March 2017 | Business View Magazine

188 189 Quesnel, British Columbia way that people would want to stop here?” One possible solution the town is working on part- ners it with one of its Aboriginal communities, the Lhtako Dene Nation, to see if, together, they can locate an Aboriginal cultural center at the confluence of the Fraser and Quesnel Rivers. A second major initiative has the town work- ing with the province to re-route, wherever possible, exits and intersections on Highway 97, the road that runs through the town from north to south and presents significant problems for pedestrian traffic. A third initiative that Simp- son hopes will induce visitors to linger – and, perhaps some to settle - is a major renovation of Reid St., which also runs through downtown, parallel to, and a block east of, the Highway. “We have tagged Reid St. for complete rede- velopment in 2018,” he says. “It’s going to be a three-million dollar investment.We’ll have an ideal opportunity to ask our community what it wants the downtown to look like as a ‘people precinct’- as something that’s funky, interesting, fun, accessible, and trailblazing. So, I think in the next three to five years, we’ll be able to take the brand and drive it right into hard, infrastructure development of our downtown and get past ‘beautiful to drive through’ to become a place that people want to come to because we have so much to offer.” Simpson says that Quesnel is also looking at adding to, or upgrading, its recreational ame- nities. “We have a plan to capitalize all our playgrounds, and we’re going to build two new playgrounds, this year.We’re looking at a new gymnastics facility; we’re looking at an addition to our pool and recreation center.We’re undertaking a trails initiative because we have a massive trails network around us that’s not mapped, not signed, not articulated, not well-marketing, and not really put together in a meaningful way.” One method in which the town intends to promote its new brand, tell its new stories, and broadcast its new offerings, is via a totally revamped website. “Your web presence, how you present yourself in that domain, is how your visitors are finding you, how potential residents are finding you, and how potential investors are finding you,” Simpson says. So, we’re going to have a great, new interactive website in April.” Once a gold rush town, then one that thrived on forestry, Quesnel is in the midst of re-invent- ing itself yet again. But its people are resilient, its leaders are committed to the future, and they all intend to see Quesnel continue to thrive by capitalizing on the town’s environmental and manmade assets. After all – it’s in their nature.