If you have ever driven the Fraser Canyon, from Cache Creek to Hope, surely you have noticed the amount of businesses and buildings abandoned along the way. This once bustling route, today, is basically a string of ghost towns and failed businesses, and amazingly theres even more to be discovered that is not visibly from the highway.
I found this location completely on accident while stopping to enjoy a view of my favourite train bridge pair. I am still not sure what this location once was, but I am guessing it was a campground or resort. History in the Fraser Canyon goes back to the gold rush days, so this location could have served a multitude of different purposes.
All in all, for a quick little explore, its a pretty awesome spot.
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35 years ago Saturday mornings meant cartoons. Smurfs, gummy bears and the like. Now they mean new destination, adventure!!
Cartoons and truck programs, now it's sledding, fast cars , adventures, I get to travle the world.
Accurate 😂👌
Much appreciated 😊
I have thought the same as well.
@@Lfs1891travel vids and formula 1. And of course BBQ
The design that caught your eye could be the 1967 Canada Centennial logo
Those were my thoughts as well.
Absolutely.
That is definitely the Centennial leaf. When I pause the video, the 1867 on the left of the base and 1967 on the right are pretty apparent when you know what you’re looking for. It’s hard to tell what the lettering is though.
@@mymy3172 I always thought there were 10 triangles representing the ten provinces, but I now see that there are eleven. Maybe one for the territories?
Yes! And I’m old enough to remember it 😂
As a child in the 60's, I rode thru the canyon a few times, remember it well. Later in the late 70's and early 80's I was working on the island, but family still up in the interior, I drove the canyon many many times. Back in those days it was very different. Cars were not as reliable as they are today, in the summer the canyon gets HOT, and very few of us had the luxury of air conditioning in the car. It was not unusual to stop and fix something on the car, be it a low tire, headlight out, or just plain overheating. We also stopped once or twice for an ice cream and/or cold drink because it was a long slow trip on that twisty windy 2 lane hiway that was at times bumper to bumper with heavy trucks slowly climbing the hills. There were many thriving businesses at the various places one could stop, get a cold drink, ice cream or a snack, and a good number of places you could stop to get minor repairs done on the vehicle. More than once I bought a headlight at a service station in the canyon. Then they built the Coquihalla. The vast majority of the heavy traffic switched to hiway 5. The traffic on hiway 1 literally fell to 1/3 of what it was overnight, and it suddenly started to move a lot quicker. Add to that cars were getting more reliable, with air conditioning rapidly becoming standard rather than an expensive option. For many of those thriving canyon businesses, revenue fell off a cliff, they couldn't survive anymore, much less traffic and the cars that were driving the canyon were no longer stopping. Buildings are abandoned because once the traffic moved to the other hiway, the business could no longer support maintaining the buildings, and there was no resale value on the properties, they just ended up abandoned. There are a few spots this is clear in the canyon proper, but Spences Bridge stands out as one of those places with multiple gas stations, restaurants and hotels, now all basically abandoned and rotting. I'm in my 60's now, and last summer we drove the canyon in our motorhome. I remember passing what used to be my favourite spot to stop and buy an ice cream, pointed it out to my wife as we drove by. Today it's just an abandoned building beside the hiway with the roof caved in. Same for the place I used to always stop and buy fruit when headed northbound, a case of fresh fruit was always welcome when one arrives home in the northern interior, today it's just an empty shell with a roof in tatters, and the orchard appears to be untended for at least a decade or more. But the canyon is not the only hiway that has this kind of history. Plenty of places headed up to the interior on 99 have become essentially an empty shell where once stood a thriving little community centered around a gas station, restaurant and a small store. It's happened at a few of the 1xx mile house stops, and there are a few on hiway 16 headed west from the intersection of 16 and 99. I'm sure if you did a short 5 minute shoot at every one of the abandoned places you see headed from the lower mainland all the way out to Prince Rupert then you would have enough footage to do a half dozen hour long videos over the winter just stitching together little pieces of history now abandoned within sight of the main road.
Good details in your explanation. I was going to say it looks like a rest stop or motel, campground. We drove that route a lot and stopped a lot. Definitely was the Coq that made those places cease being.
