Dallas History

The Gateway to Dallas and Barnhartvale

Dallas was named for Alexander Grant Dallas who was the son-in-law of Governor James Douglas and agent for the Hudson Bay Company in colonial British Columbia and Vancouver Island, serving also as Chief Factor of Fort Garry from 1862 to 1864. He subsequently moved to London where he became an advisory director of the Company. He died in 1882.

Barnhartvale was originally referred to as Campbell Creek or Campbell's Creek until 1909. It is now named after Peter Barnhart, who was the conductor on the first Canadian Pacific Railway train through Kamloops. He moved to Campbell Creek and opened a post office and in 1909 the name was changed to Barnhart Vale Post. In 1978 the spelling was formally changed to one word, Barnhartvale.

1865 marks the beginning of the written history of the area later named Barnhartvale. That was the year that James Todd and Lewis (Lew) Campbell, the first two pioneers, arrived. The next settlers in the region were John and William McLeod in 1879. A major road in the area is named after the Robert and Henry Pratt families who occupied the bulk of the valley after 1890.

The area around the site including Golden Valley Estates, Nina place, Rachel Place, and Mary Place and Tumbleweeds pub were purchased by Paul Bianco in 1964 from the Vicars family. Golden Valley Golf Course took up the majority of the site and was run by Mr. Bianco for several years. The golf course was shut down, the land was subdivided and the cul-de-sacs Mary Place, Nina Place and Rachel place, which were named after the wife and two daughters of Mr. Bianco, were created. In the 1970 the remaining land was operating as a turf farm.

In 1985, Mr. Bianco opened the Petro-Can station currently located at the corner of Dallas Drive and Todd Road. It was later sold in the early 1990's. In the early 1990's the underpass was constructed extending Nina place through the property and part of the land was sold to Tumbleweeds pub. In 2005, Golden Valley Estates, a forty-four unit duplex development was built.

Dallas Town Centre - Phase 1 - which consited of 44 condos and the shopping centre opening in 2012. Subway opened shortly after. In 2017, Phase 2 of the condos opened consisting of 68 condo units. There is a drive-thru pad still waiting to be developed.