Obituary
Art was born in Bralorne BC to Les and May Buchanan and moved to Smithers at age 2 when his father got the job as the Gov Telegraph Agent. He was an energetic and entrepreneurial child. Playing baseball and hockey, collecting bottles when he should have been in Sunday school and selling newspapers and other items to workers and soldiers. When his father became a partner (with Cecil Steele and Slim Goodacre) in the movie theatre business, Art worked there too. At age 20 he also started working for the CN railroad, which was his main job until he retired. About the same time, Marge Simpson began working at the movie theatre and a romance developed. They were married in 1960, had 3 children and recently celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary. In the late 1960s Art became a partner in the movie theatre business and shortly thereafter they moved the Drive In Theatre from Evelyn to 19th Ave. With so much earth to be moved during the construction Art thought “Why not buy my own dump truck, loader and bulldozer.” Thus, Ranch Trucking was born, eventually becoming the largest dirt and gravel business in the area. In 1973 the movie partners built the new Roi Theatre, moving from Main St (Totem audio location) to its current 4th Ave location. As the years passed, Art bought out all the partners and expanded the theatre to Roi 2 and then Roi 3. On top of all this, in the late 1970s Art decided to get into the construction and house moving business with a railroad friend (Don Worsfold). They built a couple houses for clients and 5 houses on speculation until the high interest rates of the 1980s brought that to an end. One of the houses they moved went up to the ski hill and served as the lodge at the old rope tow.
Art had a lifelong love of hockey. He played hockey when he was young, and it stuck with him. Art was always proud that one of his first summer jobs was helping build the (old) Arena. He had season tickets for the Canucks from 1970 to 2019 and knew every player along the way. The first time his adult daughter ever saw him cry was watching Pavel Buri at a Canucks game. Art sponsored the Roi’s minor hockey team for decades.
Art’s other passion was downhill skiing. He started late in life, while taking his sons and team mates to yet another ski race in the early 1980s. They were in Kimberly and him and another dad were tired of sitting in the lodge, so they rented skis and never looked back. For the next 35 years he was a constant figure on the ski hill. Weekends, Thrilling Thursday, Schuss Boomer Downhill, Schnai Day, kids, grand kids, he was in! Art would say “Everyday on the ski hill is a good day and everyone is always happy!”
Art loved the Bulkley Valley and everyone in it. He was always willing to lend a helping hand or be a sponsor for this or that. Art treated everyone as equal and always had a handshake and a “How ya doing today!” for everybody.
Art was predeceased by his parents, sister Lorraine and brother-in-law George. He is survived by his wife Marge, sister Jo, sons Glen and Lorne (Angela), daughter Jill (Peter), granddaughter Hailey (Braden), grandsons Heiko and Logan, great grandsons Emmett and Kayce.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Arthur Cecil Buchanan June 6 1938 November 9 2021 (age 83)..
Schrader Funeral Home & Cremation Services
Death notice for the town of: Smithers, Province: Colombie britanique