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Interview with Art Simpson
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12294
- Date Range
- October 1, 1984
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Thomas Arthur 'Art' Simpson, recorded on October 1st 1984 by Irene Howard. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and .MP3 access file.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Irene Howard
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.73
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 910 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- October 1, 1984
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Thomas Arthur 'Art' Simpson, recorded on October 1st 1984 by Irene Howard. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and .MP3 access file.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Art Simpson - October 1, 1984
Interview with Art Simpson - October 1, 1984
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.73_Simpson,%20Art/Simpson,%20Art%201984_10_1.ACCESS.mp3
Simpson speaks about losing his mother to tuberculosis at the age of four.
Souris, Manitoba; tuberculosis
death; mother
Simpson discusses coming to the Bulkley Valley to work for the Duthie Mine, primarily as a truck driver.
accommodations; carpenter; Eby's Hardware; handyman; hauling ore; Kamsack, Saskatchewan; lead; loading ore; minerals; mucker; mucking; Smithers Hotel; sorting ore; steel galena; truck driving; zinc
Duthie Mine; duties; employment; labour; mining; responsibilities; Smithers; work
Simpson discusses what it was like to live at Duthie Mine, including what sort of accommodations were offered, the names of some of the men who worked there, what they did for fun in the evenings, and what the food was like.
beds; cards; Conrad Stordal; cookhouse; cooks; Dick Cusack; games; John Frame; mattresses; Poulson
accommodations; bunkhouses; entertainment; food; living quarters; miners; nationalities
Simpson recalls the only accident that occurred while he was working underground.
accident; blasting; Duthie Mine; mining
Simpson discusses the meals available at Duthie Mine, what the men would do on holidays, and whether or not drinking was commonplace.
alcohol; Chinese cooks; Christmas; Thanksgiving
cooking; cooks; drinking; food; holidays; meals
Simpson briefly recalls coworker Jack McEwen and mine owner J.F. Duthie.
clergymen; J.F. Duthie; Jack McEwen; ministers
Simpson recalls his saddest memory from the mine: the death of a worker (later identified as Warren Lewis, d. October 1928) who was caught in a rock crusher.
Dr. Cecil Hankinson; roads
accidents; death; Duthie Mine; Warren Lewis
Simpson talks about traversing the narrow, winding road from Smithers up to Duthie Mine.
Al Bannister; bears; corduroy road; driving; swamp; switchbacks; traffic; vehicles
road conditions; roads
Simpson briefly recalls Emily Mackin, or 'One-Eyed Emily,' who lived with her husband near Duthie Mine for a time.
Indigenous people
Emily Mackin
Simpson discusses how the miners worked in 8-hour shifts, seven days a week, with only two holidays all year. He also briefly mentions how carts of ore were extracted from the mine.
Canada Day; Christmas; Ed Eby; First of July; July 1st; mine cart; mining
fishing; holidays; shifts; work days; work hours
Brief recollections of other individuals associated with Duthie Mine and the surrounding area.
Irma Bannister; Mrs. Lily Lewis; Victory claims
Black Jack; Black Jack McDonell; Donald Simpson; Warren Lewis
Simpson discusses the eventual closing of Duthie Mine and what he did for work afterwards. Also includes discussion of various topics such as ore seams, wages, woodcutting for the mine, and his marriage to Mabel 'May' Pike.
boilers; Indigenous people; marriage; May Simpson; ore; seams; woodcutters
Duthie Mine; mining; truck driving; wages
Simpson discusses working in the transfer business in Smithers, both before and after the Duthie Mine closed down.
Duthie Mine; Eby's Hardware; Ed Eby; Pete Eby; punctuality
employment; transfer business; truck driving; working
Simpson discusses various people he knew in Kemsack, Saskatchewan who ended up moving to Smithers, including Gus Lind and the Matson family.
Duthie Mine; handyman; Kemsack, Saskatchewan; mechanic; Swedes
Gus Lind; Matsons
Brief story about Simpson having to retrieve a corpse, as the undertaker had no means of transportation.
body; corpse; death
Interview with Frank Dockrill Jr.
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12243
- Date Range
- August 1991
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Frank Dockrill Jr., recorded in August 1991 by Tom Leach. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an MP3 access file.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Tom Leach
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.36
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 0.97 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- August 1991
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Frank Dockrill Jr., recorded in August 1991 by Tom Leach. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an MP3 access file.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Frank Dockrill Jr. - August 1991
Interview with Frank Dockrill Jr. - August 1991
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.36_Dockrill,%20Frank%20Jr/Dockrill,%20Frank%20ACCESS.MP3
Frank Dockrill recounts his father's early mining career and how it brought his family to the Bulkley Valley. Note: start of interview appears to have been cut off.
Boer War; scrip; Skeena River; South African scrip; South African War; Telkwa; Vancouver; veterans; Woodmere Road; Yukon
Bulkley Valley; Dockrill family; Frank Dockrill Sr.; mining; prospecting
Dockrill discusses how his father would work on the family farm near Telkwa in the summer. One of the fields was used as an
A.E. Richards; crops; Frank Dockrill Sr.; grain; illustration station; inspector; potatoes; vegetables
agriculture; farming; farms; Summerland Experimental Farm
Dockrill discusses his father's winter job at the Santa Maria copper mine, as well as a brief foray into gold prospecting.
Atlin District; Frank Dockrill Sr.; gold; ore; sleighs; Tacoma
copper mining; mining; Santa Maria mine
Dockrill describes the creation and early days of the Bulkley Valley Collieries, which was founded by his father.
auger; blacksmiths; bunkhouse; coal drill; cookhouse; farmers; Frank Dockrill Sr.; Leach; Lejac Residential School; roads; safety lamps; shaft; Smithers Hospital; tunnel; winter employment
Bulkley Valley Collieries; coal mine; coal mining; Goat Creek; Telkwa Collieries
Continuation of the story of the Bulkley Valley Collieries. Dockrill describes how additional pits (and a strip mine) were dug when the first one became unusable, how changes in technology and regulations affected the work of the miners, and how the coal was marketed and sold.
army; BC Hydro; Charles Melville Hays; Coal Mines Regulations Act; coal pits; electricity; equipment; Frank Dockrill Sr.; generator; Grand Trunk Pacific Railway; Great Depression; machinery; marketing; railroads; strip mine; World War II
Bulkley Valley Collieries; coal mine; coal mining; Goat Creek; Telkwa Collieries
Brief discussion of Dockrill's lifelong fascination with electricity and how this interest overlapped with some of the jobs he worked as a young adult, both in the Bulkley Valley Collieries and while living in Vancouver.
electrician; Great Depression; May Dockrill; radio; Vancouver
electricity; employment; jobs; occupations; work
Dockrill discusses his father's hands-on approach to the running of the Bulkley Valley Collieries and how the family's shares in the company were eventually sold. Also a brief mention of how Dockrill Jr. moved to Kitimat to work as an electrician (begins at 33:15).
coal mining; death; electrician; wages; work
Bulkey Valley Collieries; coal mine; Frank Dockrill Sr.; Kitimat; Telkwa Collieries
Dockrill discusses what his daily routine was like while working at the Bulkley Valley Collieries.
coffee breaks; fans; inspector; shifts; silicosis; smoking; ventilation; working conditions
Bulkley Valley Collieries; coal mining; work
Frank and his wife May Dockrill describe their married life in Telkwa during the 1940s, with a focus on their first houses and how they eventually received modern amenities. Note: interview ends without a proper conclusion.
amenities; electricity; family life; generator; government agent; modern conveniences; Mrs. Goodwill; social life; teas; water pump
homes; houses; Telkwa
Interviews with Jean and Reg Heal
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12250
- Date Range
- November 19 1988
- August 14 1997
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Reg and Jean Heal (nee Gregerson). One was recorded on November 19th 1988 by Ruth Murdoch as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" series. The other was recorded on August 14th 1997 by Misty Jorgen at the Heals' home in Smithers. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3…
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Ruth Murdoch;
- Misty Jorgen
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.43
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 4.93 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- November 19 1988
- August 14 1997
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Reg and Jean Heal (nee Gregerson). One was recorded on November 19th 1988 by Ruth Murdoch as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" series. The other was recorded on August 14th 1997 by Misty Jorgen at the Heals' home in Smithers. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access files, and .jpg release forms.
- Notes
- Sound quality of both interviews is very poor due to high background noise and low interviewee volume.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Jean and Reg Heal - November 19, 1988
Interview with Jean and Reg Heal - November 19, 1988
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.43_Heal,%20Jean%20and%20Reg/1988%20interview/Heal,%20Jean%20and%20Reg%201988_11_19.ACCESS.mp3
Introduction of Reg and Jean Heal, giving their years and places of birth and some info about their parents.
Ernest Heal; Evelyn; Heal farm; horse and wagon; Mary Fryer Heal; Mary Gregerson; road conditions; Smithers Town Hall; Telkwa; Tyhee Lake
birth info; Jean Gregerson; Reg Heal
Jean and Reg share childhood memories of playing outdoors on their families' farms.
barbecues; calf roping; cat; creek; dog; Evelyn School; frogs; grouse; homemade skis; lassoing; Margaret Gregerson; Mary Gregerson; pollywogs; pond; rabbits; skiing; sleigh rides; spring; summer; Ted Gregerson; Telkwa Barbecue; winter
childhood; family; outdoors; play; recreation; siblings
Jean Heal recounts the chores that she did as a child and where her mother sold the goods produced by the family farm.
butter; carrying water; chickens; chicks; eggs; firewood; Mary Gregerson; milking cows; school; Telkwa Creamery; Valentine Dairy; Watson's Store
chores; farm; responsibilities
Jean recalls how special her family's horses were to her, telling stories of sleigh rides, the death of a favourite horse, and a time when the new horses attempted to run away.
colic; death; horse driving; horse team; Mary Gregerson; runaway horses; sickness; sleigh; sleighing
animals; horses
Jean discusses a special tree in her family's barnyard which served as a stopping point for travelers and a place of trade between the Gregerson family and local Indigenous peoples. She also describes tending to her family's gardens and harvesting some of the weeds to eat.
chores; church; Evelyn School; fish; Indigenous people; Mary Gregerson; nettles; pigweed; stopping place; trading; washing
favourite place; gardens; tree; weeding
Jean Heal shares a story of how her mother and several neighbours rescued a calf which had fallen through the ice into a river.
