Slide showing a man in glasses kneeling down behind a little boy with a red coat and grey cap. The boy is holding a ball. Behind them is a grey vehicle of some sort. To the left of the vehicle is piles of wooden planks. There are some people in red visible beyond that, as well as a house. Douglas Channel and mountains in the distance.
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 a man in glasses kneeling down behind a little boy with a red coat and grey cap. The boy is holding a ball. Behind them is a grey vehicle of some sort. To the left of the vehicle is piles of wooden planks. There are some people in red visible beyond that, as well as a house. Douglas Channel and mountains in the distance.
Photograph of warehouse being built by Commonwealth Construction in the Service Centre, west of the CNR tracks. Men at work on the roof. Lots of cars around.
Donated by Jackie Worboys. Given to the Jackie Mufford Worboys family by Wally Melville.
Scope and Content
Photograph of warehouse being built by Commonwealth Construction in the Service Centre, west of the CNR tracks. Men at work on the roof. Lots of cars around.
John Ware was a past employee of the Kitimat Town Planning Department (1957-1959). He was hired by Hollister Kent, Planning Director for Kitimat. During his two years here, Dr. ware designed the first Kitimat street signs, the Haisla Boulevard overpass, and the Hirsch Creek Park shelter centennial project (1858-1958). He was layed off when Alcan lost major Aluminum buyers and the town expansion halted, resulting in a cut back of Kirtimat employees. He then moved to the USA.
Custodial History
Donated by John Ware.
Scope and Content
Photographs of the Hirsch Creek shelter planning, construction, and completed structure.
Three black & white images show planning. One concept sketch, and two copies of a plan showing different angles of the structure.
Two colour images of construction showing interior
Two sepia images showing completed structure and view of interior
One small black & white image of near completion, with construction sacffolding on outer wall. A woman is next to it.
Four black & white images of completed roof. Woman standing on roof in one.
Ten black & white images of completed structure in winter. Sculpture is visible.
Notes
Further info on the shelter - the shelter was one of about five ideas that John Ware was asked to come up with by the Kitimat Centennial Committee. He then decided the this version would be the one to fit the build. The yellow glazed bricks were imported from Texas, even though they were ordered from a Canadian firm. He wanted a bright permanent colour that would require little maintenece. The 'sculpture' was made of pieces of triangular sheet steel on steel supports, with a colored enamel finish - similar to the original fireplace, which was red. The triangular sheets that made up the sculpture yellow and green? and intended to look like steel fir trees. The likely reason the sculpture was removed was that there was a fear if anyone climbed onto the shelter and jump down, they may impale themselves on the sharp steel.
