Photograph of A.W. Whitaker, Jr., Vice-president and General Manager of the Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd to watch as the first message is received in Montreal over the longest industrial teletype system in the world.
Photograph of A.W. Whitaker, Jr., Vice-president and General Manager of the Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd to watch as the first message is received in Montreal over the longest industrial teletype system in the world.
Notes
On April 1 1955 - A.W. Whitaker, Jr., Vice-President and General Manager of the Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd. watches as the first message is received in Montreal over the longest industrial teletype system in the world. Installed by the Trans-Canada Telephone system, it went into operation on that date to provide instant communication between Alcan's head office in Montreal and the company's plant at Kitimat.
The Hauns lived in Kemano, 1955-1969. In 1961, a major rock fall occurred in the tunnel delivering water to the turbines in the Kemano Powerhouse. Inspection and repair were needed. J.T. (Dale) Madill, Manager of BC Power Operations, inspected Penstock 2 together in a rubber raft, June 1961. The raft was recommended by Alcan head office, Montreal as the safest method to ride down with the water. To communicate, a hammer would be used on the penstock, a series of blows signaling stop, open the valve, and danger. The latter would not be needed "as there will be no danger". The raft had got hung up in the flat portion and had to be pushed along to the next incline. This plaque commemorates this event.
Custodial History
Donated by Bev and Carl Whicher. Ken Haun is Bev's father.
Scope and Content
Teletype sheet explaining the Penstock at Kemano, and the procedure to ride rubber rafts through them to locate a fault.
Notes
This sheet is related to plaque under 2021.51.3a (under artifacts).
Photograph of the first message on the new teletype system in the Alcan office was recieved at 9:30am, Friday April 1 by works manager A.C. Turney of the new communications set up in Montreal. Teletype operator Zena Coghin was kept extremely busy handling the first flow of messages which were received instantaneously from Montreal. Among the first messages, vice president and general manager A.W. Whitaker said, "engineers will find this teletype of immeasurable value... and will enable Alcan to give customers and even better service.
Photograph of the first message on the new teletype system in the Alcan office was recieved at 9:30am, Friday April 1 by works manager A.C. Turney of the new communications set up in Montreal. Teletype operator Zena Coghin was kept extremely busy handling the first flow of messages which were received instantaneously from Montreal. Among the first messages, vice president and general manager A.W. Whitaker said, "engineers will find this teletype of immeasurable value... and will enable Alcan to give customers and even better service.
New Instantaneous teletype service direct to Montreal from the Aluminum Company's smeltersite offices will greatly speed up communications, company officials report. Here Miss Harriet Filips operates the existing model 15 composite teletype machine which will be replaced this week. The first message is expected on the direct service this Friday morning. The new machine will send pre-set messages at the rate of 60 words per minute. Eventually it is hoped to link all sales offices across Canada with the Alcan teletype network. Customer service will be much better said one Alcan executive this week.
New Instantaneous teletype service direct to Montreal from the Aluminum Company's smeltersite offices will greatly speed up communications, company officials report. Here Miss Harriet Filips operates the existing model 15 composite teletype machine which will be replaced this week. The first message is expected on the direct service this Friday morning. The new machine will send pre-set messages at the rate of 60 words per minute. Eventually it is hoped to link all sales offices across Canada with the Alcan teletype network. Customer service will be much better said one Alcan executive this week.