Fred Rosberg; ice; Lee Johnson; Mr. Owens?; Mrs. Johnson; Selma Rosberg; winter
calf; Mary Gregerson; rescue; river
Jean recounts games that she used to play as a child, both and hole and at school.
Ante-Ante-I-Over; hide and seek; Prisoner's Base; school; scrub baseball; snow forts; snow tunnel; snowball fights; tag; teacher
entertainment; games; play; recreation
Jean recounts her memories of Christmas as a child, particularly the scarcity of money and presents. Note that the latter section about traplines is almost inaudible.
Auntie Meg; Christmas concerts; Christmas trees; cup and saucer; furs; Japanese oranges; no presents; parcel; trapline; trapping
Christmas; holidays
Jean talks about how the family rarely went in to Smithers all together, as someone always had to be left behind to do chores on the farm. She also mentions how horses and wagons would cut across Lake Kathlyn when it was frozen, which sometimes ended in disaster.
Beaton's Barn; Belgian horse team; clearing snow; horses; ice; ice houses; Lake Kathlyn; sleigh; wagon; winter
Smithers; transportation; travel
Jean recalls entertaining school events such as noon hour dances and end-of-the-year picnics, as well as which hours of the day the different grades started and left school.
Henry Johnson; ice cream; May 24th; musical instruments; Orville Elliott; school hours; school picnics; school times; Trout Creek; Victoria Day
dancing; Evelyn School; events; picnic; school
Jean explains the essential roles that women, such as her mother Mary Gregerson, played in rural society.
canning; cars; driving; food preservation; meet curing
chores; jobs; responsibilities; women; women's labour
Reg Heal recalls his childhood on the family farm near Tyhee Lake, with a focus on chores such as hauling hay and milking cows.
chickens; clover seed; cows; crops; dairy; hauling hay; hay rake; horses; milking cows; tie cutting; timothy seed
childhood; chores; farms; responsibilities
Reg recalls toys, games, and other forms of entertainment from his childhood, particularly winter sports such as skating and skiing.
Barger Ranch; hide and seek; homemade skis; pop guns; skating; skiing; sleigh riding; softball; toy train; Tyhee Lake
entertainment; games; sports; toys
Reg gives his memories of Christmas at his paternal grandparents' (Fred and Ann Heal) house.
Ann Anderson Heal; beefsteak pudding; English; Fred Heal; gramophone; music; plum pudding
Christmas; grandparents; holidays
Reg gives his memories of attending school in Telkwa, including a story about a time the horse he was riding turned around and brought him back home.
chores; grandparents' house; horse riding; horses; Hubert; school; Telkwa School; tie contract; wood packing
Reg recounts Christmas and New Year's gatherings with the tie camp workers at Hubert, including one man who would buy presents and play Santa Claus for the children. He and Jean also discuss dances held at Evelyn and how young men would have to ask permission from a woman's parents to dance with her.
accordion; chaperones; dancing; fiddling; Hubert; Hubert townsite; Mary Heal Jr; music; New Year's Dance; Oscar Englund; presents; raft; Santa Claus; tie camp; tie cutters; toy train; Victor Lundstrom; workers
Christmas; dances; gatherings; holidays; New Year's; social events
While discussing the general self-sufficiency of the era (1920s & 30s), Jean describes how she would raise chicks in an incubator and later sell the fryers at Lake Kathlyn. Reg talks about how his father would deliver eggs and chickens to hotels and restaurants in town. Also some discussion of the low prices of the time.
bicycling; biking; carrying water; chicks; costs; eggs; Ernie Heal; fryers; incubator; Lake Kathlyn; Mary Gregerson; Model T Ford; no money; prices; restaurants; school; summer homes; transportation; walking
chores; deliveries; errands; prices; raising chickens; self-sufficiency; selling goods
In a continuation of the previous topic, Jean and Reg discuss the end of the Depression and the start of WWII, including the arrival of extra workers to build the Smithers Airport, Jean's role making items for the Red Cross, and why Reg was unsuccessful in joining the army.
airport construction; bandages; broken eardrum; ear infection; essential worker; extra workers; farming; knitting; mining; sewing; Telkwa Colleries; war effort
army; Great Depression; military service; Red Cross; Smithers Airport; World War II
Interview concludes with various additional reminiscences of Reg's and Jean's, including: clearing land, knitting and sewing, a 1929 Oldsmobile bought and repaired by Reg as a teenager, teacher Phyllis Davidson, the friendliness of Indigenous neighbours, and forms of financial relief during the Great Depression. Note: interview ends suddenly without a proper conclusion.
1929 Oldsmobile; cars; clean-up plant; clearing land; driver's license; Eaton's; Great Depression; Moricetown; Mr. Joe Nass; Mrs. Joe Nass; Phyllis Davidson; relief camps; relief funds; repairing machinery; Singer sewing machine; teacher; welfare; Witset
cars; financial aid; financial assistance; Indigenous people; knitting; memories; sewing
Interview with Jean and Reg Heal - August 14 1997
Jean Gregerson Heal recounts the histories of her parents, their occupations, how they met and came to Canada after the First World War, and their arrival and marriage in Smithers. She also tells of her birth in Smithers' town hall during a thunderstorm.
Alaska; Alfred Avenue; appendix; Beaton's Barn; birth; Boer War; Bulkley Hotel; Copper River Slim; coyote carpet; delivering babies; diagnoses; Donald Lake; Duluth, Minnesota; Elliotts; England; Evelyn; furs; gardening; homesteading; Hudson Bay Company; immigration; Ingrid Palmer; Johnny Johnson; Johnsons; livery stable; logging; marriage; McDonell Lake; military hospital; Mr. and Mrs. Beaton; Norway; nurse; Petersons; practical nursing; railroad; Scotland; Smithers; South Africa; South African War; St. James Anglican Church; town hall; trapping; Vancouver; Vimy Ridge; war bride; wartime experiences; Wiggs O'Neill; World War I; wounded in action
family history; Gilbert Gregerson; Gregerson family; Mary Gregerson
Jean describes how her parents moved to the Evelyn area shortly after their marriage and made a living as farmers. She discusses the typical work that was done on the farm, her mother's career as a midwife, and the hazards of travelling over the frozen Lake Kathlyn to get to Smithers or cut ice.
bread; canning; credit; curing meat; delivering babies; driving; first car; food preservation; groceries; horses; ice cutting; ice houses; Jim Waddington; knitting; Lake Kathlyn; lamps; lighting; livestock; medal; midwife; Mr. and Mrs. Miller; nursing; produce; Railway Avenue; reading; Red Cross campaign; sewing; Smithers; socializing; Soldier Settlement Board; Thornes; transportation; Watson's Store; winter
Evelyn; farming; Gilbert Gregerson; Mary Gregerson
Jean talks about growing up in Evelyn with her twin sister Margaret and brother Ted. She describes the chores that the children did around the farm, as well as school and recreation.
berry picking; birth; carrying water; chickens; chopping wood; cream separating; doctors; Dr. Cecil Hankinson; Dr. L.M. (Lawrence) Greene; eggs; feeding animals; games; gardening; homework; making butter; Margaret Gregerson; milking cows; Mrs. Gray; nurse; Prince Rupert; school; skiing; Smithers Hospital; Ted Gregerson; Telkwa Creamery; town hall; twins; Valentine's Dairy; Vanderhoof
childhood; chores; Evelyn; farm; siblings
Jean describes her education at Evelyn School, including special events such as parties, concerts, picnics, dancing, and examinations.
activities; blackboards; busing; Christmas concerts; classmates; correspondence courses; dancing; doctor; Dr. F. Vere Agnew; Driftwood; Ella Currie; embroidery; entrance exam; examinations; fishing; flower garden; Halloween parties; Henry Johnson; ice cream; ink; inkwells; inspection; Kitseguecla; local dances; Marjorie Jacquot; May 24th picnic; medical exam; Mr. Muir; Mr. Plumber; music; musical instruments; nib pens; oral tests; Orville Elliott; Phyllis Davidson; picnics; school house; sewing; singing; students; swimming; teachers; Toboggan Creek; Toboggan Lake; Trout Creek; Verna Marett; Victor Lundstrom
education; Evelyn School; school; special events
Jean discusses her life after graduation: working for various local families, meeting Reg Heal at a dance at Driftwood, and eventually marrying him.
Barbara Heal Hurstfield; children; correspondence courses; Credit Union; dance; Dr. L.M. (Lawrence) Greene; Driftwood School; Evelyn; gas rations; Glentanna; Hazelton; honeymoon; Jean Gair; Lawrence Heal; music; musicians; Prince Rupert; Smithers; Sorrento, BC; United Church; Walcott
employment; marriage; Reg Heal; work
Jean discusses the location and history of the Evelyn community, and describes what life was like there in the 1920s and 30s.
