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BC Forest Discovery Centre

48°48′07″N 123°42′55″W / 48.80194°N 123.71528°W / 48.80194; -123.71528

BC Forest Discovery Centre
Hillcrest Lumber Company #1,
a class B Shay locomotive
Map
Established1964
Location2892 Drinkwater Road,[1]
Duncan, British Columbia
TypeForestry Museum
DirectorChris Gale
CuratorJenna Kiesman
Websitebcforestdiscoverycentre.com

The BC Forest Discovery Centre, located in Duncan, chronicles the history of logging in British Columbia, Canada. It is a 100-acre (40 ha) site with 2.5 km (1.6 miles) of operational 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railway.[2]

History

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G.E. (Gerry) Wellburn, a collector, was the founder of the Centre which opened in 1965 as the Cowichan Valley Forest Museum. It was later known for a time as the BC Forest Museum.

Collection

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There are indoor and outdoor exhibits spread over a 100-acre (40 ha) site, including operating steam and gas rail equipment plus logging trucks. There are forest and nature trails, picnic area, playground, gift shop and a concession. At the Centre visitors can explore a reconstructed logging camp, forest fire lookout tower and the ranger's station.

The centre has its own heritage railway, a train pulled by a century-old steam locomotive which was once used in the filling in of the North Vancouver harbour. Along the route is one of the first pre-fabricated school houses, a trestle over Somenos Lake and an operational water wheel.

The Forest Discovery Centre has seven steam locomotives in its collection:

  1. Mayo Lumber Company #3 Shay (class B) (was on loan to Kettle Valley Steam Railway 1995–2009)[3][4][5]
  2. Hillcrest Lumber Company #1 Shay (class B) (3 ft or 914 mm gauge)[6]
  3. Bloedel Stewart and Welch Shay (class B) #1 (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in or 1,435 mm standard gauge})[7]
  4. Shawnigan Lake Lumber #2 Climax (class B) (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in standard gauge)[8]
  5. Hillcrest Lumber Company #9 Climax (class B) (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in standard gauge) - the only operational Climax locomotive in Canada)[9]
  6. Cowichan Valley Railway #24 Vulcan 0-4-0T "Suzie" (3 ft gauge)[10]
  7. Cowichan Valley Railway #25 Vulcan 0-4-0T "Samson" (3 ft gauge)[11]

In addition, these diesel locomotives are also part of the collection:

  1. Cowichan Valley Railway #23 "Sandy" Plymouth 8-short-ton (7.1-long-ton; 7.3 t) [12]
  2. Cowichan Valley Railway #27 "Handy Andy" speeder[13]
  3. British Columbia Forest Products #9 Whitcomb Locomotive Works (80-short-ton or 71-long-ton or 73-tonne 0-4-4-0 diesel)[14]
  • Collection
  •  
    Bloedel Stewart & Welch #1 (Shay)
  •  
    Hillcrest Lumber Company #9 (Climax)
  •  
    Cowichan Valley Railway #23 "Sandy"
  •  
    Cowichan Valley Railway #25 "Samson"
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    HLC #1 Shay over Somenos Lake trestle

Site

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The site has a reconstructed fire watch tower, which offers a commanding view of the site and nearby Somenos Marsh.

The Centre borders the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Refuge[15] and Ducks Unlimited pond. Many types of water fowl and other birds can be found in this area. Red-Eared Slider turtles can be found sunning in the field next to the marsh.

Two bald eagles have built a nest in the stand of trees west of the North Cowichan Station at the centre's lower grounds. These eagles successfully raised eaglets in 2006 after relocating from a previous nest site along the South Forester's Walk the previous summer. There are currently three eaglets in their nest. The nest is best viewed by standing at the flag pole outside the Wellburn Building at the lower grounds.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Contact Us - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
  2. ^ Steamlocomotive.info
  3. ^ "Mayo Lumber Company Shay No. 3 - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Mayo Lumber Company Shay No. 3 - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Shaw Communications".
  6. ^ "Hillcrest Lumber Company No. 1 - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Bloedel Stewart & Welch No. 1 - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company No. 2 - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Hillcrest Lumber Company No. 9 - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  10. ^ "Cowichan Valley Railway No. 24 "Susie" - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  11. ^ "Cowichan Valley Railway Locomotive No. 25 "Sampson" - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  12. ^ "Cowichan Valley Railway Locomotive No. 23 "Sandy" - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
  13. ^ "Westminster Iron Works - BC FOREST DISCOVERY CENTRE". www.discoveryforest.com. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011.
  14. ^ Whitcomb Locomotive, BCForestDiscoveryCentre.com
  15. ^ Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society website
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