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Archival description
1970 Labour Strike
2000.1.1.3.22 · File · 1970
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File contains photographs depicting individuals at Cassiar on strike in the winter time, marching down roads, holding picket signs, carrying small children who hold signs, and driving cars covered with strike slogans. Many of the signs read "U.S.W.A. LOCAL 6536" (United Steel Workers of America).

  • Two photographs depict a man with a video recorder. Some photos feature plant buildings, two were taken at night. One photograph depicts a note that reads: "THERE WILL BE NO AFTERNOON SHIFT THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5th 1970."
  • Many photos depict areas in the mine showing snow impacts, fissures in the mountain, asbestos evidence and other environmental activity. The picket signs contain protests regarding contracts, safety, environment, and ethics.
  • Handwritten annotation on original envelope containing photographs: "Pictures 1970 Strike."
  • Integrated into file are fourteen photos from file marked "Mr. B. Pewsey" that depict an area where a large rock fell, measuring tape, and protest sign.
Accidents and Incidents
2000.1.1.3.01 · File · [ca. 1971 - 1991]
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File contains images relating to Incident & Accident Investigations and Occurrences. The photographs are grouped into sets relating to separate incidents.

File contains photographs related primarily to the following subject areas: personnel vehicle accidents, mine vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, fires, and rock falls in the pit mine.

Identified objects include Euclid ore hauling trucks, Wabco ore haulage trucks, drill rigs, derailed train car, Clark forklift, dump trucks, twisted steel girder, and cat machine.

Locations identified include the townsite, mill building, pit mine, tramline, railroad, the powerhouse, the plantsite, and the underground mine.

The following is abbreviated description of the incidents documented in this file:

  • Photos and negatives of a rock slide in the pit mine, a flooding creek, a house severely damaged by fire, a parking lot in Cassiar, and what are speculated to be oil drums.
  • Various of Finning Tractor and equipment damage incidents, one occurred on 2 July 1981 because of HOS blade, another in Nov, 1987, and another in Oct. 1986. Also Euclid accidents, of which one occurred 29 May 1987
  • Photos of split fibre bags in snow, a damaged brown car in Cassiar parking lot, various Blast Hole Drill accidents, of which one occurred in pit in September 1985, and another planned blast that failed to detonate - powergel 'A' slurry failure on 10 June 1985.
  • a derailed train, and a young woman measuring damaged steel trellis.
  • Photos of Drill #707 fallen over in bank, a broken haulage truck, a fire damaged truck, and of Drill and Wzbco accident, #650 Haulage Truck accident on Oct. 24, 1990, and another accident near gas pump area involving truck on 5 Feb. 1987.
  • Photos of damaged tramline after avalanche with annotated envelope "Bill Zemenchick", a set of photos showing tramline trackrope incident in 1986, and a derailed tramline carts in discharge area on 6 October 1986.
  • Photos of Pressure Packer Accumulator Failure from the Plantsite in 1986, incident neraby Fibre Storage building involving #872 Forklift during 80s, another incident involving the #489 Hydraulic Shovel in the Mine during 80s.
  • Photos of broken windshield and overloaded bucket on 30 April 1985, a screw gun malfunction caused by outlet having 600v power source in 1985, incident caused injury.
  • Photos of "G" conveyor accident in April 1988, equipment damage in Underground mine in 1990, damaged screens in Mill, malfunctioning blade incident 11 Jan. 1992.
  • Photos of Cat Engine cracking, damaged garbage truck, Haulage Truck engine failure on 27 Oct. 1986, Truck #84 backed into trench on 17 Oct. 1990, a loader that caught fire 21 June 1989, a grader accident on 21 Nov. 1985, and Haul track #59 broken tie rod that caused significant equipment damage.
  • Photos of a fuel oil spill on 11 June 1990 in the Cassiar valley around plantsite.
  • Photos of ground failure in Cassiar open pit 22 June 1988, 5 May 1987, and 2 Sept. 1987.
  • Photos of damaged tires and damaged cart, a panfeeder accident in trench, shovel accidents on 6 March 1986 and 15 November 1986, Cylinder rod accident on 7 March 1986, manhole incident 9 April 1984, snow damage to building 29 March 1982, another loader engine fire on 3 Sept. 1987, and a broken tail light on 6 April 1988.
  • Photos of accident in Underground mine when drilling piece of shotcrete fell on 20 June 1991, incident of disconnecting sling from chute causing damage on 4 July 1990, and accident in open pit of machinery going off road on 14 January 1988.
  • Photos of Mine Garage Parts-room fire collection; 18 January 1986, also included are two photographs of a Euclid truck - kept with collection of context. Truck could have been used to transport debris.
  • Important collection of three photographs of scoop tram sabotage incident - "foul play" on 15 June 1990. The Scoop tram was used in the underground mine.