Adam's Igloo; agriculture; Andrew Johnson; Auntie Meg; bicycle; burning; canning; carpenter; cattle; chickens; Christmas; clearing land; cream; Doughty; driving horses; Ed Johnson; eggs; Evelyn School; farmers; hand-me-downs; haying; health; ice loading; incubator; Jack Johnson; livelihoods; MacMillans; Mary Gregerson; moose; Mr. and Mrs. Nichols; Mr. Fagerlid; odd jobs; Owens family; parcel; picking rocks; population; post office; raising chickens; Rosbergs; Scandinavians; section foreman; sickness; Storey family; subdivisions; Trout Creek; women's labour
Evelyn; history; rural life
Jean continues her discussion of Evelyn, with a focus on the various buildings, businesses, and community events there.
badminton; bunkhouse; church; concerts; doctor's office; Elks Hall; Evelyn Community Hall; Evelyn post office; Evelyn Station; flagging; halibut; hay shed; house; Jim Storey; L.B. Storey; Masons; minister; Mr. Fagerlid; Mr. Rosberg; New Year's dance; social events; station houses; stationmaster; Storeys; Toboggan Lake; train station; transportation of goods; United Church; waiting room; weddings; Women's Institute
buildings; businesses; community events; community organizations; Evelyn; Evelyn Hall; railway; special events
Interview cuts to a different conversation regarding a map of Evelyn. Jean identifies where different families lived and who later took over their properties.
Evelyn School; highway; Toboggan Creek
Evelyn; farms; properties
Jean discusses the many families who resided in Evelyn and what they did for a living. (Note: the spelling of these names has been verified with the Interior News whenever possible, but may not be 100% accurate in all instances).
Andrew Johnson; Castells; Charlie McGuire; Dave Bird; dugout; Ed Johnson; Elliotts; Fagerlids; farming; Fred Castell; George Ballard; George Storey; Gus Olsen; Hanson's farm; Helge Karlsen; highways; ice cream store; Jim Capling; John Johnson; John Tyne; Leipes; loading ties; MacMillans; McDonalds; mining; Mr. McMaster; Murrays; Oscar Engman; Owens family; Palmesons; Pedersens; Petersons; post office; Rosbergs; section man; Smalls; station agent; Trigvie; W. Siler; Yeliches
Evelyn; families; farmers; livelihoods; occupations
Interview cuts suddenly to a discussion about log driving along the Skeena.
Hazelton; Scandinavians
log driving; river drives; Skeena River; transport
Reg Heal's section of the interview begins with a discussion of his family's history. He explains how the Heals came to the Bulkley Valley in the early 1900s and what jobs they took up once there.
Ann Anderson Heal; birth; clearing land; doctor; Ernest Heal; family farm; Fred Heal; government work; Hagwilget Bridge; Hazelton; land pre-emption; Mary Fryer Heal; midwife; Olof Hanson; policeman; Saanich; sternwheeler; tie contracts; tie cutting; Tyhee Lake; Victoria; work
family history; farming; Heal family; occupations
Short discussion of local politician and businessman Olof Hanson.
airport; Hubert; office; politics; Smithers
Olof Hanson
Reg explains how a demand for timothy seed saved many farmers' livelihoods during the Great Depression.
agriculture; crops; harvesting; seeding; threshing
farmers; farming; Great Depression; timothy seed
Reg briefly discusses his father Ernest's contract to help clear a section of the Smithers townsite in 1913.
contract; Jack Oakes; Main Street; swamp
clearing land; employment; Ernest Heal; Smithers townsite; work
Reg briefly discusses his school days in Telkwa.
grades; student population; teachers
education; school; Telkwa School
Reg discusses the work he did after leaving school as a teenager, first on the family farm and later at a sawmill. He describes in detail how the ties were cut at the mill.
bush camp; clearing land; cutting wood; ploughing
cutting ties; employment; farm work; labour; sawmill; work
Reg discusses his later work as an ice cutter on Lake Kathlyn, detailing how the ice was cut, loaded, transported by train, and unloaded at its destination. (Note: section from about 2:10:25 to 2:11:30 is particularly difficult to understand).
box car; bunkhouse; Charlie Wilson; contract; ice houses; Larry Warner; loading ice; Olof Hanson; Orville Rosberg; payment; Prince George; train; train car; unloading ice; wages
employment; ice cutting; Lake Kathlyn; work
Reg talks about working at the Telkwa Coal Mine during the Second World War, as he was unable to join the military due to an ear problem.
Bulkley Valley Collieries; bunkhouse; Dockrills; employees; miners; mining papers; powder; types of coal; unloading coal; World War II
coal mining; employment; Telkwa Coal Mine; work
Reg discusses the former town of Hubert, where his father used to rent land while hewing ties.
bridge; buildings; divisional point; farms; government building; location; population; railway stations; stores; townsite
Hubert
Reg discusses his 25 years spent working for the school district as a bus driver and maintenance worker. (Note: interview ends suddenly without a proper conclusion).
bus drivers; bus driving; buses; employees; maintenance work; repair work; repairs
employment; School District 54; work
Interview with Daintre Riffel
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12273
- Date Range
- April 23, 1991
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Daintre Riffel (nee Goodacre), recorded on April 23rd 1991 by Terry Berg as part of the 1991 Smithers Alternate School students' series. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an .MP3 access file.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Terry Berg
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.70
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.33 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- April 23, 1991
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Daintre Riffel (nee Goodacre), recorded on April 23rd 1991 by Terry Berg as part of the 1991 Smithers Alternate School students' series. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an .MP3 access file.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Daintre Riffel - April 23, 1991
Interview with Daintre Riffel - April 23, 1991
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.70_Riffel,%20Daintre/Riffel,%20Daintre%201991_04_23.ACCESS.mp3
Daintre Riffel talks about her school days in Smithers, including what subjects were taught, how education then differed from today, what her favourite grade was, and whether she was taught by her aunt (possibly Jean Burns or Susanna 'Kitty' McDonald).
arithmetic; basketball; eighth grade; extracurricular activities; geography; Glentanna School; reading; school subjects; spelling; teachers; writing
education; school
Riffel talks about different sports and other physical activities she enjoyed in her youth.
basketball; competitions; girls' hockey team; hockey; Mr. Johnson; ping-pong; skating; skiing; table tennis; tournaments; town hall; travel
activities; recreation; sports
Riffel, who has lived in the Smithers area her entire life, explains how her parents originally came to live the Valley.
Goodacre's Store; Soldiers' Settlement Land; Telkwa; Third Avenue; Tyhee Lake
Clarence Goodacre Sr.; family history; houses; Smithers; Winnie Goodacre; Winnie McDonald
Riffel discusses her husband (Fred), his work on the railway, and how he came to Smithers with the army during the Second World War. She also talks about her children, particularly Jim.
14th Aerodrome Defence; air force; carman; Clarence Goodacre Sr.; Prince Rupert harbour; railroad work; railway man; Smithers Airport; Super-Valu; Valerie Riffel
children; family; Fred Riffel; Jim Riffel; jobs; military; occupations; work
Riffel discusses her work as a secretary at the Royal Bank, particularly how much she was able to earn.
Laurel Roumieu; Marcella Edmonds
earnings; employment; jobs; money; occupations; payment; Royal Bank; wages; work
Riffel discusses the changes that have occurred in Smithers over the years, mostly in terms of infrastructure.
boardwalks; corduroy roads; ditches; infrastructure; Main Street; pavement; road conditions; sidewalks
development; Smithers; urban growth
Riffel discusses the houses she's lived in over the years and the amenities they've had.
electricity; Fred Riffel; grandparents; plumbing; ranch house; water pump
amenities; homes; houses
Riffel discusses the growth of Smithers at the expense of Telkwa, the former towns of Hubert and Aldermere, and whether she has ever wanted to move away.
floodplain; floods; jobs; railroad; swamp
Aldermere; Hubert; Smithers; Telkwa
Riffel identifies some of the older buildings in town, including the Central Park Building. She discusses the latter's use as a jail and whether there was a lot of crime in Smithers at the time.
Adams' Drugstore; bank robberies; Bulkley Hotel; Central Clothing; drinking; drunkenness; guns; Juniper Berry; liquor store; post office
buildings; Central Park Building; crime; historic buildings; jail; Provincial Government Building; punishment
Riffel discusses what it was like to grow up in the family store, including having to ration during World War II, what shopping was like before the era of self-serve grocery stores, and how prices have changed over the years.
butcher shop; inflation; peanut butter; World War II
Goodacre's Store; prices; rationing; shopping; working
Riffel mentions more of Smithers' early buildings, such as Mah Yoke Tong's bakery, and who constructed many of these businesses.
Bulkley Hotel; Ernie Hann; Smithers Bakery; Spicer and Roumieu Insurance
Bovill & Hann; buildings; historic buildings
Riffel discusses community events in Smithers, such as school Christmas concerts and Sunday walks to the river. (Note: topic changes abruptly around 26:48; seemingly a section is missing).
Anglican hall; Bulkley River; costumes; dances; Scout Hall; Sunday walks; theatre; town hall; walking
Christmas concerts; community events
Riffel discusses the old-fashioned social mores and values of the 1930s and 40s, sharing the story of a teenaged girl who was ostracized for becoming pregnant.
adoption; schoolteachers
changing values; mores; social standards; societal attitudes; teenage pregnancy; values
Riffel discusses the prominence of the Church in the community and mentions the different hospital buildings which have been used over the years.
church choir; church picnics; nurses' home
Bulkley Valley District Hospital; church; hospital
Riffel talks about Watson's Store and shares a story about Walter Watson helping her brother Jim deliver groceries.
Apollo Automotive; Clarence Goodacre Sr.; competition; delivering groceries; grocery stores
Jim Goodacre; Walter Watson; Watson family; Watson's Store
Riffel names some old schoolmates who still live in Smithers, and discusses how some students had to walk to school all the way from Lake Kathlyn.
Chuck Morris; Gordie Hetherington; Lake Kathlyn; Mary Watson; Pat McCammon; skiing
classmates; school; schoolmates; walking to school
Discussion of the Watson boys, competition between local sports teams, and how the Riffels boarded and coached junior hockey players from out-of-town in the 1970s.
Bruins; competition; Gnats; hockey teams; Jimmy Watson; Joe Watson; Mary Watson; Philadelphia Flyers; Smithers Totems
boarding; coaching hockey; Fred Riffel; hockey; junior hockey; sports
Seniors' Talk audio interview series
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12293
- Date Range
- [1987?]
