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
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
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
- 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 (prior to Myton's death around 1999) by Bulkley Valley Mu…
- 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]
- 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 (prior to Myton's death around 1999) 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
Interview with Angelika and Peter Langen
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11947
- Date Range
- January 25 2021
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- textual record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Angelika and Peter Langen, founders of the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter. Recorded January 25 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…
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Cassandra McKenney
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.9
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 2.63 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- January 25 2021
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Angelika and Peter Langen, founders of the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter. Recorded January 25 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 Angelika and Peter Langen - January 25, 2021
Interview with Angelika and Peter Langen - January 25, 2021
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.9_Langen,%20Angelika%20and%20Peter/Langen,%20Angelika%20and%20Peter%202021_01_25.ACCESS.mp3
The life of Peter that lead to a love of animals and working in the zoo, had to pick a profession after leaving a German refugee camp around 1959.
animals; apprenticeship; exam; Germany; refugee camp; zoo
German refugee; zoo
Wanted to be a horse trainer but failed to meet the requirements so went in to become a zoo keeper instead.
birds; hobby; horse trainer; owl
profession; zoo
Wanted to immigrate in the 70's to build a guest ranch but failed due to recession.
guest ranch; immigration; recession; Smithers
immigration; land
First thoughts of Smithers and what it was like.
beautiful; British Columbia; connections; kind; land; pregnant; Smithers
Smithers
Learning a third language quickly in Smithers.
English; German; reading; Russian; writing
English; language
Jobs were hard to find; they worked odd jobs at local shops.
Aspen; chimney; contracting; cook; houses; jobs; mother; Smitthers; town sign; waitress
employment; jobs; occupations
Horses were very important so they joined the Saddle Club and then gave guided tours
business; Fall Fair; guides; horses; license; president; rescue; Saddle Club; trail rides
business start-up; horseback riding; Saddle Club
Why they thought that Smithers was in need of a shelter.
animal shelter; isolation; knowledge; local; moose; permits; PETA; pets; provincial; rescue; wildlife
animal rescue; wildlife shelter
Conference in the States where they could learn how to take care of wild animals including their special needs.
bear; deer; experts; links; manuals; moose; National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association; shelter; U.S.A.; worldwide
animal rescue; conference; rehabilitation
Experts would come to them for help, like how to avoid so many car crashes in the summer.
car accidents; car crash; CN; Greece; ICBC; kids' camp; moose; research; Romania; summer camp; sun bear; Teflon; vehicle accidents; Vietnam
animal rescue; research
Offering training programs for students and those doing research.
bears; defense; handlers; release programs; science; students; teaching; thesis; training; volunteer; wildlife
rehabilitation; training
How the animal-rescuing process takes place at the shelter.
Bandstra; BCAA; bear; Bella Coola; Chain of Love; conservation officer; grizzly; Highway Angels; volunteers
animals; transport
How the shelter receives its funding.
charity status; donations; ethics; Facebook; hospital; Purolator; riding tour; trail guide; waitress
funding; promotion; self-funding
The start up of the shelter and how its been changing over the years, as well as how they gained respect from others.
animals; buildings; celebration; Covid-19; help; machinery; Northern Lights; wildlife
change over time
Raising a family and upkeeping the shelter.
children; doctors; family; immigration; pregnancy; shelter; vacation
family; shelter
Saving animals that would have otherwise been put down.
cougar; funding
animal rescue
Cementing public interest in the shelter, once a year.
community; education; funding; lynx; open house
public interest; schools
Favorite story of healing a moose.
bear; healing; knowledge; Mexico; moose; SPCA
healing; story
Starting up a documentary that lasted three years with 36 episodes.
animals; CTV; documentary; Fall Fair; Greenpeace; habituated; provisions; reality show; soil; television; TV show
documentary
Smithers businesses that help out the animal shelter.
