Narrow Results By
Alfred Joseph - Wet'suwet'en use of oral history Oct. 10/97
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions7204
- Date Range
- October 10, 1997
- Collection
- BVM discrete item collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- Scope and Content
- Item is an interview with Gisdewe Alfred Joseph regarding Witsuwit'en use of oral history. The interviewer is Leif Jorgensen and the questions were by Misty Jorgensen.
- Collection
- BVM discrete item collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- Parallel Title
- Alfred Joseph - Witsuwit'en use of oral history Oct. 10/97
- Creator
- Bulkley Valley Museum
- Fonds No.
- C1
- File No.
- File 197
- Accession No.
- 2017.28
- Physical Description
- 1 cassette
- Date Range
- October 10, 1997
- Scope and Content
- Item is an interview with Gisdewe Alfred Joseph regarding Witsuwit'en use of oral history. The interviewer is Leif Jorgensen and the questions were by Misty Jorgensen.
- Subject Access
- Witsuwit'en
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Anonymous interview
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11898
- Date Range
- January 15 2021
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- textual record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with an anonymous Smithers town councillor, recorded January 15 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 pre…
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Cassandra McKenney
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.4
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 2.91 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- January 15 2021
- Scope and Content
- Interview with an anonymous Smithers town councillor, recorded January 15 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. Topics include: childhood and schooling, St. Joseph's School, Indigenous students, moving to Kalmoops, Central Europe, ICBC, Smithers Town Council, community involvement, raising children, life in Smithers.
- Notes
- Interview has been anonymized at request of interviewee. Please contact Bulkley Valley Museum if interested in accessing it.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Anonymous interview
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11957
- Date Range
- April 29 2021
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with an anonymous resident of Smithers, recorded April 29 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Paulie Threlkeld. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, photo from day of interview, and .csv file of subject indexing. Subjects include: moving to Canada, teaching at home and a…
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Paulie Haines
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.19
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 2.46 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- April 29 2021
- Scope and Content
- Interview with an anonymous resident of Smithers, recorded April 29 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Paulie Threlkeld. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, photo from day of interview, and .csv file of subject indexing. Subjects include: moving to Canada, teaching at home and abroad, conscientious objector, mine caretaker, Smithers Golf Course, work as a carpenter, shoe house, fire lookout, Mall Santa, advice column, artwork, travel, college courses, and the Northern Training Centre.
- Notes
- Interview has been anonymized at request of interviewee. Please contact Bulkley Valley Museum if interested in accessing it.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio cassettes
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions6566
- Date Range
- September 1992
- Collection
- Smithers 1994 B.C. Winter Games Society fonds
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- Scope and Content
- File consists of an audio cassette labelled: “The Smithers Winter Games ‘come together’ 9 cuts- September 1992,” stored in a clear plastic case.
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- Fonds No.
- AF11
- File No.
- File 4
- Accession No.
- 1995.15
- Physical Description
- 1 audio cassette
- Date Range
- September 1992
- Scope and Content
- File consists of an audio cassette labelled: “The Smithers Winter Games ‘come together’ 9 cuts- September 1992,” stored in a clear plastic case.
- Geographic Access
- Smithers, B.C.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Bulkley Valley Historical & Museum Society outing to Telkwa
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions7031
- Date Range
- 1985
- Collection
- Bulkley Valley Museum fonds
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- Scope and Content
- Audio recording of a BVH&MS outing in 1985, apparently a walking tour of the Telkwa area attended by several museum staff members (including Jackson Hirota) and local seniors (including 'Marge' and 'Louis' (Schibli?), possibly Cornelius Bot?).
- Collection
- Bulkley Valley Museum fonds
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- Creator
- Bulkley Valley Museum
- Fonds No.
- OF1
- File No.
- 31
- Physical Description
- 1 audio recording (MP3, WAV): 11 min 59 sec
- Date Range
- 1985
- Custodial History
- The original recording was made in 1985. This was migrated to CD in 1994 and to the Museum's shared drive in 2018. In June 2021 the file was edited and enhanced using Audacity and saved as an MP3 and a WAV file. The original, unedited files from 2018 were retained.
- Scope and Content
- Audio recording of a BVH&MS outing in 1985, apparently a walking tour of the Telkwa area attended by several museum staff members (including Jackson Hirota) and local seniors (including 'Marge' and 'Louis' (Schibli?), possibly Cornelius Bot?).
- Geographic Access
- Telkwa, B.C.
- Notes
- Subjects discussed include the Walcott bridge, Bob Phillips, the 'Indian finger' rock formation, the first campground in Telkwa, the ghost towns of Hubert and Aldermere, and various historic buildings and sites in Telkwa including the Anglican Church, lych gate, birthplaces of several tour participants, Sargent's store, library, deli, Texaco, and bridges.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Bulkley Valley Historical & Museum Society outing to Telkwa
Bulkley Valley Historical & Museum Society outing to Telkwa
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digitized%20Archival%20Items/OF1%20BV%20Museum%20fonds/BVM%20outing%201985%20(2018.15.3)/BVHMS%20Outing%201985.ACCESS.mp3Bulkley Valley Museum fonds
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions8942
- Date Range
- 1961-2017
- Collection
- Bulkley Valley Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- textual record
- graphic material
- moving image
- architectural drawing
- sound recording
- Scope and Content
- This fonds contains material created and used by the Bulkley Valley Museum during the course of its day-to-day activities, from the time of its inception as a historical society in the early 1960s up to and including the present. These are primarily textual records such as meeting minutes, staff re…
- Collection
- Bulkley Valley Museum fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Creator
- Bulkley Valley Museum
- Fonds No.
