Born in London, England, in 1889, Ernest Hann came to Canada with his family in 1902. Landing in Montreal, he travelled by train to Moosamin, Saskatchewan, where he worked on a farm for a year. Later, in Vernon, B.C., he became a carpenter and met his future wife, Addie Bannister. In 1813, after reading about the Bulkley Valley in a newspaper, he and his brother-in-law, Al Bannister, travelled to Houston. Ernest Hann stayed there for a year before moving to Smithers. The Bannister family followed and he and Addie married. They had seven children: Wana (Abel), Winnie (Robertson), Pearl Wall), Pat (McCammon), Roberta (Robinson), Bill, and Lloyd. Ernest Hann was involved in local government and community organizations and in 1974 was presented with a plaque of appreciation for his efforts in establishing the Bulkley Valley Museum.