Bakery; Bandstra; birthday; Bulkley Valley Wholesale; conservation; cupcakes; Feed Store; First Nations; fundraiser; Mills; Paul's Bakery; Pet Hospital; Safeway; Smithers Lumber Yard; vegetables
businesses
The plans for retirement and for the future and a thanks to those who helped them
donor; proposals; stories; trail rides; weddings; writing
future; past; retirement
What the couple did in their off time
convinces; New Orleans; photography; reading; showing; traveling; Virginia
hobbies
How Smithers has changed in a popular way for tourism.
change; commercial; family; home; positive; proud; special; tourism
Smithers; tourism
Interview with Angus McLean
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12284
- Date Range
- 1992
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Self-recorded interview by Angus McLean, 1992. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an .MP3 access file. No release form could be located.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Angus McLean
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.59
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 442 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- 1992
- Scope and Content
- Self-recorded interview by Angus McLean, 1992. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an .MP3 access file. No release form could be located.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Angus McLean - 1992
McLean introduces himself, gives some background info on his life in Smithers and explains why he has chosen to record this tape.
McLean recounts his involvement with the construction of the Smithers Airport during the Second World War. He identifies the contractors associated with the project and explains why they did not hire very many local men.
Bovill brothers; Campbell Brothers Contracting; Carl Spicer; Carter-Halls-Aldinger Co. Ltd.; contractors; Ernie Hann; hiring; Nelson River Dredging; R.S.B. Lillico; runway; surveying; Winnipeg Cartage Company; workforce
construction; Smithers Airport; World War II
McLean discusses the Air Force's presence at the Smithers Airport, including the buildings and infrastructure they set up, the reason why some planes were kept at Smithers rather than Terrace, the potential effects of planes on the runway pavement, and the infrequency of flights in and out of Smithers during wartime.
aircraft; buildings; construction; flights; flying conditions; pavement; planes; runway; sewer system; squadron; Terrace; weather
air force; Smithers Airport; World War II
McLean discusses the general effects the Airport had on Smithers, such as the opening of new businesses, the shortage of accommodations, and the personnel who remained in town afterwards. He believes that the presence of the Air Force and the construction work itself had only short-term economic benefits on Smithers' economy, but that commercial use of the Airport has been a long-term benefit to the community.
accommodations; Carl Spicer; Dick Heggie; George Adomeit; Heggie's Cafe
economy; Smithers; Smithers Airport
McLean gives a story about how the hockey player Red Dutton helped build an emergency airstrip at Woodcock.
airstrip; Bill Kilgour; Dutton Brothers; hockey jacket; Ken Warner; Woodcock
hockey; hockey players; Norman Dutton; Red Dutton
McLean summarizes the work he and the Department of Transport did on the Smithers Airport.
construction; Department of National Defence; Department of Transport; Smithers Airport
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 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 Barb Jeffery
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12255
- Date Range
- July 3 1997
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Barb Jeffery (nee Cairns), recorded at her home in Quick on July 3rd 1997 by Misty Jorgen. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, an .MP3 access file, and a .pdf release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Misty Jorgen
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.48
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.36 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- July 3 1997
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Barb Jeffery (nee Cairns), recorded at her home in Quick on July 3rd 1997 by Misty Jorgen. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, an .MP3 access file, and a .pdf release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Barb Jeffery - July 3 1997
Barb Jeffery recounts her childhood and early adulthood, spent moving between Germany, England, and India. After the Second World War, she and her family returned to England, where she worked at a government-run British Restaurant, married Robert Jeffrey, and started a family in Gweek, Cornwall.
army of occupation; birth; British Restaurant; coal boat; Cologne, Germany; governess; Gweek, Cornwall; husband; Indian Army Service Corps; marriage; mechanization; Plymouth; post-war era; rationing; Royal Scots; sepoys; siblings; soldier; travel; voyage
childhood; England; family; Germany; India; upbringing; work; World War II; youth
Barb discusses why she and her family decided to emigrate, and what became of her relatives back home in England.
brothers; Cornwall; farming; lack of job opportunities; Michael Jeffery; Simon Jeffery; sons; visiting relatives
Canada; death of father; emigration; England; family; relatives
Jeffery tells of how she and her family travelled across Canada in an immigrant train, arriving in Prince George only to find out that her husband's promised job had been given to someone else. She explains how he was able to find employment on short notice and how the family arrived at Quick during the middle of a hectic work day.