Some of the above accidents involved personnel and therefore access is restricted - See Archivist for accessibility.

Cassiar Aerial Photographs
2000.1.1.3.13 · File · 1950 - 1992
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

Photographs depict aerial views of the Cassiar townsite, plantsite, tailings pile, mine road, bench and pit mine, mine buildings (tramline loading station, crusher, shop, and garage), and surrounding mountain range. Here "aerial" refers to photos depicting a large area and taken from the air or from a high point of elevation.

2000.1.1.3.14 · File · 1952 - 1954
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File contains portraits and sample photographs of exposed asbestos fibre: in veins of rock outcrops, and loose in talus on McDame Mountain (location of Cassiar mine). Some photographs were printed in Cassiar's Annual Reports, with labels and descriptions.

General Operations Albums
2000.1.1.3.19 · File · 1961 - [ca.1985]
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File includes six aggregations of photographs which have been assembled in this file in order to maintain the integrity of each group by keeping the photos arranged together, though each group features operations pertaining to multiple files in this subseries. Includes groups featuring photos from 1961, 1965 1971, a helicopter trip, a community album, and a workplace album. Photographs depict images pertaining to the following operations at Cassiar, B.C.: mining, milling, maintenance, labratory tests, and tramline and town operations. Images featuring operations of the company town include the grocery store, bank, churches, school, library, lounge, pool, theater, community center, outdoor recreation, hospital, dentist, cafeteria, bus route, residences, air strip, firehall, laundromat, park, police, and newspaper.

Landslides
2000.1.1.3.06 · File · 1979 - 1989
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File contains images depicting various landslides near Cassiar BC. Set of 20 photographs (with 9 corresponding negative strips) date stamped June 1987 depict landslide near creek and dirt road with a Cassiar company truck. Set of 5 black and white photographs found in envelope marked "D. Stewart" are likely from 1988-1989 and depict a rockslide on the south western side of the pit mine, near the tramline. Album entitled “6200 DUMP SLIDE / SPRING, 1979” contains 34 photographs depicting aerial shots of a massive rockslide on the eastern slope of McDame Mountain, originating from the mine waste dump. Several images from album show greenish water pooling in the toe of the slide.

Mine (1952 to 1972)
2000.1.1.3.15 · File · 1953 - 1970
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File contains photographs depicting machinery, individuals, buildings, and mining processes at the open mine on McDame Mountain, Cassiar, B.C. Some photos depict benches from open strip mining, and two images feature models of the mine (1955 and 1970). Machinery depicted includes shovels, bulldozers, tractors, ore haul trucks (Kenworth, International Harvester, and Wabco), air track drills, blasthole drills, and Ingersoll-Rand Drill. Identified individuals include Fred Murray, R.R. [Kiresan?], C.E. Bronson, Bill Giachino, and "Sam".

Mine (1973 to 1991)
2000.1.1.3.16 · File · 1973-1991
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File contains photographs featuring:

