Quesnel, British Columbia

Quesnel
City
City of Quesnel
The Quesnel gold pan
Motto(s): "Quesnel: It's in our nature"[1]
Quesnel
Location of Quesnel in British Columbia
Coordinates: 52°58′42.4″N 122°29′33.6″W / 52.978444°N 122.492667°W / 52.978444; -122.492667Coordinates: 52°58′42.4″N 122°29′33.6″W / 52.978444°N 122.492667°W / 52.978444; -122.492667
Country Canada
Province British Columbia
Region North Cariboo
Regional district Cariboo Regional District
Founded 1861
Incorporated as Village 1928
Incorporated as Town 1958
Incorporated as City 1981
Government
 • Mayor Bob Simpson
 • Governing body Quesnel City Council
Area
 • City 35.38 km2 (13.66 sq mi)
 • Metro 14,207.04 km2 (5,485.37 sq mi)
Elevation 474 m (1,555 ft)
Population (2011)
 • City 10,007
 • Density 282.8/km2 (732/sq mi)
 • Metro 22,096
 • Metro density 1.6/km2 (4/sq mi)
Time zone UTC−8 (PST)
Forward sortation area V2J
Area code(s) 250, 778, 236
Highways Hwy 97
Hwy 26
Waterways Bowron Lake
Fraser River, Quesnel River
Website http://www.quesnel.ca/

Quesnel /kwɪˈnɛl/ is a small city that is part of the Cariboo Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. Located nearly evenly between the cities of Prince George and Williams Lake, it is on the main route to northern British Columbia and Yukon. Quesnel is located at the confluence of the Fraser and Quesnel Rivers. The Rocky Mountaineer train also travels through and stops overnight in Quesnel.

Quesnel is sister city to Shiraoi, Japan and Val-d'Or, Quebec. Quesnel hosted the 2000 British Columbia Winter Games, an annual provincial amateur sports competition. To the east of Quesnel lie Wells, Barkerville, and Bowron Lake Provincial Park, a popular canoeing destination in the Cariboo Mountains.

History

Long before the arrival of prospectors during the Cariboo Gold Rush of 1862, the Southern Carrier (Dakelh) people lived off the land around Quesnel, occupying the area from the Bowron Lakes in the east to the upper Blackwater and Dean Rivers in the west. The Southern Carrier Nation were known among themselves as ‘Uda Ukelh’, meaning ‘people who travel by boat on water early in the morning’.[2] The name "Quesnel" is derived from Jules Maurice Quesnel, who accompanied Simon Fraser on his journey to the Pacific Ocean. Quesnel came to be called 'Quesnellemouth' to distinguish it from 'Quesnel Forks', 97 kilometres (60 mi) up river. In 1870 it had been shortened to Quesnelle and by 1900 it was spelled the way it is now. Quesnel is located along the gold mining trail known as the Cariboo Wagon Road and was the commercial centre of the Cariboo Gold Rush. It also marks one end of the Alexander MacKenzie Heritage Trail. Because of its location on the Fraser River it was also an important landing for sternwheelers during 1862 until 1886 and then from 1909 until 1921. The last sternwheeler on the upper Fraser was Quesnel's own namesake craft, and home town product, the Quesnel. Quesnel was incorporated in 1928.

Geography and climate

Climate

Considering it being located inland and around the 53rd parallel north Quesnel's humid continental climate[3] is very mild by Canadian standards, being subject to marine airflows from the Pacific. Overnight lows are still cool even in summer, but daytime temperatures average above 24 °C (75 °F) in that season according to Environment Canada.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Quesnel was 40.6 °C (105 °F) on 17 July 1941.[4] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −46.7 °C (−52 °F) on 31 December 1927 and 17 January 1950.[5][6]

Climate data for Quesnel Airport, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1892–present[lower-alpha 1]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.1
(61)		 18.9
(66)		 22.3
(72.1)		 31.1
(88)		 36.5
(97.7)		 36.7
(98.1)		 40.6
(105.1)		 38.3
(100.9)		 36.1
(97)		 28.3
(82.9)		 24.4
(75.9)		 18.3
(64.9)		 40.6
(105.1)
Average high °C (°F) −2.9
(26.8)		 1.3
(34.3)		 7.3
(45.1)		 13.5
(56.3)		 18.4
(65.1)		 21.7
(71.1)		 24.1
(75.4)		 24.1
(75.4)		 18.5
(65.3)		 10.8
(51.4)		 2.1
(35.8)		 −2.3
(27.9)		 11.4
(52.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) −6.9
(19.6)		 −3.6
(25.5)		 1.3
(34.3)		 6.4
(43.5)		 11.1
(52)		 14.7
(58.5)		 16.8
(62.2)		 16.4
(61.5)		 11.5
(52.7)		 5.5
(41.9)		 −1.4
(29.5)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 5.5
(41.9)
Average low °C (°F) −10.8
(12.6)		 −8.3
(17.1)		 −4.7
(23.5)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 3.7
(38.7)		 7.6
(45.7)		 9.5
(49.1)		 8.6
(47.5)		 4.5
(40.1)		 0.2
(32.4)		 −5
(23)		 −9.6
(14.7)		 −0.4
(31.3)
Record low °C (°F) −46.7
(−52.1)		 −45.6
(−50.1)		 −38.9
(−38)		 −21.7
(−7.1)		 −11.1
(12)		 −7.8
(18)		 −1.1
(30)		 −2.6
(27.3)		 −11.1
(12)		 −28.4
(−19.1)		 −37.8
(−36)		 −46.7
(−52.1)		 −46.7
(−52.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 47.8
(1.882)		 22.7
(0.894)		 24.9
(0.98)		 24.5
(0.965)		 42.6
(1.677)		 66.4
(2.614)		 65.6
(2.583)		 46.2
(1.819)		 50.2
(1.976)		 52.6
(2.071)		 51.3
(2.02)		 41.6
(1.638)		 536.2
(21.11)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 10.4
(0.409)		 6.7
(0.264)		 12.7
(0.5)		 21.2
(0.835)		 41.4
(1.63)		 66.4
(2.614)		 65.6
(2.583)		 46.2
(1.819)		 50.2
(1.976)		 46.3
(1.823)		 22.3
(0.878)		 4.9
(0.193)		 394.3
(15.524)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 44.0
(17.32)		 19.0
(7.48)		 13.4
(5.28)		 3.6
(1.42)		 1.2
(0.47)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 0.0
(0)		 6.7
(2.64)		 31.5
(12.4)		 42.8
(16.85)		 162.1
(63.82)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 12.8 9.7 9.7 9.8 12.1 15.8 14.2 12.0 12.4 14.8 14.0 13.4 150.7
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 3.1 3.4 5.9 8.8 11.9 15.8 14.2 12.0 12.4 13.7 7.2 2.4 110.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 11.3 7.1 5.4 2.2 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.4 8.8 11.8 49.7
Average relative humidity (%) (at 15:00 LST) 74.3 62.0 46.9 37.9 40.0 44.8 44.4 42.9 49.4 59.0 72.6 75.7 54.2
Source: Environment Canada[6][7]

