A refurbished Stop of Interest sign was unveiled near Chetwynd today, recognizing explorer Alexander Mackenzie’s place in British Columbia’s history.

“This newly refurbished Stop of Interest recognizes B.C.’s early history when European explorer Alexander Mackenzie set out to discover the continent’s rich terrain,” said Mike Bernier, MLA for Peace River South on behalf of Todd Stone Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “The story behind this sign is a good example of the Stop of Interest signs we want to add throughout the province to capture the history of how B.C. was shaped through the contributions of many.”

When fur trader and explorer Alexander Mackenzie set forth with his party of nine men and a frail bark canoe in 1793 to find a route to the Pacific Ocean, he became the first European to cross the Rockies and continental North America – ultimately revealing the great promise of the Canadian Northwest.

The Alexander Mackenzie Stop of Interest sign is located at the Bennett Dam site (Portage Mountain), approximately 90 kilometres west of Chetwynd.

B.C.’s Stop of Interest signs were first established in 1958 to commemorate the Colony of B.C.’s centenary and recognize significant historical places, people and events. The ministry is refurbishing existing signs in need of repair and updating language where necessary.

In addition to the 139 Stop of Interest signs located around B.C., the Province is adding up to 75 new Stops of Interest. British Columbians are invited to submit ideas for new Stop of Interest signs and share the interesting stories that could be told to people travelling B.C.’s highways. Submissions will be accepted through Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will install the majority of the new Stop of Interest signs in summer 2017.

Learn more:

Provide your suggestion for a new Stop of Interest sign at http://engage.gov.bc.ca/stopsofinterest/

Locations of existing Stops of Interest are available on the engagement site at: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/stopsofinterest/map/

And are also available as a data set on Open Data BC at: www.data.gov.bc.ca