Showing 52 results

Archival description
South Peace Regional Archives Photograph collection Business
Print preview View:

52 results with digital objects Show results with digital objects

John (Jack) Smart

Jack Smart walked into the Peace River region to Grande Prairie over the Edson Trail around 1911. He was accompanied by Joe, Jack and George Crummy. He and the Crummy brothers went to work running their own hotel. He later filed for a homestead, which he never farmed since he returned to Edmonton in 1915 to enlist in the army and went overseas until he was wounded in early 1918. He met and married Annie Soar while he was overseas and they returned to live in Grande Prairie at the end of the war where he worked for the Alberta Railway for a time. He left there to work for Frontier Lumber as a bookkeeper, but in 1930 together with his partner Harry Newton they opened the first 5 to a dollar store in northern Alberta, which they ran until 1947. He also served nearly 20 years as secretary of the school board, was a lifelong member of the Masonic Lodge, was chairman of the hospital board, was a member of town council, and served in other civic organizations such as the Elks and Kinsmen. Meanwhile, Annie ran the household while teaching piano lessons. She eventually became the first music teacher in the school and was also the organist and choir leader at Christ Church Anglican for many years. In 1943, he was acclaimed mayor of Grande Prairie and held office until ill health forced him to resign after only a year. He continued with his business until 1947 when he sold and retired to Edmonton where he passed away in 1960 at the age of 80. Annie passed away in 1983 in Summerland BC at the age of 95.

Results 1 to 10 of 52