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Oral history series conducted by Carol Morgenthaler of BVLD Radio with seniors from the Bulkley Valley and surrounding region, circa 1987. Consists of two audio recordings, each containing multiple short (~4-5 min) interviews. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and .MP3 access files.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Carol Morgenthaler
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.72
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 3.46 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- [1987?]
- Scope and Content
- Oral history series conducted by Carol Morgenthaler of BVLD Radio with seniors from the Bulkley Valley and surrounding region, circa 1987. Consists of two audio recordings, each containing multiple short (~4-5 min) interviews. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and .MP3 access files.
- Notes
- Part I includes interviews with: Margaret Long, Lois Campbell, Dick Mosdell, Hugh Neave, Phyllis Matthams, Fran Bonneville, Beth David, Lulu Beaver, Henry Groulx, Jean Kilpatrick (twice), Nancy Vlaar, Dewey Cummins, and Fred Sterns. Part II includes interviews with: Jean Kilpatrick, Vern Hoff and Phil Leroux, Jim Mahoney, Ivy Strimbold, Ella Glans, Phyllis Davidson, Dorothy Adamson, Eleanor Anderson, Bunny Funk, and Winnie and Clary Goodacre.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Seniors' Talk - part I [1987?]
Interview with Margaret Long (nee Seely), who taught school in Palling during the first half of the 1940s. (Note: introduction has been cut off).
Burns Lake; camraderie; country school; fire; piano lessons; piano teacher; retirement
Palling; schools; teachers; teaching
Interview with Lois Campbell (nee Munger), a long-time resident of the Bulkley Valley. She recounts her memories of growing up in Telkwa and Houston in the 1920s.
coal; farming; Fort Fraser; guide; industries; Jack McNeill; Ladies' Auxiliary to the Royal Canadian Legion; mines; packer; Roy Munger; Sargent's Store; sawmills; school; Senior Citizens' Association; Summit Lake Road; tie-hauling; tie-making; Walcott; Wallace house; Women's Institute; World War I
Houston; Telkwa
Interview with Dick Mosdell, a former sailor from the Maritimes who later moved to Kitimat and retired near Smithers.
Aluminum Company of Canada; bowling; church choir; concert; education; fishing; gardening; Halifax; Kitimat; livestock; machinist; Newfoundland; repair ship; Senior Citizens' Association; Seymour Lake; singing; telegraph cables; Vancouver; Western Union Telegraph Company
activities; hobbies; retirement; sailing; sailor; Smithers
Interview with Hugh Neave, who came to the Francois Lake area from Saskatchewan with his family after the Depression.
Andy Anderson; Burns Lake; Farmer's Institute; ferry; Francois Lake store; Fred Knowles; hardships; Lee Cooper; Marilla; post office; Saskatchewan; school; typhoid; Verne Taylor
Francois Lake; Great Depression; Hansons; Lakes District; moving; Ootsa Lake
Interview with Smithers resident Phyllis Matthams about the development of Hazelton over the past 30 years.
'Ksan; arena; Birch Grove; campgrounds; college; French immersion; graduation; heritage designation; high school; hospital; John Field Elementary School; motel; motorboating; playground; post-secondary education; RCMP building; restaurant; road conditions; Skeena River; sternwheelers; Wiggins Way
education; entertainment; Hazelton; recreation; school; town development
Interview with Fran Bonneville, a former Hazelton schoolteacher.
bingoes; Cancer Society; Catholic Women's League; Chinese cafe; exercise; kindergarten; McDonald's Store; RCMP building; Senior Citizens' Association; St. Mary's School; TOPS
Hazelton; hobbies; New Hazelton; retirement; teaching; town development
Interview with Beth David, whose husband Tom ran the Bell Pole Company yard in Hazelton. (Note: interview contains objectionable viewpoints towards Indigenous people).
Bulkley Canyon; cutting poles; history; horse-logging; lumber; paving; pole yard; pulp mills; road conditions; roads; Senior Citizens' Councillor; telephone poles; timber
Bell Pole Company; Hazelton; Tom David
Interview with Lulu Beaver (nee Morgan), a longtime resident of the Lakes District. Her parents and uncle were early settlers in the region.
Bennetts; education; farmers; farming; Great Depression; Hazelton-Bella Coola trail; hobbies; Jim Morgan; Ootsa Lake; Ootsa Lake flooding; pack train; packer; quilt-making; retirement; rug-making; school; skating; South Bank; Tahtsa Lake
Harry Morgan; history; Lakes District
Interview with Henry Groulx, a retired miner from Ontario who moved to Granisle in 1967.
back road; development; Granby Mining Co.; Great Depression; mining equipment; Ontario; pulp-cutting; retirement; roads; shaft-sinking; wages
Granisle; mining
Interview with Jean Kilpatrick (nee Grant) of Smithers. She discusses working for the Union Bank, meeting her husband Norman, his job for the Land Settlement Board, the family's association with the Fall Fair, and why she has stayed in Smithers for so many years.
dance; exhibition; Land Settlement Board; life memberships; marriage; postmaster; Prince Rupert; World War I
Allan Kilpatrick; bank teller; community involvement; Fall Fair; Norman Kilpatrick; Union Bank
Interview with Nancy Vlaar, who moved to the Houston area from Holland in 1939.
buying land; children; clearing land; death; development of Houston; Harry Anderson; road conditions
Holland; Houston; immigration; work
Interview with Dewey Cummins, a sheep rancher from the Hazelton area.
bears; cattle; clearing land; coyotes; fishing; horses; sheep; wolves
Hazelton; retirement; sheep ranching; wildlife; youth development
Interview with Jean Kilpatrick about life in Smithers in the late 1910s and 1920s.
adding machine; airplane spruce; bands; barbecues; cashing cheques; Charlie Barrett; Cronin Mine; dance hall; excise stamps; Gray's Jewellry; Gray's Orchestra; hockey; Ivy Strimbold; Jim Cronin; mail; money; pool hall; Round Lake picnics; theatre; Union Bank
banking; community events; entertainment; mines; railroad
Interview with Fred Sterns of Burns Lake, explaining why the highway in that area is crooked. He also discusses his own family's history in Burns Lake. (Note: audio is choppy in some areas).
Collins Overland Telegraph Line; crown lands; hardware store; Indian reserve; Miss Addleby; railway construction; Royal Bank; school; settlers; swamp; telegraph trail; tent town
Burns Lake; highway; railroad; transportation history
Seniors' Talk - part II [1987?]
Interview with Smithers resident Jean Kilpatrick (nee Grant) about coming to Hazelton by riverboat in the early 1910s.
baseball; bonfires; cargo; dances; dog sled rides; Hazelton; hockey; homes; horseback; houses; Little Canyon; parties; picnics; population; Portland, Oregon; Prince Rupert; Seeley; skating; snowshoes; supplies; tennis
paddlewheelers; recreation; riverboats; Skeena River; steamboats; sternwheelers; teen life; water transport; youth
Interview with Vern Hoff of the Canadian Elks Lodge and Phil Leroux of the Smithers Elks Lodge about their involvement with the Elks organization.
children's camps; community calendar; Elk Ness; Elks Hall; Fall Fair; food booth; Ladies of the Royal Purple; membership; pancake breakfast; Purple Cross; summer camps
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; BPOE; Canadian Elks Lodge; clubs; community service; Elks; fraternities; fundraising; organizations; Smithers Elks Lodge
Interview with Jim Mahoney of Granisle, primarily about logging and trucking work in southern B.C.
Babine Lake; car repairs; cars; fishing; logging camps; logging trucks; logs; meals; milling; trees; wood
hobbies; labour; logging; truck driving; trucking; work
Interview with Ivy Strimbold (nee McInnes), who relates her stories of life in the Bulkley Valley in the early 1900s. Her parents, Archibald and Jessie McInnes, owned Pioneer Ranch at North Bulkley (between Houston and Topley).
Aldermere; Archibald McInnes; Billy Henry; Carr brothers ranch; cars; Cataline; Charles Barrett; Clark's ranch; community; cross-country skiing; Diamond D Ranch; dog teams; George Beirnes; Jack McNeill's ranch; Jack Seely's ranch; Jessie McInnes; Lowe's ranch; Mill ranch; mowing machine; pack trains; Pioneer Ranch; railroad; ranches; Smithers; travel routes
history; McInnes family; pioneer life; transportation; travel
Interview with Ella Glans of Burns Lake, discussing her arrival to and life in the area.
cabin; family; hobbies; Jonas Glans; livestock; marriage; railway work; school; Senior Citizens' Association
Burns Lake
Interview with Phyllis Davidson (nee Cummins), a longtime Bulkley Valley resident and former schoolteacher.
Anglican Church; dances; Evelyn; Galena Bay; grades; janitorial work; marriage; Normal School; one-room schoolhouse; responsibilities; Revelstoke; Ron Kilby; salary; school supplies; Senior Citizens' Association; teacher training
Evelyn School; Fall Fair; Muheim Memorial Elementary School; school; teacher; teaching; Walnut Park Elementary School
Interview with Dorothy Adamson, who spent most of her life in Ontario and Quebec before retiring to Houston.
Activity Centre; butcher shop; Chateauguay, Quebec; family; French; garbage man; marriage; Senior Citizens' Association; Stayner, Ontario; Toronto; tourist resort; Wasaga Beach
activities; family; hobbies; Houston
Interview with Eleanor Anderson, president of the Hazelton Senior Citizens Association and Women's Institute,
Fall Fair; gardening; health; Lions Club van; monthly themes; outings; picnics; rivet heater; rivet heating; shipyards; shopping; trips; Women's Institute; World War II
activities; events; Hazelton; hobbies; Senior Citizens' Association
Interview with Marjorie 'Bunny' Fink, a longtime resident of Telkwa and Smithers.
