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 the early Haisla Bridge. Bridge is orange, and construction is still underway. Dirt slope on left side with river underneath.
Photograph of the Haisla bridge from a distance looking towards service centre side; trees and mountain in the background ; dirt and tire tracks in the front left of the photo.
Photographs taken by Gordon Lee donated to the museum by his daughter Michelle Simeoni.
Scope and Content
Photograph of the Haisla bridge from a distance looking towards service centre side; trees and mountain in the background ; dirt and tire tracks in the front left of the photo.
Edwin Charles Bateman (Ted) was a Commando in WWII, and later enjoyed his hobbies of cycle racing, ballroom dancing, and photography. He lived in Toronto, LA, and finally Vancouver in the early 50s. After arriving in vancouver he was offered a job as an assistant surveyor in Kitimat. He was subsequently offered a job as a lineman with what became BC Tel.
Custodial History
Judith Saunders
Scope and Content
Photograph of Haisla Bridge seen through trees. Cleared area in front of it.
Edwin Charles Bateman (Ted) was a Commando in WWII, and later enjoyed his hobbies of cycle racing, ballroom dancing, and photography. He lived in Toronto, LA, and finally Vancouver in the early 50s. After arriving in Vancouver he was offered a job as an assistant surveyor in Kitimat. He was subsequently offered a job as a lineman with what became BC Tel.
Custodial History
Judith Saunders
Scope and Content
Photograph of Haisla Bridge. stumps along and in river.
John Ware was a past employee of the Kitimat Town Planning Department (1957-1959). He was hired by Hollister Kent, Planning Director for Kitimat. During his two years here, Dr. ware designed the first Kitimat street signs, the Haisla Boulevard overpass, and the Hirsch Creek Park shelter centennial project (1858-1958). He was layed off when Alcan lost major Aluminum buyers and the town expansion halted, resulting in a cut back of Kirtimat employees. He then moved to the USA.
Custodial History
Donated by John Ware.
Scope and Content
Photographs of the Haisla Boulevard pedestrian walkway bridge. Photos include bridge before centre support was installed, and after.
Notes
Further info on the walkway bridge - the pedestrian overpass was designed by John Ware to carry people, heavy wet snow loads and walkway snow plow, with a large saftey factor. The central span was designed as the maximum length of concrete double 'Tee' beam that could be carried on an open flatbed railroad car through the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The pre-stressed central span was supported on each end by poured reinforced concrete cantilevers built clear of the multi-lane highway. Initial structural calculations were done out by the very capable Kitimat Town Engineer Graydon. His calculations were checked by Kitimat's consulting engineering firm in Vancouver. Ware's design and the engineer's calculations were then sent to a pre-stressed concrete manufacturer in Calgary. When the beam arrived it was properly installed between the two cantilevers, and metal handrails were added just before the winter snow arrived. The bridge was deseigned to self support without any needed centre support. However, when city officials saw the light looking long span walkway bridge they decided that it was too fragile and that a column must be placed at mid span to give it adequate support. This decision would result in a fatal vehicle accident, as wet snows caused a driver to lose control and crash into it.