I read an article published by the Lytton Museum and Archives {now gone} Apparently the property was purchased in the 1940's by a couple that intended to open a travelers resort. That prickly plant you saw was likely descended from some Acacia trees they planted on the property.
Looks like Locust trees with the bean pods and the thorns they’ll flatten tires and ruin them because thorns will get missed and puncture tubes
It would be a great location for it too. Shame it didn't happen. I would love to camp there.
Car with the tow bar was a Ford Galaxie. You were indeed walking through an old campground, with cabins and a small store. It was off the old hiway, and still active in the 1960's. The BC Lands branch in New Westminster could probably help you. It would be interesting if the land is still privately owned or has defaulted back to the government.
The car was a 1965 Ford Galaxy 500. Thanks for your videos, Dustin.
Siska Lodge more than likely. Would have been a nice place in its day, but as highways were improved and more truck traffic, the noise would have made it unworkable for a campground or resort.
The little curved topped building with the design on it looks exactly like old spring houses that we have in the Ozarks and they have them in the Appalachians too. If you’ll notice there’s an opening at back of wall looks like it’s coming under the ground where the spring would come in. Sometimes they’d make a little stone pool and then a pipe you couldn’t see would carry the rest of the water out. They would store foods in there like a root cellar. Sometimes they would put containers of milk, butter etc right into the little pool to keep it cold. Just my two cents worth. ❤ love all your videos and you too. Always you make me smile. Thank you for the adventure this morning.
Seriously my favorite KZhead channel. Short videos or long ones. I'm here for it!
Thank you 😊
Not a power pole, but the remains of a telegraph line. I have wandered around that same camp, and i suspect it was a work camp at some point for the railway. There never was a major passenger railway stop at that point, just a quick whistle stop.
Great. Looks like a mid 60’s Ford Galaxie and an early 60’s Rambler American. That area looks like it could be an old vacation type resort or just a place to stop and stay for the night and buy needed things. Back in the day people took their time to get where they wanted to go. (Mostly because they needed to with cars that got low 10’s for mileage!) Now they don’t want to stop at all!
Nice eye for the cars... thumbs up from 1 car guy to another.
Here we are again. Saturday morning. Sipping on a coffee and watching a new release from Destination Adventure! Great start to my morning! Cheers !
😊
There are so many of us doing the same ☕️ Enjoy!
One of those buildings was plaster and lathe construction which hasn't been used since the 50's. Likely that spot had more than one use since it was first constructed. Great stuff
💝💝💝💝 From Angele: SYMBOL. In 1967, you saw that symbol EVERYWHERE in Canada. That was the year Canadians celebrated Canada's 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. There were celebrations throughout the year. Schools gave medals to the students who passed the Centennial exercise "competitions". Many gov't grants were given to Cdn communities for community projects. That's how many communities (in Alberta, at least) got their wading pools!! I'm wondering if that bldg was one of those Centennial projects. The rad car in the dumping area: My husband says that it sems to be a 65 Ford Galaxie. Great video!
You found the old highway. Old Yale Road is an historic connection that originally linked New Westminster and Yale in the 1860s as a wagon road. In 1922 a concrete surface was added as the automobile was becoming the primary means of transportation. It's now in serious need of repair.
Part of the original old concrete road still exists near me in Langley BC. Interesting history to see. It’s called Old Yale road here too.
Perhaps it's an obsolete railway camp for building/renovating those bridges, or maintaining that area of the line.
The drone train shots were drop dead awesome Dustin. That looked like a 65 Ford Galaxy and a 64 AMC Rambler American. No clue on the location. Cheers 👊😎👍
I always find it hilarious when I'm deep in the woods and find an old dumping ground where people left behind entire cars.
Back in the day we traveled the Fraser canyon often. Seeing the old ruins always made ya think what it was like back in its hay day. The pioneers and the homesteads, the hopes and dreams of a young man and his family just trying to scratch out a life for themselves. Thanks for the memories Dustin.
I wonder the same things... one thing is certain - they were a tough people.
