Elizabeth Anderson Varley, author of 'Kitimat My Valley' was born and raised in the Kitimat Valley. The book is a memoire of her life and the life of her family members, during the tenure as missionairies and ranchers in the area.
Custodial History
Obtained directly from Elizabeth Varley
Scope and Content
Textual records consisting of typewritten and handwritten notes pertaining to the creation of the book Kitimat My Valley.
62 photographs of the Anderson family, other early settlers and missionaries, and Haisla people, 1878-1947.
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.
67 photograph prints : b&w ;
1 photograph print : sepia ; 12.5 x 9
History / Biographical
After coming to Canada as a Polish soldier under British command, Feliks Rewers (who was an avid photographer) was assigned to work at Kitimat in 1950. He worked three years and in his free time took many pictures.
Custodial History
Wanda Rewers
Scope and Content
Collection of 68 photographs taken during the construction of the town of Kitimat, the aluminum smelter, and other areas from 1950-1953.
Notes
Open table tennis championship trophy included in collection. Title based on contents of fonds.
Fonds consists of 27 slides showing the construction of Alcan Wharf (Caisson Dock Construction) and Kitimat Bridge, 25 slides showing the contruction of Alcan Plant Area, 48 photographs of early construction, 38 slides of early construction. Includes a ruler, ashtray, pie plate and stationery folder.
Art Coghlin was Paymaster for Kitimat Constructors in 1951. He left the company to open Coghlins Hardware in 1954.
Custodial History
Terry Voitchovsky
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 27 slides showing the construction of Alcan Wharf (Caisson Dock Construction) and Kitimat Bridge, 25 slides showing the contruction of Alcan Plant Area, 48 photographs of early construction, 38 slides of early construction. Includes a ruler, ashtray, pie plate and stationery folder.
Molly worked + lived in Kitimat (1954-55). Worked at Alcan Pryde Machine Shop, last girl on Kitimat Constructors payroll. Liver at hospital, Smeltersite.
Scope and Content
Collection of photos consisting of Alcan, Smeltersite, Delta King, the sandhill, Kitimat River, Hirsch Creek bridge, Douglas Channel, and the wharf
Notes
Photos were most likely colour origianlly, but have degraded into a pink tone
Collection of photographs regarding early Kitimat and Kitimat Constructors. Photo content includes Kitimat Constructors equipment work ares, shops, bunkhouses, and camp, Anderson Creek Mess Hall - smelterite, Inside Delta King, Sports girls and boys basketball, and Hudson's Bay Trading.
Collection of photographs regarding early Kitimat and Kitimat Constructors. Photo content includes Kitimat Constructors equipment work ares, shops, bunkhouses, and camp, Anderson Creek Mess Hall - smelterite, Inside Delta King, Sports girls and boys basketball, and Hudson's Bay Trading.
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.
Photographs taken by Glyn Jenkins, who worked for Alcan Aluminum Smelter Ltd. in 1952. He returned to Vancouver to continue his education and continued to work in the Steel Fabrication industry until he retired in 1985. He married Charlene Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins died in 2005.
Custodial History
Charlene Jenkins
Scope and Content
Photographs of construction, scenery, housing, and fishing at the Smeltersite, 1952.
Photos and blueprints created to record the building of the Alcan Smelter site, original townsite. collection includes negative of Prime Minister Diefenbaker with potline workers.
Other items include Formation of Commission By Law documents, Correspondance, Meetings documents, Maps and Land Use Plans, Annual Heritage Tea 1994 photos (12), Hirch Creek Field Trip photo, Member Lists, Sitka Spruce park opening and stamp proposal, Radley Park sign proposal, Corduroy Road photos and related material, Points of Interest Signs documents, Designated Heritage Sites Registry 1992-1995, Louise and Bianca Chioccarello with giant stump near Chamber photos (4), Early Construction Photos, Photo List, Heritage Week Flag documents and clippings.
Photos and blueprints created to record the building of the Alcan Smelter site, original townsite. collection includes negative of Prime Minister Diefenbaker with potline workers.
Other items include Formation of Commission By Law documents, Correspondance, Meetings documents, Maps and Land Use Plans, Annual Heritage Tea 1994 photos (12), Hirch Creek Field Trip photo, Member Lists, Sitka Spruce park opening and stamp proposal, Radley Park sign proposal, Corduroy Road photos and related material, Points of Interest Signs documents, Designated Heritage Sites Registry 1992-1995, Louise and Bianca Chioccarello with giant stump near Chamber photos (4), Early Construction Photos, Photo List, Heritage Week Flag documents and clippings.
