Smithers has won the northern division in the CBC’s Best Small Town in B.C. contest.
On Friday, the town bested Bella Coola by a vote of 55.7 per cent to 44.3 per cent in online voting.
Previously, Smithers had squeaked into the finals by less than one per cent over Queen Charlotte.
Smithers now moves on to the semi-finals with the winners of the other three divisions: Lillooet (Southwest B.C.), Ucluelet (Vancouver Island) and Kimberley (Interior B.C.).
Last week, Lillooet triumphed over Salt Spring island with 54.4 per cent of the vote; Ucluelet bested Hornby Island with 68.8 per cent; and Kimberley grabbed 54.7 per cent to defeat Osoyoos.
READ MORE: EDITORIAL: Vote, vote, vote
A total of 128 towns unincorporated communities, small islands and Indigenous communities with at least 500 people, but less than 12,000 began the competition.
The winning town will be announced on-air on CBC Radio One morning show on Friday, April 29. In addition to earning bragging rights, the winning small town will receive a special prize.
En route to taking the north, Smithers beat out Atlin, Dease Lake, Kitamaat Village, and Queen Charlotte in the 7 week-long voting competition.
It is unclear which of the other divisions the northern winner will face in the semifinals.
Stay tuned to interior-news.com for voting information when it becomes available.
editor@interior-news.com
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