The Surf Inlet Gold Mine was located on Princess Royal Island above Surf Inlet. Limited production began in 1902 and then ceased in 1905. The mine reopened production in 1917, after major development occurred. It was then operated by the Tonapah Belmont Development Company of Philadelphia. The mine closed in 1926. Three mines were opened in 1934 by Surf Inlet Consolidated Gold Mines, including the Surf Inlet Mine, the Pugsley Mine and the Belmont Mine. These closed permanently in 1943.
Custodial History
Donated by Bulkley Valley Museum/Dirk Mendel
Scope and Content
Folders containing financial records, correspondence, assey certificates, production statistics, post office documents, payroll records + steam ship manifests. Inclusive dates: 1924-1925, 1938-1943.
Notes
Removed financial records from amongst payroll slips. Removed manifests to Box #3 due to size. Reordered assey certificates by date.
Condition notes: mold
Surf Inlet Envelope #1 - Removed Acc'ts Payable info from payroll summery file (June 30/40 - Jan/40). Removed what looks like a seperate fonds. Surf Post Office. Major mold.
Envelope # 2 - Removed Union Steamship manifest, will have to store elsewhere.
Envelope # 3 - Reordered assey certificates by date (year). Ran July/24-Aug/25, then started June/24-
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).
Collection of slides, photos, and documents from John McLachlan regarding early smelter and Kitimat.
Slides - Three Kodak Carousels - colour
10 8 x 10 photos colour & b&w
Photocopies - Offer of Employment
Letter of Acceptance, Personnel
Introduction Form, Decaration of Regular
Employment, Job Description, three
colour photographs and paper framed b&w photograph
John McLachlan arrived in Kitimat in 1953 as a 23-year-old immigrant and went on to work at Alcan's Property Engineering Department for almost 40 years. He started out as a land surveyor and cartographer in the town's early years and ended his career as a Senior Legal Draftsmen.
Custodial History
Jean Lunny
Scope and Content
Collection of slides, photos, and documents from John McLachlan regarding early smelter and Kitimat.
Slides - Three Kodak Carousels - colour
10 8 x 10 photos colour & b&w
Photocopies - Offer of Employment
Letter of Acceptance, Personnel
Introduction Form, Decaration of Regular
Employment, Job Description, three
colour photographs and paper framed b&w photograph
Two photographs: Matt Gooding's boat that was build in Arvida and shipped to Kitimat showing in the Kitimat harbour and "My first fishin in the Kitimat River with Doug Cohoon."
1 photograph print : b&w ; 3 x 5
1 photograph print : b&w ; 9.5 x 6.5
Scope and Content
Two photographs: Matt Gooding's boat that was build in Arvida and shipped to Kitimat showing in the Kitimat harbour and "My first fishin in the Kitimat River with Doug Cohoon."
Molly worked + lived in Kitimat (1954-55). Worked at Alcan Pryde Machine Shop, last girl on Kitimat Constructors payroll. Liver at hospital, Smeltersite.
Scope and Content
Collection of photos consisting of Alcan, Smeltersite, Delta King, the sandhill, Kitimat River, Hirsch Creek bridge, Douglas Channel, and the wharf
Notes
Photos were most likely colour origianlly, but have degraded into a pink tone
Collection of photos from Kemano (originals and copies). Very early & interesting photos of Morrison-Knudsen Construction in Kemano showing camps, harbour, powerhouse, tunnel, transmission line, skid, camps at Horestky, camps throughout the transmission line.
Collection of photos from Kemano (originals and copies). Very early & interesting photos of Morrison-Knudsen Construction in Kemano showing camps, harbour, powerhouse, tunnel, transmission line, skid, camps at Horestky, camps throughout the transmission line.
Photos and blueprints created to record the building of the Alcan Smelter site, original townsite. collection includes negative of Prime Minister Diefenbaker with potline workers.
Other items include Formation of Commission By Law documents, Correspondance, Meetings documents, Maps and Land Use Plans, Annual Heritage Tea 1994 photos (12), Hirch Creek Field Trip photo, Member Lists, Sitka Spruce park opening and stamp proposal, Radley Park sign proposal, Corduroy Road photos and related material, Points of Interest Signs documents, Designated Heritage Sites Registry 1992-1995, Louise and Bianca Chioccarello with giant stump near Chamber photos (4), Early Construction Photos, Photo List, Heritage Week Flag documents and clippings.
Photos and blueprints created to record the building of the Alcan Smelter site, original townsite. collection includes negative of Prime Minister Diefenbaker with potline workers.
Other items include Formation of Commission By Law documents, Correspondance, Meetings documents, Maps and Land Use Plans, Annual Heritage Tea 1994 photos (12), Hirch Creek Field Trip photo, Member Lists, Sitka Spruce park opening and stamp proposal, Radley Park sign proposal, Corduroy Road photos and related material, Points of Interest Signs documents, Designated Heritage Sites Registry 1992-1995, Louise and Bianca Chioccarello with giant stump near Chamber photos (4), Early Construction Photos, Photo List, Heritage Week Flag documents and clippings.
