fire hall
561 Main St • Lillooet • 250-256-4111
165 Main St. 250-256-7789
Hours: Summer 6am - 9pm Winter 6am - 8pm
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Mountain Biking The Thrill of it All. For years, local riders have explored and enjoyed numerous trails. Now, the rest of the mountain biking community is discovering our area. LORCA (Lillooet Off Road Cycling
Association) says these are five of the best-known trails: - Seton Ridge, located about 17.5 km. from Lillooet off the Duffey Lake Road and then another six km. along the gravel Seton Ridge Road. - Shulaps Traverse, located off
Highway 40 and up the Yalakom Forest Service Road towards Lake La Mare. - Burkholder Lake, off Highway 40 and up the Yalakom Road and then turn onto the Branch 1 forest road. - Red Rock, above Lillooet and
SPLITROCK SPLITROCK CENTRE SEKW’EL’WÁS EXPERI Photo:Kevin Aitken
SEKW’EL’WÁS EXPERIENCE TOURS SPLITROCK CENTRE Walk with us to discover our land and culture
SEKW’EL’WÁS EXPERIENCE TOURS
Join one of our knowledgeable guides. Get up close as you explore our culture, plants and wildlife. Spawning Channel - Gift Shop - Hands on and interactive activities
Tours - Spawning Chan Tours - Spawning Channel - Nursery e
rt t
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Splitrock Environmental Sekw'el'was (250) 256-0002 Highway 99 South Lillooet, B.C. www.splitrockenvironmental.ca 20
reached by an old road that switchbacks up the mountainside. - Della Creek, halfway between Lytton and Lillooet on Texas Creek Road and accessed via a logging road. “This is the one that everybody who comes to Lillooet wants to ride,” says LORCA’s Kevin Aitken. In Lillooet’s Guaranteed Rugged landscape, there’s an array of trails to explore whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced rider. It’s your choice - go for the adrenaline rush or take it more slowly. A bonus: the area’s low elevation and dry climate make for a longer riding season. Lillooet is a gateway to South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park, which attracts bikers from around the world. The park offers almost 300 km. of trails through broad valleys, alpine meadows and ridges, with an excellent variety of loop trips of varying difficulty and distance. Many of the trails are multi-use trails and bikers are asked to respect trail etiquette by giving way to hikers and horses. Bikers are also asked to respect gates and road closures; respect St’at’imc values; stay on the trails; be aware of grizzly bears, especially in the Della Creek area; and Play, Clean, Go to prevent the spread of harmful invasive plant species. That means thoroughly washing off your bike prior to moving from one trail to another, giving invasives the brush-off by cleaning your boots and gear and properly disposing of soil, seeds or plant parts from cleaning. Rockhounders Paradise A rockhound has been defined as an amateur mineralogist, but really it’s someone who enjoys collecting interesting rocks and minerals. For decades, the Lillooet area has been a popular destination for rockhounds. While Lillooet is most famous for
Photo:Kevin Aitken
its gold and jade, agates and jasper have been found on each side of the Bridge of the 23 Camels and the sandbars downstream. The aptly named Yalakomite can be found at the Horseshoe Bend of the Bridge River on Highway 40. The Yalakom River Road area is significant for cinnabar, pyrite, gold and nephrite jade. The green gemstone can also be found off Highway 40 in the Marshall Creek area. The Bridge River Valley is also home to the oddly named thunder egg, a rock in the shape of a rough sphere that is formed within volcanic ash layers. Fossils 50 million years old are embedded in the rocks at Fossil Cliffs above Spruce Lake. Fossils can also be discovered near the foot of the limestone slides at Marble Canyon where they border Highway 99 at the west
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end of Pavilion Lake. On a hot summer day, there’s nothing like a refreshing dip in the shiver-cold waters of Seton Lake, just five minutes from Lillooet. Pack a picnic lunch and relax on the tree-lined beach. Be sure to stay for the sunset as the sun dramatically disappears behind the jagged peaks surrounding the lake. In the summer, the Bridge River Indian Band runs a free Community Link bus that will pick you up at any number of locations around town, drop you off at the lake and bring you back into town. Seton Lake derives its unique green colour from the glacial water that’s piped into the lake from the BC Hydro penstocks carrying water from the Bridge River to the hydroelectric power plant located at the far end
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and are a source of amusement for local and visiting golfers. The course is managed by the volunteers in the Lillooet Golf Club, has a pro shop with club and pull-cart rentals and offers snacks and beverage service. It’s eight kilometres from Lillooet on Texas Creek Road. Split Rock Environmental is a Lillooet success story. It succeeds on so many levels – first, as an awardwinning Aboriginal-owned business, owned by the St’at’imc community
of Sekw’el’was. Remaining true to St’at’imc values, Split Rock specializes in ecological stewardship, environmental monitoring, native plant propagation and ethnobotany. It provides a variety of environmental services, carries out restoration work and operates a native plant nursery. Split Rock also offers hands-on eco-cultural tours with knowledgeable Aboriginal guides. Learn about their land, culture and the local fish and wildlife as you stroll along the Seton River Spawning Channel. Tours
Photo: Kelly Destrake
of the lake. The Sheep Pasture Golf Course. The name says it all. This ninehole course promises a fun and challenging golfing experience for all levels of players. Just watch out for the mobile hazards on the fairways – a herd of sheep who keep the course fertilized and nicely grazed
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Old Mill Plaza 250-256-4262 www.pharmasavelillooet.com email: pharmasave178@gmail.com Hours: Mon. - Thurs. - 9:30 am - 6 pm
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are available June to October. The mighty Fraser River Sturgeon. In all the world of freshwater fishing, there’s nothing to match the sheer exhilaration of hooking a monstrous white sturgeon in the Fraser River and there’s no better place than Lillooet. Fraser River sturgeon grow to lengths of more than three metres and can top out at more than 600 kilos. When hooked, they often raise their entire girth out of the water and perform an amazing tail walk, sometimes more than once. It’s a sight – and a fight – not to be missed. These fish weren’t born last month, last year or even in the last 50 years. They have a long life span and many of the Fraser’s sturgeon are 100 to 150 years old. Lillooet’s Middle Fraser sturgeon population is designated as endangered, but is considered healthy enough to support a catch-and-release sports fishery. If you want photographs of your catch, always leave large sturgeon in the water. Releasing them quickly is critical to their survival. Please obey the guidelines for handling the sturgeon and respect this living reminder of a prehistoric past. Winter Wonderland. Churning waterfalls in summer give way to massive icicles in winter that are perfect for climbers brave enough to come and conquer them. The Lillooet region offers stunningly beautiful mixed vertical ice terrain. The Joffre Glacier Group, easily accessible off the Duffey Lake Road (Highway 99) south of Lillooet, is one of the more popular places for beginners and advanced climbers alike. Mount Matier and Mount Joffre are highlights.
