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.
The fonds consists of correspondence, financial statements and posters of the Kitimat-Terrace Caribbean Association in operation between 1980 and 1983. 10 folders.
Address List, form Letter, Envelope. Feb 22, 1982
Constitution and Bylaws. Ca. 1980
Constitution and Bylaw Notes. C. 1980
Correspondence. Sept 11, 1981
Correspondence, A-Reid to T. Laurie CPAir, A-Reid to B Campbell Wings Travel, A. Reid to A.C. Hewitsen Alcan. Jan 21, 1983
The fonds consists of correspondence, financial statements and posters of the Kitimat-Terrace Caribbean Association in operation between 1980 and 1983. 10 folders.
Address List, form Letter, Envelope. Feb 22, 1982
Constitution and Bylaws. Ca. 1980
Constitution and Bylaw Notes. C. 1980
Correspondence. Sept 11, 1981
Correspondence, A-Reid to T. Laurie CPAir, A-Reid to B Campbell Wings Travel, A. Reid to A.C. Hewitsen Alcan. Jan 21, 1983
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.
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
The Prince Rupert Daily News is a community oriented newspaper that has been in continuous print for nearly one hundred years. With a proud tradition as the paper of record for Prince Rupert, BC since 1911, the Daily News is still going strong today. The newspaper provides their community and others with the latest information on local news, sports, and cultural activities around the area and important issues concerning Prince Rupert and the North Coast.
Custodial History
Stored at the Prince Rupert Daily News until the collection was transfered, as part of a larger collection, to the Prince Rupert City & Regional Archives. The part of the collection pertaining to Kitimat/Kemano was transfered to the Kitimat Museum & Archives in January of 2010.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of photographs of the Alcan Smelter casting in Kitimat, power operations and residential areas in Kemano.
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.
Photo album (cover missing) and assorted loose photos of smelter construction in the 1950's with panoramas, unidentified navy ship, haisla bridge, smelter, Caisson dock. Photo album includes aerials, potline construction, worker accommodation, power operations construction, Haisla bridge, caisson dock, dredging, transportation, and sandhill.
Photo album (cover missing) and assorted loose photos of smelter construction in the 1950's with panoramas, unidentified navy ship, haisla bridge, smelter, Caisson dock. Photo album includes aerials, potline construction, worker accommodation, power operations construction, Haisla bridge, caisson dock, dredging, transportation, and sandhill.
Notes
Photos removed from album pages and put in envelopes.
Articles and Documents relating to Kitimat, Kemano, and Alcan
Kemano Completion Project Outline, Oct 1993
Kemano Completion Project Review, Jan 17, 1994
Giant Among Giants, pages 44-51
Magazine - The National Geographic (part of pages 379-398), Sept 1956
Newspaper The Watershed (Kemano project), Nov 1993, Oct 1993
Clippings - The Province (Full-bore to Kemano), Aug 26, 1990
- The Province (Courts Dam Kemano Completion Project), Aug 28, 1991
- The Province (Kemano Project Stalled by courtcase), June 14, 1991
- The Province (Kemano Project Makes Waves), Jan 23, 1994
- The Province (Alcan Critic Taken to Task), May 2, 1995
- The Province (Cave House Peace Generator Units)
Maps and patterns relating to Kemano dam.
Aquired June 15, 2000, from the Vancouver Island Regional Library
Scope and Content
Articles and Documents relating to Kitimat, Kemano, and Alcan
Kemano Completion Project Outline, Oct 1993
Kemano Completion Project Review, Jan 17, 1994
Giant Among Giants, pages 44-51
Magazine - The National Geographic (part of pages 379-398), Sept 1956
Newspaper The Watershed (Kemano project), Nov 1993, Oct 1993
Clippings - The Province (Full-bore to Kemano), Aug 26, 1990
- The Province (Courts Dam Kemano Completion Project), Aug 28, 1991
- The Province (Kemano Project Stalled by courtcase), June 14, 1991
- The Province (Kemano Project Makes Waves), Jan 23, 1994
- The Province (Alcan Critic Taken to Task), May 2, 1995
- The Province (Cave House Peace Generator Units)
Maps and patterns relating to Kemano dam.
Two Sets Scales; One lettering; One Transit; One Tripod; One Staff; One Rod; One
Folding Drafting Equipment; One Drafting Insturment, (Used during Alcan
construction by Kitimat Constructors)
Two Sets Scales; One lettering; One Transit; One Tripod; One Staff; One Rod; One
Folding Drafting Equipment; One Drafting Insturment, (Used during Alcan
construction by Kitimat Constructors)
Notes
Mr. Adam Vrooman, 30-901 Kentwood Avenue, Victoria, 13C
Set of 15 slides showing the "Chemistry of Aluminum". Also includes a booklet.
Set of 12 slides showing the "Fabrication of Aluminum". Also includes a booklet.
Set of 15 slides showing the "Chemistry of Aluminum". Also includes a booklet.
Set of 12 slides showing the "Fabrication of Aluminum". Also includes a booklet.
