Paddling past
The MV Native paddlewheeler took a trip up the Harrison River on Tuesday. The ship was touring up Harrison River and Harrison Lake throughout the week.
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Updated: August 05, 2009 3:27 PM
There's a special sight moving about the waters of Harrison Lake this week. And there are a few more chances to catch a glimpse.
The MV Native paddlewheeler made its journey up the Harrison River from New Westminster earlier this week, and made a trip to Port Douglas and back yesterday (Wednesday). It will be making the trip to Port Douglas again today, and then returning down the river on Friday.
There are several ways to catch sight of the historic paddlewheeler while it's in the area, says Elisabeth Scotson, program coordinator for the event.
The boat will be in Harrison Lake sometime this evening, when it returns from Port Douglas. It will then be heading out on a chartered cruise of the lake for the evening.
And tomorrow, those wanting to see the boat off should be at the lake before 10 a.m. Shortly after, it will be traveling by the Harrison Mills bridge, and then the beach at Kilby.
"You can watch it chug, chug, chugging through," Scotson says.
Everyone who watched or was involved in last year's maiden voyage remembers how the rail bridge was difficult to open.
"The railway bridge melted, and they couldn't get it open," Scotson says. There were difficulties at the Mission bridge last year, too, due to hot weather.
The MV Native is recreating the journey that brought the stern wheeler Umatilla to Harrison Lake bringing with it 500 miners to Port Douglas, so named on August 10 in 1858.
There are speakers and displays on board reflecting the gold rush history of the area, a popular feature of the original program.
Several local experts will talk about the part the Fraser and Harrison played in the early history of BC, when 30,000 gold-seekers flooded these valleys” says Scotson.
First Nations chiefs will also take part to tell their own stories, as well as men representing the Royal Engineers who created the first road to the BC Interior between Port Douglas and Lillooet, long before the road through the Fraser canyon was built.
This year’s trips quickly sold out. For more information, visit www.vancouverpaddlewheeler.com.
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