“Smithers, BC declared itself a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in 1986”
STILL ACTIVE (Symbolic)! Bylaw 771 prohibits the manufacture, testing, storage, or deployment of nuclear weapons within municipal boundaries—though municipalities have no constitutional authority over federal defense matters.
A Cold War Peace Movement Emerges
Smithers wasn't alone—it was part of a massive peace movement that swept Canada during the Cold War tensions of the 1980s. The movement began in earnest on March 28, 1982, when protesters in Cold Lake, Alberta launched the "Refuse the Cruise" campaign against American cruise missile testing over Canadian territory. On April 23, 1983, over 100,000 people marched through Vancouver in one of Canada's largest peace demonstrations.
Municipalities Across Canada Declare Free Zones
During this period, dozens of Canadian municipalities passed Nuclear Weapons Free Zone declarations. Vancouver declared itself a NWFZ and installed signs at city entrances (removed before the 2010 Winter Olympics). The BC legislature even voted to declare the entire province a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.
Symbolic Statements With International Echoes
These declarations were entirely symbolic—municipalities have no constitutional authority over federal defense matters. But they served as political statements against the Reagan administration's nuclear arms buildup and Canadian complicity in weapons testing. Similar symbolic declarations were passed in Berkeley, California (Nuclear Free Berkeley Act, 1986) and hundreds of other municipalities worldwide.
Where the story gets it wrong
This is not a joke bylaw — it was part of a serious Cold War-era movement across Canadian municipalities. Over 170 Canadian communities declared themselves nuclear weapons free zones during the 1980s. While the bylaw is largely symbolic since nuclear weapons policy is a federal matter, Smithers has never repealed it and it remains officially on the books.
Bylaw No. 771 declares the Town of Smithers to be a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, storage, and deployment of nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons components within municipal boundaries.
- Current status
- Never Enforced
- Enacted
- January 1, 1986
- Penalty
- The bylaw is largely symbolic and declaratory. Enforcement of nuclear weapons policy falls under federal jurisdiction, making municipal penalties effectively moot.