Bella Coola; Ben Fink; Betty Mine; blaster; blasting; C.P. Bussinger; Ernie Bradley; Fink sawmills; government office; hobbies; mining; Prince Rupert; Queen Charlotte Islands; Senior Citizens Association; Telkwa Hotel; travel; trips; Tyhee Lake; Tyhee Mary; vacations
Smithers; Telkwa
Interview with Winnie (Winifred) and Clary (Clarence) Goodacre, the founders of Goodacre's Store in Smithers.
buying goods; Doodson's Store; employees; Gray's Orchestra; Great Depression; Harold Mehaffey; Royal Bank; Watson's Store
Goodacre family; Goodacre's Store; grocery business; Smithers; Telkwa
Interview with Hal Windt
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12274
- Date Range
- February 10, 1994
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Harold (Hal) Windt, recorded on February 10th 1994 by Colin Wilmot. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, an .MP3 access file, and a .jpg release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Colin Wilmot
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.77
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 988 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- February 10, 1994
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Harold (Hal) Windt, recorded on February 10th 1994 by Colin Wilmot. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, an .MP3 access file, and a .jpg release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Hal Windt - February 10, 1994
Interview with Hal Windt - February 10, 1994
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.77_Windt,%20Hal/Windt,%20Hal%201994_02_10.ACCESS.mp3
Interview begins with Windt identifying people in old photographs and discussing his school days in Smithers.
basketball; Bill Beaton; Larry Warner; Margaret Windt; nicknames; Olga Syrnyk; Pearl Hann; schoolteachers; Smithers Public School; Tom Jones; Vera Doodson
photographs; school; sports
Windt discusses how he moved from place to place after leaving Smithers in 1939, working various jobs in different towns throughout BC as well as training for the Air Force in Ottawa during the Second World War.
business school; Hazelton; Ottawa; road surveying; Vancouver; working; World War II
Air Force; employment; jobs; military service; money; moving; occupations; payment; prices; wages
Discussion of the Central Park Building and how police sergeants used to live on the top floor with their families.
Andy Fairbairn; Bill Service; jail cells; T.J. Thorpe; Tom Thorpe
Central Park Building; police sergeants; police station; Provincial Police
Windt talks about his friendship with Chris Dahlie, who taught him how to ski.
Elsie Dahlie; Hanson's farm; homemade skis; making skis; Malkow Hill; Silvern Lake; ski jumps
Chris Dahlie; Dahlie family; recreation; ski trips; skiing; sports
Windt discusses several large fires on Smithers' Main Street in the 1940s (not the 1930s as he states). He also identifies several buildings in streetscape photos from the 1950s.
Adams' Drug Store; Broadway Avenue; Gray's Jewellery; Henry Motors; Interior Stationery; Juniper Berry; liquor store; Main Street; Noel's Store; post office; Radio Shack; town hall; town office
buildings; fires; Main Street fires
Windt discusses past Smithers resident John Gray and his family.
Ethel Gray; Ethel Hetherington; Flo Gray; Flo Parker; Mamie Buchan; Mamie Gray; marriages
Gray family; John Gray
Windt briefly discusses the Aida family as well as the town's original curling and skating rinks.
Aida Cleaners; Fujio Aida; Kintaro Aida
Aida family; curling rink; skating rink; Tat Aida
Windt discusses the O'Neill family and the businesses they ran, including a theatre.
Bill O'Neill; O'Neill family; O'Neill Service Station and Garage; theatre
Windt discusses the Watson family and their grocery store, as well as several other Smithers businesses of the day.
athletics; Evitt's Hardware Store; Morris' Butcher Shop; Sealy and Doodson; sports; Watson memoirs
buildings; businesses; Watson family; Watson's Store; Wilf Watson
Windt discusses the sort of 'trouble' that he and others got up to in their youth.
dances; homemade wine; making whiskey; petty theft
alcohol; drinking; theft; troublemaking
Windt discusses differences between 'now' and 'then' in terms of lifestyle, entertainment, transportation, and people's general expectations.
dances; Driftwood; skiing
differences; entertainment; expectations; walking
Windt discusses the difficulty of finding work in the 1930s. He also mentions when and how his parents first came to Smithers.
Department of Highways; Land Assessor's Office; Provincial Building; Quesnel; riverboat; survey crew; surveying
arrival; employment; Great Depression; work
Windt discusses his current hobbies, including spinning wool, knitting, hunting, and fishing.
fishing; health problems; hunting; knitting; spinning wool; weaving
activities; hobbies; leisure; recreation
Windt discusses skating and fishing in the ditches on Main Street, as well as if anyone ever fell in them while drunk.
Chicken Creek; fishing; skating
alcohol; drinking; Main Street ditches; recreation
Windt discusses beer parlours, hotels, and pool rooms in early Smithers. (Note: interview ends abruptly mid-sentence).
Bulkley Hotel; Downeys; Henry Motors; Kennedy's Pool Room; McRae Hotel; Moran's Pool Room; Smithers Hotel
bars; beer parlours; hotels; pool halls; pool rooms
Interview with Marcella Love
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12261
- Date Range
- April 22 1991
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Marcella Love (nee Edmonds), recorded on April 22nd 1991 by Smithers Alternate School student Peter McGuinness. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access files, and a .jpg release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Peter McGuinness
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.54
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.80 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- April 22 1991
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Marcella Love (nee Edmonds), recorded on April 22nd 1991 by Smithers Alternate School student Peter McGuinness. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access files, and a .jpg release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Marcella Love - April 22, 1991
Interview with Marcella Love - April 22, 1991
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.54_Love,%20Marcella/Love,%20Marcella%201991_04_22.ACCESS.mp3
Marcella Love (nee Edmonds) describes her first impressions upon moving to Smithers as a teenager in 1942. She explains why she did not attend high school in Smithers and instead entered the work force.
boardwalks; Bulkley Hotel; Clarence Goodacre Sr.; Goodacre's Store; highway; Katie Bernie; Main Street ditches; mastoids; mud; Olof Hanson; Prince Rupert; railway; school; short-term jobs; spring; trains
arrival; employment; first impressions; jobs; transportation; working
Love discusses the destructive Main Street fires of the mid-1940s, one of which she and her sisters narrowly escaped. Section also includes brief discussion on how the environment around Smithers has changed since that time.
air force; body cast; development; Edmonds sisters; expansion; fire department; firefighting; Hudson Bay Mountain glacier; nephew; Royal Bank
changes; environment; fires; Main Street fires; McGill building
Love discusses the effects of the Second World War on Smithers, particularly the presence of army and air force personnel stationed in and near the town.
Anglican Church Hall; army barracks; dances; McGill building; mess hall; officers' building; Town Hall
air force; army; RCAF; World War II
Love discusses what she did for fun during her teenage years and how she met her husband Wally.
dances; skiing; softball; swimming
entertainment; recreation; sports; teenagers; Wally Love; youth
Love describes what it was like to work at the Royal Bank and Goodacre's Store during the 1940s.
accounting books; bagging; Bert Kenney; bulk foods; cash registers; clerks; coupons; deliveries; groceries; guns; interest rates; ledger system; orders; pay; prices; rationing; robberies; Union Bank; wages; World War II
duties; employment; Goodacre's Store; jobs; occupations; responsibilities; Royal Bank; work; working
Love discusses the Main Street fires, specifically how they may have started and how she and her family were able to escape.
Blue Goose Cafe; buildings; Bulkley Hotel; forest fires; McGill building; ski dance
escape; fires; Main Street fires; survival
Love identifies various businesses open in Smithers at the time of the fires and discusses how people came into town to buy their groceries and supplies.
Charlie Morris' Store; Elliott's Store; Goodacre's Store; Gray's Jewelry; Hoskins Garage; Leach Brothers' Store; Noel's Store; O'Neill's Garage; Smithers Bakery; tailor shop; Wall's; Watson's Store
businesses; groceries; shopping; Smithers
Love answers the question of whether there were people of diverse ethnicities living in Smithers back in the 1940s.
Babine Lake; BC Cafe; Chinese cafes; Europeans; Moricetown; reservations; reserves; Swiss immigrants; Wing's Cafe; Witset
diversity; ethnicities; ethnicity; Indigenous people; race
Love identifies the types of transportation available during her time in Smithers.
cars; costs; Jim Adams; shopping; Wall's Taxi
transportation; vehicles
Love discusses the house she designed in 1970 and in which she lived at the time of the interview. Section also includes discussion on how the weather has changed over the years.
architectural plans; cold; daughters; fireplace; grandchildren; Hazelton; Kispiox Valley; layout; Second Avenue; shopping; snow; snow removal; winters
climate; home; house; housing; temperatures; weather
Love talks about her husband Wally and his family's background in the Kispiox Valley.
Anna Love; bachelors; England; Farmer's Institute; farming; Grand Trunk Pacific Railway; homestead; John Love; Kispiox village; Sweden
family background; homesteading; Kispiox Valley; Love family; Wally Love
Love discusses how, as an employee of the Royal Bank, she handled mail and payroll for many different business ventures throughout the Valley, such as mines, sawmills, and tie camps.
deposits; Duthie Mine; Hazelton; Houston; Kispiox; Kitwanga; mail; population; Red Rose Mine; Silver Standard Mine; Simpson's Gulch; Topley
banking; businesses; forestry; logging; mines; mining; resource industries; Royal Bank; sawmills; tie camps
Love discusses jobs she held after leaving the Royal Bank, including guiding big game hunters in the Kispiox Valley and operating her own jade-selling business.
Americans; big game guiding; big game hunting; Credit Union; fishermen; geology; guide-outfitting; guiding camps; Hanson Lumber & Timber; hunters; jade business; jade mining; Love brothers; Royal Bank; Smithers Airport; tourists; Tyee Motel
businesses; employment; jade; jobs; occupation
Love answers a few final questions - if there was a year when a large influx of people came to Smithers, and whether her family ever farmed.
