Park improvements have gone up in Quesnel's Lhtako Dene Park as part of a long-term plan to add themes of Indigenous culture and history to the park. The park, located where the Quesnel River and the Fraser River meet, was renamed on Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2022 to honour the nation whose ancestral lands Quesnel is on.
The additions to the park will continue with perennial flowers native to the area being added to the new flower beds put in place over the previous weeks. The city's plans for the park were created in collaboration with the Lhtako Dene Nation and the park will include a fishing pier and amphitheatre in the future.
The upgrades to Lhtako Dene park were funded by the BC Destination Development Fund. The fund through the the provincial government was created to help communities build or revitalize areas that benefit tourism. One of the requirements of the fund is projects must be completed by March 31, 2025.
Before the first improvements to the park began in 2023, the Lhtako Dene Nation held a ceremony where the land was smudged and Indigenous elders spoke about the importance of renaming the park and celebrating Indigenous history and culture.
