GETAWAY AFFORDABLE CANADIAN ESCAPES

Rafter Six Ranch – where the west stays alive!

The flowers are blooming in the Albertan mountain meadows. The horses are saddled and ready. The campground is serene and the people are smiling. This is the time of year we have all been waiting for!

Rafter Six Ranch welcomes you to come and enjoy the beauty of the Bow Valley on well-trained horses and joined by our experienced guides. Don’t want the standard nose to tail? You are at the right place!

Rafter Six Ranch, the “Trail Riding Specialists of the Canadian Rockies,” offers an intimate and interactive atmosphere that caters to all levels of riders… from green as grass beginners to advanced riders looking for a new adventure. Private and custom rides, cowboy college and games, wagon rides, private riding and horse training lessons and more!

Family owned and operated since 1976, for over 47 years Rafter Six has welcomed visitors to experience the Cowboy Way of life. And though it may be a little different, the heart and the spirit of the horse and the desire to share the lifestyle comes alive! Come join us at Rafter Six Ranch, where the west stays alive! We look forward to riding with you.

Wrangler Week a tradition that lives on at the Flying U Ranch

Before British Columbia was even settled, the Flying U Ranch had set the simple timeless principles of cowboy life. It turns out that the cowboy traditions struck a chord with people from all walks of life for generations that followed. The iconic cowboy represents the best of Canada — the courage, optimism and plain hard work. Cowboys are heroic not just because they do a dangerous job, but also because they stand for something — the simple, basic values that lie at the heart of the cowboy way. 150 years later, cowboys still honour and live by their code. Respect for the herd and every wild animal that lives in the forests, living each day with courage and commitment regardless of weather, keeping their word, talking less and saying more, total discretion, and always finishing what is started.

That tradition lives on at the Flying U in a special annual event called

“Wrangler Week.” That’s when city folk come up and spend a special week working alongside our wranglers and hanging out with friends around a campfire. Last month, the volunteers did a variety of chores working the land clearing trails, picking stones off a 40 acre pasture, opening up an irrigation channel, and cutting up deadfall to help fireguard the ranch. It was so popular this year, we even had a group of school kids join in the fun. Now it's not all work, because the afternoons were dedicated to horseback riding and the May weather was very cooperative with some warm and sunny days. Well, there was a freak storm that did cause a quick snow shower, but that’s what cowboys expect in the Cariboo. We even had some brave souls that did the polar bear plunge off the dock!

The next Wrangler Week is in the fall starting October 5. It's a great way to cowboy up and enjoy simple basic values of ranch life. It’s a tradition at the Flying U that spans back to 1849.

Barkerville’s Theatre Royal

The Theatre Royal in Barkerville will be opening earlier this year with previews of their new family friendly variety show launching June 3rd. This was made possible due to a generous donation made by Osisko Development and Osisko Gold Royalties, as well as personal contributions that were made by senior Osisko executives bringing the total to $80,000. This allowed Barkerville to call its performers back to work early for rehearsals, and also covers costs for script development, music composition, and seasonal salaries for the theatre’s talented musicians.

Kate Cox, CEO of Barkerville Historic Town & Park, adds, “Since 1868, the Theatre Royal has been the heart of Barkerville's gold rush community, sustained by successful and famous gold miners who craved entertainment as a reprieve from the Cariboo's harsh living and working circumstances. Through their support, Osisko is following in those footsteps by supporting the community's tourism, arts, and culture economy, employing 13 professional historic interpreters, accelerating the growth of ancillary programs and businesses, and bringing Barkerville's magic to an estimated 40,000+ visitors.”

Chris Lodder, President of Osisko Development, says, “It is a real pleasure to continue to support Barkerville Historic Town & Park and watch it grow into the diverse, sustainable, economic fabric that has been developing in the Wells, Barkerville, Bowron Lakes region of the Cariboo.”

Shows at the Theatre Royal will launch on June 3rd each day at 2 p.m., with dark days on Thursdays through the month of June. Performances will move to seven days a week after the Theatre Royal’s Grand Opening during the Dominion Day festivities on July 1st.