100 Years of the Fall Fair
2019 marked the 100th anniversary of the first Fall Fair in Smithers, which was held on September 30th 1919. To mark the occasion the Bulkley Valley Museum and Smithers Art Gallery came together to produce a joint exhibition of art and history that was displayed in both spaces. The exhibit featured the full history of […]
Call for Art for Community Exhibition
The Bulkley Valley Museum and Smithers Art Gallery are presenting a joint exhibit marking the 100th anniversary of the first Smithers Fall Fair in 1919 – and we want you to participate! This exhibit will combine community memory with community creativity in the form of artifacts, photographs, and art. Everyone in the community, from beginner […]
Museum Mysteries: Dating the Smithers Panorama
“When was that taken?” If you’ve been in the Old Church, or the office of the Bulkley Valley Museum, you’ve seen it: a beautiful panoramic view of Smithers in its earliest days. Second Avenue runs up the centre of the image, with the snow-covered Hudson Bay Mountain behind. Stumps cover the ground, and the St. […]
The Interior News: Now available ONLINE!
Last month, Newspapers.com digitized the Interior News from the microfilmed editions stored in our archives. Now anyone with an internet connection and a subscription to Newspapers.com can search our local paper from 1910 to 2007! This is a big deal for BV Museum staff. One of our many jobs at the museum is to help […]
BV Museum AGM – March 27
The BV Museum will host it’s Annual General Meeting for fiscal year 2018 on March 27th at 7pm at the Old Church. All are welcome, please note that only members of the BV Historical & Museum Society are eligible to vote. To become a member, download our membership form and return it to the Museum […]
Smithers’ Famous Photographer: Gilbert Clarke Killam
The following blog post was written by Dirk Mendel and Harry Kruisselbrink and originally published in the March 2016 edition of “Autumn Leaves”, the newsletter of the Smithers Senior Citizens Association. Early Life and the Klondike Gilbert Clark Killam was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on March 6th, 1863 to John and Lucy Killam. Gilbert’s […]
The Fourth Annual Cemetery Walk!
Join the BV Museum for our fourth annual Cemetery Walk, featuring new stories of past Smithers’ residents! The walk is being offered on two days in 2018: October 27th AND October 28th at noon. This is a free event. Donations in support of Museum events and activities are greatly appreciated. Please remember to dress for […]
Behind the Scenes: Digitizing Oversized Records
One of the goals under the BV Museum’s Strategic Plan is increasing engagement with and access to our collection items in the digital realm. Digitization has been a primary focus of our Museum over the past few years, beginning with the launch of our Collections Online website in 2016 (thanks to funding from the Documentary […]
Museum Mysteries: Fire Photos
Burning Questions While browsing the Museum’s photo collection last summer, we came across a mystery: four photos showing the aftermath of a major fire. They had no associated information: no date, no donor, and no location aside from a note saying “Smithers BC”. There are many unidentified photos in the Museum’s collection. However, we found […]
Fall Fair Photo Call
We Want YOUR Fall Fair Photos! The BV Museum and Smithers Art Gallery are partnering on a 2019 exhibit marking the 100th anniversary of the Smithers Fall Fair, and we need your help! We are seeking photos of the past 100 years of fun at the Fall Fair – the parade, the rodeo, blue ribbon […]