Goldpanning in the Cariboo

David W. Leonard is Project Historian—Northern Alberta, Historic Sites
and Archives Service, Alberta Community Development, the author of
Delayed Frontier: The Peace River Country to 1909, and the co-author of
The Lure of the Peace River Country: A Fost

“Nothing lights up the human imagination quite like the flash of
gold.” Thus begins this compact guide for adventurers who are new to
goldpanning methods but desirous of instant wealth. The authors are Jim
Lewis, a veteran gold seeker familiar with the interior of British
Columbia, and Charles Hart, described as “a journalist, writer and
editor with wide ranging interests.” Their book is the first in
Heritage House’s Creeks of Gold series, which is intended to “help
locals and visitors enjoy the beauty of British Columbia’s back
country while exploring proven gold bearing creeks.”

Determined gold seekers rarely betray their own discoveries, so the
reader should not expect specific directions to proven treasures.
Rather, the first part of this book outlines the steps to be taken when
preparing for a goldpanning expedition, while the second provides
details, including maps, of six creeks in the Cariboo district.
Goldpanning methodologies, legal considerations, an inventory of
equipment needed, a glossary of goldpanning terms, and a directory of
gold commissioners’ offices add to the usefulness of this guide, while
a few anecdotal tales enhance its interest. Regrettably, sources of the
photos used to illustrate the book have not been cited.

The fact that the Cariboo region has been scoured for gold ever since
the Cariboo rush of the 1850s no doubt makes this book more valuable as
a guide to the outdoors of central British Columbia than as a guide to
instant wealth.