Elizabeth Anderson Varley, author of 'Kitimat My Valley' was born and raised in the Kitimat Valley. The book is a memoire of her life and the life of her family members, during the tenure as missionairies and ranchers in the area.
Custodial History
Obtained directly from Elizabeth Varley
Scope and Content
Textual records consisting of typewritten and handwritten notes pertaining to the creation of the book Kitimat My Valley.
62 photographs of the Anderson family, other early settlers and missionaries, and Haisla people, 1878-1947.
Fonds contains documents, photographs, photocopies, and maps collected by Arvid Hardin throughout his ten years in Kitimat. Areas of focus include high school life, the Kitimat Army Cadets, and the creation of Hirsch Creek Park, the Kitimat Community Centre, and the Kitimat trail system.
Arvid Hardin (born c. 1941) lived in Kitimat from 1953 to 1963. He graduated from Mount Elizabeth Secondary School in 1959, served as an active member of the Kitimat Army Cadet Corps, and was involved with the creation of Hirsch Creek Provincial Park. Around 2008, he collaborated with E.E. 'Bill' Duyvewaardt and other former Kitimat Cadets to write a 'historical profile' of the Cadets and their activities.
Custodial History
Materials from accession 2009.15 were donated by Arvid Hardin to the Museum on June 10th, 2009.
Materials from accession 2022.18 were donated by Arvid Hardin on May 10th, 2022.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains documents, photographs, photocopies, and maps collected by Arvid Hardin throughout his ten years in Kitimat. Areas of focus include high school life, the Kitimat Army Cadets, and the creation of Hirsch Creek Park, the Kitimat Community Centre, and the Kitimat trail system.
Conservation
Many pages old and yellowing. Staples, paper clips, and other metal fasteners removed from all papers in March & May 2022.
Storage Location
Box 39
Photo storage
Related Material
Artifacts donated by Arvid Hardin include a proclamation (2009.15.6), gazette (2009.15.7), and high school certificate (2009.15.11).
Malcolm Baxter died in 2020. His father Basil, was very instrumental in the organization of Kitimat in the early years. Basil was married to Cathy Baxter and they had two sons - Malcolm and Michael.
Custodial History
Part of items collected by Malcolm Baxter, former editer of NSP. Brought into the museum by Judith Cullington, Malcolm's sister-in-law.
Scope and Content
Folder containing correspondence letters from Basil and Malcolm Baxter.
One folder titled correspondance with multiple letters and a bunch of photos photocopied onto a single sheet.
Letter to Jan Leclerk from Burce. Regarding Kitimat Builders. January 18, 1994.
Two page etter to J.T Harvey from Kitimat Builders Supplies Limiyed manager Don Forward. Regarding photos of Kitimat Builders construction. January 2, 1954.
Written two page biography of Kitimat Builders Supplies Limited manager Donald Forward. March 5, 1983.
Oversized page with 12 photocopied photos of Kitimat Builders construction.
One folder titled correspondance with multiple letters and a bunch of photos photocopied onto a single sheet.
Letter to Jan Leclerk from Burce. Regarding Kitimat Builders. January 18, 1994.
Two page etter to J.T Harvey from Kitimat Builders Supplies Limiyed manager Don Forward. Regarding photos of Kitimat Builders construction. January 2, 1954.
Written two page biography of Kitimat Builders Supplies Limited manager Donald Forward. March 5, 1983.
Oversized page with 12 photocopied photos of Kitimat Builders construction.