army blankets; Canadian National Railways; church; Ella Paddon; employment; fumigation; immigrant train; immigration plan; inspector; mail day; prayer; Prince George; river readings; shipping cattle; theft; Wadham Paddon
arrival; immigration; jobs; Paddon family; Quick; train travel; work
Jeffery talks about her family's early days in Quick, particularly the lack of electricity and her husband Robert's work at the Dominion Experimental Farm. She mentions the murder-suicide of Leslie Egerton and his sons, which occurred at the Experimental Farm in 1960.
agricultural research; carrying water; Colin Egerton; farm; Greens; Gweek, Cornwall; James Egerton; Leslie Egerton; manhunt; nodules; Paddon family; police; post office; road conditions; store; washing clothes; washing machines
agricultural work; chores; crime; electricity; employment; Experimental Farm; murder-suicide; Quick; Robert Jeffery; work
Jeffery discusses the many accidents and injuries suffered by her husband during his career, as well as the kindness and generosity of neighbours during difficult times. Includes anecdotes about winning a raffle at Goodacre's Store and packing Cornish pasties for Robert's lunch.
blasting; carpooling; CN work; coal mining; Cornish pasties; doctors; Frigidaire; Goodacre's Store; groceries; hernia; hospital bills; Houston; knee injury; lung damage; neighbourliness; Northwood Pulp Mill; operations; payments; raffle prizes; railway; security guard; strike; Telkwa Mill (TF&M); toy tank; Wiggs O'Neill
accidents; community; employment; generosity; injuries; neighbours; Robert Jeffery; work; workplace injuries
Jeffery discusses her 40 years spent living in Quick, with emphasis on the friendliness and generosity of the community. She and her sons frequently looked after neighbours' children. Some people took advantage of others' kindness.
4H clubs; accidents; activities; babysitting; building house; carpooling; close-knit; Douglas Jeffery; good neighbours; injuries; Ivy Middleton; Michael Jeffery; Middletons; Robin Jeffery; Round Lake; Simon Jeffery; square dancing; Walcott; Woodmere
babysitting; community; generosity; neighbourliness; Quick
Jeffery discusses the history and usage of the Round Lake Hall, and describes the annual Sports Day events at Quick.
activities; badminton; baseball; cafeteria; community lunch; dance; galas; Hubert; Hubert Hotel; Nan Bourgon; opening speech; salmon; scorekeeping; sewer system; stage; synchronized swimmers
community events; Quick; Round Lake Hall; Sports Day
Jeffery discusses her involvement with the Quick Women's Institute, including attending a conference in Germany and hosting a radio program. She describes the work that Women's Institutes have done on a local, provincial, and international basis.
Amelia Watson; boycott; Canadian delegates; Carol Kerr; Children's Hospital; developing countries; editor; Francois Lake Women's Institute; Hamburg, Germany; newsletter; Queen Alexandra Hospital; radio program; Recreation Commission; road lines; Round Lake Hall; sugar prices; travelling; women's clubs; Women's Institute conference
community organizations; Quick Women's Institute; women; Women's Institutes
Interview with [Ben Ridennoure?]
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12272
- Date Range
- [1991?]
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with [Ben Ridennoure?], recorded by a Smithers Alternate School student, likely as part of their 1991 interview series. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an .MP3 access files.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.69
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 940 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- [1991?]
- Scope and Content
- Interview with [Ben Ridennoure?], recorded by a Smithers Alternate School student, likely as part of their 1991 interview series. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an .MP3 access files.
- Notes
- The interviewee is never identified at any point in the interview. File previously labelled as "Curtis Riding," but no record of any person by this name could be found. In January 2022 it was determined that the interviewee is likely Ben Ridennoure due to similarities in profession and life story (owner of Copper River Ranch, history of trail riding, familiarity with specific horse breeds, etc.). "Curtis Riding" may instead refer to the name of the interviewer and the subject of discussion.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with [Ben Ridennoure?] - April 1991
Interview with [Ben Ridennoure?] - April 1991
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.69_Ridennoure,%20Ben/Ridennoure,%20Ben%20ACCESS.mp3
Ridennoure discusses giving summer trail rides at Copper River Ranch. (Note: recording seems to begin mid-interview without a proper introduction).
