With a bittersweet, yet warm message, the Barkerville Heritage Trust gives a heartfelt thank you and farewell to a family core to the town’s modern history over the past four decades.
The Rummel Family have been friendly, and iconic faces in Barkerville’s history going back to 1980. The Rummels were well known for contributing and setting the standard for Barkerville’s immersive reenactments, and grounding engagement with visitors that many would say was key to an authentic and warm Barkerville experience.
Not only were they known for their acting, but for decades, the Rummels owned and operated five of Barkerville’s cornerstone businesses along Main Street. Brothers Bob, Rob, and Doug Rummel managed: Mason & Daly General Merchants, C. Strouss Drygoods & Provisions, A. McPherson’s Watchmaker & Jeweller, McMahon’s Confectionery, and Eldorado Gold Panning & Gift Shop.
Their craftsmanship was known for its quality and was taken home by many visitors to the Historic Town & Park.
Their sister Marilyn was an assistant producer at the Theatre Royal in the 1980s, and later went on to operate the Wake Up Jake restaurant.
As the Rummels prepare their retirement, their departure marks the end of one of Barkerville’s historic eras.
Though it will not be an entirely good-bye to the Rummels Legacy.
The concession licenses held by the Rummels will be transferred to the Lhtako Dene Nation, with approval by the Barkerville Heritage Trust (BHT).
The business operations and oversight will be managed by Rocky Nenka on behalf of Lhatko Dene. Nenka is the former Commerce Manager for the BHT and, most recently, the Regional Indigenous Tourism Specialist for Cariboo Chilcotin Coast with Indigenous Tourism BC. He will be joined by staff members who were long-time employees of the Rummels. Nenka and the staff ensure that visitors will receive the same high level of service, interaction, historical accuracy, and authenticity that the Rummels set for Barkerville.
“By taking on these businesses, the Lhtako Dene Nation restores a narrative that is often overlooked,” Rocky Nenka said in a statement. “Indigenous people were merchants, bakers, guides, suppliers, and economic participants long before and throughout the gold rush era. These businesses are not simply retail operations. They are cultural touchpoints, interpretive spaces, and economic engines that honour the deep and enduring presence of Indigenous peoples in the Cariboo region.”
“For the Lhtako Dene Nation, this is more than a business transition,” says Lhtako Dene Nation Chief Clifford Lebrun in a statement.
“It is an opportunity to create jobs, build long-term revenue, and help tell a fuller story of Barkerville and the Cariboo — one that recognizes the deep presence, trade, and leadership of Indigenous peoples in this region. We are honoured to carry forward the standard set by the Rummel family while bringing Lhtako Dene culture, values, and vision into this next chapter.”
Barkerville sits along the Grease Trail, an extensive Indigenous trade network that connected the Interior of the province with the Pacific coast for thousands of years. These routes were used primarily to transport eulachon oil, a highly valued nutritional and ceremonial resource traded between coastal nations such as the Nuxálk and inland peoples, including the Dakelh. Indigenous nations sustained vibrant economies defined by trade, mobility, and sophisticated intercommunity relationships, with these trade routes key to establishing these connections, long before the gold rush.
Portions of this trade network later became known as the Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail, and today reflects how early European explorers relied on Indigenous knowledge and established pathways to navigate the region’s challenging terrain.
Recognizing this rich economic history underscores the significance of the Lhtako Dene Nation taking on these businesses and reinforces both the continuity and reconciliation within Barkerville’s evolving story.
Barkerville’s Main Season starts on May 30 and runs until September 13.
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