Following B.C.'s Chinese Pioneers

by Larry Wong

Saturday, February 1, 2003

BC GETAWAY

Larry Wong learned about heritage and history in a trip to towns where early Chinese immigrants settled

In August, 20 of us boarded a chartered minibus in Chinatown to follow the trail of our early Chinese pioneers. Not many in our tour, which was sponsored by the Chinese Cultural Centre, were aware of the conditions under which the Chinese worked and lived in the early days, and few of us had travelled into the Interior of B.C.

Our first stop was Yale. There, in the mid-1800s, the Chinese, along with other miners, began their foray into the Cariboo gold fields. When the gold was gone, the Chinese were hired to help build the Canadian Pacific Railway. Yale was a staging area for the rail line through the Fraser Canyon.

There once was a Chinatown in Yale, but all that's left are remnants of a vault door and bits of firewall poking out from the bushes. We were able to see one of the train tunnels carved through a mountain by Chinese workers.

Our next stop was Ashcroft, where museum curator Helen Forster welcomed us. The museum is filled with artifacts, including those of Chinese pioneers.

In the 1880s, a number of Chinese settled in Ashcroft and tried their hand as potato farmers. Their potatoes were so outstanding that Ashcroft became known as Spud City and the CPR insisted in using only Ashcroft potatoes in their dining cars.

We moved on to Williams Lake for the night, and the next morning we drove a short distance north on Highway 97 before turning east on to Likely Road. About halfway to Likely, our minibus started to sway side to side as we bounced up and down on our seats on the unpaved road.

We reached the Quesnel River, and, as we crossed the bridge, an unforgettable sight greeted us. We were enthralled to see blood-red salmon thrashing their way to the spawning streams.

From the river we continued to Likely, a small village with a well-stocked general store and a few lodges, which sits on the western arm of Quesnel Lake, against a mountain backdrop.

Our next stop was Quesnel Forks, about 30 km away, at the confluence of the Cariboo and Quesnel rivers. It is the last remaining ghost town in the province, and only a gravel road connects the towns. Our minibus was not meant for gravel roads and steep inclines. Our driver ordered some of us off to lighten the load; his plan was to shuttle us, but as luck would have it, a pair of cars going our way stopped and offered a lift. They were members of the Likely Cemetery Society on their way to greet us at Quesnel Forks. Our hosts happily drove us to the visitors' centre where we were offered cold drinks, home-baked goodies and guided tours of the cemetery and the townsite.

We were told that by 1885, most of the residents were Chinese who came after the railway was finished. In a very short time, the Chinese population out-numbered the whites four to one.

Our last stop was beautifully restored Barkerville. Usually, Chinatown is located in a poor and less-desirable area of town, but the seasoned Chinese from the 1848 Gold Rush knew better. They set their Chinatown at the top the hill, where the Wagon Road entered Barkerville.

Our last evening in the Cariboo was spent at the Lung Duck Tong Chinese restaurant. We toasted to the spirit of all who came to seek their fortunes, particularly the early Chinese whose pluck and ability to endure hardship amazed us.

The trip was sponsored by the Chinese Cultural Centre. Phone 604-658-8850 for more information.