157th Annual

Dominion Day Celebrations

Tuesday, July 1st, 2025

Parade, games, live theatre and music and dancing at the House Hotel Saloon!

Special Activities

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PARADE

11:50am

Begins at the St. Saviour’s Church and finishes at the games clearing by the Chinatown Arch

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Games

12:00pm

Games occur in consecutive order:

Broad Jump
Ladies’ Nail Driving
Funny Face
Men’s Hammer Toss
Ladies’ Egg & Spoon
Egg Toss
Greasy Pole Climb
Tug O’ War

IJ-Doors

FESTIVITIES AT THE HOUSE HOTEL SALOON

7:00pm

Join us at the House Hotel Saloon for an evening of live music and dancing featuring the Interstellar Jays!

 

Theatre Royal

Dominion Day

4:00PM

An hour of music, comedy, and fun for the entire family!
Tickets sold separately. Available at the Welcome Centre. Box office is open 1pm-2pm daily.

Theatre Admission Prices

General: $20.00
Seniors: $17.00
Youth (6-16): $8.00
Children 5 and under: FREE

REGULAR PROGRAMMING

Aboriginal Day1

Indigenous Cultural Session

All-Day

Dahooja, Weyt-kp, Hadih! Barkerville is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Lhtako Dene Nation and Secwépemc Peoples. We invite you to learn the stories of the Indigenous peoples and their role in the gold rush.

Gold Panning2

Gold Panning Lesson

All-Day

Get a taste of the Barkerville Gold Rush. Take a step back in history and learn how to gold pan with the old gold miners at the Eldorado Gold Panning & Gift Shop. Pan for a sample of gold to take home. Visit the shop for prices.

Dominion Day

Cameron & Ames Blacksmith Shop

All-Day

Experience a working 1870s Blacksmith Shop! Hear the anvil chorus and smell the sizzle of hot metal smoke. Handcrafted iron works are available for purchase.

Sentinel Printing Press

Cariboo Sentinel Newspaper Shop

All-Day

Founded in 1865, the Cariboo Sentinel newspaper runs for 10 years and reaches global circulation. Visit the print shop to purchase custom-made paper items and also see the editor setting type and operating an original platen press. 

Edwards Windlass

Amazing Tales from the Gold Rush Trail

9:15am
30 minutes

A historical overview of British Columbia’s Gold Rush at the Barker Co. Shafthouse. A chronicle of the events and people who prospected their way to Williams Creek and how they followed the geological indicators to the fabulous riches of the Cariboo Gold Fields.

indigenous program

Drum Circles

9:30am & 5:15pm
15 minutes each

Join us for a traditional Indigenous drum circles at the Mitlite Iskum Pavilion in the morning and the Kelly Hall in the evening to honour the Original Peoples of this land. 

Town Tours2

Guided Town Tour

10:00am
70 minutes

Absorb an in-depth understanding of the gold rush history, Barkerville, and the colourful characters of years past by attending one of our enlightening and entertaining town tours, hosted by Barkerville\’s historical interpreters. The tour is highly recommended for first-time visitors. Tours begin in front of the Pavilion building and last approximately 70 minutes.

Dominion Day

Victorian School Lessons at the Doody House

10:30am & 1:00pm
30 minutes each

Experience school like it was when Barkerville was thriving. All are welcome to attend this authentic classroom session. Line up at the schoolhouse doors when you hear the school teacher ringing the bell. Don\’t be late, and kindly remove your hats before entering. 30 minutes.

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THE MRS. HOUSER STORY

12:00pm
30 minutes

Join Mrs. Houser at the Barkerville Hotel and hear the firsthand account of her remarkable life across the heyday of Barkerville’s Gold Rush. Her personal journey offers a vivid window into the era, revealing the indomitable spirit of those who experienced this time in history.

Dominion Day

Chinese School Lessons at the Myatovic Cabin

11:30am
30 minutes

School is in session at the Chinese School house. Come and learn about the spoken Chinese language, Chinese calligraphy and how to do math on an abacus. 30 minutes.

Bowron_Piano

HISTORY OF GOLD RUSH MUSIC

12:00pm
30 minutes

Join Mr. Bowron at the Barkerville Hotel to learn about the evolution of the music of the gold rush.

Dominion Day

Court Session at the Methodist Church

1:30pm
30 minutes

Learn about early justice in the Colony of British Columbia while our Gold Commissioners re-enact a famous court case from the Gold Rush Era.

Dominion Day

Waterwheel Show

2:00pm
30 minutes

See deep shaft placer mining in this lively demonstration of 1870s technology using an authentic wooden Cornish Waterwheel. Learn about the importance and operation of the wheel in a comical and entertaining presentation that is fascinating for the whole family. 30 minutes.

Dominion Day

Chinatown Tour

2:45pm
60 minutes

Explore one of Canada\’s oldest Chinatowns. Find out more about the life of Chinese miners and merchants in Barkerville, and how their culture was maintained and adapted to the rugged land of the Cariboo. To join in on the tour, meet in front of the Lung Duck Tong restaurant. Approximately 60 minutes.

Barnard’s Express

Dominion Day

 

Francis Jones Barnard’s B.X. Express freighting company shaped communication and travel to and from Barkerville and was the main cartage and passenger service on the Cariboo Waggon Road. Take a horse-drawn tour of Barkerville in an authentic stagecoach! 

Thursday – Monday

10AM – 5PM
Every half hour, last ride at 4:30

(Schedule subject to change)

Tickets

Purchased separately at Barnard’s Express

General (13-64): $12
Seniors (65+): $10
Youth (4-12): $8
Children (0-3) Free

 

 Dominion Day and the “New” Canadian Flag

Canada’s very first Dominion Day celebration was held in Barkerville as a fervent display of support for Canadian confederation three years before British Columbia joined in 1871.

Just past midnight on July 1, 1868, the Dominion of Canada’s first anniversary, Barkerville citizens launched their own version of a 21 gun salute. Cannons were in short supply, so black powder charges were detonated between stacked anvils, providing a loud and raucous start to Canada’s inaugural birthday party. A full slate of activities followed throughout the day and long into the evening, capped off with a fireworks display.

The very next year Cariboo’s “new” Canadian Flag, with its iconic beaver and wreath, was raised in the dead of night to the top of a newly constructed flagpole. The next day began with the now traditional anvil chorus and the ensuing celebrations were legendary.

Extensive historical research suggests that Barkerville began celebrating Dominion Day (Canada Day) eleven years before it was officially recognized.

In 2024, we celebrate much the same way, with games and an evening of entertainment, dancing and refreshments!