It's sad to watch all our old stops fade away. I recall needing gas way more often on our family trips in the 1970s and life wasn't as fast, there was always time for a fruit stand stop and an ice cold cider. I recall early morning starts from Surrey with breakfast in Yale or Kanaka Bar. As one bright spot they are rebuilding the Alexandra Lodge!
The concrete buildings look like structures from military posts but maybe that was where they stored explosives during the construction of the railroad bridges? Perhaps it was also a “camp” for workers but eventually became a small community that supported all the travelers on the original 2 lane highway? I LOVE theorizing and reading all the wonderful comments.
The video was no disappointment to me Dustin.. I like seeing these kinds of things. It gives people like me who will most likely never get up to that part of the world a view and even a feeling as to what it's like ! Thank you, excellent video
What blows my mind is look how many people worked so hard to build this area up and they had lives here who knows how long and now everything is gone. Life is so short. I’ve been wasting a lot of it I think.
What a beautiful area! Love my Saturday morning destinations! 🥰 Can't believe how dry the forest is. That does not bode well for the summer.
Thanks for the walk about in the Canyon. Growing up in Chilliwack I've taken many trips up the Canyon over the years. So many of the old coffee stops, businesses and campgrounds have closed, burned or been demolished. Places like Yale, Spuzzum, Boston Bar, Fraser Acres, Kanaka Bar, Lytton Junction, Jade Springs and Shaw Springs just to mention a few. There have been so many once thriving businesses that have been lost. Although Fraser Canyon businesses were in decline, it was the Coquihalla highway that really spelled the end for many businesses. Thanks for stirring up some ghosts of people's dreams and memories. And yes, that was Canada's official Centennial symbol for 1967. It used to be everywhere. Sad to think how many people couldn't even tell you Canada's birth year. Oh well, thanks for taking us to so many long forgotten places and awesome locations of natural beauty! Cheers Dude!
those fishing nets and meat fridge, could have been one of the first and only store in that area for it's time, I'm guessing that's what it was. Your making history talking showing and that's a good thing!
Beautiful piece of land. Bet the original inhabitants would freak out with the distant sounds from the hwy now
Ah, my Dustins back! Cannot wait to see more. Just got caught up on your previous adventures from the hotspring and the abandoned island ranch. Just adore you Dustin and thank you for your vids, there is something very very special that touches the heart with your work. The amazing majesty of the BC landscapes from the valley to the mountains to the isolated abandoned homesteads that just touch the heart. So happy your back at it!!!❤😊
I appreciate that a lot, thank you so much. 😊
I absolutely loved the intro with the train scene. What a beautiful place. Whoever built this place had an absolutely beautiful view. I am constantly amazed by the Beaty of God's creation. Thank you, Dustin, for sharing it with us. I can't wait until next week. Stay safe, and God bless you, Dustin! Kathy, Minnesota
The property probably started as a stopover for the Fraser Canyon trail during the gold rush and ended with the opening of the Coquahalla Hwy. There is definitely a succession of buildings starting with the rubble, the campground with fire pits ,shower house with outhouse pit, connivence store barn and ending with the framed out house to lockup with the plywood sheathing. They ran out of money because they did not use enough nails in the sheathing to hold the house up with the snow loads I reckon. All the campgrounds along the Trans Canada Hwy are noisy from the railway since they sort of parallel each other. Especially Albert Canyon hot springs. Camped there with a tent and did not realize the CPR was 50 ft away behind the bush barrier. Scared the crap out of us in the middle of the night.
Interesting…..The Fraser Canyon has so much historical significance.
I work on both of those bridges quite frequently and throughout the Canyon I love looking at all the abandoned sights and guessing what they're for
Seeing how close those old buildings were to the road and the rails my first thought was perhaps some kind of rest stop or way station. Beautiful spot for sure.
Short....but sweet. Certainly got my mind thinking! 👍 I just had this kind of movie moment where you could stand in the middle of it all Dustin as time rewinds....watch all those cars and trucks roll back up the hill and onto the highway, and one by one, the flattened buildings all pop back up again. All the trees would be shrinking down as you wind back through the decades. Think I'm with ya there, looks like a small village with a camp ground - what a view to wake up to in the morning when you unzip and peak your head out of the tent eh?!
