Search for B.C.'s best small town: Northern quarterfinals

Picture acentrally planned community built in the 1980s, complete with winding roads, a golf course, tranquil town centre and affordable single-family homes.

It might seem like a Sun Belt town in the United States, but it's actually the story of Tumbler Ridge, B.C., whichis a 14 hour drive from Vancouver, and at the end of a 100 kilometre-long highway that leadstonowhere else.

"Tumbler Ridge, you're either going there or you're not. It's not like you can happen upon it," said Randy Gulick, the co-owner of Wild River Adventure Tours in Tumbler Ridge.

The town was built in 1981-1982 entirely for the purposes of mining coal. But as the industry has declined in importance in the area, it's the recreation opportunities nearby that have kept the town appealing to both residents and visitors. The UNESCO recognized Global Geopark has attractions ranging from the stunning Kinuseo Falls to dinosaur tracks.

"It's one of the best kept secrets in B.C.," said Gulick."We only got one traffic light in town, and it's a pedestrian light."

From gold pans to mountain bikes

Quesnel has more than a single traffic light: the town of 10,000 people has served as the regional centre for the upper Cariboo since the gold rush days.

But like Tumbler Ridge and many other towns across B.C., it has undergone its own transformation frombeing defined by resources to recreation.

"We really had to transform the way we thought about our community," said Mayor Bob Simpson.

"Historically, Quesnel was getting its economic benefits from nature: mining, agriculture, and forestry being predominant. And then we realized that people are looking for places to live, where they can experience nature differently, where they can be active in nature."

The town, located about an eight hour drive northeast from Vancouver,has made investments in playgrounds and mountain bike trails, and Simpson said it's beginning to pay dividends.

"A lot of people realize that living in largish centres have become unaffordable," he said.

"Quesnel offers that nice mix of a modern community with modern amenities, but also the ability to go and get a choice of rural property and live closer to nature."

But can it defeat Tumbler Ridge?

The two communities face-off today in the northern B.C. quarterfinalsofthe Search for B.C.'s Best Small Town.

Each day from Tuesday to Friday, there will be a new series of one-on-one votes in a different region. Each week, we'll narrow the field down from 128 to 64, 64 to 32, and so on, until we have a champion.

Voting will take place until 10 p.m. PT each day, with today's votes determining the final four in the Southwest B.C. quadrant of the competition.