Rio Tinto Alcan Inc.

• Northern Aluminum Company, Ltd.
• Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd.
• Alcan Aluminum Ltd.
• Alcan Inc.

During the 1940s, the British Columbia government wanted to develop the considerable resources of the northwest and north central areas of the province. At the same time, they wished to establish new population centres, without risking taxpayers' funds. Alcan was invited by the B.C. government to investigate the possibility of establishing an aluminum industry in the northwest. Shortly after, Alcan began the large-scale Kitimat-Kemano project. At the time, it was the largest privately funded construction project ever undertaken in Canada. It cost $500 million in 1950 (more than $3.3 billion in today's currency). The project included construction of several components, including the Kenney Dam in the Nechako River Canyon, which reversed the river's eastward flow and created the Nechako Reservoir.

Rio Tinto Alcan Canada Ltd. is a Canadian mining company and aluminum manufacturer. It was founded in 1902 as the Northern Aluminum Company, Ltd, renamed Aluminum Company of Canada, Ltd. in 1925, and Alcan Aluminum Ltd. in 1966. It took the name Alcan Inc. in 2001. During that time, it grew to become one of the world’s largest aluminum manufacturers. Alcan was purchased by European multinational Rio Tinto for $38 billion in 2007, becoming Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. in 2008. It is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, in its Maison Alcan complex.

Revised on April 20, 2012 by KS.

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