Copper River Ranch; Norwegian fjord horses; wildlife
horse riding; horseback riding; trail rides; trail riding
Ridennoure recommends that individual riders be at least 12 years old, and discusses options for younger children on his trail rides (ex. sharing a horse with their parents).
children; ponies
horse riding; horseback riding; trail rides; trail riding
Ridennoure discusses the possibility of taking guests on sleigh rides and why he doesn't do it.
sleigh rides
Ridennoure answers how many horses he owns and where they are kept.
McDonell Lake
horseback riding; horses
Ridennoure discusses which gaits (walking, trotting, galloping) are used most often on his trail rides.
galloping; trotting; walking
horse gaits; horseback riding; riding; trail rides; trail riding
Ridennoure explains how he advertises Copper River Ranch to the public.
Chamber of Commerce; Northwest Travel Bureau
advertisements; advertising; publicity
Ridennoure states that he takes riders of all skill levels on his trail rides, and explains the ideal size of a riding group.
horseback riding; riding; trail rides; trail riding
[Ridennoure] states his favourite breeds of horse, explains why he got into the equestrian business, and describes his favourite type of riding trail.
Copper River Ranch; Norwegian fjord horses; Quarter horses
horses; riding; riding trails; trails
Ridennoure discusses what time of year people visit the Ranch most often, how long they tend to stay, and what activities they do there.
guests; long weekends; outdoor activities; tourism; vacation
Copper River Ranch
[Ridennoure] explains why he enjoys horseback riding so much and has had such a positive experience with it. (Note: interview ends without a formal conclusion).
companionship; insurance; liabilities; relaxation
horseback riding; riding
Interview with Bert Loader
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12260
- Date Range
- July 1993
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Bert Loader, self-recorded at his home in Millet, Alberta in July 1993. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access files, and a .jpg release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Bert Loader
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.53
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.04 GB of digital records
- Date Range
- July 1993
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Bert Loader, self-recorded at his home in Millet, Alberta in July 1993. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access files, and a .jpg release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Bert Loader - July 19, 1993
Loader introduces himself and identifies those he worked with during his time as fire chief of the Smithers RCAF station.
50th anniversary; Angus McLean; Chuck Loader; Commonwealth Air Trading Plan; crew; Gilchrist; J. M. Stansby; Jenette; King; Mackay; Malcolm Lange; Number 17 Staging Route; station warrant officer; Thompson
fire chief; Smithers Airport; Smithers RCAF station
Loader discusses the animals he would see in and around the airport, both wildlife and livestock raised by the crew. He tells the story of the time he was tasked with hunting and killing a moose to supplement their rations.
bears; game preserve; garden; gardening; Gilchrist; inventories; J. M. Stansby; Jenette; Nic Whaley; pig pen; pigs; white-tailed deer
animals; hunting; livestock; moose; wildlife
Loader briefly summarizes his typical duties at the RCAF station, before discussing his wife Lois, the small house they shared near the airport, and how they would entertain themselves while not at work.
anniversary; berry picking; boating; Bulkey River; CO's parade; fire chief; fishing; Lake Kathlyn; rowboat; Seymour Lake; tar-paper shack
activities; duties; house; housing; Lois Loader; recreation; responsibilities
Loader gives a story of some visiting Flying Officers who damaged the airport while performing stunts.
Chuck Loader; Harvard planes; Nic Whaley
accident; aerobatics; damage; Flying Officers; stunts
Loader briefly discusses helping fight fires on Smithers' Main Street.
auxiliary pump; Main Street ditches
firefighting; fires; Main Street fires; Smithers
Loader talks about how the cooks at the RCAF station would make potato champagne for a Commanding Officer.
