The Kitimat Chinese Association was founded in 1985. Their purpose was to connect all Chinese Canadians in Kitimat, with the local people too. They encouraged the members involved in the community to show and share Chinese culture with the people in Kitimat. Like activities in Multicultural Day, Canada Day, Canada Cancer Society's Relay of Life, etc. Every year they had three gatherings, summer picnic, Christmas and Chinese New Year. The association disbanded in December 2008 as most of the members got older and retired.
Custodial History
Donated by Huey-lin Wu
Scope and Content
1 photo album containing various photos from Kitimat Chinese Association events. Photos include-
Children and adults in traditional Chinese clothes
Traditional dances
Groups and children at the First Baptist Church
A meeting in a classroom
Radley Park picnic
Events at Frank Melanson Memorial Hall
Christmas events
New Years event 1997 (year of the ox)
Potluck Dinners
Flyer for Multicultural Festival Potluck Dinner and Performance 1997
Gabriel (Gabor) Nyeste was one of the leaders of the Scouts of the First Kitimat Troop (Boy Scouts). He moved to Kitimat to work on the Alcan project and left in the early 60s. He passed away in Kamloops in July 2020.
Custodial History
Donated by Gabriel Nyeste, Aug 6 1983.
Scope and Content
Pictures, clippings, letters of early Girl Guide and Boy Scout Movement in Kitimat, B.C. 1955-1961.
The pictures were taken on a two day trip by a local Northwest group, representitives from Northwest Handwritten listing by John Pousette (Secretary) of the people in attendance for the Totem Pole restoration society expedition. Photos taken to inventory totem poles.
Custodial History
Max Patzelt
Scope and Content
Collection of 58 totem pole photographs from the Hazelton region.
Fonds contains documents, photographs, photocopies, and maps collected by Arvid Hardin throughout his ten years in Kitimat. Areas of focus include high school life, the Kitimat Army Cadets, and the creation of Hirsch Creek Park, the Kitimat Community Centre, and the Kitimat trail system.
Arvid Hardin (born c. 1941) lived in Kitimat from 1953 to 1963. He graduated from Mount Elizabeth Secondary School in 1959, served as an active member of the Kitimat Army Cadet Corps, and was involved with the creation of Hirsch Creek Provincial Park. Around 2008, he collaborated with E.E. 'Bill' Duyvewaardt and other former Kitimat Cadets to write a 'historical profile' of the Cadets and their activities.
Custodial History
Materials from accession 2009.15 were donated by Arvid Hardin to the Museum on June 10th, 2009.
Materials from accession 2022.18 were donated by Arvid Hardin on May 10th, 2022.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains documents, photographs, photocopies, and maps collected by Arvid Hardin throughout his ten years in Kitimat. Areas of focus include high school life, the Kitimat Army Cadets, and the creation of Hirsch Creek Park, the Kitimat Community Centre, and the Kitimat trail system.
Conservation
Many pages old and yellowing. Staples, paper clips, and other metal fasteners removed from all papers in March & May 2022.
Storage Location
Box 39
Photo storage
Related Material
Artifacts donated by Arvid Hardin include a proclamation (2009.15.6), gazette (2009.15.7), and high school certificate (2009.15.11).
Black covered book titled "Kitimat Townsite Report". No. A-33 Mr. J.E. Dudley. Contains info about early Kitimat and planning. Inside front cover are some loose pages with town plans.
Bud Powell is a longtime resident of Kitimat and former smeltersite resident. He worked for Alcan.
Custodial History
Donated by Bud Powell.
Scope and Content
Black covered book titled "Kitimat Townsite Report". No. A-33 Mr. J.E. Dudley. Contains info about early Kitimat and planning. Inside front cover are some loose pages with town plans.
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.
Photograph of the backside view of some Kitimat homes. Oriole Street? There is a sidewalk leading to the street on the right with a person walking on the grass to the left of it. Some newly planted trees are in the grass.
Alice Dicker's father, Benard, came to Canada to work in 1955. He was a forman D-shift for Alcan. He married Anna in 1959. Alice and her sister Claudia were born in Kitimat and the family lived here until 1969, at which time they returned to Germany.
Scope and Content
Photograph of the backside view of some Kitimat homes. Oriole Street? There is a sidewalk leading to the street on the right with a person walking on the grass to the left of it. Some newly planted trees are in the grass.
Photograph showing R.E Montador, Thomas H. Christie, Reeve Wilbur Hallman, P.E Radley, Waldo Skillings and R.S. Lawrence welcoming Premier W.A.C. Bennett to Kitimat
Photograph showing R.E Montador, Thomas H. Christie, Reeve Wilbur Hallman, P.E Radley, Waldo Skillings and R.S. Lawrence welcoming Premier W.A.C. Bennett to Kitimat
Photo depicts the welcome sign for Kitimat on the wharf that greeted all workers to the Kitimat Project upon their arrival by boat.
Notes
Title based on content of photograph. -- Hal Whiting was Project Manager, Kitimat Constructors, for smelter and town construction. Hal Whiting Collection 985.65.113
Photo depicts three men examining a map. From left is Alcan's Chief Planner James Dudley from Vancouver; Town Planner Albert Mayer; Julian Whittlesey of New York.
Photo depicts three men examining a map. From left is Alcan's Chief Planner James Dudley from Vancouver; Town Planner Albert Mayer; Julian Whittlesey of New York.
Photo showing the path to the Kitimat water supply. The water tower can be seen up near the top of a hill in the photo with the path flanked by trees. The pathway is made of a wooden ramp and there is a long hose coming down from the tower with at least two People seen at the towers base.
Photo showing the path to the Kitimat water supply. The water tower can be seen up near the top of a hill in the photo with the path flanked by trees. The pathway is made of a wooden ramp and there is a long hose coming down from the tower with at least two People seen at the towers base.
