Barkerville Connector Proposed

Thursday, October 18, 2007 02:49 PM

Map shows three proposed roads that would connect Barkerville to other highways

Barkerville is looking for a new road, a connector that would create a circle route linking Highways 16, 97 and the road leading to Barkerville, highway 26.

One of the problems facing Barkerville says Gordon Rattray of the Barkerville Historical Town Board, is that it is located at the end of "A 100 km long cul-de-sac".

A report on the travel patterns on the highways shows that about one third of the tourism travel will move onto Highway 26 to get to Barkerville. The report says if there was another route , which could link Barkerville with Highway 16 east, there would be tourism benefits for the entire region. The Barkerville Board of Directors says it would like to restore the visitor patterns to the previous high of 100 thousand visitors. Last season there were 70 thousand.

A consultant looked at three possibilities for an extra road:

The Bowron- Purden Lake road, which is a de-activated logging road could be upgraded for a cost of $15 million dollars. This option would be the quickest to complete.

The Goat River Road. This would link with Highway 16 closer to Goat River, and while it would produce spectacular scenery, the cost of developing this road would be just shy of $435 million.

The Matthew River Road. It could be upgraded at a cost of $10 million dollars, but it does not create a circle route.

The Barkerville Historic Town Board would seek funding from the Federal and Provincial Governments in particular, through the Western Diversification fund. The road would initially be a "seasonal" road so costs for snow removal would not be needed.

The Directors with the Regional District raised some concerns about supporting the project as they don’t think they have enough information on the impact this circle route would have on other communities.

Board Chair Art Kaehn noted he is from a community which might be impacted (Hixon) and needed to know more about the potential negative impacts, Director Don Bassermann said he wanted to know how such a circle route would impact communities like Mackenzie and Vanderhoof.

It was McBride Mayor Mike Frazier who reminded the group about who they are to represent "If we are charged with thinking regionally, what could be the downside?" He is of the belief this circle route would open up new areas and increase tourism for the whole region.

The Regional District Board has agreed to set the item over to the next Regional District meeting which is the 15th of November. That will give the Directors enough time to look for some answers to their concerns.

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Posted on Thursday, October 18, 2007 02:49 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on October 18 2007 6:58 PM

The only thing I am gonna says is hold onto yer jaw when it drops when you see all them red pines on either side of the road while driving to Barkyville. New road gonna have red trees to look at too? Betcha it will.

Posted by: dow7500 on October 18 2007 7:23 PM

The Mcbride Mayor says it bang on "what could be the downside?" Basserman is concerned with the impact on Mckenzie and Vanderhoof....Huh!

Posted by: Parrothead on October 18 2007 8:34 PM

I would rather see the highway to McBride be an all-year road. Personal opinion....

Posted by: Chadermando on October 18 2007 8:36 PM

I suport the The Bowron-Purden Lake road, but the Goat River cost is probably too high and would be better spent building a new ring road for PG. IMO....

Posted by: MoneKate on October 18 2007 9:05 PM

Great idea. When highway 16 is closed east of Prince George from severe weather or vehicle accident there is another way to travel east. Lets hope this is approved.

Posted by: Palopu on October 18 2007 9:36 PM

The Highway between Prince George and Mcbride is basically a desolated area. Very little traffic. How many tourists do they think they would get from the East that would go to Barkerville.

Barkervilles numbers are falling because of lack of interest, and has nothing to do with roads. People have been going to Barkerville via Highway 26 for the last 25 years. Building a different road into the same place will make little or no difference.

Times are changing. Fewer people around that have any kind of attachment to Barkerville or it history.

These people are grasping at straws. Remember the Casion at Wells. Well its closed down and he license has been transferred to some other part of the Province.

Once youve been to Barkerville you really dont have a big urge to go back.

Posted by: He speaks on October 18 2007 9:46 PM

Just up grade the Coq, upto 100 mile house. then put the money in between 100 mile to Williams Lake, and that will be the best way to fix our transportation system.

What the heck will the Purden connector to Barkerville do. May be get a 1000 people coming from Edmonton to visit Barkerville. Whoopie, I rather have them come to Prince George and then have 300 go to Barkerville.

Seriously, all that is going to do, is open up is a muffler and tire shop in Wells. Lets not get into pissing away our budget surplus

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on October 18 2007 9:51 PM

Never happen now that caribou comes before people. The Goat River road is the only one worth investing in, but caribou come first these days.

Posted by: He speaks on October 18 2007 9:58 PM

Nope, Goat River road will never be built. Too much money, for a seasonal road. besides with all the environmental crap, it will not be worth the effort.

Why build that road that takes traffic away from Prince George. Let the bastards drive through Prince.

