Kitimat was the place to be in North America in the 1950s. The massive Alcan project in the northwest British Columbia was completed in just five years - dam, tunnel, powerhouse, Kemano, transmission line, smelter, and Kitimat. Browse through Kitimat history with these project images - a BC digital collection. The project was one of the most photographed and filmed construction jobs in BC history.
Kitimat was the place to be in North America in the 1950s. The massive Alcan project in the northwest British Columbia was completed in just five years - dam, tunnel, powerhouse, Kemano, transmission line, smelter, and Kitimat. Browse through Kitimat history with these project images - a BC digital collection. The project was one of the most photographed and filmed construction jobs in BC history.
Slide showing Kitimat River with road made through it to help with bridge construction. Tip of crane visible on the right. Some people visible on sand island on the left.
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 Kitimat River with road made through it to help with bridge construction. Tip of crane visible on the right. Some people visible on sand island on the left.
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 early Haisla Bridge. Bridge is orange, and construction is still underway. Dirt slope on left side with river underneath.