Photo: Mischa Chandler
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Xwisten Experience Tours. Join a walking tour along the Bridge River fishing grounds to learn about dip-netting salmon and the traditional wind-dried method of preserving the fish – a staple of the St’at’imc diet for millennia. Hear songs and stories and see an archaeological site which contains more than 80 identified pit houses (s7istken) – the traditional winter homes of the St’at’imc. The Bridge River community
Marble Canyon Provincial Park, located 35 kilometres northeast of Lillooet on Highway 99, is also easily accessible and features a labyrinth of canyons leading off the main canyon. There’s more to our winter wonderland – powder skiing in the South Chilcotin Mountains, snowmobiling in the Bridge River Valley where the South Chilcotins meet the mighty glaciers of the Coast Mountains, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Or how about a pickup game of good, old-fashioned pond hockey on Pavilion Lake?
has reconstructed a pit house and visitors can enter the s7istken to see what a winter home would have been like. A team of archaeologists from the University of Montana has been working this site for more than a decade. Who knows what artefacts they’ll discover? The tour concludes with a salmon lunch that includes a traditional dessert of whipped soapberries (sxusum). Tours are available June to September.
Walking the Dog. Whether you’re visiting overnight, enjoying a weekend jaunt or staying longer, your dog is on holiday, too. Walk your four-legged pal on the Lions Trail along the Fraser River or the dock at Seton Lake (dogs aren’t permitted on the beach). Pooches on leashes are also welcome for a walk along the spawning channels at Splitrock Environmental or at the Restoration Site. Please clean up after your pet and be aware that the latter two sites are fish and wildlife habitat areas. Photo:Kevin Aitken
Across from Old Mill Plaza
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250-256-7807 Lillooet BC ©2008 Doctor’s Associates Inc. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor’s Associates Inc.
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Historical Plaques A. Mile Zero Cairn
1. The Fraser River Tacoutche Tesse – The Mighty One
10. Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie 11. The History of Agriculture in Lillooet
B. Lillooet Post Office
2. The Gold Rush
12. Highways and Byways of Lillooet
C. Chinese Rock Piles
3. The Bridge River Hydro System
13. The Pacific Great Eastern Railway
D. District of Lillooet Office
4. The Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe
14. Vernon Pick and Walden North
E. Old Camel Barn
5. St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church The History of the Lillooet Museum
15. Ntqwixw Ntqwixw refers to the area in the vicinity of the Old Bridge where Stʼátʼimc catch salmon
F. Old Newspaper Office
6. Muticultural Lillooet 7. The Chinese in Lillooet
16. White Sturgeon, Bats & Osprey
8. Japanese Canadians in Lillooet
17. Welcome Highway 99 North
9. The Story of Miyazaki Heritage House
18. Welcome Highway 99 South
Downtown Lillooet
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Lillooet’s Golden Miles of History Photo:Kevin Aitken
In 2015-16, the District of Lillooet embarked on an ambitious project – creating Lillooet’s “Golden Miles of History” historic panels and plaques. Because of space considerations, the News cannot include all the historic details in our Visitors Guide, so here is a modified version of Lillooet’s Golden Miles of History: 1.The Fraser River “Tacoutche Tesse” – The Mighty One In the spring of 1808, Nor’wester Simon Fraser and his companions set out from Fort George (now Prince George) in four canoes to follow Tacoutche Tesse – a river they thought was the Columbia – to its mouth. The expedition camped below the present town of Lillooet north of Cayoosh Creek. Across the creek stood a fortified village of the St’át’imc who called the visitors “the Drifters” and said the leader had a
tattoo of the sun on his forehead and the moon on his chest. It was an uneasy night - some St’át’imc wanted to raid them but a chief restrained them saying, “They might be able to help us one day.” “I have never seen any thing equal to this country,” Fraser wrote in his journal June 28, 1808. Aided by First Nations all the way down, Fraser noticed the onceseething river began to rise and fall with the tide. His expedition almost reached salt water but were driven away by Musqueam warriors when they tried to land.
build a pack trail along the route along the lakes between Harrison Lake and Lillooet, with labour supplied by the miners themselves. Two years later, the Royal Engineers upgraded the trail into a wagon road and steamboats were built to operate on the lakes. Lillooet became Mile Zero of the Cariboo Road and blossomed into the largest settlement north of San Francisco with a population of 16,000 at its peak.
2. The Gold Rush In 1856, Hudson’s Bay Chief Factor James Douglas began supplying First Nations with hand tools to collect placer gold for trade on the Fraser River while American miners trickled in from Oregon Territory. Douglas sent a shipment of gold to San Francisco in 1857, word got out and the stampede was on. By 1858, there were 30,000 miners along the Fraser River and they faced a winter without re-supply. Douglas contracted Otis Parsons to 33
Lillooet ri ia ui
Test your nowled e with this fun true or false quiz about an area filled with surprises. True or alse Lillooet shares the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in B.C.
The first Chinese-Canadian woman to raduate from a Canadian university was born in Lillooet.
True! Bertha Hosang Mah was born here in 1896 and graduated from Montreal’s McGill University in 1917.
The Brid e iver hydro-electric system supplies per cent of British Columbia’s hydro-electric power.
False! Would you believe six per cent?
True! The mercury rose to 44 C (112 F) in Lillooet and Lytton on July 16 and 17, 1941.
The downtown section of Lillooet’s Main Street is so wide because camel trains needed a lot of space to turn around durin the s old ush.
ne of the most credible sasquatch Bi foot si htin s ever was alon i hway ust past Terza hi am in . False!
Country music le end olly Parton stayed overni ht at the Cayoosh Cree Camp round. False! Music legend and Coal Miner’s Daughter Loretta Lynn stayed overnight at the campground. And she was as down-to-earth and friendly as you would hope she would be.
False! The street is wide so that a span of oxen could turn around before heading over Pavilion Mountain in Gold Rush days.
conic Canadian artist mily Carr painted in Lillooet and Seton Porta e in . Lillooet istrict ospital is the smallest fully-functionin hospital in British Columbia.
True! Her painting “Lillooet Indian Village” hangs in Calgary’s Glenbow Museum.
False. But she did hit a sheep!
True!
lthou h the climate is desertli e there are no rattlesna es in Lillooet. True!
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hen lympic champion ancy reene aine teed off for the first time at the Sheep Pasture olf Course she shot a hole-inone.
True or false S and the Canadian Space ency have done decades of research on coralali e formations in Pavilion La e as part of their efforts to prove life could have existed on Mars. True!
The bi est old nu et found and recorded in this area wei hed ounces . . True!
the cost of our blood. Our ancestors were in possession of our Country centuries before the whites came. It is the same as yesterday when the latter came, and like the day before when the first fur trader came. We are aware the B.C. government claims our Country, like all other Indian territories in B.C.; but we deny their right to it. We never gave it nor sold it to them.” The Declaration has been described as an important document in the history of relations between First Nations and the Governments of Canada and British Columbia.
