In a news bulletin posted on the town of Smithers website: The Town of Smithers is pleased to share that the downtown landscape will be significantly revitalized during the summer of 2022. All along Main Street, from Highway 16 to Alfred Avenue, the downtown core’s trees, shrubs, planters, and hardscape items such as benches and bins will be rejuvenated and replaced.

There will be periods of disruption and temporary unsightliness as the work takes place but the end result will be beautiful!

Beginning April 20, 2022, the contractor will remove existing plants and trees. Unfortunately, after extensive consultation with the landscape experts, the trees along Main Street cannot be salvaged nor viably replanted due to the age of the trees and the severe constriction of their roots in the raised planters. We know this removal of existing vegetation will come as a shock to the look of the downtown core, but we are confident in the vision of the landscape revitalization and know the results will be worth the temporary disturbance.

Work to revitalize our Main Street will proceed along Main Street two blocks at a time and those active blocks will be closed to vehicle traffic to facilitate a quick construction process. Work will take place Monday to Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with occasional extended hours with the majority of the work to be completed mid August. All sidewalks will remain open for the duration of the project however some parking spaces will need to be closed at times even when Main Street is open to vehicle traffic.

The Town of Smithers will be in continuous communication with the contractor, Lyon’s Landscaping of Kamloops, and will keep the public and downtown businesses updated throughout the project. We are looking forward to seeing the transformation of Main Street and thank you in advance for your patience as the temporary disturbance takes place for the long-term gain of an even more beautiful downtown core.