B.C. Heritage Week 2011 is here and there is plenty to celebrate in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
"I'm thoroughly excited," said Squamish Historical Society president Bianca Peters. "We can't learn about our future unless we know about our past."
Heritage Week began Monday (Feb. 21) and this year's theme is "A Century of Conservation" to honour the upcoming 100th birthday of the first provincial park in B.C., Strathcona Provincial Park.
One Squamish resident already played a major role in recognizing Strathcona Park's anniversary in July 2010 when the Strathcona Park advisory committee and BC Parks re-enacted the 1910 expedition, retracing the original route.
Squamish's Murray Sovereign joined in the trek because it was his great-grandfather, Price Ellison, who decided to set Strathcona aside as a provincial park in 1910 when he was the B.C. Minister of Lands.
"I've never felt so proud of my family's accomplishments and it was a truly inspirational experience," Sovereign said
The Sea to Sky Corridor has seven of its own provincial parks Alice Lake, Shannon Falls, Porteau Cove, Murrin, Brandywine Falls, Stawamus Chief and Garibaldi.
In proclaiming Heritage Week, Margaret MacDiarmid, B.C. Minister of Tourism, Trade and Investment, urged people to participate in the many heritage activities taking place throughout the province.
"Heritage tourism is growing in British Columbia, particularly in rural areas," MacDiarmid said. "British Columbians are particularly proud of their heritage as evident from the 5,200 historic places officially listed on community heritage registers."
"Heritage tourism is growing in British Columbia, particularly in rural areas," MacDiarmid said. "British Columbians are particularly proud of their heritage as evident from the 5,200 historic places officially listed on community heritage registers."
Scott Kerr, Britannia Mine Museum program and exhibit coordinator, said there were a number of interesting stories about Sea to Sky parks.
"The parks from Porteau to Garibaldi are linked with the people who played there in the past and those that still do," Kerr said.
Murrin Park was known as Phantom Lake until the mine manager from Britannia staked the area in the '20s and built a cabin on the lake's southern shore. There was no road in those days, so he and his family would boat from Britannia and then walk up the hill to the lake.
The B.C. Power Corporation finally donated it to the province, which is why the park bears the name of W.G. Murrin, the B.C. Power Corporation president at the time, Kerr said.
Shannon Falls' history goes far beyond tour buses and rock climbers. Until probably the mid-1920s, the Falls were called "Fairy Falls" by settlers.In 1889 William Shannon arrived his landholding and entrepreneurial interests in the northern Howe Sound and Squamish Valley were numerous and important. Shannon's local business interests included brick and tile manufacture at Shannon Bay (now Darrell Bay) and hydro power schemes for Shannon Falls, Potlatch Creek and other locations.He was the Squamish Valley Hops Raising Company founding president and explored timber development schemes in the Cheekye area.For much of the 20th century, the Britannia Mine claimed water rights to the falls and from 1976 to 1982, Carling O'Keefe Brewery used the water to make beer before donating it to the province for a park.
"Garibaldi is also full of forgotten history prospectors, looking to strike it rich, started small mines in the area," Kerr said. "Imagine how different the park would be if a large-scale mine had been developed."
The area that's now Garibaldi Provincial Park was used for recreation long before it was a park. Some old ski cabins can still be seen in various stages of decay in Garibaldi and a number of commercial ski resorts have come and gone in the area.
These and many other historical stories about the corridor's parks will be told at Britannia Mine Museum on Sunday (Feb. 27) at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and attendance is free with museum admission.
"Make sure to get out into one of B.C.'s 600 parks this year, to celebrate 100 years of conservation," said Kerr. "In honour of our rich history in outdoor pursuits, the Britannia Mine Museum is hosting presentations on history of our local parks."
According to HeritageBC, parks are the responsibility of all levels of government and everyone should be conscious of their importance.
"Our parks are not just places of natural beauty and wilderness. Some have great cultural significance, or are noted for their historic landmarks and structures. Many city parks are a conscious blend of nature and planned landscape."
Parks aside, Peters suggests residents take a tour of downtown Squamish to check out the downtown Business Improvement Association's (BIA) poster collection.
"All the way around downtown there are posters with the history of each building," she said.
"So a great way to celebrate Heritage Week is go for a walk downtown and check out all the posters."