3. The Bridge River Hydro System The Bridge River is approximately 120 kilometres long and flows from the snow fields of Monmouth Mountain to connect with the Fraser River near Lillooet. Hydro-electric development of the Bridge River system began in 1927 and was completed in 1960. The system consists of three reservoirs, three dams and four generating stations. BC Hydro engineers designed the system to use the water three times before releasing it to the Fraser River. Waters from Downton Reservoir initially pass through the LaJoie Dam and powerhouse before entering the Carpenter Reservoir. From there, water is diverted through tunnels and penstocks from Carpenter Reservoir to two powerhouses on Seton Lake Reservoir. Finally, the water passes through the Seton powerhouse before joining the Fraser.
they were receiving from the provincial and federal governments with respect to the alienation of land by settlers at Seton Portage. The Declaration begins: “We the underwritten chiefs of the Lillooet tribe (being all the chiefs of said tribe) declare as follows: “We speak the truth, and we speak for our whole tribe, numbering about 1400 people at the present time. We claim that we are the rightful owners of our tribal territory, and everything pertaining thereto. We have always lived in our Country; at no time have we ever deserted it, or left it to others. We have retained it from the invasion of other tribes at
4. Declaration of the Lilllooet Tribe On May 10, 1911, 16 St’at’imc Chiefs signed a declaration asserting their ownership of territorial lands and protesting the poor treatment
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5. St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church (Lillooet Museum) St. Mary the Virgin was one of three Anglican churches built under the supervision of the Royal Engineers for the new colony of British Columbia. The original St. Mary’s, which was torn down in 1961 after a century of serving the community, was endowed with furnishings and silver liturgical service by a wealthy English gentlewoman. The original chancel was incorporated in the new St. Mary’s and the melodeon and bell from the old
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church are displayed in the museum, which opened in the new St. Mary’s building in 1972. The museum also features native artifacts, Gold Rush era relics, and a recreation of Ma Murray’s old newspaper office downstairs. 6. Multi-Cultural Lillooet Following the 1846 partition of British and American Pacific territories, trappers, traders and packers – British, French Canadians, Métis, eastern First Nations, Mexican muleteers and Kanakas from Hawaii – found refuge from U.S. race laws north of the border. In August of 1858, Queen Victoria proclaimed the Colony of British Columbia and appointed James Douglas as its Governor. His first priority was to put an end to open warfare between American gold miners and First Nations in the Fraser Canyon. Lacking firepower, Douglas had to rely on diplomacy and sent “three English gentlemen,” including Judge Matthew Baillie Begbie, to restore law and order. Cayoosh Flat was the Fraser River terminus of the Douglas Trail, the first road built into the Colony of British Columbia, but that name was never popular. After consultation with St’at’imc Chiefs, the town was renamed Lillooet. Thousands of people and pack animals made their way north to the
Cariboo goldfields. Some stayed here to farm and open shops to supply them. The boom didn’t last. With the construction of a new road between Yale and Clinton in 1863, Lillooet was bypassed. Twenty years later, unemployed Chinese rail workers started mining to survive. They discovered gold in Cayoosh Creek and the town boomed again. The boom and bust economy of Lillooet continued in successive waves brought about by big game hunting, the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, gold mining in Bralorne, the development of the Bridge River Power Project, the internment of Japanese Canadians during WWII and forestry, with value-added agriculture a new boom on the horizon. 7. The Chinese in Lillooet Thousands of Chinese nationals flooded into California when gold was discovered in 1848 but stringent laws against them were passed ten years later and many of them headed north where their rights were protected by British colonial law. When B.C. became part of Canada in 1871, work started on a railroad that would connect the Pacific Coast to the rest of the country. Thousands of workers were required and, at the time, the easiest way to bring them in was by ship from China.
Photo: Sid Scotchman Photography
Once the CPR was completed in 1884, many of the Chinese workers came to the Lillooet area to re-work tailings left behind by miners bound for the Cariboo. The Chinese miners discovered that Cayoosh Creek had been overlooked. Over the next three years they mined it to a depth of 14 feet and took out millions of dollars in placer gold. A Chinatown sprang up in Lillooet behind Wo Hing’s store at the entrance to Fraserview Street opposite this park. By the 1930s, most of the merchants on Main Street were Chinese. It didn’t have monetary value to others, but there was treasure found here by the Chinese miners - jade. Revered as the “Stone of Heaven” in their culture, they shipped many tons of it back to China. Cut and polished to perfection, Lillooet’s Jade Walk displays the beauty and variety of some of the boulders they left behind. 8. Japanese Canadians in Lillooet When Canada declared war against Japan in 1942, there were more than 20,000 Japanese Canadians in B.C. The majority were Nisei, born and raised in Canada. Following the declaration of war, a 100 mile “security zone” was declared on the west coast and Japanese Canadians were forcibly and, under the Geneva Convention, illegally removed from this area. Four internment camps were established in the Lillooet area – Bridge River, Minto, McGillivray Falls and East Lillooet. They were selfsupporting and held almost 1,000 men, women and children. The East Lillooet internment camp consisted of 61 uninsulated tarpaper shacks 37
without indoor plumbing, a garage, a schoolhouse/community hall and a community garden. Initially, the arrival of 300 “enemy aliens” was greeted with suspicion in the town but relations improved once cash registers started ringing and the two communities began playing baseball together. In 2017, Canada 150 funding was obtained to create commemorative kiosks at three of the internment camp sites – in East Lillooet, Shalalth and Minto. Additional funding came
from the District of Lillooet, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and the Nikkei Canada Japanese Cultural Centre and Museum. In May 2018, a Japanese garden was officially opened at the corner of Sumner Road and Highway 12 in East Lillooet. It overlooks the former internment camp site. 9. The Story of the Miyazaki Heritage House The Miyazaki Heritage House’s large porch, shuttered windows, bell
Photo Credit: Laurie McEwen
eaves and Mansard roof reflect the 1880s era when it was built by Gold Commissioner, Government Agent and prominent merchant Casper Phair and his wife, Cerise. Like his father, the Phairs’ son Artie held many of the town’s official positions but, above all, is remembered as a photographer who documented the rugged landscapes, people and events of the area. Artie Phair was taking pictures in Bridge River (South Shalalth) when he met WWII Japanese-Canadian internee Dr. Masajiro Miyazaki.
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100.5 FM www.radiolillooet.ca 250-999-2086 Local news, weather, music and community events
Since Lillooet was without a doctor, Phair drafted a petition that allowed the Miyazaki family to move into his fine home and turn one of its front rooms into a medical office. In 1945, Dr. Miyazaki purchased the property. With a practice covering over 4,000 square miles of some of the most rugged country on earth, Dr. Miyazaki was known for his optimism and sunny personality. He was a true country doctor who also acted as a dentist, veterinarian & mortician. In 1950 he became the first Japanese-Canadian elected to public office in Canada. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1977 for his “unselfish service” to Lillooet and his home is now a community landmark. Dr. Miyazaki donated his home to the Village of Lillooet in 1983. His office is preserved as he left it. 10. Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie A 6’5” giant of a man with piercing blue eyes, prematurely white hair and an impeccable Victorian wardrobe, Matthew Baillie Begbie travelled on horseback or on foot over “goat tracks” and by canoe
on “foaming torrents.” He presided over goldfield courts in tents, shacks or the open air. His eloquence and theatrics always guaranteed an appreciative audience. When one convicted miner complained about his legal defense, Begbie agreed to set him up with another trial “by your Maker,” thereby earning the epithet – The Hanging Judge. Yet Begbie was a compassionate man who sought extenuating circumstances when a jury pronounced a death sentence and defended Chi-
nese miners and First Nations against discrimination. After Confederation with Canada in 1871, Matthew Baillie Begbie was knighted by Queen Victoria and served as Chief Justice of British Columbia until the end of his life. 11. History of Agriculture Jonathan Scott, a planter from Kentucky, farmed the upper bench of the magnificent tablelands across the Fraser after a nine-mile long flume/ irrigation ditch from Fountain Lake was built in 1861. Miners were missing tobacco even more than their wives and for the next 20 years he sold plugs and cut tobacco straight off his presses. , The first grapes in the Lillooet area were grown at Fountain from cuttings sent from Italy in 1863. After experimental trials verified the superior terroir of local soils, our first commercial winery was established in 2009. Since then, Fort Berens has won many awards and medals. The first attempt to grow hops on what is still known today as “The Hop Farm” ended in failure but in 2009 two enterprising biologists succeeded. Their ambition is to make
Take a Hike with Lillooet’s
Hiking Guide To enjoy the best of Lillooet’s spectacular scenery, flora and fauna, take a hike into the rugged mountains and meadows surrounding the town. The Lillooet Naturalist Society’s “Canyon to Alpine: Lillooet Hiking Guide” describes thirty-two day hikes and contains information on trails and access, routes and topography. The guide stresses a gentle footprint and contains information about natural history. Enjoy its spectacular colour photos as you plan your trek, from a leisurely stroll to a more challenging excursion. Enjoy your hike, enjoy your stay, enjoy Lillooet!
