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 edge of smeltersite near Douglas Channel. Trailer camp visible in foreground. Dredger visible on far right.
Aerial picture showing Riverlodge under construction. Note piles in place for Mess Hall and single room dormitories and grading being undertaken on Rec. Hall and Rec. Field sites
Aerial picture showing Riverlodge under construction. Note piles in place for Mess Hall and single room dormitories and grading being undertaken on Rec. Hall and Rec. Field sites
Photograph showing the unloading of a prefabricated section of the new bunkhouse at the motel site. This section is one third of an elevan - man bunkhouse.
Photograph showing the unloading of a prefabricated section of the new bunkhouse at the motel site. This section is one third of an elevan - man bunkhouse.