Break on through to the other side. Driven through the canyon many times, always wondered what was down there. Really enjoyed this. Thank you Dustin!
It's so nice to take a little video-vacation from all the world chaos. Thank you, Dustin.
Forestry station 60s 70s what an amazing area 😍
Yes I have to agree that the shot of the train bridges are stunning!! I love the scenery and all the other things you show us!! It’s places I know I would never see if it weren’t for you!! Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us!! Be safe and God bless ❤
Ah, if only those walls could talk. Stunning b & w shots of the train bridge, Dustin.
The house at 6:45 on this video matches the first watercolour of a house in the Michael Kluckner book excerpt.
Old highway alignment? Cariboo Wagon Road? Whatever this place was...it's pretty cool today. Thanks Dustin.
the car with the tow bar is a 1965 ford galaxie 4 door sedan
Very interesting! Love the drone shots of the train going over the bridge! Look forward to seeing what's happening with you coming to the mainland. Peace & Love Dustin xo
I’ve have always enjoyed the abandoned buildings videos, short video or long all good. Looks like you found a little bit of history with your drone fly over. I read some comments posted and really enjoyed reading about the area Keep up the great job. Thanks as always
That was an awesome find!! Thanks for the adventure!!
Terrific explore ~ thanks for bringing us along Dustin.
Cant wait to see what you get up to this summer!
Some more great content, love the drone shots!
Thanks for the nice escape Dustin, needed that today. You're the best.
Thanks for the tour, beautiful country side and interesting place.
I love finding random little spots like this. So cool looking through the ghost towns!
Looking forward to your next adventure, will be on for the ride.!
Love these adventures, really shows you the beauty of the back woods of BC
Love seeing different areas of B.C. Another great adventure. 😊
Thanks brother for that drone shots just Beautiful as always 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🤟🏼🤙🏼🖖🏼
Grew up in BC and overseas now, these videos are great thanks man
always a happy moment when a new video comes up !! Thanks Dustin
WOOT #2 Dustin your channel keeps getting better amigo!
A very good video of a very pretty area. Thank you Dustin.
❤ Another Saturday Adventure... Comfort, and coffee at Home. Thanks Dustin.....
Great exploring. Always enjoy your music, great taste. Top stuff.
Love your vids, editing, dronin, and adventures! Cheers from san diego
I love road side exploring!!!!! 😊😊😊
These type of videos as the best. Love old abandoned house sites. :)
Great video Dustin. It reminded me of your older exploring vids from a couple of years ago.
What a great way to spend my Saturday drinking my coffee. Thanks
Hello, Sipping coffee, here,Sending heartfelt positivity and prayers for your safety, I love your adventures you show us all,Much love ❤
Best thing to drink espresso to on Saturdays.
Well Dustin been a while since I last commented. I have watched just about every video on the channel now. You have come a really long way. Loved the content. I even watched the Build Series again because you did such a excellent job. Love the content. Love the more old then new stuff. I had previously skipped over the Mexico Content and it was really well done. I can see how much you confidence has grown and how much you have grown up since day one. You know alot and have done well for your self. Keep up the excellent work and love the content! Dan
What a find thanks mostly to your drone. I will try and find this location, plus that bridge trestle is amazing! That hole in the ground may have been their root cellar for storing vegetables, etc. Very interesting stuff. Well done!
I loved the drone shots of the bridges at Cisco. The snow in those scenes adds a nice look to them.
"Classic hole" - love it
Such a nice video again, wonder what that place was. Amazing places and there is so much out there ! Live Long and Prosper Dustin !!🖖
There’s nothing like a morning start to a rainy Saturday morning as we sit under or gazebo having our cup of joe and having you take us along for yet another great adventure Dustin ! Thanks again and we are so looking forward to next Saturday! Cheers and safe travels! 👍🇨🇦
What a fun little vid! Kinda nice to get these shorter "snippets" video. Don't need an epic every week! Thanks again!
Great video Dustin. Much enjoyed. Ken WL
Beautiful views 👍👍👍
The barn looking building was probably very nice in its day, the view was awesome!