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“Know nature in the Lillooet area and keep it worth knowing”
Lillooet Naturalist Society
www.lillooetnaturalistsociety.org
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Lillooet the organic hops capital of Canada. Lillooet boasts B.C.’s best tomatoes. When Japanese Canadians were interned here, they shipped many train carloads of luscious Lillooet tomatoes to Vancouver. Food lovers now come here every year and buy hundreds of kilos of tomatoes at the Old Airport Gardens. Stone fruits, especially apricots, thrive in Lillooet. Lillooet’s annual Apricot Tsaqwem Festival also honours native saskatoon berries, equally prolific and widely used by First Nations, eaten fresh or dried for storage. Throughout our area, historic farms and ranches are rising to meet a growing demand for healthy food. Local organic vegetables, fruits, garlic, honey, eggs and poultry are available in local shops or at the Farmers Market. 12. Highways and Byways of Lillooet In the Lillooet area, ancient St’at’imc First Nation trails formed a sophisticated trading network later used by fur traders. In 1862, as gold miners pushed north, Parsonville, directly across the
Photo: Nate Moyer
Lillooet’s Heritage
Miyazaki House Built in the 1880’s for the Phair family, the Miyazaki House is the heart of Lillooet’s gold rush history. Purchased by Dr. Masajiro Miyazaki after WWII, it tells the fascinating story of his life in Lillooet and his many contributions to the community over four decades. Open Seasonally Museum, local art, weekly music concerts and community events. Available for private tours and event rentals. 250-256-6808
643 Russell Lane, Lillooet, BC (Behind the Post Office) Admission by Donation
Like us on
FB.com/TheMiyazakiHouse/
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Dr. Miyazaki’s original office
Fraser from the town, became Mile Zero of the Cariboo Road with the Royal Engineers in charge of its construction. Lillooet is also the gateway to the legendary Skumakum or Land of Plenty as it was known to its St’at’imc people. In the summer, they would fish and wind dry salmon along the Fraser River. In the fall, they would hunt in Skumakum. In 1827, a Hudson’s Bay sketch map of the Lillooet area showed a First Nations bridge accessing Skumakum and from then on, the waterway it crossed became known as the Bridge River. By 1896, miners had discovered the upper Bridge River and within a year, there were over 200 claims on it with extensive hydraulic mining carried on at Horseshoe Bend. Unlike the placer gold of the Fraser River, most of the Bridge River gold was in quartz veins deep in the underground. From 1928 to 1971, the community of Bralorne was one of Canada’s most productive gold mining towns. Today, Highway 40 connects Lillooet’s Main Street to the Hurley Forest Service Road at Gold Bridge and then back to the Pemberton Valley. Access to the rugged Anderson Lake Douglas Trail/ Highline Road starts at Terzaghi Dam off Highway 40 going up and over Mission Mountain to the community of Seton Portage and follows Anderson Lake to D’Arcy.
ment of 20th Century British Columbia. The PGE Railway reached Lillooet in 1915 and continued on into the Interior of BC. Construction of the railway during times of war and economic depression is a credit to the railway crews who built the PGE on some of the toughest and most challenging sections of rail line anywhere in North America. Still, in its early days, the PGE’s reputation for reliability was occasionally less than sterling and it was jokingly referred to as Past God’s Endurance, Please Go Easy and Prince George Eventually. Its name was changed to the British Columbia Railway in 1972. Until 2002, Lillooet had daily passenger service from Vancouver via B.C. Rail’s Cariboo Prospector and its famed Budd cars. Unfortunately, the entire B.C. Rail passenger service was discontinued in 2002. Today, the Kaoham Shuttle transports residents and visitors between Seton Portage and Lillooet. 14. Vernon Pick and Walden North Vernon Pick was one of Lillooet’s most fascinating residents. Born in rural Wisconsin in 1903, Pick had very little formal education but he had an appetite for knowledge, studying philosophy, literature, science and religion. At age 48, after nine gruelling months of prospecting, he made the lucky strike that catapulted him into wealth and fame as the Uranium King of America. With part of his fortune, Pick purchased an 800acre site in California. There, he built a research facility staffed by 20 scientists. To honour his hero Henry David Thoreau, he named a retreat on the property Walden West. In the 1970s, he built his 100-acre Walden North complex outside Lillooet. Vernon Pick died in 1986 and is still fondly remembered in Lillooet for creating many jobs in the construction of Walden North and then producing photocopier drums, microchip components and fine furniture in his state-of-the-art workshops. By all accounts he was a gentle and magnanimous man who embodied the American spirit of rugged individualism and do-it-yourself Yankee know-how.
13. The Pacific Great Eastern Railway Construction of the historic Pacific Great Eastern (PGE) Railway was an epic undertaking vital to the develop41
Things to Do Mark your calendar for these fun events: • Lillooet Farmers Market – opens May 4 • Elks May Day Parade - May 21 • Walking with Smolts – May 25 • Lillooet’s Got Talent – June 6 • National Aboriginal Day – June 21 • Canada Day in the Park – July 1 • Apricot Tsaqwem Festival – July 20 – 22 • Winners Edge Sturgeon Derby – July 21 • Lions Club Annual Fishing Derby - Aug. 12 • FraserFEST River Trip and Bike Ride – Aug. 19 • Harvest Festival – Sept. 8 • Route 99 Show N Shine/Drag Races – Sept. 14-15 • Halloween Fireworks and Monster Bash – Oct. 31 • Lions Christmas Tree Light-Up and Santa’s arrival – Dec. 1
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• Lillooet Naturalist Society Christmas Bird Count – last week of December • Lions Club Annual Ice Fishing Derby – Feb. 10 • Bridge River Valley Winterfest - B.C. Family Day Weekend in February • Lillooet Memorial Curling Club April Fool’s Bonspiel – weekend closest to Apr. 1, 2019
15. Ntqwixw Ntqwixw refers to the area in the vicinity of the Old Bridge where St’at’imc catch salmon. “The St’at’imc way of life is inseparably connected to the land. Our people use different locations throughout the territory of rivers and mountains and lakes, planning our trips with the best times to hunt and fish, harvest food and gather medicines. The lessons of living on the land are a large part of the inheritance passed on from St’at’imc elders to our children.
