Smithers council unanimously voted to have Tourism Smithers operate the Visitor Information Centre during tonight’s (Tuesday) meeting.
During initial discussions, Councillors Sam Raven and Laura Leonard mentioned a point between it and the Bulkley Valley Museum’s proposals.
“The evaluation has them in a dead heat but we’re recommending the higher price,” said Leonard.
Tourism Smithers’ proposal included the town paying $117,000 to operate the centre with the museum’s cost being $20,000 lower.
Chief Administrative Officer Michael Dewar added the higher price did put tourism’s proposal lower than the museum’s in that category.
“When we looked at the overall ranking, we did identify [Tourism Smithers] scored higher and also had a lot of validity in terms of why staff would select it as the preferred candidate,” Dewer said.
The Smithers District Chamber of Commerce has been operating the centre for several years and decided earlier this year it could no longer continue due to rising operating costs.
A lease and fee-for-service agreement are still to be determined with Tourism Smithers’ first day operating set for April 1st, 2026.
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