Molly worked + lived in Kitimat (1954-55). Worked at Alcan Pryde Machine Shop, last girl on Kitimat Constructors payroll. Liver at hospital, Smeltersite.
Scope and Content
Collection of photos consisting of Alcan, Smeltersite, Delta King, the sandhill, Kitimat River, Hirsch Creek bridge, Douglas Channel, and the wharf
Notes
Photos were most likely colour origianlly, but have degraded into a pink tone
Photocopies of documents from John McLachlan's early years with Alcan. Includes Offer of Employment, Letter of Acceptance, Personnel Introduction Form, Decaration of Regular Employment, and Job Description.
John McLachlan arrived in Kitimat in 1953 and went on to work at Alcan's Property Engineering Department for almost 40 years. He started out as a land surveyor and cartographer in the town's early years and ended his career as a Senior Legal Draftsmen.
Scope and Content
Photocopies of documents from John McLachlan's early years with Alcan. Includes Offer of Employment, Letter of Acceptance, Personnel Introduction Form, Decaration of Regular Employment, and Job Description.
Book titled "Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd. Employee Training Division Montreal Trainee Manual", with a dark green cover, and an image of an aluminum ingot in the centre. Includes a letter from P. E. Radley to Mr. W.S. Mosher, explaining that this manual was sent as a sort of "guidebook" for British Columbia Employees, instead of a tour of the Eastern Canada plants.
Book titled "Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd. Employee Training Division Montreal Trainee Manual", with a dark green cover, and an image of an aluminum ingot in the centre. Includes a letter from P. E. Radley to Mr. W.S. Mosher, explaining that this manual was sent as a sort of "guidebook" for British Columbia Employees, instead of a tour of the Eastern Canada plants.
Album showing Memorabilia of Alcan Kitimat Works employees. All the photos have been taken from the Ingots - unfortunately, not all have dates and years to identify the photos.
Album showing Memorabilia of Alcan Kitimat Works employees. All the photos have been taken from the Ingots - unfortunately, not all have dates and years to identify the photos.
Collection of slides, photos, and documents from John McLachlan regarding early smelter and Kitimat.
Slides - Three Kodak Carousels - colour
10 8 x 10 photos colour & b&w
Photocopies - Offer of Employment
Letter of Acceptance, Personnel
Introduction Form, Decaration of Regular
Employment, Job Description, three
colour photographs and paper framed b&w photograph
John McLachlan arrived in Kitimat in 1953 as a 23-year-old immigrant and went on to work at Alcan's Property Engineering Department for almost 40 years. He started out as a land surveyor and cartographer in the town's early years and ended his career as a Senior Legal Draftsmen.
Custodial History
Jean Lunny
Scope and Content
Collection of slides, photos, and documents from John McLachlan regarding early smelter and Kitimat.
Slides - Three Kodak Carousels - colour
10 8 x 10 photos colour & b&w
Photocopies - Offer of Employment
Letter of Acceptance, Personnel
Introduction Form, Decaration of Regular
Employment, Job Description, three
colour photographs and paper framed b&w photograph
8 photos of Alcan Engineering. 1) Looking East From Centre Passageway Bldg 7B 2) Completed Roof Fan Walking on Potroom 8B West 3) Looking West in Potroom 8B West from Column Line 12 4) Potroom 8B East Looking East from Centre Passageway 5) General View of Progress of Work in Potline 8A East 6) Potroom 8B East Looking East from Centre Passageway 7) Looking East from Centre Passageway Bldg 8A 8) Looking West from Centre Passageway Bldg 8A
8 photos of Alcan Engineering. 1) Looking East From Centre Passageway Bldg 7B 2) Completed Roof Fan Walking on Potroom 8B West 3) Looking West in Potroom 8B West from Column Line 12 4) Potroom 8B East Looking East from Centre Passageway 5) General View of Progress of Work in Potline 8A East 6) Potroom 8B East Looking East from Centre Passageway 7) Looking East from Centre Passageway Bldg 8A 8) Looking West from Centre Passageway Bldg 8A
Negatives showing the Nechako Reservoir, the Kenney Dam, & the Skins Lake Spillway which were built to create hydroelectric power to be used by the Alcan aluminum smelter in Kitimat. Also pictured is Des Lake, Alcan barge Tahtsa II at East Tahtsa, a view of the Entiako River as it enters the Nechako Reservoir, an underwater cutting barge, & Eurocan's logging operation at Andrews Bay on Ootsa Lake.