As holders of one of the richest fisheries along the Fraser River, the St’at’imc defend and control a rich resource that feeds our people throughout the winter and serves as a valued staple for trade with our neighbouring nations. The St’at’imc can think of no better place to live.” (Nxekmenlhkalha lti tmxicwa, St’at’imc Land Use Plan) Please be respectful of our St’at’imc fisher people. It is every person’s obligation to keep the lands healthy for future generations.
Photo: Betty-Lou Cahoon
STOP INVASIVE SPECIES IN YOUR TRACKS
Photo Credit: Megan Menhinick
Help prevent the spread of invasives
Arrive with clean gear
Before leaving, remove mud and seeds
Burn local firewood
Use local or weed-free hay
Stay on trails
Clean, Drain, Dry your boat
www.lriss.ca
www.siwmc.ca
www.lriss.ca
Report a Weed Report a Weed
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in
ir
of
Lil’tem’ Mountain Hotel
Shuttle Kaoham Take the fo t e ra from Lilloo time fe -li -a -in once rience train expe
44
Photo: Betty-Lou Cahoon
For reservations call 250-259-8052 Seton Portage, BC
Discover the pristine beauty and unspoiled wilderness of the Seton Portage area. Visit Lil’tem Mountain Hotel to experience culture, nature and history intertwined.
Crane’s Landing RV Park
16. White Sturgeon, Bats and Osprey White sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in North America, attaining lengths in excess of six metres and weights of more than 600 kilograms. An ancient relic of the Jurassic Period, they can live for over 150 years. To help save the species, in 1994 the Province of B.C. imposed catch-and-release sport fishing regulations, commercial harvesting of sturgeon was banned and aboriginal authorities placed a voluntary moratorium on the fishing. Of the three major remaining world populations of white sturgeon (Sacramento, Columbia and Fraser), the Fraser River stock is the only remaining wild population. There are more than 1,000 species of bats worldwide and unlike other mammals, bats are unique in their ability for sustained, flapping flight. Our bats navigate and pursue their insect food by using an enhanced sonar system (ecolocation). Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind; in fact most bats have excellent vision. In 2003, the District of Lillooet combined with the Lillooet Naturalist Society, decided to make the Old Bridge bat friendly and bat houses were installed under the structure. If you are watching closely at dusk by water in the Lillooet area, you may see some of our bats performing their amazing aerial stunts.
Photo: Dr. Ian Routley
17. and 18. Welcome Welcome to St’at’imc Territory and Welcome to the spectacular District of Lillooet located in the traditional territory of the St’at’imc Nation.
ng brati s! e l e C ear 45 y
RAFT, RELAX & RECHARGE AT BC’s PREMIER RAFTING DESTINATION
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LYTTON, BC 45
Fraser River Lions Trail
Parking: 50°40’54.53”N 121°55’49.37”W Park in Cayoosh Campground close to the Bridge of the 23 Camels. Distance: 2.4 km (1.5 miles). Time: 45 min. one-way. Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Built by the Lillooet Lions Club in the 1990s, the Lions Trail is a staple for local hikers, traversing the bank of the Fraser River through diverse habitat affording breathtaking views of the mighty river.
Bridges Walk
Lillooet Area T -------------------------
Parking: N50° 41’ 43.4’’ W121° 56’ 19.9’’ Park in lot behind REC Centre (access behind Museum). Distance: 8.7km (5.4 mi). Time: 1-hour jog, 2-hour walk. Difficulty: Moderate. Popular route with local runners, walkers and cyclists, crosses the Bridge of 23 Camels and the Old Suspension Bridge, offering gorgeous views of town and the famous river with fabulous mountain backdrops.
Hangman’s Park Trail
Jade Walk
Parking: N50° 42’ 21.7’’ W121° 55’ 55.6’’ Park at Old Mill Plaza. Distance (Time): 2.4 km from mall to cemetery (30-45 minutes), 5.3 km for complete route (1 to 1.5 hours). Difficulty: Easy to moderate. This trail commemorates Lillooet’s history as the site of the first jade mine in BC. Stroll down Lillooet’s Main Street and enjoy over 30 unique pieces of jade, some weighing many tons. Pick up a brochure at KC Health & Gifts.
Golden Mile of History
Parking: N50° 40’ 97.9’’ W121° 55’ 89.1’’ Park at Bridge of the 23 Camels. Distance: 4.5 km (2.8 miles). Time: 1 to 1.5 hours one-way. Difficulty: Easy to moderate walk. This walk highlights the many sights the Lilllooet Historical Society recommends you enjoy in a town whose post-European contact history dates back to the Cariboo Gold Rush. Pick up a “Golden Mile” brochure at the Lillooet Museum and Visitor Info Centre.
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Red Rock Trail
Parking: N50° 41’ 52.9’’ W121° 56’ 65.9’’ Park in gravel cul-de-sac at west end of Victoria Street. Distance: 3.4 km (2 mi.) Time: 2 to 3-hour hike Difficulty: Moderate to difficult, 500 metres elevation gain. This popular route takes hikers to the famous Red Rock outcropping 500 metres above town, offering an astounding panorama of the Fraser River valley. Local flora and fauna abound. Take water with you.
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Sát’atqwa7 - The River
Parking: N50° 40’ 51.2’’ W121° 55’ 49.7’’ Park in parking area just off Powerhouse Road. Distance: 190 m to 2 km Time: 30 min. to 1 hour. Difficulty: Easy (rocky shoreline). A chance to get up close to the mighty Fraser River. Enjoy a walk through an active ecological restoration site that showcases our beautiful grasslands and Black Cottonwood ecosystem at the confluence of the Seton and Fraser Rivers.
Parking: N50° 40’ 61.9’’ W121° 56’ 09.8’’ Park at Miyazaki House. Distance: 0.3 Miles Time: 1520 minutes. Difficulty: Easy to moderate loop walk. In the heart of Lillooet’s downtown, a brisk walk from the Miyazaki House to the scenic bench where, legend has it, frontier Judge Matthew Begbie hung murderers in the Gold Rush era.
Naxwit Park
Parking: N50° 40’ 25.1’’ W121° 58’ 11.9’’ Park in beautiful, paved wayside park. Distance: 0.35 km (0.2 miles). Time: 10 minutes Difficulty: Easy. A short, easy walk along fast-moving Seton River offers the chance to see mountain goats on the cliffs above and other wildlife. Trails follow spawning channels full of salmon in season. Interpretive signage reveals local ecology and First Nations history.
Seton Spawning Channels
Parking: N50° 40’ 37.1’’ W121° 56’ 39.7’’ Parking lot is off gravel road that is immediately west of Lightfoot Gas. Distance: 1.4 km (0.9 mi.) Time: 20 min. Difficulty: Easy. A pleasant loop around a man-made spawning stream complex built to assist the reproduction of the many species of salmon. When the salmon are running these streams harbour thousands of spawning fish. Now managed by the Sekw’el‘was First Nation.
Campground Trails
Parking: N50° 40’ 06.2’’ W121° 58’ 67.3’’ Park at BC Hydro Campground entrance. Distance: 3.3 kms (2 mi.) Time: 60 minutes. Difficulty: Easy to moderate. Two pretty loop walks connected by a steep hill. The loops go through forest, along Cayoosh Creek and offer awesome mountain views. Across Highway 99 from the upper bench you can access the incredible Seton Lake lookout.
