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About This Park

Ceal Tingley Memorial Park-Heritage Corner is located in Downtown Quesnel which is the commercial and administrative center of the city. While not in their original location, the artefacts are a physical reminder of the people and industries that shaped the development of Quesnel.

The park is named for Ceal Tingley who was born in 1913. He arrived in Quesnel from the Queen Charlotte Islands with his pioneering parents, Freeman and Bertha (Litke) Tingley in 1920. The Tingley family were welcomed at the ferry by John A. Fraser. They built a log house on their small farm along Baker Creek in West Quesnel. The family lived there until Ceal’s father died. Ceal worked as a janitor in the school, farmed the family homestead, hauled wood to the mines and freight to work camps. In the 1950s, Ceal ran as a Conservative in the Provincial election. From 1970 to 1976, Ceal was the Mayor of Quesnel. The Tingley family is recognized for their contribution to the development of the community with a street named in their honour. Ceal Tingley Memorial Park acknowledges the valuable role Ceal Tingley played in growth of the city.

Ceal Tingley Park is a lovely green space along Front Street and at the start of the Riverfront Trail system that invites you to pause and admire the flowers. There is a wide, paved path through the park that goes past several historic monuments and then connects with the Riverfront Trail system. The path is well defined, with no overhead obstructions, making it a pleasant place for the visually impaired and wheelchair user. Ideally the existing extended tables and the benches would be connected with the paved path, including a portion wide enough to accommodate wheelchair users. This would improve the accessibility for everyone.