Smith River | |
|---|---|
  Smith River Location of Smith River in British Columbia | |
| Coordinates: 59°53′00″N 126°26′00″W / 59.88333°N 126.43333°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  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]
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. Nathaniel Lebans, a World War I Sapper with the Royal Engineers, supervised the construction of the emergency airport. Nat, or Slim, Lebans was from Blackville, New Brunswick and when to England to join the Royal Engineers in 1917. A 6000 ft long runway was built at Smith River, and the 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]