The City of Quesnel sent out a news release last Friday (Oct. 25) clarifying why the gold pan will be moved. The gold pan’s relocation, which was approved at the Oct. 22 council meeting, has caused a lot of online debate.
The City of Quesnel’s gold pan, which is currently located at the corner of Highway 97 and Highway 26 at the north entrance to the city, will be refurbished and relocated to the Quesnel Train Station in the spring of 2020.
The City is creating new gateway and wayfinding signs to welcome and direct visitors to the community, and the relocation of the gold pan came out of that process.
“In 2018, the City of Quesnel completed a place-making and wayfinding strategy,” states the news release. “The process included workshops with arts, culture and heritage groups and the business community, as well as an open house and survey for the public. The final report included a recommendation to move the gold pan to a more central location.”
The Quesnel Train Station was selected because it can be easily accessed from Highway 97, which will allow visitors to access restaurants and shops, according to the City, which notes the new location is also close to the Visitor Information Centre, which has a lending program for gold panning and has RV parking, and the gold pan will be in close to the Quesnel and District Museum and Archives.
There will be interpretive signage at the gold pan telling visitors more about the importance of Quesnel during the gold rush, according to the news release.
“New signage will be installed at the corner of Highway 97 and Highway 26 welcoming travellers entering Quesnel from the north,” the City states. “The new gateway sign is part of the complete wayfinding program being implemented in 2019 and 2020.”
The place-making and wayfinding project falls under the “Destination Development” pillar of the City’s Economic Development Transition Strategy. To learn more, visit quesnel.ca/wayfinding.
For more information about the City’s Economic Development Transition Strategy, visit quesnel.ca/transition.
READ MORE: Quesnel’s giant gold pan will have a new home
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