  • the pit mine: fault line, geology, snowdrifts, plowed snow, blast patterns marked by orange cones, mist, and surrounding mountains.
  • Pit mine is depicted by aerial photographs and a profile diagram.
  • Several photographs also depict what is speculated to be the portal to the underground mine adit in the early phases of development.
  • One photograph depicts the shop building in the pit mine, used for maintenance of mining equipment and to house the primary crusher.
  • Several photographs show office interiors and personnel and it is speculated that these photographs were taken in the upper floor of the shop building.
  • Several photographs depict small sinkholes in the pit mine.
  • Mining equipment depicted includes pickup trucks, front end loaders (including a Cat 988), ore haulage trucks, scoop trams, D8 Caterpillar dozer, grader, mining drill rig, jumbo drill, rock hammer, P&H excavator, and wireline extensometer. Photolab envelopes accompanying these materials were annotated “R. Tyne” and “falling ground”. Slide sleeves were annotated “Mine Nov-Dec 1975”, “AERIAL SHOTS OF MINE 1976” and “Phase 8 Dec 1975”.
  • Photographs of a Gardner Denver blasting drill at the mine and other ground drills working
  • Photograph of proposed power line to #1 switchback in 1975,
  • Collection of photographs of a Wsbco truck with corresponding mechanical transfers of those photographs.
  • Also photographs a Gardner Denver drill and a Bucyrus Erie drill that was rented to Cassiar Mine in 1974. This collection includes a depiction of an accident with these drills.
  • An additional collection of photographs of #709 Drill that was involved in minor accident. A pipe was either damaged or was the cause of the accident.
  • Negative collection of photographs with corresponding notes of descriptions.
  • Photographs of G.D. 80 Drill - Blasthole drill at work in the open pit.
  • Photographs part of Month End Reports from January - June 1980
  • Photographs of portable toilets used on Mine site.
  • Photograph collection of mine garage January 21, 1988
  • Photograph collection of what is believed to be the inside of the mine garage and various storage units and equipment. Marked "Receiver File" in original enclosure.
  • Photos of Crane in 1984.
  • An Album of 192 photographs of machinery in March of 1976 working at the mine site. Some of the equipment from either the plantsite or the mill is also depicted.
Plantsite
2000.1.1.3.18 · File · 1953 - 1989
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

This file contains operations at the plantsite:
Below is synopsis of the item level descriptions (see each item for further description)

  • locations depicted at Plantsite: mill building, dry rock storage building, tailings pile, gravel pit, power house, and office.
  • delivery and installation of a Caterpillar engine, welding repairs underway on a Rustin Diesel Engine in the power house, staff portrait taken by the main office building, and fibre testing
    Not done to item level but integrated into subseries file:
  • Photographic negatives included depict milling and packaging machinery in the mill building.
  • 93 slides depicting various activities and equipment at the plantsite including: dry rock storage, screens, collectors, loading trucks, bagging, pallets, tailing pile, lab work by engineers, lab equipment, fibre testing, and fibre samples.
  • photographs of conveyor foundations, tailings equipment, Grizzly truck, containers from site mechanical inspection, and portable crushing plant in June 1991.
  • photos of fibre samples from lab - on display
  • collection of photos of 1970 Mill modification Program of April 1978
  • collection of photos from 1961 and 1962 of plantsite lab and asbestos samples. file labeled "Suter - Webb VU Graph Analysis" and "Suter - Webb and Turner Comb Analysis"
  • Pressure Packer modification photos done by Chapman Industries in 1986
  • Powerhouse equipment from 1979
  • additional 43 slides of inside the mill in June 1978. Slides were used at a board meeting.
  • negatives of inside of mill
  • A photo album of 162 photographs depicting various operations at the plantsite including: drill dust collector, outdoor surroundings, conveyors, and the mine site. (album was originally labelled "Cassiar Plantsite).
Reclamation Project
2000.1.1.3.27 · File · 1971 - 1975
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

Reclamation is the process of recovering disturbed land to its former state or other productive uses. This collection of photographs depicts men at work instituting a project on the control of erosion and to restore the mined areas to a condition in keeping with the environmental standards.

Shipping & Transportation
2000.1.1.3.21 · File · 1962 - 1983
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File contains photographs pertaining to the transportation of asbestos fibre.

