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History of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism in Northern BC

This guide highlights archival resources related to the history of outdoor recreation and tourism across Northern and Central BC.

Sports Archival Material

Popular sporting draws for tourists to Northern and Central BC have historically included hunting, fishing, rodeo, and winter sports such as skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, hockey and curling. Although Northern BC has hosted regionally significant sporting competitions, there have been historically few national and international sporting events. Most sport tourists to Northern BC come not as spectators but active sport participants. This is reflected in the archival record--active sport participation naturally creates fewer archival records than sporting events.

Archival records relating to active participation in amateur sports often include: photographs, film, ephemera, oral histories, and textual records relating to development of sporting facilities.

Archival records relating to sporting events often include all of the above, as well as programs and pamphlets, souvenirs, tickets, broadcast audio recordings, and correspondence.

 

Northern BC Archives holds sports-related archival material pertaining to:

The Honourable Iona Campagnolo fonds

The Honourable Iona Campagnolo fonds (1937-2007) - 2009.6

This massive fonds has been designated by the Department of Canadian Heritage as archival records of outstanding provincial and national significance. The records illustrate The Honourable Iona Campagnolo’s careers as Lieutenant Governor of BC (2001-2007), President of the Liberal Party of Canada (1982-1986), Member of Parliament for Skeena (1974-1979), and Minister of State of Fitness and Amateur Sport in the Trudeau Government (1976-1979). Not only did the latter appointment grant her the distinction of becoming the very first Minister of Amateur Sport in Canada, she also became the first woman and Northerner to be appointed a federal Minister.

As Minister of Fitness and Amateur Sport, Campagnolo was policy-maker and advocate for sport in Canada. Her role included international, national, and regional sports tours, speech making, and sporting event attendance. Campagnolo led sports tours and initiatives within her own Skeena riding as well as elsewhere in British Columbia. She was also involved with the Northern BC Winter Games.

Rodeos & Stampedes

Rodeo has been a long-time fixture of the British Columbia interior and Northeast region. There are a number of long running rodeo events, for example the Williams Lake Stampede (1920), the Dawson Creek Stampede (1922), and the Anahim Lake Stampede (1937). These events draw many types of tourists and participants from local community members to international travellers.

All Northern BC Archives database results for rodeos & stampedes

Film above: 2012.12.1 - Williams Lake Stampede