Quesnel, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Demographics
Quesnel had a population of 9,326 people in 2006, which was a decrease of 7.1% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Quesnel was $54,044, which is slightly above the British Columbia provincial average of $52,709.Administration
City CouncilCity council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
:
- Mayor: Mary Sjostrom (elected November 2011)
- Ed Coleman
- Scott Elliott
- Mike Cave
- Laurey-Anne Roodenburg
- Shushil Thapar
- John Brisco
Canadian Federal Member of Parliament:
- Dick HarrisDick HarrisRichard M. "Dick" Harris is a Canadian politician. He is a Member of Parliament and member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He also was a member of the Reform Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance. He represents the electoral district of Cariboo—Prince George, and formerly Prince...
, Conservative Party of CanadaConservative Party of CanadaThe Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Member of British Columbia Legislative Assembly:
- Bob Simpson, New Democratic Party of British ColumbiaNew Democratic Party of British ColumbiaThe New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
Festivities
Billy Barker Days is held every year on the third weekend in July. It celebrates Quesnel's heritage and the first gold miner, William Barker (for whom BarkervilleBarkerville, British Columbia
Barkerville was the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush in British Columbia, Canada and is preserved as a historic town. It is located on the north slope of the Cariboo Plateau near the Cariboo Mountains east of Quesnel along BC Highway 26, which follows the route of the original access to...
is named), to strike it rich in the Quesnel area. To kick off Billy Barker Days there is an annual Crash to Pass event. There is a large fair in downtown's Lebourdais Park. Throughout the weekend there are performers from all over Canada. There are contests and prizes, as well as many things for children to do, including a "Kids' Day". The food is quite popular too, with many locals who set up food booths. The Rodeo goes on all weekend, and the whole thing ends with a fireworks display on Sunday evening.
Figure skating
The Quesnel Figure Skating Club operates at the Twin Arenas, is 50 years strong, and are the winners of the National Show it off for Skate Canada Contest. They will be hosting a visit/seminar with Kurt Browning in the fall of 2011. March 2012 will see the QFSC hosting the CNCR Regional Championships.Hockey
Quesnel was home to the BCHL's Quesnel MillionairesQuesnel Millionaires
The Quesnel Millionaires were a junior "A" ice hockey team based in Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. They were members of the Interior Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League . They played their home games at Quesnel Twin Arena...
junior A hockey team, they are moving to Chilliwack
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
for the 2011/2012 season. Quesnel also has a minor hockey association.
Soccer
Soccer leagues in Quesnel include the Quesnel Youth Soccer AssociationQuesnel Youth Soccer Association
The Quesnel Youth Soccer Association is a local soccer association in Quesnel, British Columbia. QYSA provides a fun, friendly soccer environment to children of all ages in the area. The programs for youth start at age 4 and continue all the way to the end of high school. QYSA now consists of 1200...
for youth soccer and the Quesnel Mixed Soccer Association
Quesnel Mixed Soccer Association
The Quesnel Mixed Soccer Association is a mixed gender soccer association for in Quesnel, British Columbia. QMSA has been around for over 10 years. They currently have 4 teams and about 55 players. They normally have 2 divisions, a competitive division and a recreational division. However in...
& Quesnel Fun Soccer League for Adult soccer. The Quesnel Strikers are Quesnel's youth rep teams.
Other sports
Quesnel also has minor softballSoftball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, and football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
leagues. Some other sports such as rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
are played as non-organized sports but are not very popular. Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
is a popular activity and Quesnel boasts one of the longest running clubs in BC. Deane's Black Belt Academy has been running nonstop since 1984.(www.quesnelkarate.com)
Notable residents
- Ian WalkerIan WalkerIan Michael Walker is a former English footballer. His former clubs include Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers. Walker is the son of former Wales goalkeeper, and Norwich City and Everton manager Mike Walker...
- Notable explorer. - Bob GassoffBob GassoffRobert Allen Gassoff was a professional ice hockey player. He played four seasons in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues...
- Late NHL player. - Rod DallmanRod DallmanRod Dallman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played seven National Hockey League games with the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
- former New York IslandersNew York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
player.
Neighbourhoods and nearby communities
- Quesnel View
- West Quesnel
- Red BluffRed Bluff, British ColumbiaRed Bluff is an unincorporated settlement and adjoining Indian Reserve community located just south of Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. The community includes Quesnel Indian Reserve No. 1, one of the reserves of the Red Bluff First Nation and is generally also referred to as Red Bluff....
- Rich BarRich Bar, British ColumbiaRich Bar is an unincorporated settlement and adjoining Indian Reserve community located just south of Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. The locality includes Rich Bar Indian Reserve No. 4, one of the reserves of the Red Bluff First Nation.-References:...
- Dragon LakeDragon Lake, British ColumbiaDragon Lake is an unincorporated community just south of Quesnel named after the lake of the same name nearby. It is one of the main commercial areas of Greater Quesnel, including a number of large shopping plazas and major supermarkets and big box stores. The locality includes Dragon Lake Indian...
- CottonwoodCottonwood, British ColumbiaCottonwood, including the Cottonwood Ranch and Cottonwood House, is an unincorporated settlement in the North Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada...
- NazkoNazko, British ColumbiaNazko is a small First Nations community located 100 km west of Quesnel on the Nazko River in central British Columbia, Canada. Nazko means, "river flowing from the south".Nazko is the gateway to the Nuxalk Carrier Grease-Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail...
Sister cities
Quesnel has "sister city" agreements with the following cities: Val-d'Or, QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Shiraoi
Shiraoi, Hokkaido
is a town located in Shiraoi District, Iburi, Hokkaidō, Japan. As of 31 May 2008, the town had a population of 20,371 The town was established in 1867 by the feudal lords of Sendai. Most of the area of the town is forested and parts lie within the Shikotsu-Tōya National Park.-History:Shiraoi like...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...