Glentanna; railway; Swiss immigrants
farming; immigration; population boom
Interview with Annie Bruce
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12232
- Date Range
- October 22 2002
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Annie Bruce (nee Murray), recorded on October 22 2002 by Jane Young (?). Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an MP3 access file.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- [Jane Young]
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.26
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 991 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- October 22 2002
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Annie Bruce (nee Murray), recorded on October 22 2002 by Jane Young (?). Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an MP3 access file.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Annie Bruce - October 22, 2002
What Smithers used to look like and how Bruce used to get around.
1910s; cancer; Chinese cafe; dance hall; farm; Hetherington and Hooper; road foreman; school; sleigh; Smithers; stable; World War I
childhood; family; Smithers
The story of how Bruce and family would go out once a year for food and store it for the rest of the year. Mode of transportation was a wagon.
Flints; flour; Hazelton; horses; Hoskins; Murray; Scottish; sleigh; twins; wagon
family; provisions; Smithers; transportation
Life in Smithers and how it was run and how close the community was.
Bulkley Hotel; Bulkley Valley Stories; dairy; Hetherington; Hilltop; Jimmy Buckman; mayor; mother; ranch; Rubber Boots for Dancing; station; train
Smithers
The story of Jack Hetherington who went missing.
house; missing; Union Shop
Jack Hetherington; missing persons; story
Life on the farm, with Bruce's family. Bruce recalls dancing, horse riding, sewing dresses out of flour sacks.
bed and breakfast; dance; flour; Murray girls; Prince Rupert; red hair; Shoe House; Smithers; sugar sack; ties; Twin Falls
family; hobbies; memories
Annie's life in Prince Rupert during the Spanish Flu pandemic.
bodies; Catholic Church; doctor; liquor; prohibition; smuggler; soup; Spanish Flu; train; war
death; flu
The story of how Annie Bruce's mother moved to Smithers.
Canada; Helen Murray; Nan Bourgon; Prince Rupert; railroad; Scotland; shotgun; snow; Telkwa; trunk
boat; mothers; Smithers
Stories of the Telkwa Bridge and of flying to visit relatives.
barber; Bulkley River; Drug Store; Eddie Walton; gun; Hilltop; houses; Jack McNeil; Mr. Flint; shacks; suicide; tough
Telkwa
Dancing in the early days of Smithers and building community.
Alan Fletcher; Christmas concert; Della Herman; hall; Highland Schottische; June; kilt; shack; square dancing; teachers
dancing; Della Herman
Annie Bruce speaks about the family that has passed and is still alive in Smithers.
bush; children; dancer; family; Huxtables; polio; siblings
family; friends
Interview with Doug Boersema
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11944
- Date Range
- November 30 2020
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- textual record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Telkwa Museum curator Doug Boersema, recorded November 30 2020 at the Old Church in Smithers by Cassandra McKenney, BVM oral history intern. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, PDF bibliographic form, photo from day of interview, PDF and .docx copies of question prep…
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Cassandra McKenney
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.6
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.83 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- November 30 2020
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Telkwa Museum curator Doug Boersema, recorded November 30 2020 at the Old Church in Smithers by Cassandra McKenney, BVM oral history intern. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, PDF bibliographic form, photo from day of interview, PDF and .docx copies of question prep, and .csv file of subject indexing.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Doug Boersema - November 30, 2020
Interview with Doug Boersema - November 30, 2020
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.6_Boersema,%20Doug/Boersema,%20Doug%202020_11_30.ACCESS.mp3
Why Doug moved to Canada and became a teacher
architect; caregiver; carpentry; Ebenezer School; Elementary School; Forestry; immigration; Music; Netherlands; Ontario; teaching
Canada; Teacher
Doug Boersema discusses his forestry career.
brushing and weeding; contractor; fall and burn; helicopter; mapping; marine claves; pine beetles; ribbiting
forestry; soil stability
Teaching all over Canada
Alberta; band; Bible camp; Christian School; Ebenezer School; minister; Ontario; principal; Tricon
Christian School; teaching
Teaching in Smithers along with practicing religion.
band; cadet; Canadian Reform Church; children; Dutch; Reform Church; Saddle Club
education; religion
The hobbies that Doug held in Smithers
Fall Fair; horses; Midsummer Festival; racetrack; rodeo grounds; Telkwa Museum
equestrian sports; Fall Fair; Northern Saddle Club
How Tyhee Lake got its name and how the land had changed over time
Chief Tyhee; farm; First Nations; John Baptiste; namesake; Robert Whitington; settlers
First Nations; origin
The history of Telkwa as researched by Boersema.
Aldermere; C.P. Mustanger; Charleston; historian; Hoops; Information Center; logging; museum walk; pioneers; post office; railway; research; restaurant; Shared Histories; summer student; Telkwa Barbeque; TFML Saw Mill; volunteer
history; research; Telkwa
What life in Telkwa is like and how it used to be.
bridge; carpentry; heritage; John Darcy; water supply; water tower
change; Telkwa Museum
What Telkwa's history has told us and how it is interpreted.
assimilation; culture; dancing; feminism; First Nations; freedom; integration; LGBTQ; money; pioneers; white man
history; society; Telkwa Museum
Business gravitated to Smithers and left Telkwa
business; cooperation; drugstore; jobs; Telkwa Barbeque; train
business
Interview with Geri Britton
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11899
- Date Range
- March 18 2021
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- textual record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Geri Britton recorded March 18 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Cassandra McKenney, BVM oral history intern. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, PDF bibliographic form, photo from day of interview, PDF and .docx copies of question prep, and .csv file of subject…
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Cassandra McKenney
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.5
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 2.38 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- March 18 2021
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Geri Britton recorded March 18 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Cassandra McKenney, BVM oral history intern. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, PDF bibliographic form, photo from day of interview, PDF and .docx copies of question prep, and .csv file of subject indexing.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Geri Britton - March 18, 2021
Interview with Geri Britton - March 18, 2021
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.5_Britton,%20Geri/Britton%20Geri%202020_03_18.ACCESS.mp3
Britton discusses her family's background and shares the communities she lived in while growing up in Alberta.
Alberta; Alberta College; Bellis; business administration; Hanna; language; Niton; social work; University of Alberta
education; Ukrainian
Britton discusses her first impressions of Smithers and shares some of her early experiences and memories as teenager and young adult.
alcohol; berry picking; Broadway Ave; drive-in theatre; Ministry of Transportation; movie theatre; mushroom picking; Oscar's Sporting Goods; Overwaitea; party; snowshoe; Town of Smithers
leisure; outdoor recreation; teenage; young adult
Britton discusses her first two jobs in Smithers.
alcohol; logging; Ministry of Fish and Wildlife; Ministry of Transportation; parenting; party; Town of Smithers; utilities
teenage; young adult
Britton discusses operating a steelhead fishing lodge on the Upper Morice River.
animals; bear; catch and release; conservation; outdoor recreation; Simms; tagging; wildlife
fishing; guide outfitting; tourism
Britton discusses her time as manager of the Smithers Chamber of Commerce. She tells the story of how the chamber led an initiative to make the local airport a designated international airport and details various events she organized or worked with.
business; climate; curling; customs; Economic Development Officer; golf; Hudson's Bay Mountain Resort; international customs; Minerals North; tourism information centre; TSN
airport; economic development; Northern BC Winter Games; Northwest Trade Expo; tourism
Britton discusses owning The Lavender Rose Bridal Boutique and some of the challenges that came with operating the business.
events; fashion; small business; Upper Morice Steelhead Lodge
business; wedding
Britton discusses various community groups she has been involved with.
economic development; education; tourism; Ukrainian
Bulkley Valley Enterprise Centre; Bulkley Valley Museum; North by Northwest; Parent Advisory Council; Tourism Advisory Council
Britton discusses raising children in Smithers and what her two sons have done for work in and out of the Bulkley Valley.
computer; COVID-19; diamond drilling; Drug and Alcohol Free Grad; Mexico; New to You; Walnut Park Elementary
parenting
Britton discusses some of her hobbies and talks about publishing some of her dad's writings from his trips to the Spatsizi Plateau.
book; children's book; cooking; hobbies; Hudon's Bay Mountain Resort; publishing; Spatsizi: One Man's Journey in Paradise; Stikine
leisure; recreation; skiing; Spatsizi Plateau
Britton provides some reflections about how Smithers has changed during her time here.
air travel; Babine Lake; hunting; moose; shopping
family; neighbour
Lynn Shervill fonds
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions5289
- Date Range
- [1910s-1940s], 1981-1986
- Collection
- Lynn Shervill fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- textual record
- Scope and Content
- The fonds reflects the research conducted by Lynn Shervill for his book, “Smithers: From Swamp to Village.” The fonds is arranged into a single series: Research records. Records primarily include newspaper clippings, hand-written research notes and correspondence. There are also 10 negative copies …
- Collection
- Lynn Shervill fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- textual record
- Creator
- Lynn Shervill
- Fonds No.
- PF27
- Accession No.
- 1996.184
- 2021.1
- 2020.35
- Physical Description
- 12 cm of textual records; 10 negatives; 3 b&w slides
- Date Range
- [1910s-1940s], 1981-1986
- History / Biographical
- Lynn Shervill was born in December 1946 and graduated from Western University’s journalism program, beginning his career as a reporter for the London Free Press. By 1988, Shervill had received an RN diploma from the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, B.C., and proceeded to spend the following 10 years working at the Bulkley Valley District Hospital in Smithers, B.C. Lynn worked to establish both the Smithers Cancer Care Unit at Bulkley Valley District Hospital and a palliative care program. He has been on the board of the BV Hospice Society for many years, working mostly in grief support and NavCare – a program to support the frail elderly.
- Shervill and his wife, Sheila Peters married in 1978, moving to Driftwood Canyon. In his spare time Lynn became invested in the community’s local history. Shervill was on the Town of Smithers’ 60th Anniversary Committee, and authored a book for the anniversary titled, “Smithers: From Swamp to Village.” Both Lynn and Shelia were active environmental and social justice campaigners (Telkwa Foundation, Amnesty International, Driftwood Foundation, Smithers Human Rights Society).
