Heritage Site Work Puts Displaced Forest Workers on the Job

By 250 News

Quesnel, B.C.- The province has rolled out  funding to  restore soe historic sites throughout the Cariboo region.

$1.875 million from the Community Development Trust Job Opportunities and Tuition Assistance Programs will be used to help about 40 laid-off resource workers to develop new skills  while restoring historic sites at Cottonwood House, Quesnel Forks, Hat Creek Ranch and Fort Steele.

Four groups of 10 workers each will practice their skills on some of British Columbia's most popular historical towns and at the end of their work, some will receive heritage building conservation certificates that qualify them for future work in heritage restoration. 

At the Cottonwood House Historic Site near Quesnel, $457,309 will employ 10 workers to complete restoration work on the site, buildings, historic equipment and trails. Work activities in this project will include re-establishing fencing, forest debris cleanup, trail
restoration, interpretive signage installation, repairing the inside and outside of heritage buildings and the upgrading and chinking of log structures.

At the Quesnel Forks Restoration site near Likely, $399,360 will be used to employ 10 workers to restore three heritage sites in the Quesnel Forks, Cedar Point Park and the Bullion Pit Lookout. The team will repair historical displays, equipment and buildings, including
three cabins. They will also construct 500 metres of trail, brush 500 metres of water ditch and establish eight mining equipment displays.

At the Hat Creek Ranch near Cache Creek, $462,536 will employ 10 workers to complete restoration work to heritage buildings, equipment and trails. They will re-establish fencing, upgrade campsites, clear forest debris and install signage and kiosks. They will also repair
historical equipment and wagons and chink log structures.

"At the historic Fort Steele Heritage Town near Cranbrook, $353,351 will employ 10 workers to restore and upgrade buildings, heritage equipment and trails. The workers will repair road surfaces, clean up forest debris and install interpretive signage. Additionally, they
will repair kiosks and repair or upgrade fencing. The project will also involve work on up to three kilometres of trails, up to 18 buildings, 10 pieces of heritage equipment items and up to two kilometres of restored road.

The Tuition Assistance Program is also providing $203,000 to deliver certificate training to workers in the field of heritage restoration at the Cottonwood House Historic Site, Barkerville Historic Town and the Hat Creek Ranch. Parts of the training are also being delivered at
Fort Steele, Quesnel Forks and McLeod Lake Post near Mackenzie.

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