Canal Walk
Parking: N50° 40’ 14.1’’ W121° 58’ 40.6’’ Park on immediate south side of Canal Bridge on Highway 99. Distance: 3.2 kms (2 mi.) one-way Time: 40 minutes Difficulty: Easy. On this level roadway along the south side of the BC Hydro canal which connects Seton Lake with the powerhouse on the Fraser, you walk in the shadow of the majestic towering cliffs at the base Mt. Brew. Watch for waterfowl on the canal. Thanks to Fort Berens Estate Winery, the District of Lillooet, the Lillooet Naturalist Society, the Lillooet Historical Society and Sekw’el’was First Nation for their help with this project. For more trails and information, pick up a copy of ‘Canyon to Alpine, the Lillooet Hiking Guide.’
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Seton Lake
Th on do th tra
ea Trail Map - - - - - brought to you by
Fraser
Riv er
99
12 99
This map is provided as a guide only. The Chamber of Commerce does not take responsibility for the accuracy or safety of the trails included here.
MAP LEGEND Trail Heads Hospital Police Fire Department
Museum & Visitor Centre Campgrounds View Points 99 Provincial Highway 1 kilometre
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691 kilometres (429 miles) Three to seven days.
Scenic Drives
CLINTON Fraser River
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ASHCROFT
LILLOOET
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SETON PORTAGE
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99
Circle Tour (paved)
WHISTLER
Circle Tour (unpaved) Caution: Some roads are seasonal
1 Fraser River
Highway Number
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99
HOPE HARRISON HOT SPRINGS
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BRITISH COLUMBIA WASHINGTON
The region around Lytton and With their pick-axes, gold pans and Lillooet offer another change of mules, prospectors in the 1850s and landscape. This semi-arid area 1860s endured peril after peril to receives lessto thanVancouver 25 centimetres of follow dreams of gold to thefrom Lillooet The their round-trip loop rainfall annually and there’s a friendly Cariboo. Tunnels along the route are provides some of the mostrivalry beautiful vistas in over between the two towns named for former Fraser River gold which community can claim the title southern mining bars. British Columbia. as Canada’s real hot spot.
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The round-trip loop from Lillooet to Vancouver provides some of the most beautiful vistas in southern British Columbia. Starting in Lillooet, this route follows the spectacular Duffey Lake Road (Highway 99), which winds through rugged wilderness, past snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes to Pemberton. It continues through the Coast Mountains and past the world-famous ski resort at Whistler on the newly upgraded Hwy. 99 to Squamish and the Pacific Ocean and then to Vancouver. East of Vancouver, the trip north along the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) provides a striking transformations in scenery as the metropolitan area gives way to the fertile agricultural heartland of B.C. the Fraser Valley. Highway 1 follows the Fraser River and the old Cariboo Gold Rush Trail.
Gun Lake
Pavilion Lake
99
691 kilometres (429 miles) Three to seven days.
ge
Brid
Anderson Lake
Coast Mountain Circle Tour
Brid
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CACHE CREEK 1
99
Gun Lake
Tyaughton Lake
97
PAVILION
Tyaughton Lake
GOLD BRIDGE
With four spectacular scenic drives reaching all corners of the Lillooet area, this is a circle-touring paradise. Explore one scenic drive or use Lillooet as your base and explore all of them.
Kelly Lake
Tra a st me agr
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The trip to Gold Bridge-Bralorne Creek to start this tour. Ten mi from Lillooet follows Highway 40, thegravel leftroad, andalong across ato mostly the the Frase steep canyon of the Bridge River. Xwisten (Bridge River First Na Watch for wildlife and rocks. For a Local Aboriginal people fish fo photo op, stop at the spectacular Horseshoe Bend, where the dip nets, then cut varied the fish and rocks and minerals in the hillside tell in the wind.story. The adry fascinating geological road hugs the shoreline A right turn ofatCarpenter the village a Lake, formed by the construction of a Flats begins the ascent into Fo hydroelectric dam on the Bridge River Like us on: inits 1948. Gold Bridge and Bralorne beautiful mountain meadow were home to the richest gold mine picnickin inforests. Canada forCamping 40 years, untiland the mine
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600 Block Main Street Downtown Lillooet at Fountain Lake. Another righ 52 48 250-256-7310 Lake, formed by the construction of a hydroelectric PEMBERTON
MOUNT CURRIE
Lillooet Lake
dam on the Bridge River in 1948. Gold Bridge and
12 affords a panoramic view o
Duffey Lake - Hurley River Road Circle TourMountain Pavilion
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100.5 FM www.radiolillooet.ca • Fishingand • Hunting • Camping TO PRINCE wildlife rocks. GEORGE 250-999-2086 Clothingop, & Footwear For a •photo stop at the spectacular CLINTON
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• Bikes & Accessories Horseshoe Bend, where the varied rocks and n Trips here! minerals in the hillside tell a fascinating geological , 68 story. kilometres (42 hugs miles)the shoreline of Carpenter The road er
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from Lillooet towards Cache Ten minutes out of Lillooet, 644 River, Main St. are 250-256-4848 he Fraser the winnersedge@shaw.ca First Nation) fishing grounds. UR SPECIALTY IS SPORTS e fish for salmon here with ish and hang it on racks to l
6
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illage at (Xaxli’p) LILLOOET Fountain Pavilion 99 a Lake & DELIVERY TAKE OUT into Fountain Valley, with er meadows and deciduous e ten Fre 682 Main St. TO CACHE u l G CREEK icnicking spots are available t TO LYTTON ne Crus e l ther right turnAonto vailabHighway 250-256-0064 view of Fountainview
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ascent into Fountain Valley, with its beautiful mountain meadows and 99 deciduous forests. Camping and picnicking spots are available at Fountain Lake. Another right turn onto Highway 12 affords a panoramic view of Fountainview Farms, B.C.’s largest grower of organic carrots. Not To Whistler far north of the Fountain Valley Road to October), 281 km Some seasonal roads (June 245 kilometres (152 mile) one day intersection is the “Big Slide” ... so (174 miles): one day ThisthatScenic follows part of the original massive the cost ofDrive widening the road through it is prohibitive. As a Pavilion Mountain Cariboo Wagon Road/Gold Rush Trail. Follow result, for a distance of 400 metres the 245 kilometres (152 mile) one The trip to Gold Bridge-Bralorne from Lillooet Highway from Lillooet to the aboriginal road becomes99 one north lane carved out of day follows 40, a mostly gravel road, along the cliff Highway side. Imagine navigating this community of Ts’kw’axylaw (Pavilion). Turn leftpart of This Scenic Drive follows by wagon or mule! the steep canyon of the Bridge Watch for Road/ the River. original Cariboo Wagon
