Soda Creek is a rural community with a
wealth of First Nation’s and gold rush history that make it a truly unique
place to visit while in the Central Cariboo. Just minutes north of Williams
Lake, on the banks of the Fraser River, Soda Creek has an abundance of culture
to discover and some remarkable scenery to go along with it.
In the early 1860’s, the Cariboo Wagon Road
was under construction to keep up with the growing demands for the
transportation of thousands of miners and supplies to the gold fields in
Barkerville. The road was not yet completed in 1863 and came to a stop in Soda
Creek. It became an ideal sternwheeler steamer terminus and the only way to
complete the journey north to Quesnel on the Fraser River where miners could
then make their way east to Barkerville. Soda Creek soon became a bustling
boomtown with saloons, blacksmith shops, hotels and stores. It ceased to be so
in 1869 upon completion of the Cariboo Wagon Road from Lillooet to Quesnel.
Soda Creek was all but deserted until its second boom beginning in 1909. It was
during this period that the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was on its way to
completion from Eastern Canada to Fort George. During rail construction, Soda
Creek once again became a very useful steamboat launch to carry settlers and
materials north to Fort George. With the commencement of the First World War in
1914 and the completion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad, Soda Creek’s years
as a necessary and thriving steamboat terminus came abruptly to an end.
Soda Creek’s First
Nation’s legacy is easily accessible and openly celebrated. The reconstructed,
National Award-Winning Xats’ull Heritage Village is an amazing First Nation’s
historical and educational experience! The Xats’ull First Nations people invite you to experience
their spiritual and cultural traditions. A day trip includes a guided tour of
the village with commentary on the hunting and gathering Xats’ull way of life.
Take a peek into the past with a tour of early petro glyphs, learn their cultural significance and get
interpretations of these ancient rock carvings. Spend time withthe elders and learn
more about the Xats’ull people through the time-honoured art of storytelling. Enjoy delicious traditional foods, visit the
sweat lodge for a spiritual experience or take part in the annual Xats’ull Powow.
The Rudy Johnson
Bridge on the old Soda Creek road is a remarkable piece of the area’s history
as well. In reaction to his wife’s near drowning after falling off the ferry on
her way home one day, Rudy Johnson located an abandoned bridge in Alaska,
transported it to Soda Creek piece by piece and reconstructed it, so as to
cross the Fraser River safely to his Buckskin Ranch. It was the only private
toll bridge spanning the Fraser River, until purchased by the government in
1978.
A visit to Soda Creek
will prove to be a diversely informative and uniquely enjoyable experience for
everyone.