Malcolm Lange; Nic Whaley; rationing
alcohol; drinking; potato champagne
Loader recounts the crash of a Lockheed Ventura aircraft on the station's runway. He references photographs of the event which are now in the Museum's collection.
Archer; Chuck Loader; damage; explosion; fire; injuries; runway; Sealy
accident; aircraft; Lockheed Ventura; photographs; photography; plane crash
Loader praises the conduct of his fellow air force personnel and recounts how he would ensure his colleagues got home safely from nights of drinking and dancing.
dance halls; fire hydrants; Smithers; water line
crew; dancing; drinking
Loader recounts the drowning of a coworker in Lake Kathlyn. (He identifies the man as 'Murphy' but an Interior News article of May 24th 1945 reveals his name was Mervin James Ferrier).
artificial respiration; Bruce Bowman; cooks; sailboat
death; drowning; Lake Kathlyn; Mervin Ferrier
Loader talks about his involvement in a firefighting demonstration held for the Smithers Village Council in August 1944. He corrects a mistake in a newspaper article about the event and describes the different types of equipment used.
newspaper article; spray nozzle; Victoria; Village Council
firefighting demonstration; fires; pyrene extinguisher
Loader discusses his limited interaction with people from Smithers, which consisted mainly of ball games. He expresses his gratitude for having been able to attend the airport's 50th anniversary celebrations.
anniversary; Chuck Loader; Church services; Cliff Emerson; Daintre Riffel; Emersons; engineer; hardball; Joe Watson; minister; New Hazelton; railroad; softball; taxi driving; Wall's Taxi; Wilf Watson
baseball; Smithers; social interaction; sports
Interview with Bob Phillips
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12262
- Date Range
- April 22 1991
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Robert 'Bob' Phillips, recorded on April 22nd 1991 by Smithers Alternate School student Vince Mackie. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an .MP3 access files.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Vince Mackie
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.67
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 999 MB of digital records
- Date Range
- April 22 1991
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Robert 'Bob' Phillips, recorded on April 22nd 1991 by Smithers Alternate School student Vince Mackie. Includes raw and edited .WAV files and an .MP3 access files.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Bob Phillips - April 22, 1991
Interview with Bob Phillips - April 22, 1991
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.67_Phillips,%20Bob/Phillips,%20Bob%201991_04_22.ACCESS.mp3
Phillips answers introductory questions about his early life in Telkwa, including what modes of transportation were used, where he went to school, what his earliest memories of the Valley are, and what his father did for a living.
buggies; elementary school; general store; George Shepherd; Grace Shepherd; H. H. Phillips; Hazelton; high school; homes; jobs; log houses; money; R. S. Sargent; Telkwa Museum; train; Vancouver; wagons
Armistice Day; childhood; general store; memories; school; Telkwa; transportation
Phillips describes various pieces (many of them Indigenous) in his artifact collection. Many of these items were received during his time running the Phillips & Shepherd general store in Telkwa. (Note: section contains outdated and offensive language to refer to Indigenous people).
aprons; army medals; Babine area; beading; bear trap; Carrier people; Chapman Lake; Derringer gun; dugout canoe; electricity; fur toboggan; fur trader; gas masks; headbands; hope chest; Hudson Bay Company; Hudson Bay trade beads; Indigenous masks; jacket; Jean Baptiste; lamps; Martin Starrett; matches; moose skin; Mrs. Leon; multi-purpose tool; Nass River; oolichan boxes; oolichan grease; Paddy Leon; phonograph cylinders; pistol; rattle dance; records; riverboats; sad irons; steaming; stone axe; tokens; Topley Landing; totem pole; washboards; washing clothes; Yukon Telegraph Line
artifact collection; goods; Indigenous artifacts; items; trading
Phillips discusses several artifacts, such as a Tibetan prayer wheel and a Mongolian passport, which had belonged to his old friend T.J. Thorpe, a Telkwa resident who had travelled throughout East Asia in the early 20th century. (Note: section includes a racial slur for people of Chinese descent).
