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 consists of two files of materials collected and produced by the Kitimat Valley Naturalists:
F1) Contents of the secretary-treasurer's duotang, 1996-1998. Includes meeting minutes, correspondence, receipts, financial documents, mailing lists, 1997 annual report, photocopied map, events schedule, Federation of BC Naturalists membership info, sign-up sheet for Douglas Channel boat trip, correspondence from Creston Valley Wildlife Area, materials re: Gisela Mendel Native Plant Garden, draft write-up for Iron Oxbow Wildlife Viewing Area along the Kitimat River, and ephemera from the inside front cover of the duotang (receipt from Fed. of BC Naturalists, business cards for Aurora Charters and Reid Crowther Consulting Engineers).
F2) Materials related to Pine Creek Protective Covenant, 2003-2014. This covenant was established by Rio Tinto Alcan, the Haisla Nation, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to protect the Pine Creek hiking trail and its watercourse near Minette Bay. Folder includes correspondence, signage text, Land Title Act forms, maps, and a Master Watercourse Crossing List from Coastal GasLink.
The Kitimat Valley Naturalists are a non-profit organization with the goal of learning about and enjoying the natural history of the Kitimat Valley. They were founded in 1996 and are still active as of 2023. Their projects include an annual Christmas bird count, construction of bat condos, monitoring amphibian numbers, and mapping eelgrass beds in the Douglas Channel.
Custodial History
Items were donated by Susan and Walter Thorne, longtime members of the Kitimat Valley Naturalists, on February 16th 2023. The fonds was arranged and described by Museum staff in April 2023.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of two files of materials collected and produced by the Kitimat Valley Naturalists:
F1) Contents of the secretary-treasurer's duotang, 1996-1998. Includes meeting minutes, correspondence, receipts, financial documents, mailing lists, 1997 annual report, photocopied map, events schedule, Federation of BC Naturalists membership info, sign-up sheet for Douglas Channel boat trip, correspondence from Creston Valley Wildlife Area, materials re: Gisela Mendel Native Plant Garden, draft write-up for Iron Oxbow Wildlife Viewing Area along the Kitimat River, and ephemera from the inside front cover of the duotang (receipt from Fed. of BC Naturalists, business cards for Aurora Charters and Reid Crowther Consulting Engineers).
F2) Materials related to Pine Creek Protective Covenant, 2003-2014. This covenant was established by Rio Tinto Alcan, the Haisla Nation, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to protect the Pine Creek hiking trail and its watercourse near Minette Bay. Folder includes correspondence, signage text, Land Title Act forms, maps, and a Master Watercourse Crossing List from Coastal GasLink.
Notes
Three reports collected by the KVN - "An Assessment of the Kitimat Iron Oxbow Proposed Wildlife Viewing Area," "Blue Carbon - The Case for the Conservation and Enhancement of Estuarine Processes and Sediments in BC," and "Coastal Wetlands Habitat Assessment and Classification for Northwestern British Columbia" - have been added to the Museum's Reference Library.
Conservation
Removed from original duotang/folders. Staples removed.
Storage Location
Box 29
Arrangement
F1) has been left in original order, apart from ephemera which was removed from the inside cover of the duotang.
F2) has been arranged in roughly chronological order.
Text documents from McLure Collection.
988.3.36a-g - Some Tales of the Kitlope People, related by Chief John Paul, and told to us by Mike Shaw of Kitamaat Mission.
988.3.37 - The history of the progress of christianity in the village of Kitimat until the present. As recorded by eye witnesses of the scenes for telling at the diamond jubilee of the coming of christinity.
988.3.38 - clipping - Tribesmen to Send Blanket Dugout as Wedding Presents. (original & copy)
Text documents from McLure Collection.
988.3.36a-g - Some Tales of the Kitlope People, related by Chief John Paul, and told to us by Mike Shaw of Kitamaat Mission.
988.3.37 - The history of the progress of christianity in the village of Kitimat until the present. As recorded by eye witnesses of the scenes for telling at the diamond jubilee of the coming of christinity.
988.3.38 - clipping - Tribesmen to Send Blanket Dugout as Wedding Presents. (original & copy)
1 folder containing material from the Anglican Church
Envelope with letter to Elsie
Kiwanis Club Presents A Night at the Theatre program (not on top that is was attended with Norman and jean Tucker, Keith Young, and Dorothy and Roy Jones)
Ingot clipping, Regional Manager, J.S. MacKenzie, joined Anglican clergymen and wardens at breakfast in Nechako Lodge
Information compiled by Joan Smith for Anglican Church 50th Anniversary. Donated in April 2003.
Scope and Content
1 folder containing material from the Anglican Church
Envelope with letter to Elsie
Kiwanis Club Presents A Night at the Theatre program (not on top that is was attended with Norman and jean Tucker, Keith Young, and Dorothy and Roy Jones)
Ingot clipping, Regional Manager, J.S. MacKenzie, joined Anglican clergymen and wardens at breakfast in Nechako Lodge
Notes
Folder has a note saying from Keith Young Collection
Letter envelope contained negatives 2004.4.26-38
In 1987, Max Patzelt donated his photograph and negative collection - over 10,000 images - to the Museum. This talented and prolific photographer and businessman operated Kitimat Photo Supply and Max's Photo Studio for over 25 years.
Max took portraits of Kitimat citizens - babies, wedding parties, school classes, sports teams, local government - and recorded events for the Northern Sentinel and Alcan's ingot. School District No. 80 published many of Max's photos in promotional materials to attract teachers to Kitimat. Max photographed for Alcan and processed prints for the ingot.
Max became a resident of Kitimat in 1956 when he hired on at Alcan as a stud puller. He arrived in Kitimat with a camera around his neck. After a year in the lines, he had had enough. He resigned from Alcan, packed his bags and headed for the CN station to head to Vancouver.
Fred Ryan had recently established his photo studio, Kitimat Photo, retail photo processing and the town's only industrial photographers located in the Smeltersite recreation hall. Fred had heard of Max's photographic knowledge and rushed to the train station to offer Max a job running the new processing machine.
Max joined Kitimat Photo and was quickly "up to his ears in negatives" (ingot, May 22, 1987). They couldn't keep photographic equipment in stock - everyone who came for work in Kitimat purchased a camera. Max recalled that during the July 1 parade in 1957, he processed approximately 3,000 rolls of black and white film. It took days to process them all. With a new town and smelter, and surrounded by innovation, photography was just booming in Kitimat. Alcan wanted to document its construction events for both town and smelter, and workers wanted to document their time here.
Max and partner, Hazel Hatton, opened Kitimat Photo Supply Ltd. in City Centre in 1960. Max and Hazel operated the business until 1967 when Max moved the portrait studio, Max's Photo Studio Ltd., to Service Centre, and operated until 1987. Hazel kept the retail business Kitimat Photo in City Centre and operated until 1985.
Scope and Content
Three green binders containing the Max Patzelt Photo Collection Directory.
