How did the Cariboo gold rush change British Columbia?

First and foremost, it is important to note that British
Columbia experienced two gold rushes. The first one took place in 1858 after gold was
discovered on the Fraser River. The second one which occurred in the Coriboo district
and which is the subject of this question took place in 1862. Due to the influx of
people into Cariboo including immigrants from as far as Germany and China, all of whom
had come to chase after the gold fortune, famous towns such as Barkerville, Richfield
and Keithley Creek sprund up and there was increased development in the
mainland.

In addition to the towns, infrastructure was
improved in order to ease the movement of people and materials that had prior been done
amid great difficulty. It began in 1859 when James Douglas gave a nod for the
construction of a 4 foot wide trail known as the Douglas Trail that connected the coast
and the interior. Later on, the construction of the Cariboo Wagon Road made transport
more efficient as it facilitated the use of wagons that hastened the transport
process.

British Columbia experienced an economic boom due
to the mining activities going on in its interior. The establishments that provided them
with food, accommodation and other supplies before they proceeded to the interior
benefited a lot. This opened up British Columbia to settlement by people of
non-Aboriginal descent. In summary the Cariboo gold rush improved the economy and
infrastructure of British Columbia while at the same time diversifying the
population.