Dalai Lama; death; deputy mining commissioner; justice of the peace; Lhasa, Tibet; North Star Cafe; Panchen Lama; pilgrimage; prayers; register of births, deaths, and marriages; Russian comic books; tourist visa
artifacts; Buddhism; Mongolia; passport; religion; T.J. Thorpe; Tibetan prayer wheel; travel
Brief discussion of sports and games played by Phillips as a child, followed by continued discussion of the artifact collection.
baseball; cameras; Chief David Francis; dog pack; fish net; gun; rabbit paw blanket; saddlebag; T.J. Thorpe; Tyee David; Tyhee David
artifact collection; artifacts; games; recreation; sports
Discussion of Telkwa history, including the Telkwa Nursing Home, bridges over the Bulkley and Telkwa Rivers, and the Telkwa barbecue.
Bulkley River; Bull James; chuckwagons; donations; photographs; population; Telkwa barbecue; Telkwa River; Telkwa rock
bridges; Telkwa; Telkwa Nursing Home
Discussion of the creation and abandonment of Hubert, the building of Smithers on a swamp, the town of Aldermere, and the visit of Slim Williams and his dog team.
barbecue grounds; Bull James; driving piles; Indian dance hall; Jack McNeill; Jesse James; Main Street ditch; swamp; Telkwa Hotel (Aldermere)
Aldermere; divisional point; dog team; Hubert; Slim Williams; Smithers
Continuation of viewing Phillips' artifact collection. Topics discussed include slavery in Siberia, work done by Phillips in his youth, mail-order catalogues, Father Morice's map, logging/carpentry tools, robberies, and missing child Michael Dunahee.
attempted kidnapping; axe; break-ins; Eaton's catalogue; farm work; firearm; forced labour; Fraser Canyon; goods; Hagwilget Bridge; inflation; mail order catalogue; map; Michael Dunahee; missing child; missionary; money; Morice map; newspapers; payment; prices; robbery; Siberia; slavery; spokeshave; T.J. Thorpe; telephone line; theft; tie-making; tools; Vancouver Island; Victoria; wages
artifact collection; artifacts; crime; Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice; work
Interview with Brianna Van Donselaar
https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions12316
- Date Range
- August 16, 2019
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- GMD
- sound recording
- electronic record
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Brianna Van Donselaar, recorded by Curator Kira Westby for the Bulkley Valley Museum on August 16th 2019. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access file, and a .pdf release form.
- Collection
- BVM Oral History collection
- Description Level
- File
- Creator
- Kira Westby
- Fonds No.
- C5
- Item No.
- 2021.21.80
- Accession No.
- 2021.21
- Physical Description
- 1.75 GB digital records
- Date Range
- August 16, 2019
- Scope and Content
- Interview with Brianna Van Donselaar, recorded by Curator Kira Westby for the Bulkley Valley Museum on August 16th 2019. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, .MP3 access file, and a .pdf release form.
- Type of Record
- Archival Description
Audio Tracks
Interview with Brianna van Donselaar - August 16, 2019
Interview with Brianna van Donselaar - August 16, 2019
https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.80_Van%20Donselaar,%20Brianna/Van%20Donselaar,%20Brianna%202019_08_16.ACCESS.mp3
Van Donselaar discusses her family's history in Smithers, what schools she attended, her own sexual orientation/gender identity, and what it was like to grow up as an LGBTQ+ individual in Smithers.
Chandler Park School; Charles Morris; discrimination; growing up; incorporation; LGBTQ+; Muheim Memorial Elementary School; Pride; school; Smithers Secondary School; transgender; Van Donselaar family
childhood; family history; gender identity; sexual orientation; Smithers
Van Donselaar discusses the development of high school GSAs and the Smithers Pride Society over the years, and mentions some of the goals that the Pride Society has for the future.
