Black book containing "History of our Cabin up Clague Mt.," photocopies of the cabin's logbook from September 1960 to January 1969, several photocopied pictures from 1970, a typewritten logbook of local and regional excursions taken by the Mendel family from 1963 to 1968, and several newspaper articles.
This material relates to a cabin on Clague Mountain, originally begun by Robert 'Bob' Hesse in the late 1950s and completed by Gisela's husband Hans in 1960. It remained in the Mendel family for 15 years before being demolished in 1975.
Custodial History
Donated to the Museum by Mendel's daughter, Fredrika Lyne, on November 14th 2023.
Scope and Content
Black book containing "History of our Cabin up Clague Mt.," photocopies of the cabin's logbook from September 1960 to January 1969, several photocopied pictures from 1970, a typewritten logbook of local and regional excursions taken by the Mendel family from 1963 to 1968, and several newspaper articles.
Photo album/scrapbook detailing Gisela Mendel's road trip along Highway 16 and 37, from Smithers to Telegraph Creek, in summer 1999. Contains written material, photographs, maps, pressed flowers, pamphlets, magazine and newspaper articles. Loose material, including newspaper/magazine articles, photographs, maps, and negatives of photos from the album, has been stored in two separate envelopes.
1 photo album: 3 cm of textual and graphic material, plus loose material
Custodial History
Donated by Gisela Mendel's daughter, Fredrika Lyne, on November 14th 2023.
Scope and Content
Photo album/scrapbook detailing Gisela Mendel's road trip along Highway 16 and 37, from Smithers to Telegraph Creek, in summer 1999. Contains written material, photographs, maps, pressed flowers, pamphlets, magazine and newspaper articles. Loose material, including newspaper/magazine articles, photographs, maps, and negatives of photos from the album, has been stored in two separate envelopes.
Hiking-related materials assembled by Gisela Mendel in a scrapbook/photo album format. Includes "Tales of Adventure - Tales of Stupidity" (advice for hikers), photographs, typed descriptions of local and regional hikes, and "The Tseax Lava Beds" booklet produced by the Kitimat Centennial Museum.
Assembled by Gisela Mendel around the 1970s or 1980s. Never formally accessioned; added to the Gisela Mendel Collection in November 2023. Has been given the accession number 2023.39 although it was not part of that donation.
Scope and Content
Hiking-related materials assembled by Gisela Mendel in a scrapbook/photo album format. Includes "Tales of Adventure - Tales of Stupidity" (advice for hikers), photographs, typed descriptions of local and regional hikes, and "The Tseax Lava Beds" booklet produced by the Kitimat Centennial Museum.
Notes
Divided into three folders:
1) Tales of Adventure/Stupidity, Squirrel Mountain, Mount Elizabeth, Eagle Bay, Jesse Falls, Clague Mountain, Frog Falls, Hudson's Bay Mountain, Crater Lake, Bornite Mountain, Lava Lake, Tseax Lava Beds.
2) Kalum Lake, Seven Sisters Mountains, Oliver Trail, Mount Quinlan, Coyote Creek Trail, Telkwa Pass, Insect Lookout, Rocher de Boule, Western Uranium Mines, Red Rose Mines / Pass, Tiltusha Mountain / Mines, Duthie Mines, Mount Cronin, Silverking Basin, Thornhill Mountain, Lakelse Lake, Mount Charlie, Big Onion Mountain, Babine Lake, Old Fort Mountain Lookout.
3) Sleeping Beauty Mountain, Stewart, Mount Dilsworth, Three Lakes family hike, Watson Lakes, Deception Lake, Hirsch Creek Falls / Park, Trapline Mountain, Easy Mountain, Kalum Valley, Bornite Mountain, Kitselas Canyon, Old Kitselas, Andimaul Lookout, Boulder Creek Trail, Glacier Peak, Seven Sisters, Mudflat Creek, Mount Johnstone, Robinson Lake.