Negatives showing the Nechako Reservoir, the Kenney Dam, & the Skins Lake Spillway which were built to create hydroelectric power to be used by the Alcan aluminum smelter in Kitimat. Also pictured is Des Lake, Alcan barge Tahtsa II at East Tahtsa, a view of the Entiako River as it enters the Nechako Reservoir, an underwater cutting barge, & Eurocan's logging operation at Andrews Bay on Ootsa Lake.
Collection of photographs regarding early Kitimat and Kitimat Constructors. Photo content includes Kitimat Constructors equipment work ares, shops, bunkhouses, and camp, Anderson Creek Mess Hall - smelterite, Inside Delta King, Sports girls and boys basketball, and Hudson's Bay Trading.
Collection of photographs regarding early Kitimat and Kitimat Constructors. Photo content includes Kitimat Constructors equipment work ares, shops, bunkhouses, and camp, Anderson Creek Mess Hall - smelterite, Inside Delta King, Sports girls and boys basketball, and Hudson's Bay Trading.
This fonds consists of materials created or collected by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in British Columbia, particularly during her tenure as the Museum's first curator (1969-1981). It is divided into three series:
Series 1: Photographs - approx. 330 photographs, negatives, and slides taken by Gisela Mendel, showing the local area, flora and fauna, Museum displays, Kitamaat Village and its residents, traditional Haisla cultural activities, etc.
Series 2: Kitimat Flora Collection - 12 boxes of pressed and dried flora from the local area, with associated information.
Series 3: Logbooks and scrapbooks - logbooks from Clague and Squirrel Mountains (1957-1969), accounts of Mendel family outings (1963-1968), scrapbook/photo album from Stikine road trip (1999), textual material and photos on regional hiking rails from binder on assembled by Gisela.
Series 4: Maps - 23 regional maps collected and annotated by Gisela.
ca. 10.5 cm textual material (logbooks, scrapbooks)
23 maps
History / Biographical
Gisela Heimbach Mendel was the first curator of the Kitimat Museum and Archives (then known as the Kitimat Centennial Museum). She was born in Germany in 1922 and worked as a pharmacist in East Prussia when the Russians invaded. She fled the Russians and immigrated to Canada in 1952 with her husband, Hans, and their children. Unhappy with the geography of Southern Ontario - in her words, she was a "mountain woman" - she chose Kitimat as her home.
In her earliest years in Kitimat (beginning 1956), Gisela collected botanical specimens for the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. She served as the first curator of the Kitimat Centennial Museum from the building's opening in 1969 until her retirement in 1981, when she and Hans moved to Smithers. Gisela was responsible for not only showcasing local art and history, but building a strong and varied permanent collection of artifacts and archival items upon which future curators could build.
As she was working in a relatively young community, town history was not considered a priority so much as regional history, natural history and Haisla First Nations cultural traditions, which Gisela documented with great intensity. One of her projects was creating an ethno-botanical dictionary with the help of Haisla elders, identifying the Haisla names and traditional uses for various plants. In 1972, the Northern Sentinel reported that each weekend Gisela made the rounds of her secret botanical hunting grounds to replace the display of floral specimens in her exhibits. She was a tremendous record-keeper and journalist, had a great life of the outdoors, and developed many close friendships in Kitimat and Kitamaat Village. Her thirst for information was incredible, and the Museum and the community benefitted immensely from her passion for gathering and recording knowledge. In the 1990s she received the Award of Merit from the BC Museums Association in recognition of her work. She passed away in 2008.
Custodial History
Materials in this fonds were created by Gisela Mendel during her time as Museum Curator, or donated by her, her family members, or other community members following her retirement.
Scope and Content
This fonds consists of materials created or collected by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in British Columbia, particularly during her tenure as the Museum's first curator (1969-1981). It is divided into three series:
Series 1: Photographs - approx. 330 photographs, negatives, and slides taken by Gisela Mendel, showing the local area, flora and fauna, Museum displays, Kitamaat Village and its residents, traditional Haisla cultural activities, etc.
Series 2: Kitimat Flora Collection - 12 boxes of pressed and dried flora from the local area, with associated information.
Series 3: Logbooks and scrapbooks - logbooks from Clague and Squirrel Mountains (1957-1969), accounts of Mendel family outings (1963-1968), scrapbook/photo album from Stikine road trip (1999), textual material and photos on regional hiking rails from binder on assembled by Gisela.
Series 4: Maps - 23 regional maps collected and annotated by Gisela.