NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 576

The summer season in northern British Columbia is shorter than elsewhere in the
province. For general -interest travel, plan a trip during the peak July-August period. June
and September are also good for traveling—it's still warm enough to camp, and as a bonus,
you'll miss the worst of the high-summerbug season. Those keen to see grizzly bears in
their natural habitat will want to schedule a visit to the Khutzeymateen in June or to Hyder
in August or September.
Prince George
British Columbia's seventh-largest city, Prince George (pop. 73,000) lies roughly at the geo-
graphical center of the province, at the confluence of the historically important Fraser and
Nechako Rivers. Early trappers and explorers used the rivers as transportation routes into
the northern reaches of the province. When they discovered the region's wealth of wolf,
fox, lynx, mink, wolverine, otter, and muskrat, they quickly established forts and trading
posts by rivers and lakes so that furs could be sent out and supplies could be brought in. In
1807, Simon Fraser of the North West Company began construction of Fort George. The
railroad reached the area in 1908, and in 1915 the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway platted the
town site of Prince George a few kilometers south of the original Fort George. The new
town went on to become a major logging, sawmill, and pulp-mill town, the center of the
white spruce industry in British Columbia's central interior. Hundreds of sawmills started
cutting local timber, and Prince George became the self-proclaimed “Spruce Capital of the
World.” The city has continued from strength to strength and has grown to become northern
British Columbia's economic, social, and cultural center.
SIGHTS
The best place to start a Prince George sightseeing trip is at the top of Connaught Hill,
which affords a panoramic view of the city. To get there from downtown, take Queensway
Street south, turn right on Connaught Drive, then right again on Caine Drive. At the sum-
mit are grassy tree-shaded lawns, picnic spots, and several well-kept gardens bursting with
color in summer.
Exploration Place
At Exploration Place (333 Becott Pl., 250/562-1612, 9am-5pm daily, adult $10, senior $8,
child $7), you'll discover the fascinating natural and human history of Prince George and