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.HistoryThe 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, 10km from Smithers was created in 1967.Civic orientationThe 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 commercial focus with residential development radiating outward from the commercial core. The traditional downtown was punctuated by important civic structures — the (old) courthouse at the intersection of Main Street with Hwy 16 or by community focal points — the Canadian National Railway station at the western end of Main Street. This pattern has been sustained by the preservation of the old courthouse, as well as the establishment of a major civic park located around the cenotaph. The ongoing restoration of the CN railway station as a community resource centre is a further measure to improve the town.