Showing 203 results

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).

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.

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.

Photograph depicts ore haul truck at dump in mine, mountain range in background. Photo also features driver and a second unidentified man standing in front of truck. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "Int. Harvester Payhauler Model 95 dumping stripping waste at 6565 Elevation", on verso: "1961".

Photograph depicts ore haul truck at dump in mine, driver visible, mountain range in background. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "Kenworth - Model 802 dumping stripping waste at 6565 Elevation", on verso: "1961".

Photograph depicts benches from strip mining operations at the Cassiar mine. Haul trucks and equipment believed to be used for explosive purposes can be seen in mine. Shop and mountain range visible in background. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "Cassiar, BC / June 1970 / by Tom Kiefer". Image consists of three photographic prints adhered together to form one comprehensive panoramic.

Photograph depicts unknown man driving bulldozer in foreground. Shop area in background, numerous haul trucks and dozers throughout. Old mine garage can be seen in center behind dozer, and the mine's West Peak rises on right behind shop buildings. Mountain range in background. Handwritten annotations on recto of photograph: "Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Limited. Cassiar B.C. Mining asbestos ore elevation approx 6000 ft. above sea level. McDame mountain, Northern British Columbia"; "Toronto Set"; "D - 336"; "-4 1/2 -". What appears to be framing measurements are annotated on verso.

Photograph depicts cable-operated shovel loading two Kenworth haul trucks on road in mine area at high elevation. Three unidentified men are gathered around truck in foreground. Valley and mountain range in distance.

Photograph depicts unknown men driving bulldozers on edge of mine area at high elevation. Dozers are Internationals, model TD24 (manufactured between 1947 and 1955). Mountain range in background.

Photograph depicts unknown man driving bulldozer near edge of mine area at high elevation. Dozer is an International model TD24 (manufactured between 1947 and 1955). Valley and mountain range in background.

Photograph depicts unknown man driving bulldozer on edge of mine area at high elevation. The dozer is an International model TD24 (manufactured between 1947 and 1955). A second man stands on edge of cliff, directing driver. Mountain range in background.

Photograph depicts two men standing to left of Fred Murray on balcony of large building or structure speculated to be in the Cassiar valley. Portion of log structure in left foreground, man and hauling trucks on road in background.

Photograph depicts two unidentified men on road or mining bench at high elevation on mountain, valley in background.

Photograph depicts two unidentified men at high elevation on mountain. Trucks and tanks visible in background, hose (possibly of air track drill) in right foreground. Mountain range in background.

Photograph depicts two men standing on mining bench in mountainside, three boxes and what appears to be a long hose to the left. Third man and tractor plow can be seen in distance at end of bench. Photo caption next to printed copy of image in 1953 Annual Report: "Benches being prepared for mining."

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".

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.

Photograph depicts a pick hammer hanging from outcrop. Annotations on note glued to recto of photograph: "ASBESTOS"; "Outcrop of fibre bearing serpentine about centre of deposit and vertically over 300 adit on western slope." Areas of image have been labeled "A" and "B". Photo caption under printed copy of image in 1952 Annual Report: "A - indicates asbestos talus. B - indicates asbestos veinlets."

File contains images depicting the underground mine at Cassiar, showing structural damages, repaired damage ground support, and mining and repair processes.

The file contains a photo inventory entitled “Underground Mine Structural Inspection, Rock Mechanics Dept. Foto Documentation” with a complete file inventory linking the picture number to a location, title, and dated film. This photographic documentation was assembled for the purposes of liaising with a underground mining consultant located in South Africa.

• Images document structural ground support including steel cables, support arches, metal mesh, shotcrete, rockbolts, wooden beams.
• Images show ground support damaged through ground movement, but some depict newly installed or repaired support.
• Images depict ventilation ducting that was crushed or torn.
• Mining processes depicted include miners installing a rock breaker, miners paving the adit floor with concrete, miners inspecting a damaged section of mine, miner loading drill or blastholes with ANFO (ammonium nitrate / fuel oil mixture) explosives, and long hole drilling.
• Technical elements of the underground mine depicted include a mining device and ore in a chute (annotated ‘1290 crusher’), the conveyor, ‘LH drill’, ore processing machine annotated ‘1350 breaker’, and an electrical box titled ‘Weighometer’.
• Specific locations shown include ore draw points, ore passes, access drifts, a hatch and door titled “Fuel station 1415”, and a dead end drift with a stack of equipment and an orange cable annotated “1335 access electrical stations”.

This file contains various aspects of the underground mine.

• Photos depicting damage to the underground mine such as fallen rocks, cracked shotcrete, twisted rock bolts and metal mesh, exposed and damaged steel structural frames, and repairs underway.
• Steel cables, chains, support arches, and custom welded rebar frames used in the structural reinforcement of the underground mine.
• Several engineering tests related to the structural damages are depicted.
• Two sets of images show a Porta Power hydraulic tool with a ready rod attached, a hand pump, as well as images of a technician testing the holding power of a rock bolt.
• Set of images documents a technician drilling cores and installing extensometer anchors, as well as grouting the anchors and connecting an extensometer. Technicians are shown inspecting damages with a ruler and rockhammer for scale.
• A set of images showcase the threaded rebar, nuts, and face plates used for rockbolts.
• Utility vehicles, yellow vent ducting, and utility pipes are visible in several images.
• Also include is an image of a man in office space, foggy night scene with a telephone pole, office desk, stack of supplies including concrete, steel cable, and spray paint, and several images of a broken piece of ore and concrete outside the mine portal.
• Several images depict miners working in the bucket of a scoop tram.
• Photos of the stramler feeder breakers, which was used in the underground mine.
• Images of ground support verifications where the deficiency of the exhaust ramp was investigated. This collection has various annotations explaining the broken shotcrete and the wire mesh installed.
• A collection of photographs depicting tunnel shotcrete failures. Each photograph has an accompanied textual annotation.
• Photos of MMD #750 Sizer equipment - assumed used in Underground Mine.
• Photos of pump used in 1335 level, wheel fan for ventilation removed from 1350 level,
• A collection of ground fall event 29 March 1989 - with annotations depicting damage

File contains images of mine operations and construction, as well as a variety of other subjects.