Electrician Bill Frahler wired approximately 2000 houses in Kitimat camps and townsite between 1954 and 1958, working first for Johnson-Crooks then Straits Construction, both U.S.contractors.
Gabriel (Gabor) Nyeste was one of the leaders of the Scouts of the First Kitimat Troop (Boy Scouts). He moved to Kitimat to work on the Alcan project and left in the early 60s. He passed away in Kamloops in July 2020.
Custodial History
Donated by Gabriel Nyeste, Aug 6 1983.
Scope and Content
Pictures, clippings, letters of early Girl Guide and Boy Scout Movement in Kitimat, B.C. 1955-1961.
Newspapers, correspondence, information compiled by the Northern Sentinel Press Ltd. in the creation of newspaper articles. Information compiled from Kitimat General Hospital Society, BC Centennial Committee, Kitimat Public Health, Canadian Red Cross, Lehndorff (City Centre Mall owners), Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers - Local No.1, United Steelworkers of America, Kitamaat Village Council, District of Kitimat, Kitimat Community Council, Kitimat Chamber of Commerce, Kitimat Scholarship Association, Board of School Trusteees, Delta King photographs, Kitimat Steelworkers Union Members photographs, Miss Kitimat photographs.
Given to museum by Rosalina Cordeiro - Editor of the Northern Sentinel Press Ltd.
Scope and Content
Newspapers, correspondence, information compiled by the Northern Sentinel Press Ltd. in the creation of newspaper articles. Information compiled from Kitimat General Hospital Society, BC Centennial Committee, Kitimat Public Health, Canadian Red Cross, Lehndorff (City Centre Mall owners), Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers - Local No.1, United Steelworkers of America, Kitamaat Village Council, District of Kitimat, Kitimat Community Council, Kitimat Chamber of Commerce, Kitimat Scholarship Association, Board of School Trusteees, Delta King photographs, Kitimat Steelworkers Union Members photographs, Miss Kitimat photographs.
Notes
Was 992.6 Photographs described at the item level.
8 photos of Alcan Engineering. 1) Looking East From Centre Passageway Bldg 7B 2) Completed Roof Fan Walking on Potroom 8B West 3) Looking West in Potroom 8B West from Column Line 12 4) Potroom 8B East Looking East from Centre Passageway 5) General View of Progress of Work in Potline 8A East 6) Potroom 8B East Looking East from Centre Passageway 7) Looking East from Centre Passageway Bldg 8A 8) Looking West from Centre Passageway Bldg 8A
8 photos of Alcan Engineering. 1) Looking East From Centre Passageway Bldg 7B 2) Completed Roof Fan Walking on Potroom 8B West 3) Looking West in Potroom 8B West from Column Line 12 4) Potroom 8B East Looking East from Centre Passageway 5) General View of Progress of Work in Potline 8A East 6) Potroom 8B East Looking East from Centre Passageway 7) Looking East from Centre Passageway Bldg 8A 8) Looking West from Centre Passageway Bldg 8A
The fonds consists of minutes of meetings, correspondence, and newspaper clippings of the Kitimat Centennial Committee.
1- Minutes. – 1965-1967. – 1 cm of textual records.
Series consists of minutes of the Kitimat Centennial Committee.
2- Correspondence. – 1964-1970. – 1 cm of textual records.
Series consists of correspondence of the Committee.
3- Newspaper Clippings. – 1965-1967. – 0.5 cm of textual records.
Series consists of newspaper clippings pertaining to the activities of the Committee. Index to clippings written on original file folder.
The Kitimat Centennial Committee was formed in 1964. The purpose of the Committee was to coordinate local activities during the celebration of Canadian confederation in 1967. The Committee organized local celebrations and, after an initial project could not be completed, raised funds for the construction of the Kitimat Centennial Museum building, completed in 1969.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of minutes of meetings, correspondence, and newspaper clippings of the Kitimat Centennial Committee.
1- Minutes. – 1965-1967. – 1 cm of textual records.
Series consists of minutes of the Kitimat Centennial Committee.
2- Correspondence. – 1964-1970. – 1 cm of textual records.
Series consists of correspondence of the Committee.
3- Newspaper Clippings. – 1965-1967. – 0.5 cm of textual records.
Series consists of newspaper clippings pertaining to the activities of the Committee. Index to clippings written on original file folder.
10 slides featuring image of Kitimat in 1980. Slides include images of the Safety Building, hospital, an aerial, Moore Creek waterfall, golf course, centennial park, Lakelse Lake, Alcan Office, and Kitimat River.
10 slides featuring image of Kitimat in 1980. Slides include images of the Safety Building, hospital, an aerial, Moore Creek waterfall, golf course, centennial park, Lakelse Lake, Alcan Office, and Kitimat River.