10/15/2026
🏒 Hockey in the Cariboo: Then & Now
Hockey has been part of life in the Cariboo for generations. In the 1920s and 1930s, women’s hockey was already being played in Quesnel, with teams taking to the natural ice rink on Front Street, across from the Masonic Lodge.
This photograph from the museum collection shows a group of Quesnel women posing with their hockey sticks. The donor identified the team as Quesnel Women’s Hockey, with Maude Carson, fifth from the left and possibly Janet Carson third from the left.
Hockey was also growing into a major regional tradition. Indigenous teams from communities including Alkali Lake travelled by horse-drawn sleigh to play outdoor games, including a memorable trip to Vancouver in 1932. Organized senior hockey followed, with the Central Interior Hockey League forming in 1948 and local rivalries becoming a defining part of Cariboo hockey.
The second photograph captures that tradition decades later: Quesnel Millionaires vs. Prince George Spruce Kings, with Quesnel goaltender Jamie Jensen stretching from post to post to keep Prince George off the scoreboard.
From women on the ice in the 1920s–30s to hard-fought regional matchups in the 1980s, these photographs are a glimpse into the long history of hockey in the Cariboo. 🏒