- OF1
- Accession No.
- 2010.5
- 2017.22
- 2017.63
- 2017.71
- 2017.72
- 2017.128
- 2018.15
- 2020.8
- 2020.27
- 2020.35
- 2020.36
- 2021.1
- 2021.3
- 2021.15
- Physical Description
- 13 boxes of textual and graphic material; 1 box photographs; [] architectural plans; 2 videocassettes, 1 CD, [] digital records
- Date Range
- 1961-2017
- History / Biographical
- The Bulkley Valley Museum (BVM) was founded in large part by Ernest Hann, an early pioneer who amassed a large collection of documents, photographs and artifacts representing local settler history. This became the core collection upon which the Museum was built. The first public displays of artifacts opened in 1967 in the newly-constructed Smithers Public Library. However, it was not until 1971 that the Bulkley Valley Historical & Museum Society was officially incorporated. With space becoming limited in the Library, the Museum was moved in 1974 to the historic Central Park Building, which had once served as Smithers' government building, courthouse, and jail. The Museum first shared a room with the Smithers Art Gallery before receiving its own space. Today the BVM collects, preserves and presents items of historical and cultural significance from Smithers and the Bulkley Valley and is enjoyed by over 5000 people per year.
- Custodial History
- All items in this fonds were retained by the Museum as internal records following their initial creation and use, and were accessioned and entered into the OF1 fonds upon being found in collections.
- Scope and Content
- This fonds contains material created and used by the Bulkley Valley Museum during the course of its day-to-day activities, from the time of its inception as a historical society in the early 1960s up to and including the present. These are primarily textual records such as meeting minutes, staff reports, exhibit plans, correspondence, policies, financial documents, curator diaries, guest books, scrapbooks, and membership lists. The fonds also includes photographs, pamphlets, posters, floor plans, 1 CD of oral history recordings, and 2 videocassettes. Furthermore, there is an increasing amount of born-digital material (Word docs, PDFs, images) which have yet to be fully processed into the fonds.
- Arrangement
- This fonds was first arranged around 2018 by Manda Haligowski and was rearranged in spring 2021 by Holly Peterson. In its current form, the OF1 fonds is divided into nine series: - S1) Office of the Curator - S2) Board of Directors - S3) events and promotions - S4) Old Church - S5) guest books/lists - S6) scrapbooks - S7) maps and plans - S8) photographs - S9) audiovisual materials. Series 1, 2, 3, and 4 have been further subdivided into subseries and/or files; see their Arrangement fields for more details.
- Subject Access
- Bulkley Valley Museum
- Geographic Access
- Smithers, B.C.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Documents
BVM Oral History collection
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11891
- Date Range
- 1987-2022
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of approx. 84 interviews with Smithers and area residents about life in the community. Some interviews exist in cassette, CD and electronic form, some were born digital. Digital files include raw and edited .WAV files as well as MP3 access files.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 84 GB of electronic records
- 50 cassette tapes
- 50 CDs
- Date Range
- 1987-2022
- Custodial History
- Oral history interviews were recorded either by Bulkley Valley Museum staff or on behalf of the Bulkley Valley Museum by volunteers and community members. Interviews conducted in 2020-2022 were completed as part of an Oral History Internship project by Cassandra McKenney, and by volunteer interviewers through a New Horizons for Seniors grant.
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of approx. 84 interviews with Smithers and area residents about life in the community. Some interviews exist in cassette, CD and electronic form, some were born digital. Digital files include raw and edited .WAV files as well as MP3 access files.
- Arrangement
- Records were arranged by Kira Westby and Holly Peterson in 2021-2022 to encompass interviews conducted prior to 2020, some of which had "OH" numbered designations, and interviews completed after 2020.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Canada Day Virtual Virtuoso CD
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions9604
- Date Range
- June 2020
- Collection
- COVID-19 collection
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- sound recording
- graphic material
- Scope and Content
- Item is a CD with three songs performed at the Smithers 2020 Virtual Canada Day Celebration: Track 1: Ewh Hiyah Hozdli Drum Circle Track 2: Mark Perry Track 3: Alex Cuba
- Collection
- COVID-19 collection
- Description Level
- Item
- Creator
- Smithers Chamber of Commerce
- Fonds No.
- C4
- File No.
- 1
- Accession No.
- 2020.7.4
- Physical Description
- 1 CD; 1 CD case; 3 digital files (WAVs)
- Date Range
- June 2020
- Language
- English
- Witsuwit'en
- Spanish
- History / Biographical
- As Smithers' 2020 Canada Day celebrations were cancelled due to COVID-19, the staff of the Smithers Chamber of Commerce brought together the Town of Smithers, Regional District of Bulkley Nechako, Bulkley Valley Credit Union, Interior News, and Heritage Canada to bring about the pre-recorded 2020 Smithers' Virtual Canada Day Celebration. Artists performed on stage while others gave speeches. The entire concert was made available for public viewing on YouTube.
- Custodial History
- Item was given to the Bulkley Valley Museum by Grant Harris of the Interior News on July 7, 2020.
- Scope and Content
- Item is a CD with three songs performed at the Smithers 2020 Virtual Canada Day Celebration: Track 1: Ewh Hiyah Hozdli Drum Circle Track 2: Mark Perry Track 3: Alex Cuba
- Subject Access
- Smithers District Chamber of Commerce
- Geographic Access
- Smithers, B.C.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Cheryl Butler, back to my roots
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions5886
- Collection
- BVM discrete item collection
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- sound recording
- Creator
- Cheryl Butler
- Fonds No.
