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Cariboo

Barkerville film industry thriving once again

Jul 15, 2022 | 4:00 PM

BARKERVILLE – After years of success with the film industry back in the 1980s, a resurgence has begun for Barkerville’s Historic Town.

The start to the 2022 season was slower than usual given the normal busloads of students couldn’t be brought in due to the pandemic, although the film industry filled the gap.

“Over the last ten or 12 years we’ve been enticing more and more productions to come here,” said James Douglas, Director of Public Programming at Barkerville Historic Town and Park. “It’s one of the more interesting facets of my job because I’m a filmmaker myself,”

Douglas said the momentum that has been built across the region has helped increase opportunities for Canada’s largest living history museum although one could not have happened without the other.

From German films to multi-million dollar Bollywood productions, the streets of Barkerville have seen it all in recent years said Douglas. The massive Bollywood romantic-comedy just wrapped up filming and is set to be released in 2023 with showings planned in Prince George.

The gold nugget of the Cariboo is a true treasure for the film industry according to local MLA Coralee Oakes.

In terms of diversifying the tourism economy, Barkerville is one of those landmark attractions that brings people here from across the globe said Oakes.

The town of Barkerville (named in Billy’s honour) still stands as a testament to BC’s golden beginnings. The historic town boasts a unique streetscape of 125+ heritage buildings, authentic displays, satellite museums, restaurants, shops and accommodations.

Declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924 and a Provincial Heritage Property in 1958, Barkerville is now the largest living-history museum in western North America open from May until September.