VHS Cassettes collected or created by the Kitimat Centennial Museum (Kitimat Museum & Archives):
Launching of Canoe 'Haisla Nation'
Kitimat Port Facts
Fluoride
Totem - The Return of G'psgolox Pole
Alcan Historical Films - 1958-1965 - Generator No. 4, Port to the World, Man with a Thousand Hands
Alcan Historical Films - 1979-1991 - Kitimat: A New Generation, Kitimat/Kemano: Aluminum Legends
Kitimat/Kemano: New Dimensions
Kitimat Centennial Museum presents: An Evening with Roger Willcox (3 copies)
Riobamba
1990 Exhibits - Elem. School Art; Out of Shade; Museum (Mixed Filming); Oak Winter Scenes
Child Art - Elementary School, Out of Shade, Tour of Museum, Quilts Part I
Quilts Part II
Golden Mountain - Produced by RBCM
Lion's Dance, W.M. Pang
Golden Dragon Acrobats, Overture Concerts, Vancouver, BC
Design & Production Group, Shane Lunny Productions
B.C. Environment - Green Team, Here's The Dirt, Garbage is Resourceful
Oolichan Rushes, March 1992, Haisla Band, Interview with Cecil Paul, Variations on a Word, Victoria, BC
VHS Cassettes collected or created by the Kitimat Centennial Museum (Kitimat Museum & Archives):
Launching of Canoe 'Haisla Nation'
Kitimat Port Facts
Fluoride
Totem - The Return of G'psgolox Pole
Alcan Historical Films - 1958-1965 - Generator No. 4, Port to the World, Man with a Thousand Hands
Alcan Historical Films - 1979-1991 - Kitimat: A New Generation, Kitimat/Kemano: Aluminum Legends
Kitimat/Kemano: New Dimensions
Kitimat Centennial Museum presents: An Evening with Roger Willcox (3 copies)
Riobamba
1990 Exhibits - Elem. School Art; Out of Shade; Museum (Mixed Filming); Oak Winter Scenes
Child Art - Elementary School, Out of Shade, Tour of Museum, Quilts Part I
Quilts Part II
Golden Mountain - Produced by RBCM
Lion's Dance, W.M. Pang
Golden Dragon Acrobats, Overture Concerts, Vancouver, BC
Design & Production Group, Shane Lunny Productions
B.C. Environment - Green Team, Here's The Dirt, Garbage is Resourceful
Oolichan Rushes, March 1992, Haisla Band, Interview with Cecil Paul, Variations on a Word, Victoria, BC
Notes
There were three tapes in set of Alcan Historical Films. One was destroyed by the VHS Machine.
It contained:
Nechako Survey
Prelude to Kitimat
Powerline to Kitimat
This fonds consists of materials created or collected by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in British Columbia, particularly during her tenure as the Museum's first curator (1969-1981). It is divided into three series:
Series 1: Photographs - approx. 330 photographs, negatives, and slides taken by Gisela Mendel, showing the local area, flora and fauna, Museum displays, Kitamaat Village and its residents, traditional Haisla cultural activities, etc.
Series 2: Kitimat Flora Collection - 12 boxes of pressed and dried flora from the local area, with associated information.
Series 3: Logbooks and scrapbooks - logbooks from Clague and Squirrel Mountains (1957-1969), accounts of Mendel family outings (1963-1968), scrapbook/photo album from Stikine road trip (1999), textual material and photos on regional hiking rails from binder on assembled by Gisela.
Series 4: Maps - 23 regional maps collected and annotated by Gisela.
ca. 10.5 cm textual material (logbooks, scrapbooks)
23 maps
History / Biographical
Gisela Heimbach Mendel was the first curator of the Kitimat Museum and Archives (then known as the Kitimat Centennial Museum). She was born in Germany in 1922 and worked as a pharmacist in East Prussia when the Russians invaded. She fled the Russians and immigrated to Canada in 1952 with her husband, Hans, and their children. Unhappy with the geography of Southern Ontario - in her words, she was a "mountain woman" - she chose Kitimat as her home.
In her earliest years in Kitimat (beginning 1956), Gisela collected botanical specimens for the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. She served as the first curator of the Kitimat Centennial Museum from the building's opening in 1969 until her retirement in 1981, when she and Hans moved to Smithers. Gisela was responsible for not only showcasing local art and history, but building a strong and varied permanent collection of artifacts and archival items upon which future curators could build.
