Soft opening held for new Ancient Forest Interpretive Centre

Dave King, who worked on the original trail network with the Caledonia Ramblers hiking club, said their first application in 2005 was for a ridge trail. That plan was later combined with another proposal to protect the area’s large trees.

“I find this astounding, what has evolved over the last 20 years. Absolutely amazing,” King said. “We knew this was the cedar interior rainforest, but we didn’t realize it was special.”

King said he believes the forest will eventually be recognized as a UNESCO site.

“There’s no other interior cedar rainforest, wet belt forest like this anywhere in the world,” he said.

The building’s design is inspired by traditional Dakelh pit houses. Exposed wooden beams hold up a central gathering area, with a fire pit in the middle. Architect Scott Kemp said in a news release that the design was created together with Lheidli T’enneh members and the Ancient Forest Working Group, aiming to honour both the forest and its caretakers.

Chief Dolleen Logan said the Nation wanted the forest itself reflected in the room.

“We wanted it to look outdoors in. We wanted to bring the rainforest in,” Logan said. “This is our interpretation of what probably would have been here years ago, or somewhere in the territory.”

Logan explained that the project faced delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher costs, and the loss of people involved in the work. She added that community members and youth helped peel and prepare the logs used in the building.

The Nation said its members put in about 1,800 hours of work. They helped find the right trees, harvest, prepare, and move the timber, while Carrier Lumber handled the milling and treatment.

Logan said Thursday’s event is only a beginning. She said future plans include a gift shop, a coffee shop, overnight accommodation, camping and biking.

“This is just the start,” she said.

She mentioned that 70,000 people visited the site last year. The centre will help make sure visitors know whose land they are on before they leave.

“Take five minutes to learn about your local First Nations,” Logan said. “They’re going to have no choice when they come here.”

Darwyn Coxson, a professor emeritus in ecosystem science and management at UNBC, said this ecosystem is rare around the world.

“This site is one of the few examples globally of an inland temperate rainforest ecosystem,” Coxson said. “As you walk down the trail here, you can see 1,000-year-old cedars and all of the biodiversity and the plants and animals that are supported by that.”

Coxson said there is still much more research to do at the site.

“Usually these ecosystems are really near oceans. And here we are about 800 kilometres away from the ocean,” he said. “We’ve been doing biodiversity research here for 20 years now, and we’re still making new findings.”

The park was established as a Class A provincial park in 2016, permanently protecting more than 11,000 hectares. Lheidli T’enneh and BC Parks signed a memorandum of understanding in 2018 to guide stewardship and management together.

The Nation said construction was supported by more than $7.8 million in combined federal and provincial funding. Lheidli T’enneh contributed about $870,000 toward construction, plus more than $400,000 in other project costs.

According to the Nation, members contributed roughly 1,800 hours of labour, identifying suitable trees and helping harvest, prepare and transport the timber, with milling and treatment coordinated through Carrier Lumber.

Logan said Thursday’s event is only a beginning. She said future plans include a gift shop, a coffee shop, overnight accommodation, camping and biking.

“This is just the start,” she said.

She said 70,000 people came through the site last year, and the centre will make sure visitors leave knowing whose territory they are standing in.

“Take five minutes to learn about your local First Nations,” Logan said. “They’re going to have no choice when they come here.”

Darwyn Coxson, professor emeritus in the ecosystem science and management program at UNBC, said the ecosystem is globally rare.

Coxson said research at the site is far from finished.

Construction was supported by more than $7.8 million in combined federal and provincial funding, according to the Nation. Lheidli T’enneh contributed about $870,000 toward construction, plus more than $400,000 in other project costs.

by Dave Branco

Soft opening held for new Ancient Forest Interpretive Centre

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