Smithers and the Bulkley Valley Museum are located on C’inulh K’it, Cas Yikh (Grizzly House) territory, belonging to the Gidimt’en Clan of the Witsuwit’en (Wet’suwet’en).
Scroll down to read more about our mission, core values, history, governance, staff, affiliations, and more.
Mission
The Bulkley Valley Museum collects, preserves and presents items of historical and cultural significance from Smithers and the Bulkley Valley, with the purpose of making our local history exciting and engaging.
Core Values
In May 2025 the Board of Directors adopted the following Core Values:
Relationship with Indigenous Nations: The museum values our relationship with the Witsuwit’en Nation and their neighbours, and will work to continue to grow and maintain this important connection. Recognition of and respect for Indigenous culture and traditions will be integrated into our operations. We recognize Indigenous intellectual property rights to cultural items and inter-generational knowledge, including traditional preservation practices.
Community: Our work is first and foremost for our local community. We value our community connections and the relationships we hold with our local organizations, institutions, businesses, and individuals that enable us to fulfill our mandate and mission.
Diversity and Inclusivity: The museum values and embraces the diversity of our community, both historically and presently. We strive to represent this diversity in our collections, and in the stories that we share through exhibitions and programming, for all ages and abilities.
Education and Awareness: We value evidence-based knowledge and academic research. We consult knowledge compiled from evidentiary sources, including Indigenous knowledge derived from cultural traditions in our exhibitions and programming. We treasure our role as educators, and value life-long learning for ourselves and our community.
Stewardship and Preservation: We value the trust placed in the museum by our community to collect, care for, and preserve our local history for future generations. We value and support the efforts of other museums and cultural organizations in the region, and support them in their work to preserve local histories. The museum is committed to proactive emergency planning and disaster preparedness and to educating our community about the threats posed by climate-related events to heritage.
History
Local community members, including early Smithers resident Ernest Hann, had been compiling a collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs representing the history of Smithers and the surrounding Bulkley Valley as early as 1961. These collections formed the museum’s first public displays when the Smithers Centennial Library & Museum opened in November 1967.
In 1971 the Museum was officially incorporated under the Society’s Act of British Columbia as the Bulkley Valley Historical & Museum Society (BVHMS). In 1974, as space became limited in the Library/Museum building, the Museum was moved to the Central Park Building, a heritage building constructed in 1925 as the provincial government building and courthouse. The Museum first shared space in the Central Park Building with the Smithers Art Gallery, later moving to its own space on the first floor. The BVHMS became a registered charity in 1987.
The Museum continues to operate in the Central Park Building today. The Bulkley Valley Museum is open year round, and its collections, exhibits, and programing are enjoyed by over 4000 people each year.
Governance
The Bulkley Valley Museum is operated by the Bulkley Valley Historical & Museum Society (BVHMS). The Society elects a Board of Directors from its membership. Acting as a policy board, the Board of Directors are responsible for establishing vision, policy, and resources for the Museum. The BVHMS operates under the following mandate (constitution), adopted in 1974:
1. To gather and preserve local historical artifacts, information and records
2. To maintain and operate a museum to house and display said artifacts
3. To provide access to archival materials for research purposes
4. To encourage preservation of historical landmarks, including buildings and monuments
2024-25 Board of Directors:
President: Rick Budhwa
Vice President: Pat Scott
Secretary: Betty Campbell
Treasurer: Eric Holdijk
Directors: Jonathan Boone, Claire de Jong, Anne Desplanches, Stalop Caroline Muir
Town Council Liaison: Laura Leonard (non-voting)
Strategic Plan
The museum’s 2024-2027 plan outlines strategic goals related to exhibits, educational programming, diversifying engagement, expanding revenue sources, and collections management.
View the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan →
Response to Racism and Hate Protocol
The Bulkley Valley Museum is a signatory of the Smithers Bridging Committee’s Response to Racism and Hate Protocol. To read the protocol, or to make a report, please click on the link or contact the Museum at curator@bvmuseum.org or 250-847-5322.
The Bulkley Valley Museum stands in solidarity with organizations in our sector and our community fighting against racism, hate, and residential school denialism.
Staff
Curator: Kira Westby
Kira is originally from Peterborough, Ontario. She received her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology and History from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2010, and a Masters in Public History from the University of Western Ontario in 2011. Prior to moving to Smithers she worked at the archaeological collections facility Sustainable Archaeology: Western in London, Ontario for three years. While living in London, Kira was the Emerging Leaders Representative on the London Advisory Committee on Heritage. Kira has been Curator of the Bulkley Valley Museum since November 2014. She is the Secretary of the BC Historical Federation, and serves as a Director with Tourism Smithers and the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation.
Email Kira: curator@bvmuseum.org
Programming and Administrative Assistant: Mélanie Morin
Mélanie has lived in Smithers since 2001, and has previously worked in both adult and youth educational programming with the Kyah Wiget Education Society, School District #54, Witsuwit’en Language and Culture Society, and École la Grande-ourse. Mélanie completed a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology at University of British Columbia, and has extensive experience in archival and genealogical research, and publishing. She is the compiling author of both the first and second editions of Nihwhts’ide’nï Hibi’it’ën: The Ways of our Ancestors. She is a fluent speaker of French, English, Spanish, and Witsuwit’en.
Email Mélanie: info@bvmuseum.org
Funding
The Bulkley Valley Museum receives annual operational funding assistance from the Town of Smithers, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, and the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council, and the Community Gaming Grant. The Museum applies for additional funding for special projects or programs as required. To learn more about our funders and past projects or programs they have supported, please contact the Museum.
The Bulkley Valley Museum also receives significant support for its activities and programs from local businesses through donations or corporate memberships. Become a corporate sponsor or obtain a corporate membership for your business!
Professional Affiliations
The Bulkley Valley Museum is an institutional member of the British Columbia Museums Association, the Archives Association of British Columbia, the Canadian Museum Association, the BC Historical Federation, the Bulkley Valley Arts Council, and the Smithers and District Chamber of Commerce.