The Aluminum City Telethon was started in 1980. The Kitimat Sports Association was approached by the board of directers of the Child Development Centre, and asked for their assistance in raising funds. The idea of a Telethon was agreed on and a committee was formed.
Each year the Telethon executive receives requests from the different non-profit organizations within our own community. They then decide on how to disburse the funds raised that year. After the letters of requests are reviewed and a brief presentation is made to the board of directors explaining how the money received will be spent.
Custodial History
Brenda Feldhoff, Mount Elizabeth Theatre Manager brought in records
Scope and Content
Series consists of history of Aluminum City Telethon. Title based on contents of series.
Compilation of Rosebowl history documents. First folder has various notes and documents showing dates from 1995-2002 and is titled "Rosebowl History". Next 6 folders are titled "Rosebowl" with a date from 2001-2006. All contain various documents corresponding to the year.
Donated by Bev and Carl Whicher. Ken Haun is Bev's father.
Scope and Content
Compilation of Rosebowl history documents. First folder has various notes and documents showing dates from 1995-2002 and is titled "Rosebowl History". Next 6 folders are titled "Rosebowl" with a date from 2001-2006. All contain various documents corresponding to the year.
Notes
This series of documents arrived with the artifacts also under the collection number 2021.51.
Comprehensive collection of dried plants with names and info collected from Kitimat and surrounding area. Includes black binder with lists of the collected plants, as well as some additional samples.
The Kitimat Flora Collection was assembled by Gisela Mendel during her tenure as the Museum's first curator (1969-1981). Gisela had a lifelong interest in nature and the outdoors and knew the medicinal properties of many plants from working as a pharmacist in Germany. During her early years in Kitimat, she collected botanical specimens to send to the Royal BC Museum in Victoria and documented a new species of fern. As Curator, she identified natural history as a key area of focus for the new Kitimat Centennial Museum. The Northern Sentinel reported in 1972 that she gathered new floral specimens each weekend to replenish displays at the Museum. One of her largest projects was the creation of an ethno-botanical dictionary with the help of Haisla elders from Kitamaat Village, identifying the Haisla names and traditional uses for various local plants.
Custodial History
Collected by Gisela Mendel.
Scope and Content
Comprehensive collection of dried plants with names and info collected from Kitimat and surrounding area. Includes black binder with lists of the collected plants, as well as some additional samples.
Two grey three ring binders containing photos, maps and typewritten reports dated 1951 and 1952 detailing the Morrison-Knudsen Kemano Project involving Kemano, Canyon River and Tahtsa Lake Tunnel Project.
Two grey three ring binders containing photos, maps and typewritten reports dated 1951 and 1952 detailing the Morrison-Knudsen Kemano Project involving Kemano, Canyon River and Tahtsa Lake Tunnel Project.
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.
In 1987, Max Patzelt donated his photograph and negative collection - over 10,000 images - to the Museum. This talented and prolific photographer and businessman operated Kitimat Photo Supply and Max's Photo Studio for over 25 years.
Max took portraits of Kitimat citizens - babies, wedding parties, school classes, sports teams, local government - and recorded events for the Northern Sentinel and Alcan's ingot. School District No. 80 published many of Max's photos in promotional materials to attract teachers to Kitimat. Max photographed for Alcan and processed prints for the ingot.
Max became a resident of Kitimat in 1956 when he hired on at Alcan as a stud puller. He arrived in Kitimat with a camera around his neck. After a year in the lines, he had had enough. He resigned from Alcan, packed his bags and headed for the CN station to head to Vancouver.
Fred Ryan had recently established his photo studio, Kitimat Photo, retail photo processing and the town's only industrial photographers located in the Smeltersite recreation hall. Fred had heard of Max's photographic knowledge and rushed to the train station to offer Max a job running the new processing machine.
Max joined Kitimat Photo and was quickly "up to his ears in negatives" (ingot, May 22, 1987). They couldn't keep photographic equipment in stock - everyone who came for work in Kitimat purchased a camera. Max recalled that during the July 1 parade in 1957, he processed approximately 3,000 rolls of black and white film. It took days to process them all. With a new town and smelter, and surrounded by innovation, photography was just booming in Kitimat. Alcan wanted to document its construction events for both town and smelter, and workers wanted to document their time here.
Max and partner, Hazel Hatton, opened Kitimat Photo Supply Ltd. in City Centre in 1960. Max and Hazel operated the business until 1967 when Max moved the portrait studio, Max's Photo Studio Ltd., to Service Centre, and operated until 1987. Hazel kept the retail business Kitimat Photo in City Centre and operated until 1985.
Scope and Content
Three green binders containing the Max Patzelt Photo Collection Directory.
10 slides featuring image of Kitimat in 1980. Slides include images of the Safety Building, hospital, an aerial, Moore Creek waterfall, golf course, centennial park, Lakelse Lake, Alcan Office, and Kitimat River.
10 slides featuring image of Kitimat in 1980. Slides include images of the Safety Building, hospital, an aerial, Moore Creek waterfall, golf course, centennial park, Lakelse Lake, Alcan Office, and Kitimat River.