After more than 45 years in Barkerville, the Rummel family is retiring as the Lhtako Dene Nation takes over several historic businesses.
The Barkerville Heritage Trust announced in a press release on May 8 the transition, which marks the end of a decades-long presence by the Rummel family at Barkerville Historic Town & Park.
Since at least 1980, brothers Bill, Rob and Doug Rummel, along with their spouses and children, have operated a number of the site’s interpretive retail businesses under park use permits.
Over the years, the family managed Mason & Daly General Merchants, C. Strouss Drygoods & Provisions, A. McPherson’s Watchmaker & Jeweller, McMahon’s Confectionery and Eldorado Gold Panning & Gift Shop.
The trust credited the family with helping shape Barkerville’s immersive historical experience through historically grounded presentations and detailed retail interpretation. Marilyn Rummel also contributed during the family’s early years at the site, working at the Theatre Royal and later operating the Wake Up Jake Restaurant.
“Now, as the brothers and their families prepare for retirement, their departure marks the end of a significant era in Barkerville’s living history interpretation,” the release reads.
According to the release, the businesses’ concession licences have now been transferred to the Lhtako Dene Nation with approval from the Barkerville Heritage Trust (BHT). Rocky Nenka will oversee operations on behalf of the First Nation after previously serving as commerce manager for BHT and later as regional Indigenous tourism specialist for Cariboo Chilcotin Coast with Indigenous Tourism BC.
Several longtime employees of the Rummel family are expected to remain with the businesses to help maintain continuity in operations, quality and visitor experience.
Lhtako Dene Nation Chief Clifford Lebrun said the transition is more than just a business transition for the First Nation.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Nenka celebrated the news and said with the transition, the Lhtako Dene Nation are restoring a “narrative that is often overlooked.”
“Indigenous people were merchants, bakers, guides, suppliers, and economic participants long before and throughout the gold rush era,” Nenka explained. “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.”
Al Richmond, chair of the Barkerville Heritage Trust, said the organization looks forward to the new opportunity with the First Nation.
“This partnership strengthens the site by acknowledging its history, supporting reconciliation, and building a future rooted in mutual respect,” he said. “As we make this transition, the BHT extends its best wishes to the entire Rummel family as they embark on their next endeavour, with hopes that it will include a well-deserved holiday. Their world-class contribution to Barkerville has been immeasurable.”
According to the release, Barkerville sits along the historic Grease Trail, an extensive Indigenous trade network that connected the Interior with the Pacific coast for thousands of years.
The routes were used primarily for eulachon oil transportation, which was a highly valued nutritional and ceremonial resource traded between coastal nations such as the Nuxálk and inland peoples, including the Dakelh. Later on, portions of the network became known as the Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail, reflecting how early European explorers relied on Indigenous knowledge and established pathways to navigate the region’s challenging terrain.
“Long before the gold rush, Indigenous nations sustained vibrant economies defined by trade, mobility, and sophisticated intercommunity relationships,” the release reads.
“Recognizing this rich economic history underscores the significance of the Lhtako Dene Nation taking on these businesses, reinforcing both continuity and reconciliation within Barkerville’s evolving story.”
Barkerville’s upcoming main season takes place from May 30 to Sept. 13 with a full schedule of programming, which includes guided tours and street scenes, shows at the Theatre Royal and rides at Barnard’s Express Stagecoach, along with shops and restaurants.
Anyone interested in employment opportunities at one of the Lhtako Dene Nation’s new ventures in Barkerville can inquire by emailing rocky@lhtako.com. For more information on Barkerville, its upcoming season and merchant information, visit www.barkerville.ca.