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 a crane working on a cleared area of land, likely at smeltersite area.
Steel reinforcing rods for concrete work arrive at Kitimat warf from Vancover by barges. A BE truck-mounted crane lifts them off and places them on the International L-190 trucks. Here is the way all supplies come into Kitimat at the present time.
Steel reinforcing rods for concrete work arrive at Kitimat warf from Vancover by barges. A BE truck-mounted crane lifts them off and places them on the International L-190 trucks. Here is the way all supplies come into Kitimat at the present time.
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
Slide of steel footings. Disposal ramp in background.
Photograph of steel framework of the Curling Club buiding being erected just east of the Kitimat River Bridge, Rod and Gun Association club in the background.
Photograph of steel framework of the Curling Club buiding being erected just east of the Kitimat River Bridge, Rod and Gun Association club in the background.
Two male steel workers posing with their hand on their hips. The man on the left is wearing his jacket fully zipped up, and the man on the right has his jacket open, and is wearing a plaid shirt underneath.
Two male steel workers posing with their hand on their hips. The man on the left is wearing his jacket fully zipped up, and the man on the right has his jacket open, and is wearing a plaid shirt underneath.
Photograph showing a man cutting a steel cable. The man has dark, short hair and is wearing a plaid long sleve shirt. He has large gloves on and there is a nail through the sleel cable. In the background there is a fence, people and then farther in the background, there are trees.
Photograph showing a man cutting a steel cable. The man has dark, short hair and is wearing a plaid long sleve shirt. He has large gloves on and there is a nail through the sleel cable. In the background there is a fence, people and then farther in the background, there are trees.
Photo showing view looking north west showing progress of steel erection for the Carbon Paste Plant, with foundations for standby diesel plant at right foreground and boiler buildings at left centre.
Photo showing view looking north west showing progress of steel erection for the Carbon Paste Plant, with foundations for standby diesel plant at right foreground and boiler buildings at left centre.
