Sir Alfred Waldron Smithers (4 October 1850 – 22 August 1924)[1] was a British businessman and politician, and a pioneer of the railway industry in England and Canada.
[2] His father a Bank of England employee,[3] Alfred was a member of the London Stock Exchange 1873–1909.
[3] In 1903, the board reluctantly approved Charles Melville Hays' westward expansion plans under the auspices of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR).
[10] Following as chair 1909–1921,[11] Alfred made the first contribution to the fund for an Anglican church at Smithers, British Columbia, a place named in his honour.
One of the stained glass windows in St Katharine's Church, Knockholt, Kent, England, is a memorial to Alfred & Emma Smithers.