The first wreck car in your video is a 1965 Ford Galaxie or Custom.
Yes is Galaxis 500 , nex is américan motor Rambler
Behind the Ford is a 1966 Pontiac Star Chief
Nice find. Very good structures and nice open land. I'd live there
Lol you mentioned insulators on the electrical poles, yup my Grandma traipsing around the Everglades along U.S. 41 just south of Naples/Marco Island/Goodland area. Thanks for taking us along on another excellent adventure!!!!!
Nice find Dustin, looked like a small settlement, cool music.
great stuff thanks
Great job
Awesome video Dustin, another neat find in the Fraser Canyon. 2:23 That looks like the 1967 Centennial Logo. I was born in 67, and used to have the all the centennial stuff from my birth (but lost all of it when my boat sank in 2000).
Crazy how those buildings are put together like it was a boom town that didnt last very long until you see modern era stuff from the 50s to 70s! Cool stuff though and that view is awesome! Thanks my friend and see ya next week ! Aloha ⛱️
Very cool. Thanks.
Front grill on the abandoned car looks like a ford. My parents had a 1967 station wagon with the same grill. Interesting to see these forgotten places and thanks for sharing! Lots of interesting places to see on Vancouver island especially the northern part.
Hey there! Hi! Don't know if you recall, but we're the family that have been watching your channel from Israel/Jordan, and commented once or twice. We moved to El Salvador about a year ago, and we have come across some interesting abandoned places. If ever thinking to visit Central America--slightly below México and a little before the equator-- we'd love to see what you think. Salud!
Good morning my friend! Must have been a small compound or a small town, but really cool. Beautiful countryside. Those cars sre really cool too! All grown into the ground. Go forth and be safe!! Thank you!!
One word.. cool 😎
I took Via Rail from Vancouver to Kamloops in 2022, and went on one of those bridges by train. Also, I had a good laugh when you said "I'm going to the lower mainland" but you wanted to explain why. Us lower mainlanders do not bite, but we fully understand why our housing/rent prices might scare ya! A very cool video, especially because I've passed by there MANY times! Thanks for creating another fantastic video!
Interesting area and beautiful country. I noticed the doorknob last time too but didn't see it as a big deal. I think that particular knob may have been ceramic, but there are polished wooden knobs. Look very much the same. Thanx for the adventures.
Logo was from the 1967 Canadian Centennial. You see it on many things from the era. Love that drone footage.
I did a motorcycle trip up through there a few years back and it was the best thing I've ever done in my life!!
Early video cement building reminds me of cold war bunkers. I envy you and your discoveries, thick bush in QC woods hide, regrow and rot away such old buildings quite quickly
Mornin' Dustin, you and your vids make Saturday morning as much fun as when I was a kid and was watching the Road Runner outsmart that damn Coyote...lol.... anyway, that logo design looked a lot like it might have been the 1967 Centennial Maple Leaf design, andI think that the car with the towbar on the front was a 1964 or 65 Ford Galaxy/Mercury Meteor (just because you asked...lol)... and the smaller car you found where the head and interior had been scooped, and it was jacked up on rocks, was a mid 60's A.M.C. Rambler American ( I love old cars and trucks and finding them, even if it is in the wilds of the bush...lol) ... thanks for another interesting and fun video... made my coffee go down even better on this wet and drizzly Saturday morning in southern Ontario... peace out, from Doc.
Good morning from the socked in south Okanagan where we're getting a little bit of needed rain. Thanks for the video, for sure the Fraser Canyon route has a lot of "forgotten" and starting to be that way places. If I was to guess on the age, I'd say no older than the '50's, even though the first plywood mill in BC was 1913 Fraser Mills at the coast. The 1967 Centennial Maple Leaf was common back then as mentioned. Stay well and safe travels sir.
I was looking forward to an up close of the train bridge!
Watching from qld, I always look forward to my Sunday mornings and your new video, always a pleasure, thanks for taking me on an adventure 🙌🏼
Thanks for coming along. 😊
Can’t wait for the summer travel reveal and where you are taking us this season. As Mrs Doubtfire would say, “Brace yourself Effie!!!”