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 view of Hospital Beach from likely the Delta King. Buildings and boats visible.
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.
Photo depicts bulldozers placing fill in the south-west corner of the storage area, to the final elevation of 28.5 ft. View is looking north-east at storage area of hydraulic fill.
Photo depicts bulldozers placing fill in the south-west corner of the storage area, to the final elevation of 28.5 ft. View is looking north-east at storage area of hydraulic fill.
Notes
Title based on content of photograph. Alcan Collection 79.31.7
Photo showing barge beached near the mouth of Moore Creek after a bad storm during the night of 8-9 December, no damage was done to the scow or load of housing material for the townsite.
Photo showing barge beached near the mouth of Moore Creek after a bad storm during the night of 8-9 December, no damage was done to the scow or load of housing material for the townsite.