Demographics

Quesnel had a population of 12,064 people in 2016, which was a decrease of 1.2% from the 2011 census count. The median household income in 2015 for Quesnel was $60,651, which is slightly below the British Columbia provincial average of $69,995 "Census Profile, 2016: Quesnel [Census agglomeration], British Columbia and Northwest Territories [Territory]".

As of 2016, the population of Quesnel is estimated to still be about 12,000 people living within the city, with roughly 13,000 people living outside the city limits.

Canada 2016 CensusPopulation% of Total Population
Visible minority group
Source:[8]		 South Asian5105.3%
Chinese1001%
Black200.2%
Filipino900.9%
Latin American200.2%
Arab00%
Southeast Asian00%
West Asian100.1%
Korean100.1%
Japanese600.6%
Other visible minority100.1%
Mixed visible minority100.1%
Total visible minority population8308.6%
Aboriginal group
Source:[9]		First Nations7557.8%
Métis7708%
Inuit450.5%
Total Aboriginal population1,61016.6%
White7,24574.8%
Total population9,685100%

Administration

Quesnel's municipal government consists of a 7-member Mayor and Council. The current Council consists of Mayor Bob Simpson and Councillors Ed Coleman, Scott Elliott, Ron Paull, Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, Shushil Thapar and John Brisco.[10]

Education

Quesnel is part of School District 28, which contains several elementary schools, as well as a Junior and a Senior Secondary School (Quesnel Junior High School and Correlieu Senior Secondary School respectively). Also within the school district is McNaughton Centre which is an Alternate High school. For post secondary education, Quesnel has the College of New Caledonia and University of Northern British Columbia shared campus, which offers several programs, including four year nursing and social work degrees, foundation or apprenticeship-level trades certification, health sciences, human services, academic upgrading, or industry and continuing education courses. The Quesnel CNC Campus also offers students the chance to start arts or sciences degrees and then transfer to university.

Transportation

Quesnel Airport

Quesnel is served by the Quesnel Airport, with several commercial flights daily to & from Vancouver, BC. The city is a regular stop on Greyhound Canada's schedules between Kamloops and Prince George and also has a local transit system provided by BC Transit.

Tourism

Quesnel's tourism industry is largely based on the city's access to nature, with hunting and guiding outfitters, fishing, hiking, canoeing.[2] Quesnel's history as a gold-rush town is also reflected, as there are over 30 heritage sites around the city.[11]

Sports

Quesnel is home to the Central Interior Hockey League's Quesnel Kangaroos Senior AA hockey team. The team plays at the West Fraser Centre in Quesnel.

Quesnel also has minor baseball, softball, lacrosse, ringette, roller derby, and football leagues. A Mountain biking skills park is located behind the Rec Center.

Notable people

Neighbourhoods and nearby communities

Sister cities

Notes

  1. ↑ Climate data was recorded at Quesnel from November 1892 to April 1970 and at Quesnel Airport from February 1946 to present.

References

  1. ↑ Short commutes, affordable housing: Quesnel rebrands itself to attract disenchanted Lower Mainland residents - British Columbia - CBC News
  2. 1 2 "Explore Quesnel – It's in our nature". www.tourismquesnel.com. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "Quesnel, British Columbia Climate Summary". Weatherbase. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Daily Data Report for July 1941". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  5. ↑ "Daily Data Report for December 1927". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Quesnel A". 1981–2010 Canadian Climate Normals. Environment Canada. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "Quesnel". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  8. ↑ "Community Profiles from the 2011 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision". 2.statcan.gc.ca. 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
  9. ↑ "Aboriginal Peoples - Data table". 2.statcan.ca. 2010-10-06. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
  10. ↑ "Quesnel City Council". City of Quesnel. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "Quesnel". www.hellobc.com/quesnel.aspx. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  12. ↑ City of Quesnel: Arts and Culture

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