Governance

Barkerville Heritage Trust

Barkerville Historic Town & Park is a Province of BC owned Heritage Property & Park, and a Government of Canada National Historic Site, located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Lhtako Dene Nation and Secwépemc Peoples. The Barkerville Heritage Trust is a not-for-profit charitable organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that has stewarded Barkerville under a Heritage Property License (HPL) in partnership with the Province since 2005.

Barkerville is the largest living history museum in western North America, designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924 and a Provincial Heritage Property in 1958. The Trust’s role is to ensure the continued operation of Barkerville as a high quality heritage site. Their mission statement states that “…as the operating and managing partner working with The Government of BC, the owner and statutory guardian of provincial heritage resources, [the Trust] is committed to ensuring that Barkerville is efficiently managed, educational and entertaining to visit and is sustained as a premier heritage resource attraction in BC. Barkerville will continue to be recognized across BC, Canada and the rest of the world for its historical significance.”

Under the federal Heritage Conservation Act, the Province is obligated to preserve and protect Barkerville in perpetuity. In order to provide quality programming, the Barkerville Heritage Trust relies on admissions at the Welcome Centre, grant opportunities, and donations.

The Barkerville Heritage Trust is also responsible for the management, protection, and operation of the Richfield Courthouse, Blessing’s Grave Site, the Cariboo Wagon Road Northern Terminus Memorial Cairn, and Cottonwood House Historic Site.