Walking stick made from a tree branch, with painted/carved inscriptions giving the names of Boy Scout troops and the dates of trips to different landmarks and locations (Thornhill Mountain, Claque/Clague Mountain, Hirsch Creek Falls, Douglas Channel, Squirrel Mountain). Grooves have been carved into the circumference every ~12 or so inches along the stick. Towards the tip, there is a diamond-like pattern of intersecting lines carved into the wood, followed by a series of 6 more circular grooves, each about 1 inch apart, at the very end. Many of the carvings have been painted green, and there is a reddish smear, possibly from paint, along one side of the tip of the stick. Also near the tip is a pencil drawing of a crown, above the words "Boy Scouts."
Walking stick made from a tree branch, with painted/carved inscriptions giving the names of Boy Scout troops and the dates of trips to different landmarks and locations (Thornhill Mountain, Claque/Clague Mountain, Hirsch Creek Falls, Douglas Channel, Squirrel Mountain). Grooves have been carved into the circumference every ~12 or so inches along the stick. Towards the tip, there is a diamond-like pattern of intersecting lines carved into the wood, followed by a series of 6 more circular grooves, each about 1 inch apart, at the very end. Many of the carvings have been painted green, and there is a reddish smear, possibly from paint, along one side of the tip of the stick. Also near the tip is a pencil drawing of a crown, above the words "Boy Scouts."
Physical Condition
Fair
Material
Wood
Condition Remarks
Many scratches in the wood; some of the paint is scratched off; diamond-shaped chunk taken out about 13 inches from tip (under initials W.P.)
James McNay was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, on January 31, 1907. Between 1951 and 1953, he worked in the payroll department for Alcan. He had to leave his wife Effie and his two young daughters, Margaret and Diane, aged 6 and 5 in 1951, at home in Surrey, B.C., during his 3-4 month stints in Kitimat. To fill some of his free time and show his family where he was and what Kitimat was like, he spent many hours walking in the area with a 35mm Kodak camera. He photographed the scenic beauty of the area and parts of the construction of both the smelters and the town. He died in Surrey on August 7, 1983.
Custodial History
Donated by Margaret McNay. Images were taken by her father and sent to their family in Surrey in the 1950s.
Scope and Content
Slide showing opening to the Kitimat Yacht Club basin. Sailboats and the Alcan dock in the distance.