Chandler Park School; film screenings; Gay Straight Alliance; Gay Student Alliance; Gender Sexuality Alliance; Ivan Coyote; outreach; Perry Rath; Pride Day; Smithers High School; Transgender Day of Remembrance
GSAs; LGBTQ+; Smithers Pride Society
Van Donselaar discusses the scarcity of Pride Societies in Northern BC communities, and how strong community support has helped Smithers' Pride Society to find success.
acceptance; Anna Zeigler; community support; homophobia; parades; prejudice; Prince Rupert; rainbow crosswalk; Smithers United Church; Taylor Bachrach; Terrace; tolerance
LGBTQ+; Pride Societies; Smithers
The significance of Pride to the younger generation, and what obstacles still remain for the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Smithers.
lack of resources
LGBTQ+; Pride; youth
Van Donselaar briefly outlines her post-secondary education and travels after leaving Smithers. She then discusses Pride celebrations in Prince George, and efforts to expand the more 'adult'-oriented side of Pride.
drag show; education; medical training; paramedics; parties; Vancouver
Pride; Prince George
Van Donselaar discusses running a support group for LGBTQ+ youth in Smithers and working with the Trans Care BC advisory group to promote proper health care and safety.
education; health and safety; outreach; sex education; socialization; Trans Care BC advisory group
LGBTQ+; youth group
Van Donselaar discusses the increased visibility and acceptance that the LGBTQ+ community in Smithers has received, including from local businesses.
acceptance; allies; community support; rainbow crosswalk
businesses; LGBTQ+
Van Donselaar discusses the creation of Smithers' rainbow crosswalk and how it serves as a symbol of Pride in the community.
Anna Ziegler; Mayor; repainting; SOAR Girl Guides event
LGBTQ+; Pride; rainbow crosswalk
Van Donselaar discusses instances of opposition to Pride and LGBTQ+ inclusion in Smithers, mainly those expressed by letters to the Interior News.
backlash; bigotry; community; David Walford; Interior News; letters to the editor; opposition
homophobia; LGBTQ+; prejudice; Pride
Van Donselaar discusses the importance of Pride to the entire community, and how she hopes it will continue to grow and develop in the future.
Abbotsford; Canada Day; celebrating differences; community; diversity; inclusivity; National Indigenous People's Day; Pride Month; rainbow ambulance
LGBTQ+; Pride
Van Donselaar discusses how Pride has become more corporate in recent years, especially in larger cities, and how she hopes that Smithers' Pride remains community-centered. She also discusses the hypocrisy of large corporations which claim to support LGBTQ+ people but do not do so in practice.
corporations; hypocrisy; politics; values; Vancouver Pride
community; corporatism; Pride
Van Donselaar discusses the Pride Society's role in local outreach and education, as well as plans for future events (such as bringing in bands/musicians).
bands; Houston; musicians; Riverboat Days (Terrace); Tegan and Sara; Uh Huh Her; youth
education; LGBTQ+; outreach; Smithers Pride
Van Donselaar discusses the financial obstacles faced by the Pride Society and what funding opportunities are available to them.
becoming a society; budgets; concerts; costs; donations; grants
finances; funding opportunities; money; Smithers Pride Society
Van Donselaar discusses preparations for Pride 2020, which was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
event planning; promotion
Pride; Pride 2020
Discussion of various topics, including hopes for the future of the Pride movement, increased awareness of LGBTQ+ issues caused by Trump's negative publicity, and use of gender-neutral bathrooms.
current events; Donald Trump; gender-neutral washrooms; politics
acceptance; Pride
After a brief break, Van Donselaar discusses coming out as transgender, choosing a new name, and the importance of family support.
family; family support; names; naming; passing; puberty; relationships; suicide
coming out; LGBTQ+; transitioning
Van Donselaar mentions several instances of transphobic harassment in Smithers, including on social media.
bullying; discrimination; lack of privacy; meme; prejudice; slander; transitioning
harassment; social media; transphobia
Van Donselaar discusses various disappointments and obstacles, such as the Out in Schools group pulling their support for the North, the dubious sincerity of some Smithers businesses with 'safe space' stickers, the Pride Society's limited resources and finances, and the lack of anonymity that comes with living in a small town.
funding; northern Pride Societies; Vancouver Queer Film Festival; WTF Smithers Facebook page
education; Out in Schools; safe space stickers; Smithers Pride Society; social media