Description of Historic Place

Lois Dawson House is a single storey wood framed house built in 1943 located on the west side of North Fraser Drive in West Quesnel, BC. The historic place includes the building and the parcel of land it occupies.

Heritage Value

Lois Dawson House is valued for its historic association with the people who shaped the development of Quesnel. The house was built in 1943 and is located in West Quesnel which developed as a rural community with small houses and family farms. Over the years, major renovations have occurred, however the house supports the other buildings on the street that have experienced change.

The house is named for Ernie and Lois Dawson who built this house in 1943. They lived here for many years. Ernie was born in Loon Lake, Saskatchewan. He came to Quesnel with his parents at the age of twelve. As a young boy, Ernie was an avid hockey player. Ernie lived in Quesnel for more than thirty years. For approximately twenty of those years, he owned and operated the Quesnel Tobacco Ltd. The business included a billiard hall located on Carson Avenue. The social life of Quesnel was once centered on people gathering in public places such as hotels, gambling rooms, bars, and pool halls. Ernie was a member of the Quesnel Rotary Club. Lois was very active in community affairs. She has a wing at the Quesnel and District Museum and Archives named in her honour. The Dawson family is recognized for their contribution to the development of the community with a street named in their honour.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Lois Dawson House include its:

- relationship with its surroundings;
- positive contribution to the streetscape as part of a group of buildings of similar scale, proportion and features;
- remaining original form;
- quaint single storey wood frame building;
- large roof with overhang, storm porch, and plain exterior.