The City of Quesnel seems quite proud of the fact that it lies on the 53rd parallel of latitude, sufficiently proud that the city had placed two markers to note the fact. The first became a victim of urban sprawl when it was destroyed to make way for urban development. The second was created as the replacement for the first.
On Bowron Avenue at Walkem street is an exposed aggregate plinth bearing a bronze plaque containing the geographic coordinates of the spot, the date the marker was placed, May 7, 1993, and the names of those responsible for its placement. Above the plaque on the plinth is a target for accurate placement of a GPS receiver.
Placed beside the plinth by the City of Quesnel is a historical marker relating a bit of the story of the coordinates markers, both old and new.
THE 53rd PARALLEL
OF LATITUDE
Quesnel has the distinction of being on the 53rd parallel of latitude, the actual line running through a location on Two Mile Flat. During Quesnel's early years, a cement-and-stone cairn, indicating our importance geographically, stood in this immediate vicinity. It became a focal point on these once-open meadows above the river where May Day celebrations and other gala events were held, and where the children of the town had a playground. The original cairn was destroyed, presumably to make a more aesthetic landscape for modern homes. Shattered beyond recovery, it has been replaced by a modern marker which once again reminds us of our location upon the Earth.
CITY OF QUESNEL