Quesnel's Spirit Square was opened on June 30th, 2008 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of British Columbia's becoming a British Crown Colony in 1858. 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.
This square was the
very first of many to be built in communities all over BC to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia.
At St. Laurent Avenue and Reid Street, Spirit Square is a small plaza with a roofed pavilion over a raised stage, beside which is an open area with flower and shrub beds placed behind a row of wooden benches set in concrete supports.
Under the pavilion's roof is an 100 year old piano donated to the association specifically to be placed here, intended to be played, not simply here for its decorative quality.
In 2016 the Quesnel Downtown Association celebrated their 25th anniversary. The installation of this piano, as well as a "Little Library" beside it, were projects undertaken by the association to commemorate this milestone.