The BC Forestry Museum documents the ongoing history of forestry and lumbering in the province of BC. It has both indoor and outdoor displays. Outdoors are several examples of older machinery employed in the logging industry.
Some of the Highlights of the museum:
THE FIRST FORESTERS EXHIBITION
THE PINE BEETLE STORY
A RE-CREATION OF 1921 FIRE LOOKOUT CABIN &TOWER
STORY BOARD HISTORY OF LOGGING
FRED FLINTSTONE’S SNOWMOBILE (just joking, it’s a 1964 Hus–Ski)
THE TREE THAT HEALED ITSELF
THE ONE PICTURE HISTORY OF HORSE LOGGING
THE GUITAR-WOOD TREE (learn what this 478 year old tree endured over the years)
VINTAGE CHAINSAW COLLECTION (including a rare Left-handed chainsaw)
GIFT SHOP WITH LOCAL CREATIONS
FANTASTIC PICNIC GROUNDS
Since we visited the museum has introduced another highlight - movies under the stars. In 2015 the museum began a program of screening forest-themed movies alfresco in the evenings.
The Museum was founded in 1999 “To record, preserve, restore and display artifacts and collections of historical, archaeological, artistic, educational, and scientific material as it pertains to the forestry industry in the interior of the province of BC.”
The objectives of the Museum are: to operate as a non-profit society whose purpose is to maintain a public forestry museum in which to store and display artifacts and collections of historical, archaeological, artistic, educational, and scientific material as it pertains to forestry.
And, to encourage historical research, stimulate public interest in the history of forestry and develop programs of interest to the general public to enhance the regional base of tourist attractions.
The early vision of the museum focused on creating a collection of logging equipment and attempting to capture the ‘story’ of logging through the ages with particular emphasis on the period since about 1850. The story of workers and entrepreneurs facing adversity and danger. A story of individualism, perseverance and resilience in an industry continually introducing mechanical innovation through ingenuity.
As society becomes more sophisticated in viewing the industrial age there is a tension between the ‘romantic‘ logging story and the environmental issues connected with the forest industry. The ‘story’ to be told now is one that captures the social and economic realities of the settlement of BC and clearly acknowledges the environmental impact and lessons learned. Visitors can gain an understanding of; the hardships and adventure of logging; the importance of timber to our economy; and the need to care for the forest. This threefold drama forms the substance of the museum experience for visitors.
From The Museum