- C1
- File No.
- File 231
- Item No.
- 2017.92.1
- Accession No.
- 2017.92
- Physical Description
- 1 sound recording (CD)
- Geographic Access
- Smithers, B.C.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
COVID-19 collection
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11296
- Date Range
- 2020-2021
- Collection
- COVID-19 collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- graphic material
- electronic record
- sound recording
- Scope and Content
- This collection contains material related to the impact of, and the response to, the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic in Smithers. It includes over 200 photographs by Chris Duncan of the town during the early stages of the pandemic, a CD of the 2020 virtual Canada Day event, and ephemera such as posters…
- Collection
- COVID-19 collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Creator
- Bulkley Valley Museum
- Fonds No.
- C4
- Accession No.
- 2020.7
- 2021.6
- 2021.14
- Physical Description
- 1 cm graphic material
- 210 JPEG photographs
- 2 PDFs
- 1 CD
- Date Range
- 2020-2021
- History / Biographical
- The COVID-19, or coronavirus, pandemic is an ongoing (as of March 2021) global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019. First identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the disease soon spread across the globe, being declared a pandemic on March 11th 2020 by the World Health Organization.
- Custodial History
- These records were collected by Bulkley Valley Museum staff throughout 2020 and 2021 in order to document the COVID-19 pandemic as it occurred. Several of them were initially added to other fonds (Discrete Item Collection, Town of Smithers Fonds, Bulkley Valley Folk Music Society Fonds) before the COVID-19 Collection was created on March 26th 2021.
- Scope and Content
- This collection contains material related to the impact of, and the response to, the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic in Smithers. It includes over 200 photographs by Chris Duncan of the town during the early stages of the pandemic, a CD of the 2020 virtual Canada Day event, and ephemera such as posters, cards, flyers, and digital records relating to COVID-19.
- Arrangement
- Arrangement is artifical and has been imposed by museum staff.
- Geographic Access
- Smithers, B.C.
- Related Material
- Related material in the Museum’s artifact collection includes a refillable hand sanitizer can produced by the Smithers Brewing Co. in response to a shortage of such containers in Smithers.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Documents
Hazelton Secondary School bands, audio recording
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions5585
- Collection
- BVM discrete item collection
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- sound recording
- Scope and Content
- Item is a vinyl record showcasing different bands from Hazelton Secondary School, including the Maroon Band, White Band, and Stage Band.
- Collection
- BVM discrete item collection
- Description Level
- Item
- GMD
- sound recording
- Fonds No.
- C1
- File No.
- File 211
- Item No.
- 2017.42.1
- Accession No.
- 2017.42
- Physical Description
- 1 audio disc: vinyl
- Publication
- Toronto: Fantasy Sound Ltd.
- Publisher Series
- Hazelton Secondary School; FS23438
- Scope and Content
- Item is a vinyl record showcasing different bands from Hazelton Secondary School, including the Maroon Band, White Band, and Stage Band.
- Subject Access
- Hazelton Secondary School
- Geographic Access
- Hazelton, B.C.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Historical Interviews
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions6573
- Date Range
- February- November 1971
- Collection
- BVM discrete item collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- Scope and Content
- File includes 2 tape reels "Historical #2 June-1971" and "Historical #3 1971."
- Collection
- BVM discrete item collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- Creator
- Joseph L'Orsa
- Fonds No.
- C1
- File No.
- File 264
- Accession No.
- 2015.18
- Physical Description
- 2 audio reels
- Date Range
- February- November 1971
- Custodial History
- Joseph L'Orsa conducted the interviews of local residents.
- Scope and Content
- File includes 2 tape reels "Historical #2 June-1971" and "Historical #3 1971."
- Historical #2 includes interviews with Mrs. Dieter, Bill Bruce, Jim Adams, Axel Elmsted[sic], Little Joe, and Martin Cain.
- Historical #3 interviews with Bill Bruce, Paul [Kindrat], Axel Elmstead[sic], Jim Adams,
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Interviews with Al Fletcher
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12245
- Date Range
- [August-September] 1996
- July 10 1997
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Allen 'Al' Fletcher. One was recorded around August/September 1996 by Carol Morgenthaler as part of a BVLD radio show ("Our Heritage"). The other was recorded on July 10th 1997 by Misty Jorgen of the Bulkley Valley Museum. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and MP3 access files.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Carol Morgenthaler;
- Misty Jorgen
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.38
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.12 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- [August-September] 1996
- July 10 1997
- History / Biographical
- Allen ‘Al’ Fletcher (1918-2004) was born in Hazelton to Eli and Laura Fletcher. As a youth in the 1930s and 40s, he was one of the last people to work on the pack trains in the Bulkley Valley. He also acted as a horse-logger, guide-outfitter, and predator control officer for the Fish and Wildlife Branch. In 1949 he shot a record-breaking mountain goat for an American tourist, an event which is commemorated by the mountain goat statue at the intersection of Highway 16 and Main Street in Smithers.
