B.C. has been home to a ranching industry for more than two centuries and this year has it been officially recognized by the provincial government with the first Cowboy Heritage Week.

March 3-10 was B.C.’s first Cowboy Heritage Week, which celebrated the contributions made by cowboys and the ranching industry to our province’s history, economy, and culture.

Cowboy Heritage Week was proclaimed in B.C. on February 1 and recognized in the East Kootenay by Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett and the Kootenay Livestock Association.

“Ranchers came to the west side of the Rockies about 200 years ago and with the cattle and ranches, came the cowboys. Of course, the Ktunaxa were already here using horses and were known to be excellent riders. Today, cowboys still ride the ranges of the East Kootenay. The contributions made by these cowboys, then and now, have enhanced our province, leading to this commendable level of recognition,” Bennett stated.

“As a second generation rancher, I appreciate that the provincial government has created Cowboy Heritage Week. Ranching, working with horses and cattle on the land is an important part of BC’s past and our present,” said Jordy Thibeault, past president of the Kootenay Livestock Association.

B.C.’s ranching industry and cowboy heritage continue to play an important role in the economic, social, and cultural life in B.C. Cowboy Heritage Week honours British Columbian’s cowboy and ranching history.

Mark McMillan, president of the BC Cowboy Heritage Society, first suggested the idea of a proclamation on Cowboy Heritage. The B.C. Cowboy Heritage Society was incorporated in 1996

Visit the British Columbia Cowboy Heritage Society at http://www.bcchs.com/For more information:

You can see the Cowboy Heritage Week proclamation at http://www.bcchs.com/proclamation.jpg

Above photo: MLA Bill Bennett presents the Cowboy Heritage Week proclamation to Jerry (left) and Jordy Thibeault (centre).

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