Smith River, British Columbia

Smith River is an abandoned emergency airport and weather station in the Liard Country of far northern British Columbia, Canada. It is located southwest of the junction of Shaw Creek with the Smith River,[1] which enters the Liard between the confluences of the Toad and Coal Rivers.[2]

Smith River
Smith River
Location of Smith River in British Columbia
Coordinates: 59°53′00″N 126°26′00″W
Country Canada
Province British Columbia

It is located just south of the British Columbia-Yukon boundary, was the location of the coldest temperature ever recorded in British Columbia and the eighth-coldest temperature on record in Canada: -58.9 °C (-74 °F), on January 31, 1947.

During World War II Smith River was built up and used as an airport base as defense against the Japanese if they should ever invade the mainland of North America. A 6000 ft long runway was built at Smith River, and government maintained it until the 1970s, at which time the airport was abandoned. In the Spring and Summer of 1982 a forest fire consumed all the remaining buildings.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Smith River (locality)". BC Geographical Names.
  2. "Smith River (river)". BC Geographical Names.
  3. http://ensign.ftlcomm.com/ensign2/landscapes/North/smithRiver/july18_82/jul18_82.html


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