Horsefly, British Columbia

Horsefly, formerly known as Harper's Camp, is an unincorporated community in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, Canada. It is located between the Cariboo Mountains and Quesnel Lake.

The Horsefly River and Horsefly Lake were given their names by the miners who came to the area during the Cariboo Gold Rush and were greeted by masses of pesky horseflies, but the village of Horsefly was known as Harper's Camp until approximately 1920 when it was changed to Horsefly.

History
Harper's Camp City Hotel (1900s)

The first major gold discovery of the Cariboo Gold Rush was made on the Horsefly River by Peter Dunlevy in 1859. More goldseekers soon arrived and a town was built near the site of Dunlevy's strike including several hotels, a store and a post office.

Then in 1887, the area experienced a second boom when Thaddeus Harper built and operated the first of several hydraulic mines and the town became known as Harper's Camp. One of these mines was also known as Horsefly.

Modern day

Today the village of Horsefly is a popular tourist destination with a forestry based economy. Sockeye salmon return each fall to spawn in the Horsefly River.

Horsefly offers all the amenities to locals and visitors, including a K–12 school, a general store, gas station, hardware store, museum, motel, cafe, beauty salons, neighbourhood pub, fire department, community hall (managed by the community club), and a seniors activity & wellness society.


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