Donald B. Smith has co-edited such books as The New Provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1905-1980 (with the late Howard Palmer), and Centennial City: Calgary 1894-1994. His popular articles have appeared in a variety of local and national publications including Alberta History, The Beaver, the Globe and Mail, and the Calgary Herald. With Douglas Francis and Richard Jones, he published the popular two volume history text, Origins, and Destinies, and the single-volume history of Canada, titled Journeys. He has also published Calgary's Grand Story, a history of twentieth century Calgary from the vantage point of two heritage buildings in the city, the Lougheed Building and Grand Theatre, both constructed in 1911/1912.
Born in Toronto in 1946, Dr. Smith was raised in Oakville, Ontario. He obtained his BA and PhD at the University of Toronto, and his M.A. at the Université Laval. He taught Canadian History at the University of Calgary from 1974 to 2009, focusing on
Canadian history in general, and on Aboriginal History, Quebec, and the Canadian North in particular. His research has primarily been in the field of Aboriginal History, combined with a strong interest in Alberta history.

The only information on a Garth Smith in Moose Jaw was listed in Henderson’s Directories from 1965 to 1967. Garth and Edna M. Smith (an Edna M. Smith donated this fonds to the archives) resided at 830 Athabasca St. E. Garth worked as a carpenter’s helper at Moose Jaw Sash and Door, and later was employed by the CPR as a yardman. Edna was a receptionist at the Moose Jaw Union Hospital. After 1967 and until 1978 Edna M. Smith is still listed in Henderson’s Directory, employed as a receptionist at the Union Hospital, but living at 822 Athabasca St. E. No other information is available.

Born in 1889 at Ridgeway, Iowa, to Norwegian pioneers (Ole and Henrietta Sherven), the fifth daughter of seven with a younger brother and four sisters, Olena came to a homestead 30 miles north of Watson, Saskatchewan in 1911. Olena’s interest in sketching animals at a young age led to her being enrolled in a Lutheran college in Red Wing, Minnesota in 1907, where she learned oil painting. She had previously taken a mail course doing a pen and ink perspective exercise. Her father encouraged further schooling, so she went to the Winnipeg School of Art during 1914-15 where pencil studies of the human form were taught using plaster models. She married Rutherford W. Smith sometime around 1920. In 1938, she went to the Winnipeg School of Art for a brief time; LeMoine FitzGerald, a member of the Group of Seven, was Head. Boarding with her sister on the U of S campus, she was able to get lessons from Gus Kenderdine who had been appointed the university’s first art instructor. Two copies of Kenderdine oil paintings survive from these lessons. Her first showing was held in Saskatoon. She exhibited oils “Winter” and “Autumn,” scenes from the farm. She attended the Emma Lake summer school for three seasons. Instructors included Kenneth Lochhead, Arthur McCay, Reta Cowley, H.W. Wickenden, and Winona Mulcaster. In later winters at Edinburgh, Texas, Olena enjoyed doing street scenes in Mexico and some portraits in pencil. Retiring to Melfort, she continued to sketch, making notes on colours for future paintings. She died in Melfort in 1972 at the age of 83.

Rosa Smith was the aunt of Miss. M. Roycroft. Not much else is known about her.