At the front of LeBourdais Park, in front of the museum and visitor centre, is a rose garden. Each year there are no less than 250 tea and floribunda roses in the LeBourdais Park Heritage Rose Garden. The garden was initially planted in 1967-68 by the pioneer gardeners of Quesnel. Given that it is in a city park, today the garden is maintained by city workers. A bright white rose arbor stands at the south edge of the garden, on which is mounted a bronze plaque which was dedicated to "Quesnel's Gardening Pioneers" who designed and planted the garden.
Elsewhere in the park are several picnic tables and benches and, at the rear, a washroom and changing building, at the northwest corner a spray park. At the western edge is a large playground; at the eastern end a ball diamond. In front of the museum is a heritage rose garden. During Billy Barker Days, LeBourdais Park is the site of a midway, the focal point of the festival, Quesnel's largest annual blowout.
LeBourdais Park
In 1963 the park was named in honor of Louis LeBourdais.
He was a telegraph operator, amateur historian and a very popular politician, who represented the Cariboo in the BC Legislature from 1937-1947.
He is buried on the edge of the Quesnel Pioneer Cemetery, overlooking the park.
THIS LOCATION HAS SERVED AS A GATHERING PLACE FOR SPORTING EVENTS AND COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
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in 1912, a cricket pitch and a race track were constructed on Chew Doy Foo's field. He was known locally as "China Charlie."
- The annual Dominion and Labour Day celebrations featured a parade through town to the track, followed by a baseball game, athletic competitions and horse races.
- Quesnel's first golf course, the Willingdon Links, was located in the vicinity from 1930-1956.
- Stock car races were a popular attraction during the 1950s.
- An outdoor swimming pool was built as a Centennial project in 1967. It was demolished after the construction of the Recreation Center and the Splash Park was built in 1990.
WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THE PARK? HOW MANY EVENTS CAN YOU IDENTIFY ON THIS MURAL?
Aboriginal Day, Billy Barker Days, Canada Day, the Highland Games, Relay for Life...
From the Plaque a the rear of the museum