Posted by: silverpete on October 18 2007 10:57 PM

Wells Barkerville is a destination not intended as a circle tour. Expanded camping/motorhome facilities is what's needed here not more access. We have travelled to this area for over 30 years , from PG and enjoy the trip. Searching out the old gold claims old roads and homesteads is far more important than creating new highways . Preserve the areas.There's wonderful history in old Stanley, Wingdam, and the old mines...promote the history..maybe improve the existing access (more passing lanes) but leave it as a destination create more atmosphere in Wells and Barkerville...Like Stone Mountain in Atlanta.

Posted by: owl on October 18 2007 11:50 PM

The road should start at the Buckhorn/Willocale roads and run into Barkerville from there, entering that area at the Bowron Lake Rd. section close to Barkerville. That is about 140km and will cut the PG-Quesnel-Barkerville route sufficiently, I think, that it will be more commonly used from PG with family outings, especially when visitors come to town.

As Palopu states, the hwy between PG and Tete Jaune is virtually dead. Most of the traffic from Edmonton/Jasper heads south at Tete Jaune to go to Shuswap/Kelowna/Vancouver. Unless they have family here, they are not interested in this part of the world.

There are 80,000 or so people in the PG region who will provide local users with both a shorter drive as well as a circle route alternative so one does not have to return the same way.

At the same time, some who are heading to Alaska may very well go via Barkerville if they are new tourists to the area. It will cut about an hour off the total time if they went to see Barkerville on the existing route, plus they would see new scenery, even though for the next decade or two it will be sparse. Some interpretive stops could be provided rather than a simple dead road.

I think there is a route from PG to Wells used by snowmobilers in an annual poker run between PG and Wells.

Posted by: owl on October 18 2007 11:54 PM

Virginia City in Nevada is on a circle route from Reno to Virginia City to Carson City back to Reno.

I do agree with others that there are problems right at Barkerville. A circel route might also help populate the place a bit more. Virginia City is still an active city of sorts. I think that might be something they should look at, rather than keeping it as a museum.

Posted by: acrider54 on October 19 2007 6:03 AM

Lets fix existing highways ie more passing lanes Caribou connector? Goat River road to Barkerville will never be built.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on October 19 2007 7:13 AM

Any road that would funnel people from east of Prince George right through to Wells/Barkerville would be felt to some degree by Prince George merchants I would think.
Is that what we want?
It is not always as simple as it seems.
And I do tend to think that Barkerville is not as popular as it once was.
That may well be because of the funding and support that they no longer get from the government!

Posted by: Andyfreeze on October 19 2007 7:17 AM

You are right Owl.
There is a route to Wells that IS used by snowmobilers occasionally and it is not a bad ride...on a skidoo!!

Posted by: RRrabbitt on October 19 2007 8:05 AM

The "Purden" (Narrow FSR-5500-2300)road to Bowron Lake and then the "Matthew River" (3100) road has some of the most astonishing, gut-wrenching scenery in this province.

Wandered and prospected those areas many times... high, rugged country, but staggeringly beautiful... if it is opened up, I hope it is respected and appreciated.

A supper of beans/biscuits alongside a campfire near the top of Kruger mountain and looking down the length of Issac Lake is one of those lifetime moments.

Retracing my Dad's footsteps through the Goat/Milk River Pass... following the whispers of the yellow stuff.. grinning like an idiot at the little blobs of excitement...

The indelible memory of watching an old mother Grizz fishing at the outlet falls of Ghost Lake with her stupid cub still makes the lump in my throat force tears through the chuckles.

If you want to be awash in real history, the North South passage is the only route to consider.

Blessings.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on October 19 2007 8:15 AM

Posted by: owl "I think there is a route from PG to Wells used by snowmobilers in an annual poker run between PG and Wells."

Correct. The PG club has a trail management agreement for that section. You have to phone the RCMP just outside town for an escort to cross the road to get gas or lodging.

There are several side trips off that route like RRrabbit says, but caribou issues might make those vistas a thing of the past.

Posted by: Chadermando on October 19 2007 1:22 PM

Its a huge opportunity to expand tourism for the entire north. A circle tour could be used to attract 747 plane loads of tourists from Europe that want to rent a motorhome and travel the available circle tours just like they do now in Calgary-Banff Rockey Mountain House/Jasper by the tens of thousands every year. PG-Barkerville could pick up the over flow as well as those that have already done the circle tours to the East and are looking for something new. We could make it a wild west holiday experience.

If this circle tour was available I would drive it a few times a year just to go for a drive. Who wants to drive a dead end highway, that would seem pointless from the outset Barkerville or not.

I also support upgrades to the Quesnel-Nasko-PG/Vanderhoof circle tour and the PG-Mackenzie-Fort St James circle tour.

Posted by: Chadermando on October 19 2007 1:25 PM

IMO huge oportunites for PG merchants if this goes ahead through PG acting as a base for the newly opened up tourism oportunities bringing tourists to PG International Airort for the experience of their lives on one of our circle tours.