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Allen 'Al' Fletcher. One was recorded around August/September 1996 by Carol Morgenthaler as part of a BVLD radio show ("Our Heritage"). The other was recorded on July 10th 1997 by Misty Jorgen of the Bulkley Valley Museum. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and MP3 access files.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Al Fletcher - August/September 1996
First BVLD radio interview with Al Fletcher, after whom the Fletcher-Gardiner trail in the Babine Mountains was partially named. The trail was initially cleared by Fletcher's father Eli and later extended by Lefty Gardiner. Fletcher discusses how he guided pack trains and big game hunters (including an American who shot a record-breaking mountain goat) along this route for years. He expresses his displeasure that horses are now banned from the trail.
Babine Mountains; BC Parks; big game hunting; Eli Fletcher; Grassy Mountain; guide-outfitting; horseback riding; Lefty Gardiner; mountain goat hunting; pack trains; prospecting; Sunny Point; timber; Two Bridge Lake; world record goat
Fletcher-Gardiner trail
The song
country music; Edison Fletcher; music; song
Second BVLD radio interview with Al Fletcher. He recounts leading pack trains along the trail through harsh weather conditions, including one instance where he spent 65 days carrying diamond drill equipment for a mining operation.
Art Cope; Canyon Creek; Cronin Mine; diamond drilling; Highland Basin; Little Joe Lakes; mining claims; pack horses; park warden; prospecting; Silver King Basin; Victoria Basin; weather conditions
Fletcher-Gardiner trail; pack trains
Third and final BVLD interview with Al Fletcher. He recounts how he started out in the packing business, first working for Ben Nelson as a teenager before starting his own operation. Also discusses the difficulty of loading packs, the ideal pack horse, and how the horses are trained.
Ben Nelson; Driftwood Creek; horse training; pack horses
horses; pack trains; packing
Interview with Al Fletcher - July 10 1997
Interview begins with a brief discussion of Al's father, Eli Fletcher, and his arrival in the Bulkley Valley in the early 1900s. The topic then switches to Al's job horse logging for the many small sawmills in the area, and a comparison between old and new forestry methods in terms of environmental impact.
1947 Pontiac Coupe; Eli Fletcher; environmental impact; layoffs; logging practices; logging regulations; lumber prices; Repap; shutdowns; Simon Gunanoot
forestry; horse logging; sawmills
Al Fletcher describes his work on pack trains in the 1930s and 40s, primarily in the Babine Mountains. He was one of the last people in the Bulkley Valley to work in the packing business. Also some discussion of the earlier history of packing and pack trails in the area.
Babine Mountains; Ben Nelson; Cataline; Duthie Mine; George Beirnes; government survey; Hazelton; horses; McDonnell Lake; Messners; morse code; pack horses; pack trails; prospectors; Silver King Basin; summer; telegraph cabins; Telegraph Trail; Wrinch Memorial Hospital
Babine Mountains; pack trains; packing
Fletcher discusses the Fletcher-Gardiner trail in the Babine Mountains, which was cut by his father, Eli, and later named after himself and Lefty Gardiner. He was appointed honorary park ranger after protesting the exclusion of horses from this trail.
Babine Mountains; Billy Gardiner; Eli Fletcher; honorary park ranger; Lefty Gardiner; Sunny Point; Two Bridge Lake
Fletcher-Gardiner trail; horseback riding; horses
The story of how Fletcher guided the man who shot the largest mountain goat on record for 50 years. A statue of the goat was later erected in Smithers.
1949; Ernest Hasse; miniature statues
big game hunting; goat statue; guide-outfitter; guide-outfitting; hunting; mountain goat; world record
After guiding for several years, Fletcher was approached to serve as a predator control officer for the Fish and Wildlife Branch. He served in this role for 16 years, helping control the numbers of wolves and bears in order to protect livestock and increase prey populations. Fletcher mentions several close calls during his experiences and recounts the hospitality and friendliness of people he met through the job.
Alberta wolves; bounties; bounty system; game warden; Kispiox Valley; snowstorms; weather conditions; wolf bounties
bear hunting; conservation; Fish and Wildlife; predator control officer; wolf hunting
In a continuation of the previous section, Fletcher expands upon his thoughts regarding animal conservation and predator control, as well as the opposition he has faced due to his job. Note: interview ends abruptly without a proper conclusion.
caribou count; feeding wildlife; moose count; Telkwa Mountains; Terrace; wildlife relocation
bears; caribou; conservation; population control; predator control; wildlife; wolves
Interviews with Ed Malkow
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12269
- Date Range
- Dec 6, 1988 - Jun 19, 1997
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Ed Malkow, recorded on December 6th 1988 by BVM Curator Ruth Murdoch (as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" series) and on June 19th 1997 by Misty Jorgen. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access files, and .jpg release forms.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Ruth Murdoch
- Misty Jorgen
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.55 A-B
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 750 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- Dec 6, 1988 - Jun 19, 1997
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Ed Malkow, recorded on December 6th 1988 by BVM Curator Ruth Murdoch (as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" series) and on June 19th 1997 by Misty Jorgen. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access files, and .jpg release forms.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Ed Malkow - December 6, 1988
Ed Malkow introduces himself and describes the home he grew up in and what chores he did there.
Anna Malkow; feeding animals; Glentanna; heating; livestock; Matt Malkow; milking cows; parents
childhood; chores; farm; home; responsibilities
Malkow discusses games he would play with neighbouring children. He also mentions attending the Glentanna School.
chicken houses; Florence Lundstrom; Glentanna School; hide and seek; Lapadats; Lundstroms; Miss Nesbitt; races; racing; skiing; Skubas; teacher
childhood; friends; games; neighbours; playing; recreation; school
Malkow recounts his earliest memories of going into Smithers with this father.
