Quesnel, British Columbia

Quesnel (Kee-nel in French) is a city located in 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 the Yukon. Quesnel is located at the confluence of the Fraser River and Quesnel River. As of 2021, Quesnel's metropolitan area (census agglomeration) had a population of 23,113 making it one of the largest urban centres between Prince George and Kamloops.

Quesnel is a sister city to Shiraoi, Japan. Quesnel hosted the 2000 BC Winter Games, a biennial provincial amateur sports competition. To the east of Quesnel is 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 First Nations peoples, the Dakelh or Southern Carrier, lived off the land around Quesnel, occupying the area from the Bowron Lakes in the east to the upper Blackwater River and Dean River 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’.

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 'Quesnelle Mouth' to distinguish it from Quesnel Forks, 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 supplied nearby Barkerville, 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 from 1862 to 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.

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

The highest temperature ever recorded in Quesnel was 41.7 C on 29 June 2021. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -46.7 C on 31 December 1927 and 17 January 1950.

Demographics
In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Quesnel had a population of 9,889 living in 4,508 of its 4,766 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of 9,879. With a land area of 35.35 km2, it had a population density of in 2021. According to the same census, Quesnel had a census agglomeration population of 23,113, which represented a decrease from 23,146 in the 2016 census.

The median household income in 2015 for Quesnel was $60,651, which is slightly below the British Columbia provincial average of $69,995.

As of 2018, the population of Quesnel is estimated to be a little over 10,000 people living within the city, with roughly 13,000 people living outside the city limits but within the metro area.

Religion
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Quesnel included:
 * Irreligion (6,050 persons or 62.5%)
 * Christianity (3,260 persons or 33.7%)
 * Sikhism (185 persons or 1.9%)
 * Hinduism (70 persons or 0.7%)
 * Buddhism (15 persons or 0.2%)
 * Indigenous Spirituality (10 persons or 0.1%)
 * Other (90 persons or 0.9%)

Economy
Quesnel is a city known for its forestry, particularly the production of pulp and lumber. Forestry is the single biggest employer in Quesnel. Quesnel is home to a Bleached Chemi-ThermoMechanical Pulp (BCTMP) mill that was built in 1981, and a NBSK (northern bleached softwood kraft) pulp mill that started production in 1972. The BCTMP mill is currently 100% owned by West Fraser Timber, and the NBSK mill is a 50 / 50 joint venture between West Fraser and Mercer International. There is also a large sawmill, a plywood mill, and a MDF plant all owned and operated by West Fraser Timber. West Fraser started in Quesnel in the 1950s, and is now the largest manufacturer of wood products in North America, with operations also in Europe.

Administration
Quesnel's city government consists of a seven-member council, that is one mayor and six councillors. The current city council, elected in 2022 for a four-year term, is composed of mayor Ron Paul and councillors Scott Elliott, Tony Goulet, Debora McKelvie, Laurey-Anne Roodenburg, Martin Runge, and Mitch Vik.

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 is served by the Quesnel Airport, with several commercial flights daily to and from Vancouver. The city has a local transit system provided by BC Transit.

Healthcare
Quesnel is served by GR Baker Memorial Hospital.

A new emergency section was added to the hospital on 14 April 2023. This increased the overall size of the hospital as well as making it easier for patients to move from building to building.

Tourism


Quesnel's tourism industry is largely based on the city's access to nature, with hunting and guiding outfitters, fishing, hiking, canoeing. The Rocky Mountaineer, a rail-tour train also travels through and stops overnight at Quesnel at the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Station, owned by BC Rail.

Quesnel's history as a gold-rush town is also reflected, as there are over 30 heritage sites around the city. Quesnel is home to the world's largest gold pan, measured at 5.5 m in diameter and weighing 1400 kg, although this is disputed by Nome, Alaska. As of 2020 the gold pan resides in its new location, one deemed controversial, near the local Visitor Centre and Museum. Quesnel is also the closest city to Barkerville, the largest historic site western North America, and epicentre of the Cariboo Gold Rush.

Troll Ski Resort, or simply Troll, is located 44 km east of the city. Quesnel is also home to Hallis Lake Cross Country Skiing Facility, a 75 km network of trails maintained by the Cariboo Ski Touring Club for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. In addition, Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park, Pinnacles Provincial Park, and Dragon Mountain Provincial Park are also located just outside the city.

Quesnel Museum is home to numerous artifacts, including Mandy, a "haunted doll" made in the early 20th century that is claimed to have paranormal abilities and eyes that follow visitors around. Mandy appeared on The Montel Williams Show.

Culture
There are twenty-three decorated fire hydrants in the streets of Quesnel. This work was sponsored by the local businesses in the vicinity of the hydrants.

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. The city was formerly home to the Quesnel Millionaires, a British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) team, before they relocated to Chilliwack as the Chilliwack Chiefs in 2011.

Quesnel also has soccer, airsoft and paintball, minor baseball, softball, lacrosse, ringette, roller derby, and football leagues. A Mountain biking skills park is located behind the Arts and Recreation Centre and West Quesnel has a skateboard park known as the Quesnel Skatepark.

Notable people

 * Brett Festerling – former National Hockey League (NHL) player (Anaheim Ducks and Winnipeg Jets)
 * Aaron Gagnon – former NHL player (Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets)
 * Bob Gassoff – former NHL player (St. Louis Blues)
 * Brad Gassoff – former NHL player (Vancouver Canucks)
 * Arjun Gill – wrestling gold medallist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
 * Rory MacDonald – mixed martial artist currently with Bellator MMA in the Welterweight division
 * Marco Marra – professor, medical genetics, University of British Columbia
 * Jim Marsh – former World Hockey Association player (Birmingham Bulls)
 * Errol Rausse – former NHL player (Washington Capitals)
 * Bob Simpson – former provincial MLA for Cariboo North and former mayor of Quesnel.

Neighbourhoods and nearby communities

 * West Quesnel
 * Uplands
 * Riverview
 * West Riverside
 * South Quesnel
 * Southhills
 * Red Bluff
 * Dragon Lake
 * Rich Bar
 * North Quesnel
 * Carson Sub
 * Johnston Sub

Nearby communities, not part of the City of Quesnel, include:
 * Moose Heights
 * Ten Mile Lake (also locally referred to as Parkland)
 * Barlow Creek
 * West Fraser / Narcosli
 * Cottonwood
 * Nazko
 * Bouchie Lake
 * Kersley

Sister city

 * Shiraoi, Japan