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.
Fair; many documents have yellow glue stains on back (presumably from having been pasted into a scrapbook), many have slightly ragged edges.
History / Biographical
Dennis Tupman taught at Mount Elizabeth Secondary School from 1957 to 1971 and was well-regarded for developing the school's band program - the first in the community. He also led the United Church Choir, the Little Symphony, and the Community Choir; worked as a school counsellor; and volunteered with the Community Help Organization and the Family Forum Society. Under his leadership, the MESS Band travelled to Montreal to play at Expo 67, and won a Northwest provincial competition to play at Queen Elizabeth's visit to Vancouver in 1971.
Custodial History
Items were donated to the Museum on January 25th 2024 by Tupman's daughter, Raechel.
Scope and Content
Fonds contains 8 programmes for concerts and other events, collected by Tupman during his career in Kitimat.
File contains material relating to the naming of Mountainview Square: 14 ballots submitted by Kitimat residents, a newspaper supplement "We are looking for a Name," and a poster, also entitled "We are looking for a Name," featuring bees and tulips. Also included is a write-up by Museum staff giving the results of all 166 ballots from the original donation.
In April 1985, the merchants of the 'New City Centre' put on a naming contest for the commercial areas on the east side of Wakashan Avenue. The name Mountainview Square was chosen.
Custodial History
Items were donated Anne Berrisford on June 5th 2021
Scope and Content
File contains material relating to the naming of Mountainview Square: 14 ballots submitted by Kitimat residents, a newspaper supplement "We are looking for a Name," and a poster, also entitled "We are looking for a Name," featuring bees and tulips. Also included is a write-up by Museum staff giving the results of all 166 ballots from the original donation.
Notes
Only a sample of the original ballots were retained, in order to conserve space.
The new Tamitik arena was opened in 1980. It was officially named in May of that year, after a new contest was held by the Advisory Recreation Committee. (See Northern Sentinel, May 8th 1980, pg, 3, "Tamitik centre.")
Custodial History
Items were donated Anne Berrisford on June 5th 2021
Scope and Content
File contains two lists of potential names for the Tamitik arena, one typed and one handwritten.
Photocopied documents relating to John McLachlan's employment with Alcan.
1) Letter of employment, G. W. Whitehead (Alcan) to John McLachlan, offering position as Draughtsman in Kitimat. April 10th 1953
2) Letter of acceptance, John McLachlan to G.W. Whitehead. April 11th 1953
3) Alcan Personnel Department introduction form, to Mr. G. T. Malby, Resident Engineer, May 13th 1953
4) Invitation to join Retirement Income and Life Insurance Plan, Ian Maclean to John McLachlan, June 23rd 1954.
5) Account of duties as Senior Draughtsman, John McLachlan to W. H. Sparks, September 11th 1956.
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
Donated by Jean Lunny, January 12th 2018
Scope and Content
Photocopied documents relating to John McLachlan's employment with Alcan.
1) Letter of employment, G. W. Whitehead (Alcan) to John McLachlan, offering position as Draughtsman in Kitimat. April 10th 1953
2) Letter of acceptance, John McLachlan to G.W. Whitehead. April 11th 1953
3) Alcan Personnel Department introduction form, to Mr. G. T. Malby, Resident Engineer, May 13th 1953
4) Invitation to join Retirement Income and Life Insurance Plan, Ian Maclean to John McLachlan, June 23rd 1954.
5) Account of duties as Senior Draughtsman, John McLachlan to W. H. Sparks, September 11th 1956.
The fonds consists of the diary of George Anderson (1892-1899, 1921-1924) when he was in Kitamaat. The fonds also includes the 1892 diary of Cora Anderson.