1924; Matt Malkow; shopping; sleigh; socialization; Zobnick's
Smithers
Malkow describes his childhood Christmases.
Christmas concert; food; gifts; music; Santa Claus; singing
Christmas; holidays
Malkow describes a baseball team that he played on during his youth. He also gives a short anecdote about how the Glentanna School got enough students to receive government support. (Note: interview ends abruptly without proper conclusion).
Al Fletcher; Dave Mattson; Dick Gilbert; Ed Latry; Florence Lundstrom; Frank Gilbert; practice; Ralph Dieter; school; transportation; truck
baseball; baseball team; softball; sports
Interview with Ed Malkow - June 19, 1997
Malkow describes how his father arrived in the Bulkley Valley in the early 1900s and pre-empted farmland from the government.
Aldermere; birth; buying land; clearing land; Malkow family; Matt Malkow; packing; Prince Rupert; surveying; Ukraine; walking
farmland; immigration; pre-empting land; pre-emption
Malkow describes the Glentanna farm on which he was raised - including how the log cabin was built, what kind of animals they raised, and how car engines were used to run various types of machinery.
animals; buzz saw; car engines; cutting wood; Glentanna; grinding grain; lumber; Malkow Lookout; milking cows
construction; farm; farming; house; livestock; sawmill
Malkow discusses the scarcity of cars and the poor quality of roads in the early days, as well as the changes brought about when cars became more commonplace in the mid-to-late 1920s.
first car; flat tires; Model T Ford
cars; road conditions; roads; transportation
Malkow discusses attending the one-room school at Glentanna.
custodial work; grades; horseback riding; horses; Miss Hudson; Miss MacDonald; Miss Nesbitt; Miss Simpson; Miss Smith; teachers; walking to school
education; Glentanna School; school
Malkow discusses playing hockey and softball as a child.
baseball; Frank Gilbert; hockey; ice skating; King Street; skating rink; softball; softball teams; transportation; truck; Wilf Watson
entertainment; recreation; sports
Malkow describes what Smithers looked like in the early days, including the buildings and drainage ditches along Main Street.
Alfred Avenue; Bigelow Creek; Central Clothing; hotel; Mason's Drug Store; shoe store; Zobnick
buildings; Main Street; Main Street ditches; Smithers
Malkow discusses the careers he pursued in his adult life, including farming, electrical work, plumbing, carpentry at the airport, and firefighting.
Air Force; Air Force personnel; aircraft; airport; Al Wall; carpentry; construction; farming; fire department; firefighting; J.J. Herman; Oakie McCammon; planes; plumbing; radio course; Sprott Shaw College
electrician; employment; jobs; occupations; Smithers airport; working
Malkow explains the effects of the Great Depression upon Smithers, particularly those who lived in town rather than in the countryside.
bartering; dollar value; relief; trading
Great Depression; Smithers
Malkow discusses the fires which have occurred in Smithers over the years, particularly the destructive Main Street fire of 1944. (Note: interview ends abruptly without a conclusion).
Blue Goose Cafe; Edmonds sisters; McGill Building; O'Neill's Garage
fires
Interviews with Ellen Coyle Myton
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12237
- Date Range
- April 1987
- [1987]
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Ellen Myton (nee Coyle), daughter of egg carton inventor and Interior News founder Joseph Coyle. One was recorded in April 1987 by Carol Morgenthaler as part of a BVLD radio show. The other was recorded at an unknown date (likely also 1987) by Bulkley Valley Museum staff. Includ…
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Carol Morgenthaler;
- Ruth Murdoch?
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.31
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 733 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- April 1987
- [1987]
- History / Biographical
- Ellen Coyle Myton (1911-1999) was the daughter of Joseph Coyle - inventor of the egg carton and founder of the Interior News - and his wife Winifred. She lived in Smithers from 1913 to 1918, after which the family moved to Vancouver and later Los Angeles in order to expand their egg carton business. She returned to Smithers on several occasions, including the 80th birthday of the Interior News, during which one or both of these interviews were recorded.
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Ellen Myton (nee Coyle), daughter of egg carton inventor and Interior News founder Joseph Coyle. One was recorded in April 1987 by Carol Morgenthaler as part of a BVLD radio show. The other was recorded at an unknown date (likely also 1987) by Bulkley Valley Museum staff. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and MP3 access files.
- Notes
- Second interviewer unidentified but sounds like Ruth Murdoch.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Ellen Coyle Myton - April 1987?
Ellen Coyle Myton gives an overview of her father's career, from working a boyhood job at a newspaper office in Ontario, to becoming the founder of the Interior News in Aldermere.
Aldermere; careers; Juno, Alaska; Ontario; Telkwa; typesetting; Washington state
Interior News; Joseph Coyle
Myton recounts her memories of Aldermere, including the difficulty of receiving water and milk, the precise location of the town, and a sled that her father gave her when she was a little girl.
Aldermere Heights; childhood; Croteau's ranch; location of Aldermere; sleigh; Telkwa; Tona Hetherington
Aldermere
Myton describes how her father ran the Interior News as a one-man business in Aldermere, including what sort of news was reported and how it was gathered.
isolation; London, England; news; newspapers; printing; typesetting; winter
Aldermere; business; Interior News
Myton discusses her family's move to Smithers around 1913-14 and life in the town during its earliest days.
Bulkley Hotel; cars; clearing land; ditches; Doodson's butcher shop; Joseph Coyle; Muriel Adams; news; pack train; railroad; roads
childhood; Interior News; Smithers
Myton describes where her family moved after Smithers and how her father's egg carton business expanded over the following years.
