The Alaska Highway Heritage Project Welcomes You!
The Alaska Highway stretches 2,237 km north and northwest from the Peace River area near Dawson Creek, BC, through the Yukon capital of Whitehorse, and up to Delta Junction in Alaska. It crosses political and cultural boundaries as it passes through several ecological regions, near four provincial parks and one national park, over five mountain summits and alongside and over major rivers. It intersects with Indigenous landscapes that are independent, historically and conceptually, from the highway, and with urban areas, First Nation’s communities, protected lands, recreation zones, resource development projects and farmlands whose histories are connected, to varying degrees, with the building and operation of the road. The Alaska Highway has become the main street of an entire region, a busy supply lifeline, and a major tourism destination for the world.
The Alaska Highway Community Society (AHCS) in BC and the Alaska Highway Heritage Society (AHHS) in Yukon are working together to ensure that the Alaska Highway is recognized as one of North America’s most significant historical routes, to commemorate and understand the shared history of the Alaska Highway’s cultural landscape, and to protect and interpret key historic resources of cultural value. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in October 2014 by the organizations to formalize their joint participation in the Alaska Highway Heritage Project. For more information on our work, see the section: Alaska Highway Heritage Project.
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About the AHCS
The AHCS has been raising awareness about the importance of the Alaska Highway for over 30 years. Formed of representatives from local governments located along or near the Alaska Highway in northeastern BC, the AHCS works to raise awareness of and protect the history and heritage of the Alaska Highway’s cultural landscape and to improve the traveler’s experience. Administrative support for the AHCS is provided by the Northern British Columbia Tourism Association (NBCTA).
Funding through the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) is the foundation for this work, including research, the BC engagement program, communications, and developing Yukon partners.
Alaska Highway Community Society Board of Directors
Bud Powell, AHCS Chair (City of Dawson Creek)
Village of Pouce Coupe (Vacant)
District of Chetwynd (Vacant)
Leonard Hiebert (Peace River Regional District, Electoral Area C)
Karen Goodings (Peace River Regional District, Rural Electoral Area B)
Betty Ponto (District of Taylor)
David Lueneberg (District of Taylor, Alternate)
Heather Sjoblom (City of Fort St John/Tourism Fort St John)
Kyle Andrews (Northern Rockies Regional District)
Kelly Miller (District of Hudson’s Hope)
Darryl Johnson (District of Hudson’s Hope)
Joanne Kirby (District of Tumbler Ridge)
Sue Popesku (Peace Liard Regional Arts Council)
Diane Abel (Treaty 8 Tribal Association)
Deanne McLeod (North East Native Advancing Society)
Lana Lowe (Fort Nelson First Nation)
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AHCS Partners
The AHCS partners in BC include:
Northern British Columbia Tourism Association
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Peace Liard Regional Arts Council
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About the AHHS
The AHHS was established in August 2013 by individuals interested in the conservation and promotion of the Alaska Highway’s history and heritage in Yukon. The core purpose of the AHHS is to commemorate the Alaska Highway Corridor as a National Historic Site of Canada by 2017 and to seek collaboration and partnerships along the corridor to further economic development, tourism, heritage and cultural preservation.
The initial phase of the project was funded by the Yukon Tourism Product Development Partnership Program, the Community Development Fund and CanNor, with support from Northwestel and Yukon Energy.
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The Purpose of the Website
The AHCS is maintaining this website to keep people informed and involved in our work to raise awareness of the importance of the Alaska Highway Corridor.
It is important to note, however, that we are not a research organization. Visitors, students and others may find useful information on this website, but we encourage people to go ‘straight to the source’, which may be an archives, book, museum or government agency, or to come and visit the places that are celebrated here.
To learn more about the history of the Alaska Highway Corridor, please see the section: Alaska Highway History.