• Elements of the underground mine are depicted, including miners working, the marked rock face, yellow ducting and ventilation fan, the portal, mesh rockbolted onto adit walls, shotcrete being applied, and stacked mining construction materials.
• Mining equipment depicted in this file includes underground ore haulage truck, Wabco ore haulage truck, jackleg drill, stoper drill, scoop tram, jumbo drill, conveyor, pickup trucks, unidentified mixing or grinding machine, a cable wagon and half constructed ore haulage truck in the shop, and a continuous miner (also known as alpine miner or roadheader).
• A set of images show a dozer and a lowbed truck transporting a temporary building down the pit mine access road.
• Several images depict drill core fragments, asbestos ore, and geological features of the mine.
• Mining related process are depicted, including a young man sluicing and panning, a mine building under construction, and an unidentified steel frame structure with a hydraulic device suspended on a rail.
• A set of images shows a railway or highway construction project, including stockpile of construction materials, rail cars, caboose, locomotive, front end loader, dump truck, concrete mixing trucks, semi-trucks, and a rail car with large steel drums which are speculated to be specialized for tunnel construction.
• Further images show what is speculated to be tunnel construction.
• A set of images at a high ceiling underground mine which is not Cassiar depicts a man in a suite by a underground ore haulage truck, and other mining vehicles including a crane.
• A set of images depict an ungulate herd, possibly bighorn sheep, on a mountain side.
• The file includes several images which depict personal life, presumably from a family vacation, and access to these images may be restricted. These images depict man with children on a fishing trip, adults and children around a pool, a woman on a motorcycle, and a house and kitchen. Several groups of images are contained in envelopes annotated with dates and “K. Minty”.

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.

Subseries consists of photographic material pertaining to the following subject areas: mine operations; plant operations;labour strike 1970s images; townsite operations of the company towns of Cassiar and Clinton Creek (including community activities associated therein and townsite development); as well as, images of mines not owned by Cassiar Asbestos Corporation, but which are believed to have been used for operational research purposes.

Photo depicts workers at construction site of Cassiar's new mill building.

Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "FURNACE PAD AUG 25/64." Photograph depicts construction worker standing on elevated wood platform. Three other men can be seen working in construction area. This location is believed to be under the conveyor to crusher building, retaining wall in midground.

Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "RETAINING WALL POUR JULY 9/64." Photograph depicts two construction workers standing on retaining wall in foreground. Two other men stand near a crane operating in midground, with its load suspended above men on wall. Crane stands on road between a building and retaining wall, mountain range in background.

Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "FOOTING WEST WALL AUG 8/64." Photograph depicts a construction worker near freshly poured cement footings. Building is semi-visible in background on left, tall steel framework behind footings on right. The hard had of a second worker is visible behind footings.

Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "FORMING & STEEL WORK AUG 19/64." Photograph depicts construction workers among machinery on high elevation of crusher site. It is believed that a front end loader and concrete mixer stand in this area. Forms for cement made of wood and rebar can be seen in foreground on left, retaining wall on right. Building top and mountain range visible in background.

Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "WEST WALL FOOTING AUG 8/64." Photograph depicts a construction worker standing on rebar in forms built for cement footings. A front end loader and backhoe tractor can be seen on wood platform above footings. Mountainside in background.

Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "FORMING FOOTING FOR TRANSFORMER HOUSE AUG 20/64." Photograph depicts construction workers standing in forms made of wood and rebar for cement footings. Lumber scattered throughout, mountain range in background.

Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "RETAINING WALL POUR JULY 9/64." Photograph depicts construction workers among machinery near retaining wall under conveyor of crusher building. Crane stands on left, front end loader and back hoe tractor in foreground on right. Mountainside in background.

Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "POURING FOOTING RETAINING WALL JULY 4/64." Photograph depicts construction workers manually pouring cement into forms laid against mountain wall on high elevation of construction site. Cement is being transported by wheelbarrow. A retaining structure made with wood planks and rebar separates mountainside dirt from cement forms. A bulldozer can be seen in background, as well as a front end loader and back hoe tractor. Building at crusher site also in background.

Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "RETAINING RIBS JUNE 29/64". Photograph depicts construction workers on and near wooden framework structure extending from base of crusher building. Crane in background against mountainside. Miscellaneous construction equipment and materials throughout.

Photograph depicts the steel sheeting of the crusher building underway. Three men stand on platform suspended by cables close to roof of crusher building. Three other men can be seen working on the roof of the building, one walking, one sitting, one lying on his stomach very close to the edge. All are wearing safety gear. Cassiar mountain range in background.

Conveyor sits on tall steel framework, encased in steel sheeting, and stands to right of snow-covered slope. Propane tank sits on log structure below conveyor. Snowy mountains in background. See also item 2000.1.1.2.373. Handwritten caption below this photo reads: "Project completed - at 52˚ temp."

Handwritten caption beside this photo reads: "View of Bin and Pan Feeder". Interior view of crusher building. A square, snow-covered object is being lowered by crane into building.