The Museum Archives

The collection of artifacts and archives began in 1951 by the Cariboo Historical Society, but it wasn't until 1995 that the archives was made accessible to the public, thanks to funding from the Archives Association of British Columbia. Since that time our institution has proudly been known as the Quesnel & District Museum and Archives.

Once the grant had begun, we were able to describe some amazing records that documented the history of British Columbia and in particular the Quesnel and District area. The project archivist discovered a record from the Women's Auxiliary to the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League, Branch 94. The box consisted of approximately 600 letters from Canadian service men and women during World War 11 sent to the Women's Auxiliary. The correspondence was letters of thanks from service people for letters and parcels received from the Quesnel Women's Auxiliary. to the Canadian Legion. By Remembrance Day the museum hosted an exhibit that featured the letters. To this present day, people are still talking about this exhibit with tears in their eyes.

For instance, one woman, after seeing the letter that her brother wrote to the Women's Auxiliary baked a cake - the same recipe that she used during the war and had sent to her brother. She put candles on the cake, as she had 1941, and pushed them down into the cake. Her brother, when receiving the cake, would tug on the wicks of the candle to then light the candles. He died in the war but we were able to display his letters along with a cake that was prominently displayed for all to see and appreciate. Other veterans came to the exhibit and looked at the letters they wrote, they hadn't seen these letters since they had written them. It was wonderful!

Our collection of archives has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. We have over 6000 photographs, 2,250 single item manuscripts and over 75 fonds.

In 1995 our institution proudly changed its name from The Quesnel & District Museum to The Quesnel & District Museum and Archives.