As she was working in a relatively young community, town history was not considered a priority so much as regional history, natural history and Haisla First Nations cultural traditions, which Gisela documented with great intensity. One of her projects was creating an ethno-botanical dictionary with the help of Haisla elders, identifying the Haisla names and traditional uses for various plants. In 1972, the Northern Sentinel reported that each weekend Gisela made the rounds of her secret botanical hunting grounds to replace the display of floral specimens in her exhibits. She was a tremendous record-keeper and journalist, had a great life of the outdoors, and developed many close friendships in Kitimat and Kitamaat Village. Her thirst for information was incredible, and the Museum and the community benefitted immensely from her passion for gathering and recording knowledge. In the 1990s she received the Award of Merit from the BC Museums Association in recognition of her work. She passed away in 2008.
Custodial History
Materials in this fonds were created by Gisela Mendel during her time as Museum Curator, or donated by her, her family members, or other community members following her retirement.
Scope and Content
This fonds consists of materials created or collected by Gisela Mendel throughout her time in British Columbia, particularly during her tenure as the Museum's first curator (1969-1981). It is divided into three series:
Series 1: Photographs - approx. 330 photographs, negatives, and slides taken by Gisela Mendel, showing the local area, flora and fauna, Museum displays, Kitamaat Village and its residents, traditional Haisla cultural activities, etc.
Series 2: Kitimat Flora Collection - 12 boxes of pressed and dried flora from the local area, with associated information.
Series 3: Logbooks and scrapbooks - logbooks from Clague and Squirrel Mountains (1957-1969), accounts of Mendel family outings (1963-1968), scrapbook/photo album from Stikine road trip (1999), textual material and photos on regional hiking rails from binder on assembled by Gisela.
Series 4: Maps - 23 regional maps collected and annotated by Gisela.
Poster for the Kitimat Community band. Text reads "Achievement! Join Kitimat community band Wed. 6:30 pm Mount Elizabeth S.S." The "join is larger and highlighted with yellow. There is a stylized illustration of people playing instruments in the center with red highlights. Poster background is blue. Logo in bottom left corner.
Poster for the Kitimat Community band. Text reads "Achievement! Join Kitimat community band Wed. 6:30 pm Mount Elizabeth S.S." The "join is larger and highlighted with yellow. There is a stylized illustration of people playing instruments in the center with red highlights. Poster background is blue. Logo in bottom left corner.
Poster for a performance. Text reads"stop, look, LISTEN Sounds of Jazz Haute Ecole. in performance Mount Elizabeth stage band City Centre Mall" Poster is white with black text on top, and gold text on a black background on the bottom. There is a stylized bird in the center. Logo on bottom left.
Poster for a performance. Text reads"stop, look, LISTEN Sounds of Jazz Haute Ecole. in performance Mount Elizabeth stage band City Centre Mall" Poster is white with black text on top, and gold text on a black background on the bottom. There is a stylized bird in the center. Logo on bottom left.
Beta Sigma Phi is a non-acedemic sorority. Beta, Sigma, and Phi come from the first letters of the Greek words for life, learning, and friendship. Social and mostly community based, the Kitimat group compiled many scrapbooks showcasing events and other activities among their members from 1971-1990.
Custodial History
Donated by Ruth Brady.
Scope and Content
Seven Scrapbooks from the Beta Sigma Phi showing their activities and events.
Scrapbook 1 - Beta Sigma Phi yearbook 1971-1972. Black cover.
Scrapbook 2 - 1978-1982. White cover.
Scrapbook 3 - 1971-1977. White cover with Beta Sigma Phi coat of arms with text "Vita Scientia Amicitia" drawn in gold, black, and green.
Scrapbook 4 - 1989-1990. Light blue cover with painting printed in centre.
Scrapbook 5 - Green cover with rose image on second page with text "Beta Nu 1975~76" bellow.
Scrapbook 6 - 1987-1988. Beige cover with small, square image of a sunset and trees.
Scrapbook 7 - 1982-1984. Cream cover with gold border.
Loose items - Photo of seven ladies. Founder's Day 1977 handmade card with painted rainbow. 1987-1988 Build Bridges of Friendship gold stickers.
A guest book with names of new canadian citizens and the countries they came from along with the newpaper clippings and photographs they have appeared in.
1 Guest Book
3 Photographs : 2 b&w ; 13.5 cm x 8.5 cm : color ; 9.5 x 7 cm
22 Newspaper Clippings : b&w ; various sizes
Custodial History
Simpson, Pat
Scope and Content
A guest book with names of new canadian citizens and the countries they came from along with the newpaper clippings and photographs they have appeared in.
