The Cariboo was blessed to have it's own homegrown artist Mr. Barrie Jason Curtis who devoted many years of his life to embellishing the region with countless artistic treasures that have given the area its unique sense of historic perspective. But all of Mr. Curtis's work has not been preseverved and cared for as it ought to have been.
The mural shown in the above photo was painted by Jason Curtis back in 1984 when the city of Quesnel had embarked on a mural project designed to highlight the Cariboo Gold Rush theme that the city is known for.
Mr. Curtis painted a number of large murals that were located in various locations both in West Quesnel as well as in the downtown area of Quesnel proper.
For whatever reason the city never followed through on the upkeep of these murals many of which were beautifully done and conveyed a realistic historic sense of the area with scenes from the early days.
Thirty years later only three of Curtis's murals are still hanging on buildings in town. One is on the old Sparting Printing and Advertising building in West Quesnel just off the Moffat Bridge on the right. It showns a scene of one of the old sternwheelers that used to travel from Soda Creek up to Quesnel during the gold rush period. It is in need of referbishing.
The one in the worst condition (see above) adorns the north wall of the Bank of Nova Scotia on the corner of Reid Street across from Willis-Harper Home Hardware store and is becoming more of an eye-sore than a source of pride for the city.
This close up of the lower right hand corner of the mural is a good example of the type of disrespect that the city is showing for the mural and it begs the question as to why such neglect has been allowed to carry on for so long. Is it the responsibility of the Bank of Nova Scotia to look after the maintenance of the mural? If it is then why hasn't the city approached the bank and asked them to look into having the mural repainted?
Surely the Bank of Nova Scotia has the funds to fix this deplorable situation. If for nothing else other than making their own business look good. As it now stands it certainly isn't adding to anyone's appreciation of either the mural or the banks exterior look.
Jason Curtis's artwork has been the mainstay of Cariboo Gold Rush theme from the start. His famous and well-loved childrens coloring book called The Cariboo Goldrush Coloring Book plus his many paintings and signs and even Quesnel's logo itself including the gigantic sign at the junction of Hwy. 97 and the Barkerville Hwy all have added that very special flavour to local area.
On top of all of those initiatives Jason Curtis's artwork and ideas are what gave the whole Billy Barker Days theme its lifeblood.
All of this legacy has been poorly handled by the city of Quesnel and the city's attitude is best reflected in the fact that it let all of the mural project go to wrack and ruin with the odd exception here and there.
Not something to be proud of given that Mr. Curtis was a local resident born in Barkerville back in 1933 and a man who gave his heart and soul to helping make the Cariboo a place of beauty.
The Dusty Trunk, a truly unique shop filled with an incredible array of antiques, collectibles and one of a kind crafts, located one kilometre east of the famed Cottonwood House Historic Site on the equally famed Barkerville Highway (Hwy #26) is now open for business.
This is a gift shop that you don't want to miss on your way up to Wells, Barkerville and the Bowron Lake chain.Owner, Sheila Phinney, has arranged her store with something to capture the eye of any passerby as will be evident from the photos below.
The Phinneys also operate the Rooster Ridge Camping site for travellers who wish to camp overnight and explore in and around the local area. There are some sites with hook ups, some with hydro all in a quiet setting. Spend the weekend and enjoy the Saturday night jam sessions held every weekend at the Cottonwood Community Hall. This is a once in a lifetime experience for those who love to dance and listen to real old-style country music performed by local musicians from around the Cariboo.
Here are some of the fabulous items that visitors will find hidden away in the Dusty Trunk. Do drop in and check it out!
After waiting five months, Arthur Topham has now been officially charged with willful promotion of hatred.
RCMP searched and seized property of the Quesnel resident in late May of this year, after it was determined there were “reasonable grounds the offence of promotion of hatred was committed.”
Crown officially moved forward on the charge earlier this month.
Since then Topham has had to comply with certain conditions, including restricted Internet access and is prohibited from maintaining his websites (including the Radical Press domain.)
Crown continues to request the courts permission on further restrictions.
Topham, who adamantly denies the charge, says he’s hopeful having his day in court will raise awareness surrounding free speech and the definition of “hate crimes.”
“This is not to say that I have full confidence in Canada’s judicial system but it will hopefully give me an opportunity to present the facts and the truth before a judge and jury of my peers; something that would never have happened if the case had been decided by a tribunal,” he said.
“In that regard, therefore, I welcome the opportunity to challenge these Draconian “hate” laws that have been set up to protect vested interests here in Canada.”
Topham says ever since he was charged with a hate crime in 2007 he’s been forced to battle with the Canadian Rights Commission and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
Back in 2008 the Quesnel Cariboo Observer published a story in which Topham had received a complaint from the Canadian Human Rights Commission stating he was promoting hatred towards Jews and citizens of Israel.
Topham maintains a site, RadicalPress.com with the tagline “Digging to the root of the issues since 1998.”
Currently Topham is permitted to continue posting to his site; Crown is seeking to prohibit posting.
“Of course my immediate concern is that the crown wants to assume that I have already been found guilty and therefore shouldn’t be allowed to write or post on my website in
order to defend myself against these spurious charges,” Topham said.
“Given how the msm is smearing me already I feel it would be highly unfair to take away my charter rights prior to this case being heard in a court of law.”
Topham’s next court appearance is slated for Nov. 27.
On December 1st, Canadians from 39 cities will hit the ground running, walking or shuffling in the The Salvation Army’s 22nd annual Santa Shuffle.