1920s; business; California; Depression of 1920-1921; invention; Los Angeles; Vancouver
egg carton; Joseph Coyle
Myton describes her teaching career and adult life, including moves along the west coast and a vacation to Europe.
Bellingham, Washington; Europe; New Westminster; retirement; Santa Monica, California; teaching
careers; Ellen Coyle Myton
Having returned to Smithers for the 80th anniversary of the Interior News, Ellen Coyle Myton describes her impression of the town and how it has changed since she left.
anniversary; Interior News; old vs. new
Smithers
Interview with Ellen Coyle Myton - [1987?]
Interview begins with Ellen Coyle Myton discussing the Catholic missionary Father Godfrey (Eichelsbacher), who baptized her as a child, as well as the Anglican Church that her mother attended in Telkwa. Note: interview starts mid-sentence without any introduction.
Anglicanism; baptism; Catholicism; Father Godfrey Eichelsbacher; mass; missionary; priest; Telkwa Anglican Church; worship
religion
Myton shares her childhood memories of Smithers, including the time she fell in the Main Street ditch.
Adams Drugstore; Jean Kilpatrick; Main Street ditch; Muriel Adams
childhood; Smithers
Myton describes her father's invention of the egg carton and how her family supported itself after leaving Smithers.
Depression of 1920-1921; Interior News; Jack McNeil; Los Angeles; Patrick Coyle; Vancouver
egg carton; inventions; Joseph Coyle
Subject changes abruptly (mid-sentence) to outings and social events in early Smithers, as well as Joseph Coyle's ranch and brick-making business in Tatlow. Interview ends without a proper conclusion.
berry picking; boating; brick-making business; cars; Chicken Lake; fishing; gatherings; Joseph Coyle; kiln; Lake Kathlyn; Moricetown; outdoors; picnics; salmon; Tatlow; Witset
outings; Smithers; social events
Interviews with Frank Parker Sr.
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12288
- Date Range
- Jan. 29, 1982 - Sept. 17, 1993
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Frank Parker Sr., recorded on January 29th 1982 by Tom W. Parken and on September 17th 1993 by Colin Wilmot. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and .MP3 access files. No release forms located.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Tom Parken
- Colin Wilmot
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.64
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.12 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- Jan. 29, 1982 - Sept. 17, 1993
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with Frank Parker Sr., recorded on January 29th 1982 by Tom W. Parken and on September 17th 1993 by Colin Wilmot. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and .MP3 access files. No release forms located.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Frank Parker Sr. - January 29, 1982
Interview with Frank Parker Sr. - January 29, 1982
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.64_Parker,%20Frank%20Sr/1982%20interview/Parker,%20Frank%20Sr%201982_01_29.ACCESS.mp3
Frank Parker Sr. gives an overview of his railway career, beginning as a brakeman in his teenage years and eventually becoming a full-time conductor.
Edmonton, Alberta; Edson, Alberta; Great Depression; Green Terminal; Middlesex County, Ontario; Smithers; Wainwright, Alberta; World War II
brakeman; conductor; employment; jobs; occupations; railway
Parker talks about the steps required to become a railway conductor and how jobs were awarded on the basis of seniority.
A book; Alaska highway; B book; examinations; seniority; tests; World War II
conductor; promotion; railway
Parker discusses the railway work he has done outside of Smithers over the years.
death of child
Kamloops; Prince Rupert; Winnipeg; work
Parker explains that the transition from the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway to Canadian National Railways had little effect on his day-to-day work, although it did result in some improvements to the train tracks.
improvements; steel; ties; train tracks; upgrades
Canadian National; Grand Trunk Pacific; railways
Parker discusses the role the railway played in transporting all manner of goods to, from, and throughout the Bulkley Valley.
goods; LCL freight; meat cars; responsibilities; shipping; work hours
Bulkley Valley; development; railway; transportation; work
Parker discusses the importance of following the rules in a dangerous job such as railroad work.
railway work; rules; safety
Parker relays the story of how he once shot a goose from aboard the train.
goose; rafting; train
anecdotes; hunting
Parker discusses the one serious accident of his railway career - a derailment at Forestdale.
Endako; Forestdale; Sid Robinson; Vernon Glass; water car
accidents; derailment
Parker talks about using the rotary plow ('Rupert plow') to clear heavy snow off the tracks. He also mentions snow sheds, tunnels which were used to protect trains from avalanches.
Kwinitsa; snow sheds
avalanches; rotary plow; snowslides
Parker discusses his time working as a conductor on passenger trains, first between Smithers and Prince Rupert and later out of Winnipeg. Includes a story about an incident with a thief aboard one of the trains.
crime; night runs; theft; Winnipeg
conductor; passenger train; transport; working with the public
Parker tells a story about how he accidentally ran the caboose into the back of the train while attempting to bring it down a slope.
caboose
accident; railway; train
Parker discusses the decline of passenger trains as travel by car and plane became more commonplace.
day coaches; Watrous; Winnipeg
changes over time; passenger traffic; passenger train; transit; transportation
Parker discusses the attitudes of engineers regarding the transition from steam power to diesel power.
diesel power; engineers; steam power; trains
Parker discusses how the Smithers route became a branch line of the CNR after the GTP merged with Canadian National.
branch line; main line; revenue; train routes
Canadian National Railways; CNR; Grand Trunk Pacific; GTP; railroads; railways; trains
Parker was the oldest conductor in service in the Western Region at the time of his retirement, having worked on the railway for 48 years.
