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forestry, construction, transportation, health care and
education services, wholesale and retail trade, and
manufacturing.
You could easily call Prince George “Park City.”
With 124 parks within the city limits, you won’t
have any problems finding one in which to enjoy the
afternoon. Prince George’s largest, Fort George Park
is home to the Exploration Place, featuring displays
that trace the development of Prince George and
the surrounding area from the arrival of Alexander
Mackenzie and the fur trade, as well as interactive
hands-on science exhibits. Fort George Park is
situated on the original trading post site, where a
Native burial ground, children’s playground and an
old steam engine hauling passengers through the
stockade grounds are featured attractions.
The Central BC Railway and Forestry Industry
Museum is located in Cottonwood Island Park. Here
you can visit a genuine 1914 Grand Trunk Station
and the first-class Nechako Car. Art Gallery
The park you won’t want to miss is Connaught photo by:
Hill Park. Located in the center of Prince George’s Initiatives Prince George
downtown, this park features a panoramic view of the
city and flower gardens.
Prince George is also home to a thriving arts scene Fort Fraser Babine Lake
and several art galleries presenting a diverse annual Location: Yellowhead Highway 16. 12 miles Babine Lake is 110 miles long and the perfect
schedule of local and national touring exhibitions. (19 km) east of Fraser Lake; 89 miles west of setting for unlimited recreational opportunities. There
Prince George offers recreational opportunities Prince George. Population: 1000. is great year round fishing for char, rainbow trout,
for every season of the year. There are eight golf cutthroat, and ling cod, while fishing for salmon and
courses, over 60 baseball diamonds, plus soccer and Fraser Lake hunting for big game or water fowl is excellent in
football fields, racquetball, tennis and squash courts, Location: Yellowhead Highway 16. 40 miles to season. Fantastic boating, swimming, and waterskiing
numerous mountain bike and hiking trails, and two Burns Lake; 60 miles to Vanderhoof; 94 miles are enjoyed from numerous sandy beaches located on
swimming pools. west of Prince George. Population: 1,308. Area either side of Babine Lake. Berry picking enthusiasts
The surrounding area’s lakes and streams are Population: 3,600. Visitor Information: Fraser may choose from huckleberries, raspberries, and
an angler’s paradise, yielding generous catches Lake Museum is located in the Visitor Centre blueberries.
of rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, lake trout, and on Highway 16 at 65 Endako Ave; Village of Millions of salmon fighting their way to their
whitefish. Fly-in fishing provides anglers with the Fraser Lake office: PO Box 430, Fraser Lake spawning beds may be witnessed during late August
opportunity to catch the larger fighting species. Ice B.C. V0J 1S0. Phone: (250) 699-6257, Email: to early September at the Fulton River Salmon
fishing in winter is also a popular past time. rjholland@fraserlake.ca. Fisheries Project, one of the largest in the world.
Winter is a great time to visit Prince George with
both downhill and cross country skiing. Facilities for Burns Lake Topley Landing
any level of skiing expertise can be enjoyed at Hart Location: On Highway 118 (Babine Road) on
Highlands Ski Hill Tabor Mountain Ski Resort and Location: Yellowhead Hwy 16; 141 miles west the west shore of Babine Lake. Approximately
Purden Ski Village, all within a 15 to 40 minute drive of Prince George. Population: 2,523. Area 45 km (27 miles) from Topley.
Population; 28,000. Visitor Information Centre:
of downtown Prince George.
540 Hwy 16 W; Chamber of Commerce: Burns
Lake Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 339, Granisle
YELLOWHEAD HWY 16 Burns Lake, BC V0J 1E0; Phone (250) 692- Location: 30 miles north of Yellowhead
3701; Email: info@burnslakechamber.com. Highway 16 West on Babine Lake via Hwy
Vanderhoof 118 (Babine Road). Population: 500. Visitor
Information Centre and Museum Complex,
Location: Yellowhead Highway 16; 20 miles JCT. YELLOWHEAD HWY 16 & HWY 35 TO Village of Granisle, PO Box 128, Granisle,
east of Fort Fraser and Fraser Lake, 30 miles SOUTHERN LAKES DISTRICT B.C. V0J lW0; Phone: (250) 697-2248; Email:
south of Fort St. James and 60 miles west of general@villageofgranisle.ca.
Prince George. Population: Approximately Southern Lakes District
4,800. Area Population: 20,000. Visitor Infor- Tchesinkut Lake, Francois Lake, South Bank, YELLOWHEAD HWY 16
mation: Vanderhoof and District Chamber of Takysie Lake, Uncha Lake, Ootsa Lake,
Commerce, 2353 Burrard Avenue, PO Box 126, Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
Vanderhoof, BC V0J 3A0; Phone: (250) 567- Houston
2124; Website: www.vanderhoofchamber.com Location: Along Hwy 35, south of Burns Lake. Location: Highway 16, 192 miles west of
Information: S.E.D.A. P.O. Box 70, Southbank, Prince George; 51 miles west of Burns Lake;
JCT. YELLOWHEAD HWY 16 & HWY 27 BC V0J 2P0; Phone: (250) 694-3219; Email: 40 miles east of Smithers. Population: 4,330.
Visitor Information: Houston Chamber, PO
NORTH TO FORT ST. JAMES seda@lakescom.net.
Box 396, Houston, BC V0J 1Z0; Phone: (250)
Fort St. James YELLOWHEAD HWY 16 845-7640; Email: info@houstonchamber.ca;
Website: www.houstonchamber.ca
Location: On the shores of Stuart Lake; from
Yellowhead Highway 16 turn north onto Topley Houston had its beginnings in the early 1900s,
Highway 27 just west of Vanderhoof; 160 km with farming and logging supporting the community’s
northwest of Prince George. Population: 4757. Location: Junction of Yellowhead Highway 16 growth. In 1912, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Visitor Information: Fort St. James Chamber and Highway 118; 50 km (30 miles) northwest was built and tie-cutting became a local industry.
of Commerce, 115 Douglas Avenue, PO Box of Burns Lake. The 1940s saw the first planer and the first gang mill
1164, Fort St. James, BC V0J 1P0; Phone: established. In 1949, a Forest Ranger station was
(250) 996-7023 or (800) 608-7698; Email: JCT. YELLOWHEAD HWY 16 & HWY 118 TO built to meet the demands of the rapidly increasing
fsjchamb@fsjames.com; Website: www. BABINE LAKE lumber industry.
fortstjameschamber.ca. Situated in the Bulkley Valley, at the confluence
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