Photograph of a yellow float plane at smeltersite. Photo is taken from a boat. Edge of boat and a man holding onto a boat rope is on the left. Smeltersite is in the background. Beyond that are mountains.
From the years 1953-1958, Mike Kinnear took photos during his school years, until graduation, while working for Fred Ryan Ltd. after school and holidays. Photos for him was a hobby, and he took many photos of the smelter and townsite as it grew around him. Mike also took a number of photos for the Kitimat Northern Sentinel, during the Ken Brumley and Pixie Meldrum years as editors. Mike and his family left Kitimat in 1958, but he spent the best part of 40 years in the photographic field, mainly in the retail/wholesale part of the photo industry.
Custodial History
Donated by Margaret and Mike Kinnear.
Scope and Content
Photograph of a yellow float plane at smeltersite. Photo is taken from a boat. Edge of boat and a man holding onto a boat rope is on the left. Smeltersite is in the background. Beyond that are mountains.
Photograph of view looking east showing progress of potline 2, alumina storage bins and sub-station 2. Area under construction, construction material in foreground.
Bud Powell is a longtime resident of Kitimat and former smeltersite resident. He worked for Alcan.
Custodial History
Donated by Bud Powell.
Scope and Content
Photograph of view looking east showing progress of potline 2, alumina storage bins and sub-station 2. Area under construction, construction material in foreground.
Slide showing float plane circling in over man made pad on the Douglas Channel for the Alcan smelter. Mount Elizabeth in background partially obscured in cloud.
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 float plane circling in over man made pad on the Douglas Channel for the Alcan smelter. Mount Elizabeth in background partially obscured in cloud.
Photo depicts a group of men concerned with the caisson dock construction. From left is Messrs., Cam Jenkinson, George Malby, McCallum, Hal Whiting, J. B. Whitton, S. T. Wynne-Jones, Van Houten and Dick Hermann. View is of three floating caissons that were being towed into position for sinking, creating the smelter dock.
Photo depicts a group of men concerned with the caisson dock construction. From left is Messrs., Cam Jenkinson, George Malby, McCallum, Hal Whiting, J. B. Whitton, S. T. Wynne-Jones, Van Houten and Dick Hermann. View is of three floating caissons that were being towed into position for sinking, creating the smelter dock.
Notes
Title based on content of photograph. -- Alcan ID No. BC-2-362. -- Messrs. Jenkinson, Wynne-Jones, and Hermann all work for Alcan Engineering under the Resident Engineer George Malby. Messrs. J.B. Whitton and Van Houten work for the consulting firm of Frederick R. Harris & Co. of New York, N.Y. Hal Whiting was Project Manager, Kitimat Constructors, for smelter and town construction. Hal Whiting Collection 985.65.212