Bill Duff; Grand Trunk Pacific Railway; pension
retirement
Parker reflects on his decades of service on the railway, discussing topics such as improvements in working conditions, the pride people took in their jobs, how hard they worked during the War years, and his feelings on retirement.
'golden handshake'; accommodations; bunkhouses; lodgings; pensions; World War II
railway; retirement; working conditions
Parker talks about a satirical poem that a railway worker wrote about soldiers during World War II.
armoured train; Pacific; restaurant
poetry; railway workers; soldiers; World War II
A short note from the interviewer (Tom Parken) regarding several instances when the interview was cut short. (All have been edited out of the final recording).
Interview with Frank Parker Sr. - September 17, 1993
Interview with Frank Parker Sr. - September 17, 1993
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.64_Parker,%20Frank%20Sr/1993%20interview/Parker,%20Frank%20Sr.%201993_09_17.ACCESS.mp3
Frank Parker Sr. discusses his work as a conductor on a freight train from 1922 to 1965.
brakeman; railway crew; train orders
conductor; employment; freight train; jobs; occupation; railway
Parker discusses clearing mud/slow/rock slides and operating the flanger car.
flanger; gravel; rotary plow; Tony Garcia; wing plow
mudslides; railway; rockslides; slides; snowslides
Parker says he has no personal stories about working on the railway. He briefly talks about the gravel cars which were hooked up to the flanger.
Tony Garcia
flanger; gravel cars; railway
Interviews with Gordon and Justine Stenset
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12315
- Date Range
- July 2018
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Three-part interview with Gordon and Justine (nee Pierce) Stenset, recorded by Assistant Curator Eric Holdijk for the Bulkley Valley Museum on July 27th and 30th 2018. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access file, a .pdf release form and outline, and a Word doc. of additional information.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Eric Holdijk
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.79
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 6.53 GB digital records
- Date Range
- July 2018
- History / Biographical
- The Stensets were longtime residents of Prince Rupert who moved to Seymour Lake (near Smithers) in 1985.
- Scope and Content
- Three-part interview with Gordon and Justine (nee Pierce) Stenset, recorded by Assistant Curator Eric Holdijk for the Bulkley Valley Museum on July 27th and 30th 2018. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access file, a .pdf release form and outline, and a Word doc. of additional information.
- Notes
- Interview has not been uploaded due to its length (roughly 5 hours). Topics include (not in order) the Stenset/Pierce family, life in Prince Rupert and at Seymour Lake, family connection to Norway, memories of WWII in Prince Rupert; boating, fishing, sealing, and hunting; outdoor activities, wildlife encounters, railway work, mill work, Justine's jobs (Royal Bank, cleaning contractor, various hotels/motels in Smithers), friends and local characters (Merv Holden, Jack Anderson, 'Crazy Walter,' 'Panty Man,' Mayor Peter Lester, Mayor Jack Mussallem, Mel Jang, Arnie Arneson). Please contact the Bulkley Valley Museum if interested in obtaining access.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interviews with Gordon and Justine Stenset
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
- History / Biographical
- Reg Heal (1917-2004) was born to Ernest and Mary Heal on the family farm near Telkwa; Jean (1920-2014) was born in Smithers to Gilbert and Mary Gregerson of Evelyn. Reg helped out on his family’s farm, cut ice on Lake Kathlyn, and worked in the Telkwa Coal Mine. Jean worked on the Low farm and Dr. Green’s office in Smithers. They married in 1943 and had two children, Lawrence and Barbara. In 1956 the Heals moved to Smithers, where Reg worked for the school district.
- 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
Interviews with John Lapadat
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12259
- Date Range
- December 13 1988
- October 2003
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with John Lapadat. One was recorded on December 13th 1988 by Ruth Murdoch as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" series. The other was self-recorded by John Lapadat in October 2003. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access files, and a .jpg release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Ruth Murdoch;
- John Lapadat
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.52
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.14 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- December 13 1988
- October 2003
- Scope and Content
- Two interviews with John Lapadat. One was recorded on December 13th 1988 by Ruth Murdoch as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" series. The other was self-recorded by John Lapadat in October 2003. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access files, and a .jpg release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with John Lapadat - December 13 1988
John Lapadat introduces himself and describes the Glentanna farm on which he grew up, some of the chores that were performed, and a few incidents such as being burned by a cookstove and dealing with bed bugs.
1920s; Anna Lapadat; bathing; bedbugs; bricklayer; carrying water; cows; farm animals; Grand Trunk Pacific Railway; injury; John Lapadat Sr.; knitting; livestock; log house; McClary wood stove; pigs; roundhouse; shearing sheep; sheep; siblings; ticks; veterinarian; Victoria
birth; childhood; chores; farm; farmhouse; home; house
Lapadat describes a number of contributions his family made to the Glentanna School: they donated the land on which it stood, his mother served on the school board, his attendance allowed the school to receive provincial funding, and as a young boy he worked as the school janitor.
chores; cleaning; donating land; provincial funding; raise; school board; wages
duties; Glentanna School; janitor; responsibilities; school
Lapadat describes the work that he and his family did on the farm, including looking after the livestock, breeding and training racehorses, delivering produce to Smithers, and raising hogs for the government during the Great Depression.
agriculture; Burns & Company; butchering; butter; chickens; cream; crops; delivering goods; Great Depression; horse races; milking cows; mixed farming; prices; racehorses; smokehouse; trading; vegetables; Watson's Store
chores; farm work; farming; livestock; produce; raising pigs
Lapadat discusses special places where he liked to play as a child, and what games and sports he occupied his free time with.
