Saturday, October 31, 2015

Buildings Filmed Between Houston And Burns Lake British Columbia (Pictures)


Above Photo: I don’t believe the buildings are very old, but they looked really 
interesting and made for a nice picture.

We always try to keep a lookout for something nice to film. On one of our recent drives out to Burns Lake, British Columbia we spotted some buildings in an open field. 


They looked interesting so I stopped the car and walked into the field and took a number of pictures.


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The District Of Houston Leaves Of Red Houston British Columbia (Photo)


Above Photo: Leaves Of Red at the District Of Houston office building.

On my travels around Houston in the Fall of 2015, I came across a tree and it’s leaves were bright red. This was outside the District of Houston’s office.

I thought it was nice enough to take a picture of the tree.

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Smithers British Columbia Main Street Alpine Theme (16 - Photos)


Above Photo: A statue of a man blowing an alpine horn.

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.


Above Photo: Now this I thought was a excellent idea. On each of the street corners you will find a sign like you see in the picture. It lists the businesses on each street.

History:

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.

Civic Orientation:

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 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.

The Smithers railway station is served by Via Rail's Jasper – Prince Rupert train.


Culture: 

Smithers and the Bulkley Valley have often been described by non-residents as being distinct from the rest of Northern British Columbia. According to a 1990s survey, per capita, Smithers has 'the most of' in almost every category. 


Above Photo: On each of the street corners you will find a sign like you see in the picture. It lists the businesses on each street.

Many factors contribute to the composition of society in Smithers, including the arts, environmental protection, and local industries such as forestry and mining.


Smithers has adopted an alpine theme, which is drawn from the geography of the area. A town bylaw requires businesses in the downtown area centred on Main Street to construct their buildings in an alpine style. 


A fibreglass statue of a man blowing an alpine horn, commonly referred to as The Alpenman or Alpine Al, is located at the entrance to the main street and has become the town symbol. Similarly, the Smithers chamber of commerce displays an Alpine Al costume at community events and in television advertisements for the town's businesses.


Residents of Smithers are called Smithereens which remains a more popularly accepted title than the sometimes used 'Smitherite'.

Smithereens have a particularly strong environmental ethic. In 2006, over 600 Smithereens took to the streets to voice their opposition to a proposed coalbed methane gas field near Telkwa, which they claimed would threaten local water quality, landscape integrity and wild salmon populations.


Likewise a proposal by Thompson Creek Metals to develop a molybdenum mine to extract the Davidson deposit on Hudson Bay Mountain near the town was vigorously opposed over a period of years before TCM abandoned the project.


Smithers and the Bulkley Valley are home to many musicians, including Juno-Award-winning Alexis Puentes. The biggest assembly of musical talent happens during the annual Mid-Summer Music Festival in late June. 


Over the years, the Mid-Summer Music Festival has seen some famous acts like Spirit of the West and the Barenaked Ladies and has drawn audiences and participants from all across North America.


Above Photo: Hudson Bay mountain ski hill in the background.

The Della Herman Theatre, named after a longtime resident and former school board official, is the primary venue for shows and performances, though several pubs and even open fields serve as secondary performance venues. 


Above Photo: Hudson Bay mountain ski hill in the background.

Numerous organizations including the Bulkley Valley Community Arts Council operate to keep music and other artistic activities vibrant.

Above Source Informmation: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


Above Photo: A beautiful clock is located on the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue, Smithers, British Columbia.

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Friday, October 30, 2015

The Bulkley River Around Houston British Columbia ( 9 Pictures/ 2 Video Clips)


Above Photo: Beaver dam down stream on the The Bulkley River.

As many might notice, the Bulkley River is one of my favorite places in and around Houston, British Columbia to be. No matter what part of the Bulkley river I visit, the beauty is breath taking. 

So today, on October 30, 2015 my wife and I made another visit to the Bulkley river as the beavers are damming up the river in a couple of different spots, and I was hoping we might get some pictures of the fury little critter, but today we certainly heard the beaver splashing around up river, but never seem it.


Above Photo: Looking up into an old Cottonwood tree, if you look close, you will see a 
Bald Eagle sitting in it.

What I did manage to get were some nice pictures of the Bulkley River, and I hope you will enjoy these as much as I do.

Below Source Information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


The Bulkley River in British Columbia is a major tributary of the Skeena River. The Bulkley is 257 kilometres (160 miles) long with a drainage basin covering 
12,400 square kilometres (4,800 sq miles).


Much of the Bulkey is paralleled by Highway 16. It flows west from Bulkley Lake past Perow and is joined near Houston by the Morice River, its major tributary. 