Funds raised during the 1K or 5K walk or run will help The Salvation Army support the millions of Canadians currently living in poverty. This Christmas, The Salvation Army is emphasizing that every gift can make a big difference in the life of a person in need, and this family-friendly event is a great way to get involved.
Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Bill Bennett will take part in three events in Quesnel on Tuesday, Nov. 13.
Nov. 12, 2012
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
MEDIA ADVISORY
QUESNEL – Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Bill Bennett will take part in three events in Quesnel on Tuesday, Nov. 13.
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Time: 11:05 a.m.
Bennett will visit a Quesnel Drinking Water Supply project (Production Well #10) to view the recent upgrades funded by a Towns for Tomorrow grant.
Location:
3534 Hilborn Rd.
Contacts:
Matt Gordon
Director of Communications
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
250 896-4923
Matt Wood
Communications Supervisor
City of Quesnel
250 255-1170
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Time: 1:30 p.m.
Bennett will tour the College of New Caledonia campus. This tour will focus on the success of the college’s trades program that is providing skills training for the next generation of B.C. workers.
Location:
100 Campus Way
Contact:
Matt Gordon
Director of Communications
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
250 896-4923
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Time: 2:45 p.m.
Bennett will visit the Quesnel Search and Rescue Centre for a funding announcement.
Location:
#14 Johnston Bridge Loop
Contact:
B.C. Politics Trendwatch
In this issue:
1. The moves behind van Dongen's jump
2. New polls add to Premier Clark's woes
3. MLA Bob Simpson views feeding frenzy
Revolt against Basi-Virk payoffs was behind van Dongen's jump
By John Twigg
The sometimes frantic pace of B.C. politics seemed to take a bit of a breather yesterday as if everyone wanted to stand back and digest the earthquake from the day before when longtime B.C. Liberal MLA John van Dongen not only left that party but also instantly became the first sitting member of the upstart B.C. Conservative Party.
While lots of people had known for quite a while that van Dongen (Abbotsford-South) was amongst the most aggrieved Liberal backbenchers on the verge of leaving the Liberals in protest of Premier Christy Clark's evident mismanagement of numerous issues, very few if any other MLAs or any pundits knew he would take a second step into the Conservatives' ranks too. (I saw one suggestion that Independent MLA Vick Huntington knew it was coming, but no others.)
Clark sees Liberals as the only free-enterprise choice
Several versions of what had happened eked and leaked out about exactly what took place, including various versions from van Dongen, Conservative leader John Cummins, blogger Alex Tsakumis and other participants, and there were even more versions about what it all will mean and lead to going forward, and of course there was lots of misleading spin from Clark when she finally faced the media shortly after the noon newscasts yesterday to the effect that in her mind she's determined to keep the B.C. Liberal Party as the only practical way to preserve a free-enterprise coalition that can prevent the New Democratic Party from winning power in the 2013 provincial election (which sounds to me like a line coached into her by strategist Patrick Kinsella).
"The only thing that John van Dongen accomplished yesterday was making it a little easier for the NDP to get elected in British Columbia," Clark said, typically understating the gravity of her situation.
MLA Van Dongen shakes balance of power in B.C. politics with shocking exit from Liberals to join B.C. Conservatives
By John Twigg
The lure of "a broadly based, credible free enterprise option in the next provincial election" and the alleged lack of accountability in Premier Christy Clark's B.C. Liberal Party government have caused 17-year Liberal MLA John van Dongen to suddenly join the upstart and until-now seatless B.C. Conservative Party.
"When more and more decisions are being made for the wrong reasons, then you have an organization that is heading for failure," an even-voiced van Dongen told the hushed Legislative Assembly on Monday afternoon in a personal statement right after Question Period, calmly and quietly sending an earthquake through the structures of B.C.'s partisan politics.
Van Dongen explained he has been concerned for more than a year about what he alleged were inconsistencies in what Clark told people about what her own role had been in the B.C. Rail sale when she was running for the party leadership, which she narrowly won one year ago this month, and about other concerns such as the $6-million settlement for Basi and Virk in the BCR scandal as well as certain other issues.
Detailed look at B.C.'s job trends shows Clark exaggerated claims
By John Twigg
Since I sort of "miscued" recently in my critique of Premier Christy Clark's job creation claims (by pulling a wrong stat out of a jumble of numbers) I felt an obligation to dig a bit deeper into the area to see if I could better understand it and then better portray exactly what has been going on in B.C.'s labour force, and what I did find - no surprise - is a situation far less positive than what Clark was claiming.
On one hand that means my quickly-published apology to her was way more abject than it needed to be, and on the other other hand it is all the more concerning because it further confirms that Clark lately has been doing far too much of that sort of exaggerating and dissembling in far too many policy areas, even including the province's financial picture (with the budget's low-balled revenue forecasts) and now with the very important jobs picture too (in which Clark cherry-picked a few sweet statistics rather than revealing the actually-weak overall trends - albeit with a great outlook for years ahead).
To put it all in a bit of context, let's review how Clark on March 13 staged a photo op at Seaspan Marine Shipyards in North Vancouver to release a six-months progress report on her "Canada Starts Here" job creation program "which clearly outlines the steps taken by our government to promote economic investment and job growth in British Columbia" but which nonetheless downplayed the huge role public-sector projects have played in bolstering B.C.'s employment numbers in recent years.