Bennett buggies; buried treasure; Christmas concerts; Columbia Street; Driftwood School; gardening; Glacier House; Glacier Roadhouse; Glentanna School; horse racing; horse training; horseback riding; Hungry Hill; hunting; Olive Evan; roadhouse; ski jump; sleigh rides; softball; tent; transportation systems; weeding
favourite places; games; locations; playing; recreation; sports
Lapadat discusses his school days, including the harsh treatment of his sister for being left-handed, the ways in which teachers tried (and failed) to maintain discipline, the chores performed by students, and the annual Christmas concerts.
31 Model B Ford; car; carrying water; corporal punishment; Della Herman; ghost stories; horse barn; left-handedness; Mackenzies; MacLean Method; Mary Simpson; misbehaviour; Mrs. Chapman; repeating grades; Santa Claus; singing; skipping grades; song; stage; stockings; trauma
chores; Christmas concerts; discipline; Glentanna School; grades; lunch; school; teachers
Lapadat talks about what means of transportation were used to get to and from town, as well as the usual reason for making these trips.
automobiles; Buick; cars; Chrysler; hauling wood; Model T truck; sleighs; wagons
Smithers; transportation; vehicles
Lapadat returns to the subject of Christmas, discussing how the family would often share the holiday meal with itinerant workers during the Depression.
cooking; food; geese; goose; turkeys
Christmas; Christmas dinner; Great Depression; meals; workers
Lapadat discusses the dances that were held at Glentanna School. He also mentions how his father was forced to sell the family farm during the Depression.
desks; Louise Gilbert; music; musicians; Oscar Engman; Ralph Dieter; schoolhouse
dances; dancing; Great Depression; social events
Lapadat concludes with two brief stories: one about a meteorite crash that occurred while the family was returning from Smithers, and one about the reading material available to him as a student.
animal euthanasia; Mr. Griffin; National Geographics; retired professor
accident; books; education; horse; meteor; meteorite; reading; resource materials
Interview with John Lapadat - October 2003
John Lapadat recounts some of his memories of Hudson Bay Mountain, including the first annual ski championship he remembers watching, a youth ski camping expedition which became stranded in low visibility conditions, and the time his son Ron was caught in an avalanche.
'Sleeping Beauty'; avalanche; Chris Dahlie; hauling snow; Hudson Bay Mountain glacier; low visibility conditions; Nancy Greene league; Ron Lapadat; shelter; Simpson's Gulch; ski jumping; Smithers Ski Club; the Prairie; Tony Lapadat; youth
annual ski championship; avalanche; Hudson Bay Mountain; recreation; ski camping trip; ski tournaments; skiing; sports; stories
Lapadat discusses how the Smithers Ski Club developed the ski hill on Hudson Bay Mountain and gave ski lessons to revive its declining membership.
Canadian Ski Alliance; Chris Dahlie; Daryl Van Tine; Duthie Mine Road; Everett Person; fire protection road; first tournament; Jorgen Dahlie; Prince George; Ross Phillips; ski accident; ski cabins; ski tow; the Prairie; Town of Smithers; Warren Hill; water reservoir; Zobnick Road ski area
Hudson Bay Mountain; instructor's courses; membership; ski hill; ski lessons; skiing; Smithers Ski Club
Lapadat concludes with the story of his unsuccessful attempt to hike the highest peak of Hudson Bay Mountain with a jar of ashes from Mount St. Helens.
hypothermia; Lois Lapadat; Oscar; peppermint schnapps; Swiss Club
eruption of Mount St. Helens; highest peak; hiking; Hudson Bay Mountain
Interview with Allan Collison
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12234
- Date Range
- November 23 1988
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Allan Collison, recorded on November 23 1988 by Ruth Murdoch as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" audio interview series. Includes raw and edited .WAV file, an MP3 access file, and a .pdf release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Ruth Murdoch
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.28
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 288 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- November 23 1988
- History / Biographical
- Thomas Allan Collison (1944-2014) was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, to Thomas and Vera Collison, and moved to Smithers as a young boy. In his adulthood he worked for Longyear and Cariboo Radio and served as a member of the Volunteer Fire Department. He was married twice (Cheryl Merryfield, Becky Everitt) and had four children: Trent, Gord, Nicole, and Kathy.
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Allan Collison, recorded on November 23 1988 by Ruth Murdoch as part of the "Growing Up in the Bulkley Valley" audio interview series. Includes raw and edited .WAV file, an MP3 access file, and a .pdf release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Allan Collison - November 23, 1988
Interview with Allan Collison - November 23, 1988
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.28_Collison,%20Allan/Collison,%20Allan%201988_11_23.ACCESS.mp3
Where the Collisons are from and why they moved to Smithers.
Bulkley Valley; cat; dog; fire control; Henry Takema; honey wagon; Hoskins; Leona Wall; Main Street ditch; Smithers; Tom Collison; Vera Collison; World War II
Family; Smithers
What kids used to do in the 1950s.
ball; bush; hockey; railway crossing; skiing; Smithers Lumber Yard
childhood; entertainment; hobbies; Smithers
School in Smithers and old systems.
garden; house; Moore; Muheim Elementary School; ski; Spring Hill; strap
friends; school
Long trips to go fishing with family.
fishing; roads; Trout Creek
family; fishing; roads