BC Road Trip Time Machine: Highway 97, Williams Lake to Prince George, 1966

Great Scott! If our calculations are correct, the flux capacitor has taken our beloved BC Road Trip Time Machine back to Highway 97 - between Cache Creek and Prince George - as it was during the spring of 1966! Ah - Cariboo Country! Much of the highway between Cache Creek and Quesnel roughly follows the route of the original Cariboo Wagon Road and because it’s a long and windy road, we’ve split the trip into two videos - one from Cache Creek to Williams Lake and the other from Williams Lake to Prince George. So - pull up a chair and settle in for a trip down memory lane.

[@jimmyjames2022]

Thanks for posting this, I don't get to drive 97 anymore, so it's fun to relive the drive. Those were the days, two lane highway, no traffic to speak of and few passing lanes, little modern development, gas stations around every corner often with 'greasy spoons'. Best part of childhood was fuel stops and burgers on long drives.

[@gregholloway2656]

Thanks for preserving this footage. It’s so neat to watch, almost 60 years later.

[@jenniferlevine5406]

Wow - That was a great drive! Really enjoyed this video. Thank you!

[@CountryAndClassics]

Wow! The changes that has taken place since 66. Was so nice to see footage back then, I assume was done with a 8mm camera as VHS was not out back then.I still have mine, but 50 feet of film in price now made Me put it on the shelf as souvenir. Looked funny though in high spped as if put a 1 in front of that speedometer, lol.

[@terrykirkbride8799]

Hi Peter, the camera system was a Bolex 16mm. All film was Kodachrome on 100' spools.

[@thezappa7373]

Great video - amazing time capsule. Would it be possible to remove the 'unlisted' designation so that the video is more easily found through youtube search and the ministry youtube page. Cheers.

[@MinistryofTranBC]

Whoopsie daisy. Publicly listed now. Thanks for that. :)

[@Fordluv]

Is there a way on a desktop computer to watch this in slow motion. Tired of stop and go trying to figure places out.

[@MinistryofTranBC]

If you click on the gear icon on the bottom right of the screen, you should be able to choose a reduced speed.

[@richardfunk2106]

i-remember-the-old-bc-tellaphone-polls-withe-crosams-and-glass-inserlaters-it-were-beter-times-i-love-that-vido-thank-you

[@trevorquinlan6533]

12:43 moving hand on the camera when it starts to rain in Quesnel

[@MinistryofTranBC]

Good spotting! We noticed it too!

[@lmccsiz]

The post says "we’ve split the trip into two videos - one from Cache Creek to Williams Lake and the other from Williams Lake to Prince George." Could someone please send me the link to the segment for Cache Creek to Williams Lake? Thank you.

[@MinistryofTranBC]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJKraIyiaNpomMU

[@lmccsiz]

@@MinistryofTranBC Thank you very much. These videos are a priceless part of our heritage. Cheers, Loyd

[@josemarino4270]

Is this the "Google Maps" of those days?

[@user-so4gp2sf1o]

Do you have any footage of Highway 5 between Kamloops and Valemount? Then Valemount to Prince George on Highway 16? That would be very cool.

[@MinistryofTranBC]

We haven't come across a capture of Highway 5 north of Kamloops. :( sorry!

[@gencreeper6476]

@@MinistryofTranBC Thats too bad I am curious too as to how it connected up before the Coquihalla came to Kamloops. The entirety of the old highway 5 now 5A from Princeton to Kamloops in the days before the Coquihalla would be extremely interesting. Was 5A actually highway 5 back in 1966 or did it have a different number?

[@fastforwardauto]

Thank you for adding this to the collection! Does the archives contain minor roads of BC as well? Say Quesnel to Wells?

[@MinistryofTranBC]

sadly, no. Only the primary highways were captured.

[@joeydepalmer4457]

damn they drove fast in the old days.

[@gencreeper6476]

Yes but what I really love seeing is just how unchanged the BC interior driving style is. Especially the passing. Proof to outsiders that were not trying to be scary thats just the way things are. I mean the guy responsible for most of the tracks we call highways was named "flying" Phil lmao.

[@joeydepalmer4457]

@@gencreeper6476 what gets me, we are born and raised northern BC (if you can call PG as north), and some of us can trace our families back to the 1910s) but its like we all just got off the plane and do not know how to drive the first major snow storm of the year