Plaque displaying names of Preceptor Gamma Epsilon Girls of the Year from 1983 to 2002. Made of dark brown wood, cut in a heart-like shape, with yellow flowers painted near the top. Rectangular metal plaque outlined in black reads: "Preceptor Gamma Epsilon Girl of the Year." Girls' names and years are on smaller, shield-shaped metal plaques.
Plaque displaying names of Preceptor Gamma Epsilon Girls of the Year from 1983 to 2002. Made of dark brown wood, cut in a heart-like shape, with yellow flowers painted near the top. Rectangular metal plaque outlined in black reads: "Preceptor Gamma Epsilon Girl of the Year." Girls' names and years are on smaller, shield-shaped metal plaques.
Physical Condition
Excellent
Material
Wood
metal
Style
Tole painting
Condition Remarks
Some minor marks on the mini-plaques.
Height
27.5 cm
Length
35 cm
Inscriptions
Margaret Kelly; Heather Lovett; Marianne Sweet, Jo Ann Hildebrandt, 'The Chapter,' Lynda Knol; Valerie Morton; Elaine Bjorgaard; Marlene Collier; Maureen Braun; Ruth Brady; Eleanor Kendell; Laura Schroeder; Joan Borycki; Ann Brown; Monica Brady; Sue Newton; Pat Young
Folder containing Terrace Hiking Club minutes, meetings, newsletters, letters, Christmas party invitations, planned hikes, member lists and relating documents from 1984-1991.
Also includes Terrace Hiking Club Machu Picchu The Lost City of The Incas presentation
Folder containing Terrace Hiking Club minutes, meetings, newsletters, letters, Christmas party invitations, planned hikes, member lists and relating documents from 1984-1991.
Also includes Terrace Hiking Club Machu Picchu The Lost City of The Incas presentation
The Kitimat Chinese Association was founded in 1985. Their purpose was to connect all Chinese Canadians in Kitimat, with the local people too. They encouraged the members involved in the community to show and share Chinese culture with the people in Kitimat. Like activities in Multicultural Day, Canada Day, Canada Cancer Society's Relay of Life, etc. Every year they had three gatherings, summer picnic, Christmas and Chinese New Year. The association disbanded in December 2008 as most of the members got older and retired.
Custodial History
Donated by Huey-lin Wu
Scope and Content
1 photo album containing various photos from Kitimat Chinese Association events. Photos include-
Potluck events
Christmas events
Children singing in microphones
Presenenting of plaques and Mount Elizabeth photo
Members playing games (darts, limbo, popping balloons?, biting apples on a string)
Members holding new born babies
A wedding photo
Well Done Certificate congratualtions to Chinese Canadian Association from the Mayor of Kitimat
Multi-cultural Day Food Fair
Radley Park picnics
tug-of-war at Radley Park
1991 Canada Day Food Fair stand
Northern Sentinel Article about $500 cheque donation from Kitimat Chinese Canadian Association
Northern Sentinel Article about Kwan and Lew Wing Hoy returning to Kitimat with their son Edward
Kids playing at Radly Park playground
Hirsch Creek Park picnic
Face photo board pictures
Children wearing Halloween costumes
Children and adults in traditional Chinese clothes
Collection of items from the Kitimat Chinese Canadian Association, showing activities, events, and community involvement, Photos + albums, VHS videos, and letters.
The Kitimat Chinese Association was founded in 1985. Their purpose was to strengthen ties between the Chinese-Canadian community and the rest of Kitimat by sharing Chinese culture and contributing to community events. They held three annual gatherings - Chinese New Year, Christmas, and a summer picnic - and participated in other activities such as Multicultural Day, Canada Day, and Canada Cancer Society's Relay of Life. The association disbanded in December 2008 as most of the members got older and retired.
Custodial History
Donated by Huey-lin Wu
Scope and Content
Collection of items from the Kitimat Chinese Canadian Association, showing activities, events, and community involvement, Photos + albums, VHS videos, and letters.