- Lynn Shervill and Sheila Peters created the Creekstone Press in 1988, a printing business where local authors could have their materials published. As of 2019 it had published 21 books. Lynn and Shelia moved to Powell River in 2019.
- Custodial History
- Records were collected and created by Shervill while conducting research for “Smithers: From Swamp to Village.”
- Scope and Content
- The fonds reflects the research conducted by Lynn Shervill for his book, “Smithers: From Swamp to Village.” The fonds is arranged into a single series: Research records. Records primarily include newspaper clippings, hand-written research notes and correspondence. There are also 10 negative copies and three black-and-white slides of photos used in From Swamp to Village.
- Arrangement
- Records are artificially arranged.
- Subject Access
- Gilbert Clarke Killam
- Coyle, Joseph
- Duhamel, George
- Hoskins, Stephen
- Hankinson, Cecil
- Hanson, Olaf
- Jack Joseph
- Kelly, Joe
- Sealy, Jack
- Simpson, Donald
- Geographic Access
- Smithers, B.C.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Documents
Research records
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions6559
- Date Range
- 1981-1986
- Collection
- Lynn Shervill fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- GMD
- textual record
- Scope and Content
- Research records consist of newspaper clippings collected by Lynn Shervill, as well as Shervill’s research notes and correspondence that contributed to the research for “Smithers: From Swamp to Village.” There are also three black-and-white slides of photographs which appear in From Swamp to Villag…
- Collection
- Lynn Shervill fonds
- Description Level
- Series
- GMD
- textual record
- Creator
- Lynn Shervill
- Fonds No.
- PF27
- Series No.
- S1
- Accession No.
- 1996.184
- 2021.1
- Physical Description
- 12 cm of textual records; 3 b&w slides
- Date Range
- 1981-1986
- Scope and Content
- Research records consist of newspaper clippings collected by Lynn Shervill, as well as Shervill’s research notes and correspondence that contributed to the research for “Smithers: From Swamp to Village.” There are also three black-and-white slides of photographs which appear in From Swamp to Village: two pictures of the opening of Highway 16 (pg. 108) and one of soldiers departing for WWII (pg. 104).
- Subject Access
- Gilbert Clarke Killam
- Coyle, Joseph
- Duhamel, George
- Hoskins, Stephen
- Hankinson, Cecil
- Hanson, Olaf
- Jack Joseph
- Kelly, Joe
- Sealy, Jack
- Simpson, Donald
- Geographic Access
- Smithers, B.C.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Interview with Reg Heal
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12251
- Date Range
- March 15 1995
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Reg Heal, recorded on March 15th 1995 at the Bulkley Valley Museum by Carly Blair. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, an .MP3 access file, and a .jpg release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Carly Blair
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.44
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 928 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- March 15 1995
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Reg Heal, recorded on March 15th 1995 at the Bulkley Valley Museum by Carly Blair. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, an .MP3 access file, and a .jpg release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Reg Heal - March 15 1995
Reg Heal states his birthplace and discusses the work he did as a child on his family's farm.
harrowing; horses; logging; ploughing; tractor; Tyhee Lake
chores; farm work; farming; work
Heal discusses special events from his childhood, such as family gatherings and holidays.
beefsteak pudding; Christmas; Easter; family gatherings; games; grandparents; music; New Year's; picnics; playing cards; plum pudding
entertainment; family; holidays; recreation; special events
Heal answers the question of whether or not he is religious.
Anglican Church; baptism; Lutheran Church; Pentecostal Church; United Church
Christianity; church; religion; religious affiliation
Heal discusses the jobs he held after quitting school, such as working for his father on the farm, tie cutting/logging, and coal mining during the Second World War. Includes various tangents on seasickness, his cousin Herb Heal, and the war years.
coal mines; cousin; crosscut saw; enlisting; Ernest Heal; fishing trip; Herb Heal; money; payment; Prince Rupert; seasickness; Telkwa School; war; working
employment; family; logging; school; tie cutting; work; World War II
Heal discusses his married life and his first house.
child raising; first house; Jean Heal; moving
children; family; home life; homes; marriage
Heal discusses working as a mechanic and bus driver for School District 54.
bus driving; buses; costs; mechanic; retirement; school buses; supervisor
bus driver; employment; school district; work
Heal talks about attending school in Telkwa.
classrooms; cold winters; grades; horseback riding; Houston; Hubert; logging camp; missing school; students; temperature; walking to school; weather
school; Telkwa School
Heal says that his parents' original house is no longer standing, though a new one that they built later on still is.
houses
Heal discusses what appliances were used for washing clothes in the old days.
washboard; washing machine; wringer washer
laundry; washing clothes
Heal discusses his life in retirement and why he decided to stay in Smithers instead of moving elsewhere.
climate; fixing things; friends; Gordon Hetherington; houses; moving; neighbours; temperature; weather
retired life; retirement
Heal discusses what he did for fun as a child and how he first met his wife, Jean, at a dance.
children; Christmas dance; cowboy; dances; Driftwood; Jean Heal; lariat; lasso; Mary Heal Martin; rodeo; steer riding
fun; games; Jean Heal; playing; recreation; Telkwa barbecue
Reg talks about his father, Ernest Heal, and the relationship that they shared. He briefly mentions his mother, Mary, towards the end of the section.
ball games; Catholicism; church; death; discipline; father-son relationship; fishing; Fred Heal; hobbies; hunting; religion; travelling; Victoria
Ernest Heal; family; Mary Fryer Heal; parents
Various additional reminiscences, primarily of recreational activities as a child.
Barger farm; bluegrass; country music; dances; kickball; neighbours; school; Tyhee Lake
baseball; friends; ice hockey; music; recreation; skating; sports
Brief section with Reg Heal discussing his parents and grandparents.
farm; Hubert; marriage; policeman
Ernest Heal; family; grandparents; Mary Fryer Heal; parents
Interview with Jim Goodacre
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12247
- Date Range
- April 23 1991
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Jim Goodacre, recorded on April 23rd 1991 by Smithers Alternate School student Curtis Barger. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, a MP3 access file, and a .jpg release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Curtis Barger
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.40
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.36 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- April 23 1991
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Jim Goodacre, recorded on April 23rd 1991 by Smithers Alternate School student Curtis Barger. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, a MP3 access file, and a .jpg release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Jim Goodacre - April 23 1991
Interview with Jim Goodacre - April 23 1991
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.40_Goodacre,%20Jim/Goodacre,%20Jim%201991_04_23.ACCESS.mp3
Jim Goodacre begins the interview by recounting his school days, in particular how his high school graduating class had only 3 students due to so many joining the war effort.
air force; corporal punishment; discipline; graduation; Harry Kenney; principal; Vernon Crockett; war conditions; work
education; high school; school; war effort; World War II
Goodacre recounts his experiences in the Air Force during World War II, as well as the presence of military personnel, aircraft, and airstrips in the Bulkley Valley.
airports; Aleutian Islands; army; army training; Duthie Mine Road; Fred Riffel; highway; Olaf Hanson; pilot training; planes; Summerside, Prince Edward Island; Tatlow Road airstrip; Telkwa airstrip; Town Hall; VE Day
air force; military; World War II
Goodacre discusses working at the family's store, which was founded in 1937 and later became a Super Valu.
bartering; credit; Cyril Mehaffey; farmers; Fred Watson; Jean Mehaffey; Super Valu; unpaid work
business; Clarence Goodacre Sr.; Goodacre's Store
Goodacre discusses the rise and fall of Aldermere, to which his father (Clarence Goodacre Sr.), grandmother (Mrs. Robert Burns), and great-grandfather (R.J. 'Black Jack' McDonell) had come in the early 1900s. He also mentions how many residents of Telkwa gravitated towards Smithers as the town grew in size and stature.
Black Jack McDonell; Clarence Goodacre Sr.; hotels; Hudston Bay Ranch; Mrs. Robert Burns; Port Essington; R.J. McDonell; railroad; riverboat
Aldermere; family history; Telkwa
Goodacre discusses growing up in Smithers during the 1920s and 30s, including what amenities were available, what was done for recreation, and what modes of transportation were used in the area. He also mentions his family's early days in northern BC and where they originally came from (segment starts around 19:27).
alderman; baseball; Black Jack McDonell; cars; Clarence Goodacre Sr.; Fort George; Hazelton; heater; hockey; hotels; livery barn; Mr. Jones; Nottingham, England; principal; R.J. McDonell; skating; skating rink; skiing; Smithers Public School; stagecoaches; steamboats; taxis; tent town; train; Victoria; water pump
amenities; childhood; family history; recreation; school; Smithers; sports; transportation
Goodacre discusses housing prices and construction, the family home, the struggles of building a town on a swamp, the general layout of Main Street and Railway Avenue, the maintenance and eventual filling of the Main Street ditches, and how poor road conditions made it difficult to deliver groceries from his family's store. He also explains how his brother 'Slim' received his nickname.
basements; Bigelow Creek; boardwalks; building foundations; Chicken Creek; Clarence 'Slim' Goodacre; corduroy road; deliveries; drainage; family home; Goodacre's Store; housing prices; piles; piling; Railway Avenue; road collapse; road conditions; sidewalks; Sorento Motel; swamp
buildings; construction; houses; infrastructure; Main Street; Main Street ditch; Smithers
A brief story on how Jim Goodacre received his driver's license at the age of fifteen.
Charlie Wilson; Constable Grant; ice cutting; ice harvesting; ice houses; Lake Kathlyn
driver's license; driver's test; driving license; driving test
Continuing on from the driver's license story, Jim Goodacre discusses elements of winter in Smithers, including as ice cutting at Lake Kathlyn and sports such as skiing and skating. He also mentions how he collected beer bottles in order to save up money for a bicycle.
