Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Barkerville Gold
Seekers
Lively acting conveys
the excitement of the
Cariboo Gold Rush of
1862
(below)
. Among
the true-to-life cast of
characters is “the hanging
judge” Matthew Begbie
and Miss Florence
Wilson, just off a bride
ship, who attempts to
civilize the predominantly
male town residents.
The National Dream
The completion of the coast-to-coast railway
signals Canada's coming-of-age
(above)
. Integral to
the history of the railway are the fates of the
Chinese workers who toiled on its construction. As
the story unfolds, industries boom in BC, and BC
women obtain the right to vote.
New Arrivals
The arrival of Euro-
peans brings dramatic
change to the West
Coast as depicted on
the decks of a re-created
trading ship
(center)
. The
all-powerful Hudson's Bay
Company's chief factor
James Douglas arrives
on Vancouver Island. The
first fort is built in 1843
and the trading vessel
Endurance
arrives.
The Gold Rush
On April 25, 1858, sever-
al hundred men landed
in Victoria on a steamer.
The tumultuous Cariboo
Gold Rush had begun.
Soon, 20,000 other gold-
seekers, including many
Chinese, followed, en
route to the mainland and
the town of Barkerville,
to stake the banks and
tributaries of the Fraser
River. By 1860, the gold
was panned out and the
miners, now mainly Chi-
nese, moved further
north along the river. By
1865, the rush was over.
Last Stop…
Vancouver!
In this final show with
live actors, one of the
first trains arrives in
Gastown in 1887. Men
and women return from
World War II, reuniting
British Columbians.
Together, all look ahead
to a prosperous future.
BC Spirit
During the return to
street level in a second,
46-ft- (14 m-) high lift, a
360-degree multi-media
presentation dances
above the heads of passen-
gers. Stunning images of
BC's present-day society
and its gorgeous land-
scapes are featured.
Gastown
Merchants
Back above ground, you
re-enter the Water Street
lobby where the Gastown
Merchants gift shop
(left)
,
selling good quality history-
themed items, is located.
The seven original songs played during your Storyeum journey
include orchestration by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
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