DAWSON CREEK, B.C. - Visitors entering the fair grounds at the 104th edition of the Dawson Creek Exhibition and Stampede will notice a beautiful new addition to the site.
A newly constructed barn built with the help of students from Northern Lights College as well as community partners and volunteers.
The project began after an agreement was reached between the Dawson Creek Exhibition Association and the City of Dawson Creek in December 2024.
It has become much more than just a new livestock facility. It has also served as a hands-on classroom for students in Northern Lights College’s Enhanced Carpentry Foundation program.
Students spent two school years helping bring the structure to life. During the 2024-25 school year, carpentry students built the barn’s frame and exterior, with the roof completed in May 2025.
The following year, students finished the interior work, including electrical components, tack rooms and livestock stalls.
For many students, the project provided an opportunity to experience every stage of a major construction project, from interpreting plans and framing walls to installing roofing materials and finishing interior spaces.
One student involved in the build said watching the project evolve from a set of drawings into a completed structure was one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience.
The completed barn is expected to play an important role for the Dawson Creek Exhibition and Stampede for years to come.
The facility will support events during the annual fair and rodeo while also serving as an emergency evacuation space for animals displaced by wildfires or other natural disasters.
The project continues a long tradition of practical learning through the Enhanced Carpentry Foundation program, which has helped students build more than a dozen homes in Dawson Creek over the years.
The barn project offered a similar opportunity, allowing students to leave behind a lasting contribution to their community.
And for those students, the new barn is more than just another building at the fair grounds. It’s a structure they can point to with pride, knowing their work will be used by the community for decades to come.