Preserving recent history is just as important as ancient history, as a recent donation to the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin demonstrated.
For years the B.C. Gold Rush Trail has been an important part of tourism in the Central Interior region. Its trail has long been marked with a classic sign showing a prospector and his horse striding boldly off for adventure and riches. However, this signage has now been discontinued and is fast disappearing from B.C. highways and roads.
To ensure the preservation of this recent addition to the history of the Cariboo, the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association donated one of these now historic signs to the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin on Friday, May 24.
Read More: Chilcotin Road students take a step back in time with interpretive museum program
Amy Thacker, the CEO of the CCCTA, said that the Gold Rush Trail management committee and the CCCTA board of directors felt it was important to ensure that artifacts like this made it back into local communities. The sign she was donating along with Kristi Denby, the Gold Rush Trail project manager, was decommissioned back in 2017 as part of the modernization of the trail, which features more emphasis on Indigenous storytelling.
“The Gold Rush Trail has had a long history in the area and it continues to be an evolving part of our living history, so we want to continue to celebrate that with everyone,” Thacker said.
Signs like these have been part of the roadside since the 80s and she wanted to ensure that they are remembered and celebrated within the lakecity community. Thacker feels we learn a lot about our future from our history and that it’s important to ensure the full story is being told.
Read More: Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin sees a 500 per cent increase in visitors
Museum co-ordinator Joe Borsato was happy to receive this donation, as he observed many modern infrastructure projects like this often get swept to the side and leave behind little to no record of their existence. Artifacts from the 80s to the present, he finds, are often lost and not categorized which is an unfortunate loss of history.
“In 100 years, this sort of thing will be valuable to the extent we often value things from 100 years ago,” Borsato said. “I’d just like to thank the CCCTA and the committee for donating the piece to us. We appreciate it.”
Renovations at the museum are now finished, though Borsato is still making tweaks to displays and exhibits to perfect its presentation.
patrick.davies@wltribune.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter