Smithers, British Columbia
Encyclopedia : S : SM : SMI : Smithers, British Columbia
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| Motto | "A Town for All Seasons" | ||||
| Region | Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako | ||||
| Location | |||||
| Elevation | 495 m | ||||
| Highway | Highway 16 | ||||
| Waterway | Bulkley River | ||||
| Founded | 1913 | ||||
| Incorporated | 1921 (Village), 1967 (Town) | ||||
| Time zone | PST | ||||
| Postal Code | V0J 2N0 | ||||
| Area Code | 250 | ||||
| International Code | 1 | ||||
| Population | 5,414 (2001) | ||||
| Population Density | 348.4 pop/km² | ||||
| Area | 15.54 km² | ||||
| Mayor | James A. Davidson | ||||
| MLA | Dennis MacKay | ||||
| MP | Nathan Cullen | ||||
Smithers is a town located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, approximately halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Smithers is located in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako. With a population of 5,414, Smithers is a service area for most of the Bulkley Valley. A town for all seasons Smithers prides itself on the abundance of activities available year round. In the fall, fishermen from around the world use Smithers as a stopping off point in their quest to catch and release a mighty steelhead.
History
The Bulkley Valley in which Smithers is situated was originally inhabited by the Wet'suwet'en, an indigenous Carrier people whose native tongue is of the Athabaskan language family. Smithers was founded in 1913 as the regional headquartes for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The new community was named after the railway's chairman of the board of directors, Sir Alfred Smithers. In 1921, Smithers became the first incorporated village in British Columbia. In 1967, Smithers was incorporated as a town.Civic Orientation
The Town was surveyed in 1913 and a street grid pattern was established that is still very much evident today. Historically, intensive development has been oriented towards Main Street as the prime commercial focus with residential development radiating outward from the commercial core. The traditional downtown was punctuated by important civic structures - the (old) Courthouse at the intersection of Main Street with Highway 16 or by community focal points - the Canadian National railway station at the western end of Main Street. This pattern has been sustained by the preservation of the old Courthouse, with establishment of a major civic park in Central Park, and with the on-going restoration of the CN railway station as a community resource centre.Culture
Smithers and the Bulkley Valley area that surrounds it has often been described by non-residents as being distinct from the rest of Northern British Columbia. According to a 1990's survey, per capita, Smithers has 'the most of' in almost every category and the relative size of the township has lead to some distinct lines being drawn in the social fabric of that society. Religion, primarily Christian plays a leading role in Smithers society, as do local industries such as forestry and mining, the arts, and environmental protection which together form the cultural identity of the town.The theme of the town of Smithers is Alpine, which is drawn from the geography of the area which is classified as Alpine. A town bylaw requires businesses in the area to construct their buildings in an Alpine style, though there are some exceptions including chains such as McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Canadian Tire. A carved wood statue of a man blowing an Alpine horn, commonly referred to as 'The Alpine Man', is located at the entrance to the main street and has become the town symbol.
Residents of Smithers are called 'Smithereens' which remains a more popularly accepted title than the sometimes used 'Smitherite'. Native Smithereens possess a developing region accent, sometimes referred to as a 'Northern' accent (meaning the North of the Province of British Columbia) which can be differentiated from the more 'southern' (often called a Vancouver accent) accent by its sing song like quality and slight tendency to inflect upwards on the ends of sentences as if asking a question. The use of the word 'eh' at the ends of sentences is also quite common though by no means is it universal.
Ski Smithers
Smithers is located at the base of Hudson Bay Mountain which contains the ski and snowboard hill Ski Smithers.[link]Music
Smithers and the Bulkley Valley is the home of many musicians, and Smithers possesses an active and vibrant music scene. The annual Bulkley Valley Music festival in late June often features semi-famous acts and has drawn audience and participants from all across north America. The Della Herman theatre, named after a long time resident and former school board official, is the primary venue for shows and performances, though several pubs and even open fields serve as secondary performance venues. Numerous organisations including the Bulkley Valley Arts Council (BVAC), and the musicians teachers network operate in the Smithers area to keep music and other artistic activities operating.Miscellaneous
- The airline Central Mountain Air is based in Smithers.
- The film Eight Below was filmed here.
- The Comedy Network television show, "Alice, I Think," is based in Smithers.
External links
- [Basic demographic information about Smithers from Stats Canada's page]
- [Town of Smithers]
- [Tourism Smithers: contains in-depth information about the town]
- [Thousands of photos taken in and around Smithers]
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| British Columbia |
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| Regional Districts | Alberni-Clayoquot - Bulkley-Nechako - Capital - Cariboo - Central Coast - Central Kootenay - Central Okanagan - Columbia-Shuswap - Comox-Strathcona - Cowichan Valley - East Kootenay - Fraser Valley - Fraser-Fort George - Greater Vancouver - Kitimat-Stikine - Kootenay Boundary - Mount Waddington - Nanaimo - North Okanagan - Northern Rockies - Okanagan-Similkameen - Peace River - Powell River - Skeena-Queen Charlotte - Squamish-Lillooet - Stikine - Sunshine Coast - Thompson-Nicola |
| Communities over 100,000 | Abbotsford - Burnaby - Coquitlam - Delta - Kelowna - Richmond - Saanich - Surrey - Vancouver |
| 70,000-100,000 | Chilliwack - Kamloops - Langley Township - Maple Ridge - Nanaimo - District of North Vancouver - Prince George - Victoria |
| Other major communities | Campbell River - Cranbrook - Fort St. John - Mission - New Westminster - City of North Vancouver - Penticton - Port Coquitlam - Port Moody - Vernon |
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