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 the smeltersite school viewed from the side. Some people can be seen out front. Powerlines visible up above.
Slide showing three chidlren around a shallow pool of ocean water at smeltersite. One child is in the water, and the other two are standing at the front and back. Behind them is Hospital Beach and the smeltersite hospital. Beyond that are other smeltersite buildings.
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 three chidlren around a shallow pool of ocean water at smeltersite. One child is in the water, and the other two are standing at the front and back. Behind them is Hospital Beach and the smeltersite hospital. Beyond that are other smeltersite buildings.
Slide showing smeltersite. On left is a long building (presumably the morgue), and towards the right is a panabode house. Smeltersite hospital site to right of panabode.
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 smeltersite. On left is a long building (presumably the morgue), and towards the right is a panabode house. Smeltersite hospital site to right of panabode.
Slide showing clearing in smeltersite area. Hill clearing in centre has a small structure (water storage?) on top, and there is another small building at the bottom. Construction materials and other developments are visible in the foreground.
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 clearing in smeltersite area. Hill clearing in centre has a small structure (water storage?) on top, and there is another small building at the bottom. Construction materials and other developments are visible in the foreground.
Slide showing six buses parked and lined up on dirt road. 2 yellow, 4 silver. Dirt hill next to them, and some sort of other structure with barrel shaped parts in front of them. Possibly fuel storage.
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 six buses parked and lined up on dirt road. 2 yellow, 4 silver. Dirt hill next to them, and some sort of other structure with barrel shaped parts in front of them. Possibly fuel storage.
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 view looking down smeltersite road. Buildings and powerlines are on the right. Douglas Channel and mountains visible beyond.
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 panabode house at smeltersite. Douglas Channel and mountains visible behind. Dirt road in front.
Slide showing panabode house at smeltersite. A person is sitting on a chair to the left, in front of the house. Behind, powrlines, another building, and forest is visible.
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 panabode house at smeltersite. A person is sitting on a chair to the left, in front of the house. Behind, powrlines, another building, and forest is visible.
Photographs of early Kitimat and Alcan smelter. Souvenir photobook with five photos.
Townsite with Mount Elizabeth in background. Smoke is visible beyond townsite in the forest. May 15, 1956.
Townsite with sandhill visible in background. May 15, 1956.
Main Road - Motel - Townsite. View of road leading from service centre into town. Kildala area cleared but not much is built. Kitimat River bridge visible at bottom. Aug 1955.
Kitimat Valley. View of Alcan site, hospital beach, and pier. Looking north.
Smeltersite. View of Alcan smelter and smeltersite.
Donated by Carol Larson. Originally belonged to her mother, Lydia Strecheniuk.
Scope and Content
Photographs of early Kitimat and Alcan smelter. Souvenir photobook with five photos.
Townsite with Mount Elizabeth in background. Smoke is visible beyond townsite in the forest. May 15, 1956.
Townsite with sandhill visible in background. May 15, 1956.
Main Road - Motel - Townsite. View of road leading from service centre into town. Kildala area cleared but not much is built. Kitimat River bridge visible at bottom. Aug 1955.
Kitimat Valley. View of Alcan site, hospital beach, and pier. Looking north.
Smeltersite. View of Alcan smelter and smeltersite.
Photographs taken by Glyn Jenkins, who worked for Alcan Aluminum Smelter Ltd. in 1952. He returned to Vancouver to continue his education and continued to work in the Steel Fabrication industry until he retired in 1985. He married Charlene Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins died in 2005.
Custodial History
Charlene Jenkins
Scope and Content
Photographs of construction, scenery, housing, and fishing at the Smeltersite, 1952.
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 pier at smeltersite. Side on right reads "positively no smoking on this dock", and another sign on left says "security".
Slide showing flatbed dump trucks outside a building at smeltersite area. Other dump trucks visible behind, and construction materials are piled up on right.
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 flatbed dump trucks outside a building at smeltersite area. Other dump trucks visible behind, and construction materials are piled up on right.
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 the smeltersite bunkhouses, and other houses further up the hill.