BC Ski Jumping Championships; beer bottles; bicycle; Bigelow Lake; biking; Canadian National Railways; canneries; clearing streets; Hudson Bay Mountain; ice saws; ice sculptures; Lake Kathlyn; Prince Rupert; shovelling; skating; ski jumps; skiing; sledding; sleighs; snow chains; snowfall; temperature; Warren's Hill
ice cutting; ice harvesting; recreation; sports; winter
Goodacre lists other businesses in Smithers during the 1920s-40s, including some of those which burned down in the devastating Main Street fires of 1944 and 1945.
bakeries; Bill Grant; Chuck Morris; Eby's Hardware; Leach Brothers; Marcella Edmonds; meat markets; Newberry Bakery; Noel's Department Store; Telkwa Hotel; Watson's Store; Wing's Bakery
buildings; businesses; fires; Main Street; Main Street fires
Goodacre concludes the interview with various additional memories, including: picking up produce/delivering groceries to the farms around Smithers; the brass band he played in; the population of Smithers and nearby towns at the time; farms which were settled after WWI, abandoned during the Depression, and taken up by newcomers after WWII; his maternal grandparents' (McDonald family) farm and house in Telkwa.
Alex Murray; ball park; bandstand; brass band; Doughty; Helen Murray; heritage house; McDonald house; Telkwa; Tom McDonald; Tyhee Lake; Victory Bond tour
band; deliveries; farms; McDonald family; memories; population
Interview with Richard Overstall
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11953
- Date Range
- January 20 2021
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- textual record
- Scope and Content
- Interviews with geologist and environmentalist Richard Overstall, recorded January 20 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Cassandra McKenney, BVM oral history intern. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, PDF bibliographic form, photo from day of interview, PDF and .docx copies of …
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Cassandra McKenney
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.15
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.92 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- January 20 2021
- Scope and Content
- Interviews with geologist and environmentalist Richard Overstall, recorded January 20 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Cassandra McKenney, BVM oral history intern. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, PDF bibliographic form, photo from day of interview, PDF and .docx copies of question prep, and .csv file of subject indexing.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Richard Overstall - January 20, 2021
Interview with Richard Overstall - January 20, 2021
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.15_Overstall,%20Richard/Overstall%20Richard,%202021_01_20.ACCESS.mp3
Richard Overstall goes over his early life, education at the University of London, and his subsequent travels
Brighton; England; parents; University of London
geology; travel; university
Richard Overstall talks about his early career as a mine Geologist in the Yukon, the UK and Northern BC.
Canadian Superior Exploration; Dublin; Farrow; Smithers
geology; mining
Richard Overstall goes over his work in the environmental fields with the Telkwa Foundation.
Alcan; Harry Krusselbrink; Joe L'Orsa; Ootsa Reservoir; SPEC Smithers
environmental organizations; Telkwa Foundation
Richard Overstall discusses his role in the Delgamuukw case and other aboriginal rights cases.
academic witnesses; Crown Land; Gitxsan; Tribal Council; Wet'suwet'en
Delgamuukw; Gitxsan Wet'suwet'en Education Society; Unlocking Aboriginal Justice
Overstall goes over how he got started in the field of Law in schooling, and then into general practice with a firm in the Bulkley Valley.
Bulkley Valley; general practice; greenhouse gas emissions; law firms; Penticton; Smithers
environmental law; law practice
Overstall tells about his role working with the early days of the Smithers Community Services Society
NDP; Norm Levi; Social Services
SCSA; stovepiping
Overstall describes the events leading to the creation of the Bulkley Valley Research Centre and his role with the organization.
Alex Woods; Dave Coates; research grants; Wilf Mackenzie
Bulkley Valley Research Centre; research funding
Overstall discusses his favourite aspects of the Bulkley Valley, and how the area changed over his time living there.
skiing; Smithers; Telkwa
Bulkley Valley
Jane Lloyd Smith and Perrys on mock fox hunt
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions10749
- Date Range
- October 31, 1993
- Collection
- Interior News fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Scope and Content
- Photo of equestrians Jane Lloyd-Smith (in red) and John and Wendy Perry at a mock fox hunt held in the Driftwood Hills. Fifteen riders attended this event, at which Lloyd-Smith played the role of the 'fox'.
- Collection
- Interior News fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Creator
- Phillipa Beck
- Fonds No.
- BF5
- Series No.
- S4
- Item No.
- P8517
- Accession No.
- 2020.36
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph; colour
- Scan Resolution
- 300 dpi
- Date Range
- October 31, 1993
- Custodial History
- Photo was originally taken by Interior News staff for publication in the paper. It was retained by the News until being transferred to the Bulkley Valley Museum, likely in 2007, as part of a large donation of photographs, negatives, and textual records. Item was stored in Room 6 until being found in collections and accessioned in Fall 2020.
- Scope and Content
- Photo of equestrians Jane Lloyd-Smith (in red) and John and Wendy Perry at a mock fox hunt held in the Driftwood Hills. Fifteen riders attended this event, at which Lloyd-Smith played the role of the 'fox'.
- Arrangement
- Item was found in an envelope with other photographs from the same date. All photographs in this series have been removed from original order and arranged in the order in which they were scanned.
- Geographic Access
- Driftwood, B.C.
- Notes
- See Interior News, November 17th 1993.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Images
Jane Lloyd Smith blowing horn during mock fox hunt
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions10748
- Date Range
- October 31, 1993
- Collection
- Interior News fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Scope and Content
- Photo of equestrian Jane Lloyd-Smith sounding a horn during a mock fox hunt held in the Driftwood Hills. Fifteen riders attended this event, at which Lloyd-Smith played the role of the 'fox'.
- Collection
- Interior News fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Creator
- Phillipa Beck
- Fonds No.
- BF5
- Series No.
- S4
- Item No.
- P8516
- Accession No.
- 2020.36
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph; colour
- Scan Resolution
- 300 dpi
- Date Range
- October 31, 1993
- Custodial History
- Photo was originally taken by Interior News staff for publication in the paper. It was retained by the News until being transferred to the Bulkley Valley Museum, likely in 2007, as part of a large donation of photographs, negatives, and textual records. Item was stored in Room 6 until being found in collections and accessioned in Fall 2020.
- Scope and Content
- Photo of equestrian Jane Lloyd-Smith sounding a horn during a mock fox hunt held in the Driftwood Hills. Fifteen riders attended this event, at which Lloyd-Smith played the role of the 'fox'.
- Arrangement
- Item was found in an envelope with other photographs from the same date. All photographs in this series have been removed from original order and arranged in the order in which they were scanned.
- Geographic Access
- Driftwood, B.C.
- Notes
- See Interior News, November 17th 1993.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Images
Jane Lloyd Smith horse-jumping at Fall Fair grounds
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions10796
- Date Range
- September 1992
- Collection
- Interior News fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Scope and Content
- Photo of Jane Lloyd-Smith and her horse, Wager, going over a horse jump during the open working hunter competition at the Northern Saddle Club's 1992 Fall Event.
- Collection
- Interior News fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Creator
- Lorne Clarke
- Fonds No.
- BF5
- Series No.
- S4
- Item No.
- P8564
- Accession No.
- 2020.36
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph; colour
- Scan Resolution
- 300 dpi
- Date Range
- September 1992
- Custodial History
- Photo was originally taken by Interior News staff for publication in the paper. It was retained by the News until being transferred to the Bulkley Valley Museum, likely in 2007, as part of a large donation of photographs, negatives, and textual records. Item was stored in Room 6 until being found in collections and accessioned in Fall 2020.
- Scope and Content
- Photo of Jane Lloyd-Smith and her horse, Wager, going over a horse jump during the open working hunter competition at the Northern Saddle Club's 1992 Fall Event.
- Arrangement
- Item was found in an envelope with other photographs from the same date. All photographs in this series have been removed from original order and arranged in the order in which they were scanned.
- Geographic Access
- Smithers, B.C.
- Notes
- See Interior News, September 30th 1992. Negatives available.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Images
Jane Lloyd-Smith show jumping with 'Wager'
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions10537
- Date Range
- 1999?
- Collection
- Interior News fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Scope and Content
- Photo of local equestrian and Northern Saddle Club president Jane Lloyd Smith jumping over a hurdle on her horse, Wager. Winner of the Challenge Cup, Jumping Division, Light Horse Show, at an unidentified Fall Fair, possibly 1999 (see Int. News, Sept. 8th 1999, pg. 16).
- Collection
- Interior News fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Fonds No.
- BF5
- Series No.
- S4
- Item No.
- P8305
- Accession No.
- 2020.36
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph; colour
- Scan Resolution
- 300 dpi
- Date Range
- 1999?
- Custodial History
- Photo was taken by or submitted to Interior News staff for publication in the paper. It was retained by the Interior News until being transferred to the Bulkley Valley Museum, likely in 2007, as part of a large donation of photographs, negatives, and textual records. Item was stored in Room 6 until being found in collections and accessioned in Fall 2020.
- Scope and Content
- Photo of local equestrian and Northern Saddle Club president Jane Lloyd Smith jumping over a hurdle on her horse, Wager. Winner of the Challenge Cup, Jumping Division, Light Horse Show, at an unidentified Fall Fair, possibly 1999 (see Int. News, Sept. 8th 1999, pg. 16).
- Arrangement
- Item was found in an envelope with other photographs from the same date. All photographs in this series have been removed from original order and arranged in the order in which they were scanned.
- Geographic Access
- Smithers, B.C.
- Notes
- Appears in the Interior News August 16th 2000 Fall Fair supplement as a photo from a previous year.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Images
Lloyd and Chuck
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11678
- Date Range
- February 14, 1942
- Collection
- McDonell Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Collection
- McDonell Family fonds
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- graphic material
- Other Title Info
- Title based on original caption
- Fonds No.
- PF12
- Series No.
- P
- File No.
- File 7
- Item No.
- P9134
- Accession No.
- 2017.5
- Physical Description
- 1 photograph: Sepia; 6cm x 9cm
- Scan Resolution
- 300dpi
- Date Range
- February 14, 1942
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Images
