Cariboo Road

Cariboo Road, running some 650 km along the FRASER RIVER CANYON between Yale and Barkerville, BC, was begun in 1862 to provide a wagon route to the goldfields of the Cariboo region of south-central BC. By 1860 gold returns from the area convinced Governor James DOUGLAS that a system of communication was necessary. A road to the interior would relieve the plight of the miners forced to pay exorbitant rates for supplies and would make the Fraser River the great commercial highway of BC.

A contingent of Royal Engineers was brought from Britain to survey the route from Yale, at the head of navigation on the Fraser River, along extremely treacherous terrain to the administrative centre of the Cariboo. The work was begun by the army engineers, who completed the 2 most difficult stretches - 10 km from Yale to Boston Bar and 15 km from Cook's Ferry along the Thompson River. Much of the road had to be blasted from solid rock. The rest of the construction was let out to private contractors, and the road was opened in 1865. The TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY follows much of the route of this early road along the Fraser Canyon.

Author C.J. TAYLOR

Links to Other Sites
Barkerville
This website is dedicated to the gold rush town of Barkerville, BC. Features information about the local attractions and stage shows that reenact the colourful history of the region.

Colourful Characters in Historic Yale
Learn about the colourful characters who created the historic town of Yale, BC. This nicely illustrated online exhibit is from the Virtual Museum of Canada.

Encyclopedia of British Columbia
Fast facts and a timeline of the history of British Columbia from the website for the "Encyclopedia of British Columbia." Most of the website content, including articles, photos, and graphics, is available through subscription.

The Colonial Despatches
View digitized copies of correspondence (dated 1846 - 1859) between the British Colonial Office and the "colonies" of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Search or browse this site for references to specific individuals, communities, companies, or industries in the province. Also includes digitized images of maps of various locations. From the website for the University of Victoria.

Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History
Solve some the "Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History." Learn about investigative techniques and Canadian history. From the University of Victoria.

One of Canada's earliest roads: the Cariboo
A CBC Radio audio clip about the history of the harrowing Cariboo Wagon Road in BC.

Heritage BC Stops
Click on the tabs at the top of the page to access interactive maps and virtual tours of unique heritage sites located throughout British Columbia. Features points of interest, archival illustrations and photographs, personal anecdotes, and much more. From Heritage BC. Note: try various web browsers for the best display of website pages.

Attitudes Toward Chinese Immigrants to British Columbia 1858-1885
Download a copy of a thesis about the widespread discrimination suffered by Chinese immigrants in BC during the late 19th century. From Simon Fraser University.