George Anderson grew up in Ontario and, with his wife, Cora, came to Kitamaat in 1891 as lay missionaries. They were the first permanent white settlers in the area. They established a residential home for First Nation students, administered the local school and were responsible for providing religious services to the Haisla peoples until an ordained minister arrived in the area.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of the diary of George Anderson (1892-1899, 1921-1924) when he was in Kitamaat. The fonds also includes the 1892 diary of Cora Anderson.
Notes
Title based on contents of fonds. For conservation reasons, researchers are requested to use a photocopy of the original diary.
The fonds consists of Clague's correspondence with Jennie Lomas of Duncan, BC.
4 folders
1-1 Herbert Clague, correspondence, 1910
1-2 Herbert Clague, correspondence, 1911
1-3 Herbert Clague, correspondence, 1910
1-4 Herbert Clague, correspondence (typescript), 1911
Herbert (Bert) Clague was born in Sheffield, England, and gained a certificate in practical metallurgy from Sheffield University. In 1906, he came to Canada, first working in Montreal and Prince Rupert. He established his permanent home in Duncan, BC in 1910. Clague articled as a BC Surveyor and, during the summers of 1910 and 1911, conducted provincial government surveys in the Kitimat Valley. In 1912, he married Jennie Lomas of Duncan, BC. Clague Mountain in the Kitimat area is named in his honour.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of Clague's correspondence with Jennie Lomas of Duncan, BC.
4 folders
1-1 Herbert Clague, correspondence, 1910
1-2 Herbert Clague, correspondence, 1911
1-3 Herbert Clague, correspondence, 1910
1-4 Herbert Clague, correspondence (typescript), 1911
Notes
Title based on the contents of the fonds. Typescripts of the correspondence are available.
The Kitimat Business and Professional Women's Club was founded in 1957. Its purpose was to provide a network for local businesswomen. The club sponsored international dinners, a graduation tea, & two scholarships. The club disbanded in 1977.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of scrapbooks and a financial ledger.
Notes
Title based on the content of the fonds. For conservation reasons, researchers are requested to use photocopies of the original Club records.
The fonds consists of minutes, financial records, correspondence, constitutions, and files pertaining to the Arts and Crafts Fairs, the creation of K.O.A.T.A. and a Juried Art Show. Also includes 4 rubber stamps, and an album containing clippings, pamphlets and photos, gallary forms, Kitimat Community Arts Council logo, and a guest book.
Founded in 1970, incorporated in 1971, the role of the Kitimat Community Arts Council was to increase and broaden the opportunities for Kitimat citizens to enjoy and to participate in cultural and creative arts activities. Some of these activities include Arts and Crafts Fairs, sponsoring cultural performances and lobbying for funding for the Mount Elizabeth Theatre building. The council also sponsored K.A.O.T.A., a store selling local arts and crafts. The council disbanded in 1994.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of minutes, financial records, correspondence, constitutions, and files pertaining to the Arts and Crafts Fairs, the creation of K.O.A.T.A. and a Juried Art Show. Also includes 4 rubber stamps, and an album containing clippings, pamphlets and photos, gallary forms, Kitimat Community Arts Council logo, and a guest book.
Notes
Title based on the contents of the fonds. 2 boxes + guest book.
The fonds includes minutes, correspondence, reports and plans, arts and crafts festival publicity, constitution, financial records, and scrapbook of the Kitimat Crafts Alive Society.
Kitimat Crafts Alive Society was formed in 1980. Its purposes included the promotion of arts and crafts in Kitimat by hosting and arts and crafts festival twice a year. The Society became inactive in 1983.
Scope and Content
The fonds includes minutes, correspondence, reports and plans, arts and crafts festival publicity, constitution, financial records, and scrapbook of the Kitimat Crafts Alive Society.
Formed in 1957, the Kitimat Fine Arts Association promoted cultural events in Kitimat, including art shows, symphony performances and workshops on art. The Association became inactive in 1960.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of the minutes of meetings of the Kitimat Fine Arts Association.
The fonds consists of correspondence of Margaret Butcher to various family members describing her life in Kitamaat (Kitimat) and actibities at the Elizabeth Long Memorial Home.
