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.
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.
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.
Fonds consists of two files of materials collected and produced by the Kitimat Valley Naturalists:
F1) Contents of the secretary-treasurer's duotang, 1996-1998. Includes meeting minutes, correspondence, receipts, financial documents, mailing lists, 1997 annual report, photocopied map, events schedule, Federation of BC Naturalists membership info, sign-up sheet for Douglas Channel boat trip, correspondence from Creston Valley Wildlife Area, materials re: Gisela Mendel Native Plant Garden, draft write-up for Iron Oxbow Wildlife Viewing Area along the Kitimat River, and ephemera from the inside front cover of the duotang (receipt from Fed. of BC Naturalists, business cards for Aurora Charters and Reid Crowther Consulting Engineers).
F2) Materials related to Pine Creek Protective Covenant, 2003-2014. This covenant was established by Rio Tinto Alcan, the Haisla Nation, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to protect the Pine Creek hiking trail and its watercourse near Minette Bay. Folder includes correspondence, signage text, Land Title Act forms, maps, and a Master Watercourse Crossing List from Coastal GasLink.
The Kitimat Valley Naturalists are a non-profit organization with the goal of learning about and enjoying the natural history of the Kitimat Valley. They were founded in 1996 and are still active as of 2023. Their projects include an annual Christmas bird count, construction of bat condos, monitoring amphibian numbers, and mapping eelgrass beds in the Douglas Channel.
Custodial History
Items were donated by Susan and Walter Thorne, longtime members of the Kitimat Valley Naturalists, on February 16th 2023. The fonds was arranged and described by Museum staff in April 2023.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of two files of materials collected and produced by the Kitimat Valley Naturalists:
F1) Contents of the secretary-treasurer's duotang, 1996-1998. Includes meeting minutes, correspondence, receipts, financial documents, mailing lists, 1997 annual report, photocopied map, events schedule, Federation of BC Naturalists membership info, sign-up sheet for Douglas Channel boat trip, correspondence from Creston Valley Wildlife Area, materials re: Gisela Mendel Native Plant Garden, draft write-up for Iron Oxbow Wildlife Viewing Area along the Kitimat River, and ephemera from the inside front cover of the duotang (receipt from Fed. of BC Naturalists, business cards for Aurora Charters and Reid Crowther Consulting Engineers).
F2) Materials related to Pine Creek Protective Covenant, 2003-2014. This covenant was established by Rio Tinto Alcan, the Haisla Nation, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, to protect the Pine Creek hiking trail and its watercourse near Minette Bay. Folder includes correspondence, signage text, Land Title Act forms, maps, and a Master Watercourse Crossing List from Coastal GasLink.
Notes
Three reports collected by the KVN - "An Assessment of the Kitimat Iron Oxbow Proposed Wildlife Viewing Area," "Blue Carbon - The Case for the Conservation and Enhancement of Estuarine Processes and Sediments in BC," and "Coastal Wetlands Habitat Assessment and Classification for Northwestern British Columbia" - have been added to the Museum's Reference Library.
Conservation
Removed from original duotang/folders. Staples removed.
Storage Location
Box 29
Arrangement
F1) has been left in original order, apart from ephemera which was removed from the inside cover of the duotang.
F2) has been arranged in roughly chronological order.
In 1987, Max Patzelt donated his photograph and negative collection - over 10,000 images - to the Museum. This talented and prolific photographer and businessman operated Kitimat Photo Supply and Max's Photo Studio for over 25 years.
Max took portraits of Kitimat citizens - babies, wedding parties, school classes, sports teams, local government - and recorded events for the Northern Sentinel and Alcan's ingot. School District No. 80 published many of Max's photos in promotional materials to attract teachers to Kitimat. Max photographed for Alcan and processed prints for the ingot.
Max became a resident of Kitimat in 1956 when he hired on at Alcan as a stud puller. He arrived in Kitimat with a camera around his neck. After a year in the lines, he had had enough. He resigned from Alcan, packed his bags and headed for the CN station to head to Vancouver.
Fred Ryan had recently established his photo studio, Kitimat Photo, retail photo processing and the town's only industrial photographers located in the Smeltersite recreation hall. Fred had heard of Max's photographic knowledge and rushed to the train station to offer Max a job running the new processing machine.
Max joined Kitimat Photo and was quickly "up to his ears in negatives" (ingot, May 22, 1987). They couldn't keep photographic equipment in stock - everyone who came for work in Kitimat purchased a camera. Max recalled that during the July 1 parade in 1957, he processed approximately 3,000 rolls of black and white film. It took days to process them all. With a new town and smelter, and surrounded by innovation, photography was just booming in Kitimat. Alcan wanted to document its construction events for both town and smelter, and workers wanted to document their time here.
Max and partner, Hazel Hatton, opened Kitimat Photo Supply Ltd. in City Centre in 1960. Max and Hazel operated the business until 1967 when Max moved the portrait studio, Max's Photo Studio Ltd., to Service Centre, and operated until 1987. Hazel kept the retail business Kitimat Photo in City Centre and operated until 1985.
Scope and Content
Three green binders containing the Max Patzelt Photo Collection Directory.