Kitimat

Kitimat

City of Kitimat-

Latitude- 54° 0' 0“ N
Longitude 128° 42' 0” W

The name Kitimat is a Tsimshian reference to the Haisla First Nation “People of the Snow”
who were the original inhabitants of the Kitimat Valley

Located In the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine.

52 Km South of Terrace BC

Kitimat BC lies at the end of Kitimat Arm, the Northern extension of the Douglas Channel,

Terrace / Kitimat Airport YXT

Kitimat from the air, ca Aug 1990
photo courtesy Ron Anderson, Terrace

Townsite planned by Albert Mayer, and Julian Whittlesey
Consultants from New York, hired by Alcan, with the help of other experts and consultants.

Norman W. Hullah,
President of Hullah Construction Company Ltd.
They were the company that barged in prebuilt houses and assembled them in Kitimat.
In 1948 Norman Hullah was 29 years old,
b- ca 1919, a Vancouver contractor.
He built prefab houses in an aircraft hangar at 235 Pemberton Ave. Capilano.
He lived as an Executive, in West Vancouver in 1957.
Expanded to Calgary and Edmonton, became a huge developer.
alt name- Hullah Corporation

Johnson-Crooks Construction Corporation (BC) Ltd.
they built houses at the townsite.
They were an American based Company.
They introduced Prefab trusses for roofs
They operated many sawmills in I think? Washington state.

Kitimat was expected to reach a population of 50,000.

1954- 4 room school, grades 1 to 11

Lots of green space, parks, and walkways were built into this City of the Future.
Each subdivision had it's own shopping area, schools etc.
Industrial area was kept separate.
Recreation Center, Sports Fields, were all part of the planning.
A huge hospital was built, and half of it I don't think ever opened.
Anew hospital was built and the old one was blown up.
I see movies of this on you tube now.

Population 1951= 500

CNR railroad built to Terrace in 1955

Ticket on first Train, courtesy Grant Walker, CA

By Oct 1956 there was 3 schools, 67 teachers, 1200 pupils, and 13,000 people.
Rod and gun club, Curling club, Hudson Bay Store nearly completed,
and first steps taken towards a golf course.
It was administered by a Reeve, and 6 Councillors.
There still was no road to Terrace.
Vehicles were brought in on boat or train.

Kitimat was incorporated in 1953
First Election Apr 30, 1953

1957 C.D. Sutherland, Accountant, employee of Alcan, was President of the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce.

Start of the building for the Townsite

More early Kitimat Construction

New Shopping Center

1956 party, Ed Dede, on extreme left, with his wife next to him

Unknown man beside a Grader
Snow removal 1955-56

Moving snow using an Osgood Shovel, Model 200 or 250, very hard to read. Snow removal 1955-56

1956 party, cutting the giant cake
Grant doesn't remember the occasion, other than it was a “big deal”

1956 party, Bud Walker, and his wife Bertie, in foreground

2 unknown men

Recreation Hall in Kitimat
Grant tells me they used to chase bears
up into the trees, at the Kitimat dump
out of this truck.
Al Brown's boys in front of box
Ayce Walker, Grant's brother in rear.

Herb Skuce and his wife
first guy hired by alcan here in 1950

First House being finished

July 28, 1954- Road from Smelter to Townsite

Aerial view of Eurocan Pulp Mill, ca: Aug 1990
photo courtesy Ron Anderson, Terrace BC
This mill has since closed down.

Oct 1956 party at the Walker home in Kitimat
Names below as remembered by Grant Walker.
Back row L/R- unknown man, Nomi Dede,
Unknown, Unknown, Ed Dede, Mrs. Bigger.
Middle row L/R -4th. person Mrs. Auger. Neighbour,
Her husband was a French Canadian, worked for Alcan.
Front row L/R - Bud Bigger?, Bud Walker, unknown, unknown.

Some great old 8mm movies taken by Bud Walker ca1956-57
submitted by his son Grant Walker, added.
Not the best quality, but better than nothing.

Here is the longer versions of the videos below, plus extra footage I cut off previously.
Longer Movie #1

Longer Movie #2

All these are movies of Shopping Centers, Churches, and Housing areas, in early Kitimat.
The ones below I shortened up, for my own web site.

My Descriptions/Captions, might be wrong, please send corrections if I am.

Movie #1 what is now City Center Mall?

Movie #2
Movie 1 Continued

Movie #3
Strip Mall? City Center?

Movie #4
Hwy 37, Lahakas Blvd corner, looking East, up to Kingfisher, I think?

Movie #5
looking west, at corner of Lahakas Blvd, from Hwy 37?

Kitimat First United Church Kitimat BC, 1
Kitimat First United Church Kitimat BC, 2 Cornerstone laid on November 25, 1956, May 16, 1957 First United Church was dedicated.

Kitimat Christ Church, Anglican Church
Diocese of Caledonia
Anglican Church of Canada
located at 1739 Gryfalcon St.
Corner of Kingfisher Ave. and Gryfalcon St.

Disclaimer Please note- Web Editor has never worked or lived in Kitimat.
I have never worked for Alcan.
This page was built to honour Bud Walker's photos.

note- not my sites, I do not control the content in these

Think Snow!
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