Below Video Footage: 

I took some video footage of the water flowing over the beaver dam and of some Eagles on the Bulkley River Houston, British Columbia. I took the footage on October 25, 2015. It is hard to see the Eagles, but there are 3 of them flying around the beaver dam, I believe there are salmon that may be trapped behind the dam.

 You Tube - Beaver dam and Eagles on the Bulkley River Houston, British Columbia.

You Tube – The relaxing sound of water flowing over the beaver dam on the 
Bulkley River Houston, British Columbia.


Above Photo: Beavers have the Bulkley River dammed up. Also another larger dam down stream.

The Bulkley continues north past Quick, Telkwa and Smithers. It then meets the 
Skeena River near Hazelton.


Above Photo: As you can see in the picture, the beavers have chewed the bark off the large Cottonwood tree. Actually they fell the tree over the river.


Above Photo: As you can see in the picture, the beavers have chewed the bark off the large Cottonwood tree. Actually they fell the tree over the river.



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Thursday, October 29, 2015

Mural Paintings In Smithers British Columbia (8 - Pictures)


On my picture taking journeys around Smithers, British Columbia I found a good number of Mural Paintings on different buildings. Most are really detailed and fun to look at. 

So what I have decided to do is to add 8 new mural I have not posted before, so I hope you enjoy looking at them.









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St. Stephen’s Anglican Heritage Church Telkwa British Columbia


Above Photo: A photo of the 1910 St. Stephen’s Anglican Heritage Church in 
Telkwa British Columbia.

In Telkwa British Columbia you will find a beautiful 1910 old church which sits right along sidfe Highway 16. It seems the Telkwa Museum Society looks after the church and will rent it out for special occasions. 

You can visit the Telkwa website for details if you wish to rent the old church.

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Telkwa British Columbia


Above Photo: Road sign welcoming travelers to Telkwa, British Columbia.

A few days ago we drove out to Telkwa from our home in Houston, British Columbia. It was such a beautiful day we decided to head out. 

This time I wanted to get some pictures from around the two bridges that are really close together. One of the bridges is for the CN Railway, and the other for vehicle traffic. The Telkwa River runs under the Railroad bridge, and the river flowing under the vehicle bridge is the Bulkley River.


Above Photo: The bridge at the left hand side of the picture is for vehicle traffic 
and the other for CN Railway.

While I was there I managed to film a train that was rumbling over the Telkwa river. Also below is some information on the Village of Telkwa British Columbia.

Below Link: To view the video of the CN train crossing the 
Telkwa River, Telkwa, British Columbia.

Below Text Source Information: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Telkwa is a village located along British Columbia Highway 16, nearly 15 kilometres (9 miles) southeast of the town of Smithers and 350 kilometres (220 mi) west of the city of Prince George, in northwest British Columbia, Canada.


Above Photo: Looking down stream at the Bulkley River.

Settlement in the area began around 1904 in a town site known as Aldermere on the hill above Telkwa. Around 1907, people began to move down the hill to be closer to water supplies and the anticipated route of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. 


Above Photo: Looking at the Telkwa River flowing under the CN railroad bridge.

The name Telkwa is possibly a native term for "meeting of the waters" which appropriately describes the confluence of the Bulkley and Telkwa Rivers in town.

Via Rail's Jasper – Prince Rupert train calls at the Telkwa railway station several times per week.


Above Photo: The bridge at the left hand side of the picture is for vehicle traffic 
and the other for CN Railway. It worked out good as a train was passing by.

The history of the town can be explored at the Telkwa Museum and on a tour of the historic former town site of Aldermere. 


Telkwa hosts an annual barbecue and demolition derby on Labour Day weekend. The town also has Eddy Park, at the riverside with a small gazebo, right off the highway.

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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Smithers British Columbia Visitor Centre (Photos)


Above Photo: Lonely Cougar looks back toward his home in the mountains from the 
Smithers, British Columbia Visitor Centre.

We were out in Smithers, B.C. a few days ago and I wandered around taking pictures of a lot of things as the weather was beautiful. One of the places I thought I would start with was the 
Chamber of Commerce/ Visitor Centre.


Above Photo: A better look at the big cat.

There was a display of a Cougar outside the building which I thought was pretty cool. the Cougar looks like it is missing the high mountains as it looks staring off into the distant mountains.


Above Photo: Smithers, British Columbia Chamber of Commerce/ Visitor Centre.



Above Photo: When you are traveling west coming into Smithers, this wonderful sculpture of a fishermen stands beside Highway 16.


Above Photo: This information sign is located at the Smithers Visitor Centre.


Above Photo: I took this picture a few minutes east of Smithers. Hudson bay mountain is seen in the background. 

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