Bert Goulet

Bert Goulet
Albert (Bert) Goulet fishing.
Born
Albert Goulet

(1918-05-12)May 12, 1918
Biggar, Saskatchewan
Died(2001-11-03)November 3, 2001
Smithers, British Columbia
Alma materUniversité de Saint-Boniface
Known forEntrepreneur, politician
SpousePatricia Hoy (m. 1950)
Children3

Albert “Bert” Goulet (May 12, 1918 – November 3, 2001) was a Canadian entrepreneur, community leader, and politician in Terrace, British Columbia. He served as a city councillor from 1962 to 1965, and as reeve (mayor) from 1965 to 1967.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Albert (Bert) Goulet and his mother, Antoinette Goulet, sit together.

Bert was born in Biggar, Saskatchewan on May 12, 1918, to Leon and Antoinette Goulet, French-Canadian pioneers who initially homesteaded in Thornhill, British Columbia.[2] At age two, the family returned to Saskatchewan after a brief attempt at settling in Thornhill.[2] Bert spent his formative years in Carrot River, Saskatchewan, where he attended school and learned English.[2] He graduated from Université de Saint-Boniface, formerly St. Boniface College, in Winnipeg in 1936, specializing in business and commerce.[2]

Military service

In 1941, Goulet enlisted in the Canadian military during World War II.[2] While his initial aspiration to become a pilot was curtailed by motion sickness, he served in administrative roles in British Columbia and later in southern England.[2] He was discharged in May 1946.[2]

Career and business ventures

The Lazelle Avenue location of what was once Bert's Grocery in Terrace, British Columbia.

After World War II, Goulet settled in Vancouver, working in various jobs before co-founding Harbor Electric in 1947.[2] In 1951, he moved to Terrace, where he established Bert's Grocery on Lakelse Avenue, a business he ran for 16 years.[2]

Advertisement for Bert Goulet's campaign to become reeve in Terrace, British Columbia.

In the late 1960s, Goulet transitioned to real estate and later opened Northwest Sportsman, an outdoor sports store in Terrace.[2][5][6][7] The store became a hub for local and visiting anglers before it burnt down on April 13, 2017.[2][7]

Community leadership

Goulet was deeply involved in Terrace's civic life.[2]

As a city councillor and later as reeve, he spearheaded efforts to attract businesses to Terrace, including negotiating with Safeway to establish a presence in the city.[1][2] He also contributed to the development of modern healthcare facilities, serving as a trustee for the Skeena Hospital Improvement District, and purchasing the land that culminated in the opening of the Terrace and District Hospital in 1961, and would later evolve to became Mills Memorial Hospital and now Ksyen Regional Hospital.[2][8]

Bert was an active member of service organizations such as the Terrace Rotary and Terrace Kinsmen and played a role in local sports and cultural activities.[2]

Later life and legacy

After retiring in 1986, Goulet endured health challenges, including heart attacks and a stroke.[2]

He moved to Smithers, British Columbia, in 2000 and died on November 3, 2001.[2]

Personal life

Bert married Patricia Hoy in 1950, and the couple had three children, Greg, Bert Jr., and Cheryl.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting Held in the Municipal Council Chambers on November 26, 2001" (PDF). www.terrace.ca. 2001-11-26. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Moen, Yvonne. "Bert Goulet". www.terracelibrary.ca. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  3. ^ "Reeve Bert Goulet handing over Centennial Gavel to Reeve Sam Lindsay". www.collections.kitimatmuseum.ca. 1967-02-10. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  4. ^ "Around the Town" (PDF). Terrace Omineca Herald. 1966-04-06. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  5. ^ Brown, Rob (2014-11-26). "Travels with Mike IV". Terrace Standard. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  6. ^ Brown, Rob (2012-11-08). "Long rods then and now". Terrace Standard. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  7. ^ a b Wiebe, Kelsey (2017-04-15). "Historical building wiped out in downtown fire". Terrace Standard. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  8. ^ Wiebe, Kelsey (2017-02-08). "This is how Terrace, B.C. got its first modern hospital". Terrace Standard. Retrieved 2024-12-08.