Margaret Butcher emigrated to Canada around 1915. In 1916, she accepted a nursing position at the Kitamaat Girls Home (later the Elizabeth Long Memorial Home) a facility in Kitamaat supported by the Women's Missionary Society (Methodist) of British Columbia. She remained in Kitimat until 1919, when she moved to California.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of correspondence of Margaret Butcher to various family members describing her life in Kitamaat (Kitimat) and actibities at the Elizabeth Long Memorial Home.
Notes
Title based on the contents of the fonds. Copies from originals held in the BC Archives and Records Service (Add.MSS 362) : Photocopies 1983
Donor requested that copying be restricted to a few pages for research use, and that direct requests for complete copies be sent to the Provincial Archives. Copyright remains with Ms. Butcher's literary heirs. (See accession file)
The Northern BC Winter Games Committee (Kitimat) was formed in 1983 to coordinate the local arrangements of the Northern BC Winter Games held in Kitimat in February 1985. The Committee disbanded shortly after the conclusion of the Games.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of minutes, program, guest book and scrapbook of the Northern BC Winter Games Committee (Kitimat).
The fonds consists of prayer books, hymns, rituals, financial records, membership, constitution and notebook of Ha-sel-a Council 14 of the Royal Templars of Temperance. Includes wooden rods used as proof of membership.
In 1894, Reverend George H. Raley formed a local temperance group in Kitamaat. In 1897, this group became affiliated with the Royal Templars of Temperance as Ha-sel-a Council No. 14. The Council was inactive after 1900.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of prayer books, hymns, rituals, financial records, membership, constitution and notebook of Ha-sel-a Council 14 of the Royal Templars of Temperance. Includes wooden rods used as proof of membership.
Notes
Title based on the contents of the fonds. Some prayers and hymns are translated into Haisla.
The Prince Rupert Daily News is a community oriented newspaper that has been in continuous print for nearly one hundred years. With a proud tradition as the paper of record for Prince Rupert, BC since 1911, the Daily News is still going strong today. The newspaper provides their community and others with the latest information on local news, sports, and cultural activities around the area and important issues concerning Prince Rupert and the North Coast.
Custodial History
Stored at the Prince Rupert Daily News until the collection was transfered, as part of a larger collection, to the Prince Rupert City & Regional Archives. The part of the collection pertaining to Kitimat/Kemano was transfered to the Kitimat Museum & Archives in January of 2010.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of photographs of the Alcan Smelter casting in Kitimat, power operations and residential areas in Kemano.
Jamieson came to Kitimat from Vancouver to work on the Alcan project in 1952. With his first pay cheque he bought a small "Pony Kodak" camera at the local store (Hudson Bay?), and started taking coloured slides of the Kitimat from 1952-1953. Left Kitimat at the end of August 1953 to move to Montreal.
Scope and Content
Collection of 167 slides of the Kitimat project taken from summer 1952 - summer 1953.
300 digital photographs : colour ; various sizes received via e-mail 2018/09/13, transfered to server
History / Biographical
After fighting in WWII in Holland and seeing action, Walter Turkenburg was offered to go anywhere and he chose the West Coast of Canada, Vancouver. He arrived not speaking any English, and at some point made it to Kitimat where he worked on the Aluminum project (official employment status unknown). After working in Kitimat, Walter made his way back to Vancouver where he met his wife, Faye. Faye was from Saskatchewan where the couple ultimately ended up living.
Custodial History
Jerry Turkenburg sent these images to Phil Germuth, who then (with permission) sent them to the Museum. Jerry Turkenburg is the son of Walter Turkenburg.
Scope and Content
Colour photographs - 300 (digital images only.) Photographs of smeltersite, town construction, etc.
Notes
In 2019 Jerry Turkenburg called and spoke with Denise Pedro. He gave verbal permission to use the images as we see fit.
