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 interior of an Alcan potline building. Dark interior, with light rows on cieling visible.
Photograph of aerial view looking east showing status of construction of potlines 7 and 8. Note substation 7 and rectifier bldg. 207 in foreground. Building construction shows framework.
Bud Powell is a longtime resident of Kitimat and former smeltersite resident. He worked for Alcan.
Custodial History
Donated by Bud Powell.
Scope and Content
Photograph of aerial view looking east showing status of construction of potlines 7 and 8. Note substation 7 and rectifier bldg. 207 in foreground. Building construction shows framework.
Photograph of the potlines and power substations at Alcan. Substations are in front, and potlines behind. Smoke is coming up from the potlines. In front of the substations is a road with a man walking on it. In the foreground is a hill with debris on it. Snow topped mountains in background.
From the years 1953-1958, Mike Kinnear took photos during his school years, until graduation, while working for Fred Ryan Ltd. after school and holidays. Photos for him was a hobby, and he took many photos of the smelter and townsite as it grew around him. Mike also took a number of photos for the Kitimat Northern Sentinel, during the Ken Brumley and Pixie Meldrum years as editors. Mike and his family left Kitimat in 1958, but he spent the best part of 40 years in the photographic field, mainly in the retail/wholesale part of the photo industry.
Custodial History
Donated by Margaret and Mike Kinnear.
Scope and Content
Photograph of the potlines and power substations at Alcan. Substations are in front, and potlines behind. Smoke is coming up from the potlines. In front of the substations is a road with a man walking on it. In the foreground is a hill with debris on it. Snow topped mountains in background.
