Tag: Smithers

Smithers is a town located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, approximately halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Smithers is located in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako. With a population of 5,404, Smithers is a service area for most of the Bulkley Valley.
The Bulkley Valley in which Smithers is situated was originally inhabited by the Wet’suwet’en, Smithers was founded in 1913 as the regional headquarters for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The new community was named after the railway’s chairman of the board of directors, Sir Alfred Smithers. In 1921, Smithers became the first incorporated village in British Columbia. In 1967, Smithers was incorporated as a town. Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Smithers was created in 1967.
The Town was surveyed in 1913 and a street grid pattern was established that is still very much evident today. Historically, intensive development has been oriented towards Main Street as the prime…