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 opening to the Kitimat Yacht Club basin. Sailboats and the Alcan dock in the distance.
Photo showing view of Kitimat River Bridge looking west, east pier in foreground showing whalers in place with sheet piling driven to grade, in center: pier, and on right: two bearing piles driven to required bearing. On left, sixty foot pile in place for splicing, temporary bridge crew completing placing rock in pier.
Photo showing view of Kitimat River Bridge looking west, east pier in foreground showing whalers in place with sheet piling driven to grade, in center: pier, and on right: two bearing piles driven to required bearing. On left, sixty foot pile in place for splicing, temporary bridge crew completing placing rock in pier.
Photo showing Carbon Paste Plant area looking north-east showing progress of deep foundations and start of building footings, compressor foundation and column footings for compressor building 140 in foreground.
Photo showing Carbon Paste Plant area looking north-east showing progress of deep foundations and start of building footings, compressor foundation and column footings for compressor building 140 in foreground.
Photo showing smeltersite looking east showing progress of structural steel and aluminum cladding in potline 2 and concrete footings and pot recess flours in potline 1. Service Building, roofs are completed, substation and precast yard and storage in foreground.
Photo showing smeltersite looking east showing progress of structural steel and aluminum cladding in potline 2 and concrete footings and pot recess flours in potline 1. Service Building, roofs are completed, substation and precast yard and storage in foreground.
Photo showing view looking north west showing coal and coke bine adjacent to the carbon paste plant with truck dumping coke into hopper for feeding into the plant.
Photo showing view looking north west showing coal and coke bine adjacent to the carbon paste plant with truck dumping coke into hopper for feeding into the plant.
Photo showing view of the Carbon Paste Plant looking eat, smoke from stack showing first equipment in operation, erection of trusses for Conveyor C20 in progress.
Photo showing view of the Carbon Paste Plant looking eat, smoke from stack showing first equipment in operation, erection of trusses for Conveyor C20 in progress.
Book titled "Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd. Employee Training Division Montreal Trainee Manual", with a dark green cover, and an image of an aluminum ingot in the centre. Includes a letter from P. E. Radley to Mr. W.S. Mosher, explaining that this manual was sent as a sort of "guidebook" for British Columbia Employees, instead of a tour of the Eastern Canada plants.
Book titled "Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd. Employee Training Division Montreal Trainee Manual", with a dark green cover, and an image of an aluminum ingot in the centre. Includes a letter from P. E. Radley to Mr. W.S. Mosher, explaining that this manual was sent as a sort of "guidebook" for British Columbia Employees, instead of a tour of the Eastern Canada plants.
Aerial photo of the Kitimat river estuary showing Kitimat River, Kitimat Harbor, Minette Bay, and the Alcan company smelter site taken from the southwest looking northeast towards the Kitimat City Centre.
Aerial photo of the Kitimat river estuary showing Kitimat River, Kitimat Harbor, Minette Bay, and the Alcan company smelter site taken from the southwest looking northeast towards the Kitimat City Centre.