and begin the climb to the pla Mountain (elevation 1520 met To The trip offers anCache exciting d of the Diamond S Cattle Creek Ranch iver R r e for more than a century th sbeef Fra organic beef. 99 After descending from Pavil FOUNTAIN route follows the shoreline of K VILLAGE at inviting Downing Provincial enjoy the beauty of this tranqu The road from Kelly Lake le its copper-colored mountains a Fountain On the return trip to L ranches. at Lake historic Hat Creek Ranch, a Highways 97 and 99, for an o welcome. Be sure to ask abou 12 the ranch house. Further along Highway 99, pillar of Chimney Rock can be Camping is available at Marble Park, and Pavilion and Crown places to swim or picnic. Fo
East of Vancouver, the trip north along the ing, fishing, snowmobiling Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) provides aradise. The routethe continues widening road through it is prohibitive. striking transformations in scenery as the As and adown into the Pemberton in 1971. aclosed result, forarea a distance of 400 metres the road gives The areareturns is a hunting, fishing, way to the fertile of themetropolitan journey to becomes lane carved of the cliffValley. side. snowmobilingone and rockhounding heartland of B.C.out - the Fraser 99 agricultural (Duffey Lake Road). paradise. Thenavigating route continues this over by wagon Imagine mule! To Goldor Bridge Highway follows the Hurley Pass1and down intothe the Fraser River and the old Pemberton Valley. Rush The finalTrail. leg of Cariboo Gold the journey returns to Lillooet via With their pick-axes, gold pans and mules, Highway 99 (Duffey Lake Road) prospectors in the 1850s and 1860s endured peril Fountain after peril to Valley follow their dreams of gold to the Year-round gravel road, 68 Cariboo. Tunnels along the route are named for kilometres (42 miles) 2 ½ hours former Fraser River gold mining bars. Follow Highway 99 from Lillooet towards Cache Creek to start this tour. The region around Lytton and Lillooet offer Ten minutes out of Lillooet, to the left another change landscape. and across the Fraserof River, are the Xwisten (Bridge River First Nation) This semi-arid area receivesLILLOOET less than 25 fishing grounds. Local Aboriginal centimetres rainfall annually and there’s a people fish for of salmon here with dip nets, then cut the fish and hang it on friendly rivalry between the two towns over which racks to dry in the wind. community claimat the title as Canada’s real A right turn can at the village hot(Xaxli’p) spot.Fountain Flats begins the
To Lytton Gold Rush Trail. Follow Highway 99 north from Lillooet to the aboriginal community of Ts’kw’axylaw (Pavilion). Turn right and begin the climb to the plateau atop Pavilion Mountain (elevation 1520 metres). The trip offers an exciting drive through thenews, heart of the Diamond S Local weather, Cattle Ranch, a producer of prime beef for more than music a centuryand that’s now raising organic beef. After community events descending from Pavilion Mountain, the route follows the shoreline of Kelly Lake. A picnic at inviting Downing Provincial Park allows time to enjoy the beauty of this tranquil valley. The road from Kelly Lake leads to Clinton, with its copper-colored mountains and many historic ranches. On the return trip to Lillooet, drop in at historic Hat Creek Ranch, at the junction of Highways 97 and 99, for an old-fashioned western welcome. 43 Be sure to ask about the ghost lurking in the ranch house. Further along Highway 99, the unique limestone pillar of Chimney Rock can be seen to the right. Camping is available at Marble Canyon Provincial Park, and Pavilion and Crown Lakes are lovely places to swim or picnic. 53 49
0
Scale in kilometres
44
5
5
10
15
WHISTLER
(Some sites maintained to minimal levels)
Camp Sites
(Some of these roads impassable in winter and some have very rough conditions)
Forest Service Roads or Seasonal Roads
(Most of these roads are unpaved. Some have rough conditions in places)
Paved Highway Secondary Roads
LEGEND
NAIRN FALLS
Finding Your Way
50 JOFFRE LAKES
BRIDGE RIVER
CLINTON
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Faces of Lillooet
Kim North Kim North says she loves the Fraser River, its awesome power, its changing moods, the magical cycle of the salmon’s return and the canyon landscape it’s created. After growing up in Australia, Kim set out at 21 to see the world. She “came to Canada, I suppose, to see the snow. I met a Canadian and that’s why I’m still here.” She has lived almost 40 years in Canada and in Lillooet for the last 18 years. “The mountains here are pretty amazing and the river really captured my imagination.” Her affinity for Lillooet’s landscape led her to a career as a protector of, and advocate for, the area’s water, land and wildlife habitat as manager of Splitrock Environmental. Splitrock began as a non-profit restoration project in 2005 and has evolved into an award-winning First Nations-owned business, with nine full-time employees, six seasonal employees and nine summer students. When she considers the big picture and what’s happening in the world, Kim acknowledges the challenges can be “overwhelming. We’re doing work in this one area and we ask, 51
‘Are we actually making a difference?’ But yes, we are. I sit back and I go ‘Look at this location. Look at that location. They’ve totally transformed themselves.’ And in the process, it’s being transformed by the youth of our community because all of our restoration work involves the youth. Our local kids and adults know so much more. We’ve been invited to other communities to do outreach work and we ask a lot of leading questions. And our kids can answer them like this now (She snaps her fingers rapidly) because they’ve been coming down here for so long, and they’re going to be our future leaders. I do feel what we’ve done here has created more of a stewardship ethic in the community.” She concludes, “This business is the result of the vision a few people had. To me, I just didn’t want to make money. To me, this was a real passion to share the beauty we have here and to make people more aware of what we can do to make the place better for fish and wildlife and for ourselves.” Saul Terry and Joanne Drake-Terry The Saul T. Gallery is the realization of a longtime dream for co-owners Saul Terry and Joanne Drake-Terry. Saul is a noted sculptor, painter and carver and Joanne is the author of a book on local Indigenous history. For many years, Saul’s primary focus was on First Nations politics. He was the president of the Union of B.C.