Title based on content of fond.
1. John Manders on the stairwell of the Delta King
2. John Manders w/fellow from Ireland, walking down hallway of Delta King
3. John Manders w/Mike Durin outside walkway on the Delta King
4. Panoramic view, Anderson Creek Camp, new bunkhouses, on the left, old
bunkhouses, Anderson Creek Bridge at the back, a bit of trailer court on the right
5. Anderson Creek Camp - old bunkhouses, Anderson Creek Bridge, Trailer Camp
6. Anderson Hill Trailer Camp
7. John Manders (right) & friend, outside CN Station
8. Locomotive, one of the first trains in Kitimat
9. Smeltersite looking southeast
10. John Manders on his 1996 Harley Davidson, FLHT
11. Slide Photo locomotive, one of the first trains in Kitimat
12. Slide photo John Manders (right) & friend, outside CN station
13. Slide photo Smeltersite looking southeast
14. Kitimat Hotel, which opened May 26, 1955
15. Panoramic view, Anderson Hill Trailer Camp & Anderson Creek Camp were two
separate places. In the panormaic view Anderson Creek Camp has barracks -
located in the left background. Anderson Hill Trailer Camp is located in the
foreground - all the way across the panoramic view
Kevin Martin arrived in Kitimat in February of 1956. He was hired from Vancouver, came on train to Kitimat, He lived on the Delta King for a while. Then he moved to huts at new townsite - north side of Haisla Boulevard. Four men to a hut - many people from everywhere (it Portugeuse, etc). He left 1 1/2 years later. (see gift agreement form for more information).
Custodial History
Kevin Martin
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of 5 photographs of early Kitimat and Smeltersite.
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.
The fonds consists of minutes of meetings, correspondence, and newspaper clippings of the Kitimat Centennial Committee.
1- Minutes. – 1965-1967. – 1 cm of textual records.
Series consists of minutes of the Kitimat Centennial Committee.
2- Correspondence. – 1964-1970. – 1 cm of textual records.
Series consists of correspondence of the Committee.
3- Newspaper Clippings. – 1965-1967. – 0.5 cm of textual records.
Series consists of newspaper clippings pertaining to the activities of the Committee. Index to clippings written on original file folder.
The Kitimat Centennial Committee was formed in 1964. The purpose of the Committee was to coordinate local activities during the celebration of Canadian confederation in 1967. The Committee organized local celebrations and, after an initial project could not be completed, raised funds for the construction of the Kitimat Centennial Museum building, completed in 1969.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of minutes of meetings, correspondence, and newspaper clippings of the Kitimat Centennial Committee.
1- Minutes. – 1965-1967. – 1 cm of textual records.
Series consists of minutes of the Kitimat Centennial Committee.
2- Correspondence. – 1964-1970. – 1 cm of textual records.
Series consists of correspondence of the Committee.
3- Newspaper Clippings. – 1965-1967. – 0.5 cm of textual records.
Series consists of newspaper clippings pertaining to the activities of the Committee. Index to clippings written on original file folder.
Beta Sigma Phi is a non-acedemic sorority. Beta, Sigma, and Phi come from the first letters of the Greek words for life, learning, and friendship. Social and mostly community based, the Kitimat group compiled many scrapbooks showcasing events and other activities among their members from 1971-1990.
Custodial History
Donated by Ruth Brady.
Scope and Content
Seven Scrapbooks from the Beta Sigma Phi showing their activities and events.
Scrapbook 1 - Beta Sigma Phi yearbook 1971-1972. Black cover.
Scrapbook 2 - 1978-1982. White cover.
Scrapbook 3 - 1971-1977. White cover with Beta Sigma Phi coat of arms with text "Vita Scientia Amicitia" drawn in gold, black, and green.
Scrapbook 4 - 1989-1990. Light blue cover with painting printed in centre.
Scrapbook 5 - Green cover with rose image on second page with text "Beta Nu 1975~76" bellow.
Scrapbook 6 - 1987-1988. Beige cover with small, square image of a sunset and trees.
Scrapbook 7 - 1982-1984. Cream cover with gold border.
Loose items - Photo of seven ladies. Founder's Day 1977 handmade card with painted rainbow. 1987-1988 Build Bridges of Friendship gold stickers.