  • These include portraits of Clinton trailer trucks, trucks from the Cassiar Transport Division at Mile 860 on the Alaskan Highway, the assembly of large freight trucks, an unidentified bridge, and ships and buildings at the Cassiar Shipping Facilities at Pier 94 on the Asbestos Warf in North Vancouver, B.C.
  • Twenty-three photographs dated 1982 depict asbestos fiber bales on pallets and inside shipping containers, with accompanying annotations commenting on the quality of the packing. Several images show fibre bales broken during shipment. An accompanying note reads: "SMD - please ensure this cannot reoccur.", and a photo caption reads: "pierced bags are resulting as an environmental problem as fibre is beginning to build up in certain containers." One of the photographs depicting the Cassiar Transport Division was used for promotional posters with the following commentary: "The Cassiar Transport Division operates out of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and is responsible for delivering the asbestos to the White Pass and Yukon Route terminal in Whitehorse. Fuel oil and supplies are backhauled to the mines. By the end of 1967, the fleet will consist of 65 tractor-trailer units, each of which will carry 23 tons of asbestos. The distance from Whitehorse to Cassiar is 357 miles and Clinton is 403 miles. During the past year, the Division's trucks traveled 2,213,534 miles and handled 75,100 tons, and the mileage to 3.5 million miles. This is a year-round operation and convoys arrive at the mine daily in spite of the long difficult haul. The Division currently employs 43 drivers and 35 mechanics and operates its own maintenance and rebuild facilities in Whitehorse. Over the years these men have established and enviable record of safety, cost and performance."
  • Additional photographs that have been integrated depict the Asbestos wharf and its condition, 31 slides of wharf, maps of shipping routes, storage, forklifts, shipping trucks, and packaged asbestos.
  • Also included in this file are two copies of a "Photo Survey - Cassiar Ton Units - "Amstelveld & Trojoland" on arrival to Brisbane & Sidney - August 1967." This collection of photographs is a part of an assessment of the efficiency of shipping and transport to Australia from Cassiar. Pictures include: loading, forklifts, storage, ripped bags, broken straps, wharfs, trucks, slings. There are accompanied annotations with each of the photos explaining the safety hazards or inefficiency of the situation. This report was found inside a box linked to James Hardie Industries Ltd. This company is not mentioned in the photograph annotations, but could be related to the report since James Hardie Industries Ltd. was a key player in asbestos mining and manufacturing in Australia.
  • Collection of photos of roadside spill of Asbestos, depicting a man with shovel cleaning up on 5 June 1985
  • Photos from Eternit Societe Anonyme (a European company that Cassiar shipped to) of packaged Asbestos in storage in 1967
  • Collection of photos of James Hardie Coy. Pty. Ltd. shipment of asbestos that was not stored or transported effectively. Many photos depict broken bags as a result of inadequate storage and forklift punctures.
  • Collection of photos of Cassiar/Stewart Road Proposal. Photos depict tests of the various stages of shipping and transportation process including forklift tests, Marineo Sling tests, stacking tests, durability tests, container loading tests, problems with current units etc. Also included is a marketing drawing if proposed shipping plan - drawn by "Stewart 1977."
  • Photos of shipping process of Turners Asbestos Fibres Lmt. Photos depict lowering asbestos pallets onto barge with swing, and storage on barge.
  • Collection of photos of a shipment of asbestos, but the bags of fibre are not identified as a Cassiar shipment therefore the location is unknown.
Trailer Service
2000.1.1.3.03 · File · Nov. 1975 - Aug. 1976
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File contains 20 slides date stamped between July and August 1976 and annotated “TRAILER SERVICE SUMMER 1976", depicting the construction and renovation of a mobile home, excavations, and structures believed to be wells or water boxes. File also contains 9 additional slides with no annotations, depicting mobile home and houses in winter. These 9 images are associated with materials dated Nov. – Dec. 1976 and it is likely that these photographs were taken in the winter of 1975-1976.

Tramline
2000.1.1.3.17 · File · [ca. 1955] - 1977
Part of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Ltd. fonds

File contains photographs featuring the tramline at Cassiar which ran from the crushing plant at the mountain mine to the plantsite in the valley (a drop of 427 meters). The first ore was originally transported by truck to the plant until the gravity chute was built in 1953. This chute was replaced with the first aerial tramline model in 1956, which was succeeded by the second model in 1975. This file also includes one photo of the original gravity chute, and one photo depicting a tramline worker.

Additionally there is a collection of eighteen photographs of tramline cars that were being surveyed for damage and condition, and another collection of six photographs of tramline study. The results of this study determined that there was variances in load sizes of the buckets caused by extra material falling off the panfeeder.