52
Indian Chiefs for 15 years and served multiple terms as Chief of Xwisten (Bridge River Band), becoming a leading advocate on title and rights issues. The light, bright, airy gallery features an eclectic mix of Saul’s work. It reflects his passion for Indigenous culture and his comfort and ease in working in a variety of mediums with different materials. An imposing totemic cedar frog and eagle carving stands in the centre of the gallery. A wild man/wild woman mask that draws on Indigenous legends is featured on a wall. A smaller version of his well-known salmon mural painted on the main entrance wall of Lillooet’s high school is reproduced here. There’s also a politicallycharged painting depicting a man split down the middle that was used in a poster for a National Film Board production. One annex features striking multi-media abstract works portraying Saul’s experiences with Type 2 diabetes. He graduated from the Vancouver School of Art with honours in sculpture. That is still his favourite medium and he prefers working with hard, solid stones such as granite and basalt. Eventually, he and Joanne hope the Saul T. Gallery will showcase the work of other local artists and host workshops and community events. This spring, local painters gathered
there to create new banners for the Banner Project. Saul says, “We want to promote the area as a place where interesting things are happening. We’re trying to expose that to the general public, give Lillooet the opportunity to pull more people in and have visitors stay and enjoy more of the community longer.” The gallery, located at 538 Main Street, opens May 15 and will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 12 to 4 p.m. Bain Gair Anyone searching for the heart of Lillooet will find it at 930 Main Street. The Lillooet REC Centre - with its ice arena, swimming pool, library, gymnasium, weight room, meeting rooms, bouldering wall, playing field, Radio Lillooet station – is the beating heart of Lillooet. The man responsible for making it run smoothly is recreation manager Bain Gair. The REC Centre offers several amenities for visitors, including the busy weight room. “We do have visitors who are fitness enthusiasts who often do drop in, especially during the summer,” says Bain. “For $5, you can go and use the weight room to your heart’s content. It’s pretty much a fully commercial gym with five or six pieces of cardio equipment.” The ice arena in the winter and swimming pool in the summer are also popular with visitors, who are advised to phone ahead (250-2567527) to find out when public skating and swimming are scheduled. There are also drop-in activities that include volleyball, basketball and pickleball. The REC Centre is open Monday to Friday, has limited hours on Saturdays and is closed Sundays. “There are always things going on and we want to ensure the building is busy all the time,” says Bain. “It should be busy because it’s the heart of the community and to make that claim, you have to have people in the building.” Speaking of ‘heart,’ Bain says the community poured its heart and soul into building the facility in the1980s. . “It’s truly a community-owned building in every sense of the word,” he explains. “The community raised a lot of money to build it, local First Nations contributed to the construction costs, sawmill workers worked for free on weekends to mill the lumber for the building. The volunteer component was a huge component. It’s a point of pride for people who were part of that
shoes here. “I get up in the morning and I’m happy to go work,” says Steve, who sells a wide variety of sporting goods, and hunting and fishing licences and is an excellent source of information on sturgeon, steelhead and sockeye. There’s been a huge surge of interest in sturgeon fishing here over the past five years, with more guides on the river, more fishing tours available, a new emphasis on tagging and tracking the giant pre-historic fish and more families staying for a week and coming back later in the summer to fish, hike, swim, go on tours, camp out and enjoy the weather. With that increased interest comes questions regarding the sustainability of the fishery. To tackle those questions, a stakeholders group was formed and Steve was chosen to the chair it. “We’ve got voices around the table from residents living on the river to the guides to the business owners in town,” he explains. “We’ve had some great meetings; for the most part it’s been positive and has really brought people together to talk to each other.” Steve also brings people together for the Winners Edge Annual Sturgeon Derby. He says the derby has “maxed out” at approximately 150 and it’s a point of pride for the people who came after.” Bain and his wife Kim arrived here in 1992 from the Prairies and raised their family here. “We fell in love with the place immediately,” he recalls. The geography is spectacular – there’s fantastic scenery in every direction - and for anybody who likes the great outdoors and hiking, biking, fishing or hunting, this place is paradise.” Steve Alain Steve Alain was raised in Lillooet and he knows a good thing when he sees it. That’s why he had no hesitation in coming home after graduating from Cariboo College (now Thompson Rivers University) in Kamloops. “I’ve always loved Lillooet and I had a passion to run and own my own business,” says Steve. With his business partner Bert Ponte, he established Winners Edge, a sporting goods store that’s still going strong after 27 years. He describes Winners Edge as “mini Wal-Mart without the groceries” and says he has loyal customers who will come from as far away as Vancouver to buy their 53
participants and can’t expand much beyond that “because there are only so many fishing holes we can use and we can only go so far down the river.” Although he’s caught many sturgeon over the years, these days Steve says, “For myself, if I get out on the boat, that’s the experience for me, just being on the river.” Bob Sheridan If you need space to host a hot dog sale for your child’s sports team or a community event, and if you also need a food donation for that fund-raiser, who you gonna call? The answer is unanimous: Buy-Low Foods manager Bob Sheridan. Buy-Low’s mandate is to be involved in the community and the company and its vendors have been “super-supportive,” says Bob. But his contributions go far beyond his job. Always ready to lend a helping hand, he is one of Lillooet’s good guys, a dedicated volunteer with the Chamber of Commerce, the Lillooet REC Centre Advisory Board, Lillooet Minor Hockey, the Lillooet Memorial Curling Club and the Sheep Pasture Golf Club. Thirty years ago, Bob and his wife Denise were on their way to the Okanagan to run a store in Summerland. “The owner of the company called me up and asked me if I’d like to go to Lillooet as a favour. I had to look up Lillooet to see where it was.” He has no regrets. “The community has been unbelievable. I like to fish, I love to golf, my kids were born not far from the REC Centre and ‘lived’ a lot of years at the REC Centre when they were growing up.” Not shy about boosting Lillooet, Bob says opportunity is now loudly knocking at Lillooet’s door. “Because of the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan saturation and how their real estate markets are, this is such an affordable, great place to live. It has all the amenities, the dental clinic, the medical clinic and the REC Centre. I would bet you would have a hard time finding another
Brush up your St’at’imcets The ancestral language of the St’át’imc people is Lillooet (also known as St’at’imcets), a member of the Interior Salish group, which includes the languages of the neighbouring Secwepemc (Shuswap) and Nlaka’pamux (Thompson) peoples. The Northern St’at’imc are comprised of the Xwísten (Bridge River), Sekw’el’wás (Cayoose Creek), T‘it’q’et (Lillooet), Xaxli’p (Fountain), Ts’kw’aylaxw (Pavilion) and Tsal’alh (Seton Lake) Bands. The people of the six bands speak 54
community of this size with these amenities. Plus, the location is great. The weather is great. The people are great. I think of the rooted families that are here and our First Nations community. I’m only as good as my staff is, and we have great employees and some of them have been there 10, 20 or 30 years. When I boast about Lillooet, I boast about all those things. We’re the hot spot. We’re Guaranteed Rugged.” He says the next question he’ll ask himself is: “Will I retire here? The answer is Yes.”
the Upper dialect of the St’at’imc language. There are certain sounds in St’at’imcets that cannot be replicated in the English language, so the following place names are as close as we can come for someone trying to pronounce St’at’imcets words for the first time. Have a go! S e k w ’ e l ’ w a s - SHICK-wel-wash (the ‘wash” rhymes with dash). It means big rock broken in half or split rock. S t ’ a t ’ i m c – Stat-lee-m. This word came from an old location and refers to the 11 bands of the
St’at’imc Nation. T ’ i t ’ q ’ e t - Tlee-it-cut. It means alkaline earth. T s a l ’ a l h - CHUH-lath. It means lake. T s ’ k w ’ a y l a x w or T s ’ k y ’ a y l a c w TS-KWHY-lux. It means frost on the ground. X a x l i ’ p or C a c l ’ e p – HAA-clip. It means brow of the mountain. X w i s t e n or N x w i s t e n – nHWAY-shtun. It literally means smiling place, but may derive from “Nxusesten” – place of foaming water And, referring to the neighbours: N l a k a ’ p a m u x – lng-khla-kap-muh. S e c w e p e m c – She-HUEP-muh or She-KWE-pem.
11th Annual
Apricot Tsaqwem Festival
• Farmers Market • Quilt Show • Family Activities • Live Music • Great Food • Tons of Fun!
July 20-22/18
REC Centre Lawn Dance Saturday, July 21 starting at 6pm
Madison Olds
Sabrina Weeks Band
gged u R e Th Basonnd y r t n Cou John Wat ix with nis Lacro & De
oet’s Lillo ontest tC Talen inner W ow the sh starts t 6pm a
Fun for the Whole Family!
Don’t Miss Lillooet’s Biggest Event of the Year! 55
Photo: Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
LILLOOET LOVELILLOOET.COM While you explore our rugged landscape, discover our unique, local indie businesses!