"Quesnel (Village) not Quesnelle" adopted in the 18th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 31 March 1924, as labelled on BC map 1G, 1916. Incorporated as a Village Municipality 21 March 1928; re-incorporated as a Town Municipality 1 January 1958. Form of name changed to Quesnel (Town) 16 May 1966 on 93/SE. Since re-incorporated as a City Municipality (date not cited). Form of name changed to Quesnel (City) 21 May 1981 on 93B/15 and 93B/16. Boundary extension at NE side, per Order in Council 1460, effective 27 November 1998.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Returning from his journey to the mouth of the Fraser River, Simon Fraser noted in his journal for 1 August 1808: "Debarked at Quesnel's River...." The Quesnel for whom he had named this river was Jules Maurice Quesnel, one of the two clerks of the North West Company who had accompanied him on his historic journey. Quesnel was at this time a young man of 22. He left the fur trade 3 years later. In his final years Quesnel played an active part in Quebec politics, being a member first of the Special Council of Lower Canada, and then of the Legislative Council of the United Province of Canada. He died in 1842.

Source: Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; British Columbia Place Names; Sono Nis Press, Victoria 1986 /or University of British Columbia Press 1997

At a park on Front Street, Parks Canada has installed a National Historic Site cairn "to commemorate the events connected with Collins' Overland Telegraph, and the plan to connect America and Asia by telegraph and cable across Bering Strait, 1865-66."
See also the municipality's own website.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office