Dawson Creek placed several small cairns along Dawson Creek Trail starting at the arch.
In 2008 these cairns were placed to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of British Columbia becoming a British Crown Colony and the 50th Anniversary of Incorporation as a City of Dawson Creek.
In 1858 was a time when many vicinities in British Columbia and Washington State were first being settled by miners in search of gold and silver.
When it appeared that, because of the preponderance of US citizens already in the area north of the 49th parallel, the area might become part of the US, the British Government declared the area that is now British Columbia a British Crown Colony on August 2, 1858 in order to enforce sovereignty in the area.
Nine years later, when the country of Canada came into being, it was readily obvious that assimilation of the colony of British Columbia into Confederation was in Canada's best interest. Thus, in 1871, British Columbia was made a province of Canada.
The Dawson Creek Trail is a paved 4.5 kilometre trail that is administered by the Parks, Trails & Sports Fields department of the City of Dawson Creek.
Dawson Creek Trail meanders along Dawson Creek through mostly undeveloped land with benches, tables, gardens and picnic areas along its length. Each end of the Dawson Trail connects with the 23,000 kilometre long Great Trail, aka the Trans Canada Trail (TCT), the world's longest hiking/biking/walking trail. From its eastern end the TCT proceeds northeast into Alberta, while from its western ends the TCT follows the Alaska Highway northwest through northern British Columbia and into The Yukon.
Dawson Creek Trail is a four season trail, it is used by walkers, joggers, bikers and roller bladers through the spring and summer and into the fall, then taken over by cross country skiers and snowshoers when the snow begins to fall.