Town of Smithers fonds

GMD: textual record; graphic material; cartographic material; architectural drawing; sound recording

Scope and Content: This fonds contains records created by or relating to the municipal governing body of the Town, formerly Village, of Smithers. These include documents such as financial reports, assessment rolls, a scavenging ledger, land lot tax assessments, a voters’ list, bylaws, programs, pamphlets, newsletters…

GMD: textual record; graphic material; cartographic material; architectural drawing; sound recording

Accession No.: 1975.107; 1981.6; 1983.10; 1983.12; 1983.14; 1988.1; 1988.5; 1988.6; 1988.8; 1988.9; 1988.10; 1988.12; 1990.172; 1999.239; 2007.3; 2009.50; 2012.16; 2012.17; 2017.22; 2017.36; 2017.41; 2017.71; 2018.2; 2018.19; 2020.9; 2021.12

Physical Description: 27.5 cm of textual records, 72 cartographic and architectural records, 34 colour photographs

History / Biographical: The town of Smithers was established in 1913. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) selected the swampy, flat area at the base of Hudson Bay Mountain as the divisional point for the railroad and the development of the town followed. Smithers grew very quickly and by 1914, it boasted two newspapers, banks, hotels, businesses, many residences, and a main street running six blocks north of the railroad tracks. In 1921 it was incorporated as British Columbia’s first village. Over the following decades, the small community continued to grow and expand, receiving town status in 1967. Today it serves as the regional center for the Bulkley Valley. The population as of 2016 was 5,351.

Custodial History: Series 1 was created circa 2016-2020 by Manda Haligowski. Arrangement of the fonds was completed by Holly Peterson in July 2020.

Scope and Content: This fonds contains records created by or relating to the municipal governing body of the Town, formerly Village, of Smithers. These include documents such as financial reports, assessment rolls, a scavenging ledger, land lot tax assessments, a voters’ list, bylaws, programs, pamphlets, newsletters, building specifications, and records from special events such as Smithers’ anniversaries. There are also many cartographic and architectural records, such as maps of Smithers and its Cemetery; blueprints, fire protection plans, and proposed renovations for Central Park Building; and plans for projects such as a new sewage system and the redevelopment of Central Park.

Arrangement: This fonds has been arranged into two series, reflecting two stages in the development of Smithers as a municipality: S1, Corporation of the Village of Smithers, which contains items dating from the village’s incorporation in 1921 until 1966; and S2, Town of Smithers, which contains items dating from after the town’s incorporation in 1967. In addition, 14 maps and plans (1988.1.1, 1988.6.1, 1988.13.1, 2017.41.15, 2017.41.17, 2017.41.18, 2017.41.19, 2017.41.21, 2017.41.22, 2017.41.23, 2017.41.25, 2017.41.30, 2017.41.33, and 2017.41.34) were undated and as such have not been sorted into any series, instead remaining as loose items within the fonds. These are primarily cemetery plans, with some land plot maps and one set of proposed plans for the Smithers courtyard front porch.

Town of Smithers fonds