Volunteers power Billy Barker milestone

“That makes me feel awfully proud of how this festival has survived 50 years,” Paull said. “And it came from a humble beginning as an idea from the Chamber of Commerce and the then town of Quesnel.”

Paull got involved while working as a junior clerk for the Town of Quesnel. He and Ketchum, the two founding members, are still closely connected to the anniversary.

“There are two founding members, myself and Jess Ketchum, who is coming up to be our grand parade marshal,” Paull said. “So we are both very proud and very pumped.”

The idea for the festival came from younger members of the Quesnel Chamber of Commerce, who thought the community needed a big summer event. Back then, Quesnel had a winter festival but nothing major in the summer.

The group brought their idea to the then-mayor and the city council, who supported it and encouraged them to move forward.

The festival was given a Gold Rush theme because of Quesnel’s connection to Barkerville and the Fraser River Gold Rush. Organizers thought this theme would attract visitors from beyond the Cariboo and Quesnel area.

Paull explained that the original goal was practical. Many tourists passed through Quesnel on their way to Barkerville, so the chamber and town council wanted to encourage some of them to stop and visit.

“It wasn’t so much community spirit,” Paull said. “It was very pointed.”

The first festival featured Gold Rush-themed events like the Billy Barker Ball, a frontier breakfast, gold-panning contests, and a river raft race. The organizing committee also invited local groups to create their own events.

Local groups responded with activities like an airport fly-in, four-wheel-drive rallies, drag racing, stock car racing, dances, and other community gatherings.

Paull said the early festivals featured many sports, including men’s and women’s golf tournaments and mud bogs. He also mentioned that Billy Barker Days helped move the rodeo from Bouchie Lake to Alex Fraser Park.

“And I think that we’re all happy with the result of that,” Paull said. “As a result, we have the rodeo as being Canada’s largest amateur rodeo, and we’re pretty proud of that.”

Early organizers worked closely with the rodeo team so both events could support each other. The first Billy Barker Days committee wanted to make sure the rodeo stayed successful.

Paull said about 15 people were involved in organizing the first festival. They came from the chamber, the town, business groups, and local industries.

“We were really a mix of people from across the community who came together to create that first festival,” Paull said. “I think our first festival had a budget of $2,500, which the town gave to the society, and it’s definitely grown a lot since then.”

Shane Rawling, president of the Billy Barker Days Society, said the festival still relies on volunteers to set everything up.

“This is more or less the calm before the storm,” Rawling said. “We’re having our crew, all our helpers, all volunteers, helping set up the park today and tomorrow.”

Rawling said planning for the festival happens year-round, with more volunteers joining in during the event. He added that corporate sponsors help cover the costs.

“This takes year-round planning by dedicated, energetic volunteers,” Rawling said.

This year’s festival is highlighting alumni and life members. Rawling said some have been involved since the beginning, while others joined later, and they’ve all helped mentor new volunteers.

Rawling said the event is still a free family festival. There’s no admission fee to enter the park, and people can bring lawn chairs, enjoy free stage shows, and join in the activities.

He said Seniors Day features a free Ferris wheel ride for seniors, plus entertainment, snacks, and activities. Friday is Kids Day, with free activities for children. There’s also a drone show planned for Sunday night after dark.

Rawling said he doesn’t have an exact attendance number, but he expects thousands of people to come.

“This park will be packed with people,” Rawling said. “It always is on Billy Barker Days.”

He said people come from Quesnel, Prince George, Williams Lake, other parts of the province and Canada, and even from as far away as Germany.

For Rawling, it’s all about the feeling of bringing people together.

“I thought, I’m part of bringing all these people together to have a good time,” Rawling said. “It’s really about that, bringing everyone together.”

Fifty years later, Billy Barker Days is still about a community creating something for itself and welcoming others to join in.

by Dave Branco

Volunteers power Billy Barker milestone

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