Two large black and white prints of infrared dryers annotated on recto "Thompson Pipe and Steel Company Bulk Material Dryers Van Dorn Iron Works Company" and bearing on verso the ink stamp of a photographer from Cleveland, Ohio.
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.
Photograph depicts tramline in a strip cleared of trees on McDame Mountain, bucket in foreground. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "#2 SECTION LOOKING NORTH". Photograph was glued to cardboard backing with the annotation: "1962".
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).
Photograph depicts group of 12 men standing on steps at back of main office. Front row: Jack Berry, Mickey Dopson, Andre Beguin, Fred Murray. 2nd row: Dick Stevens, Rene Pasiaud. Third row: Craigie Hood, Alex Powell. Back row: Dr. Charles Cobb MD, Peter Davies, Chuck Caron (holding paper), Bill Johnston. Berry and Dopson are wearing hard hats. Windows and doors of office building in background. Stamped annotation on recto of photograph: "Munshaw Colour Service Ltd. OCT 24 1958".
Photograph depicts unidentified man in dress shirt and tie standing next to large Caterpillar engine on flatbed. Road in foreground, unidentified building in background. Accompanying note reads: "MTCE 4-01 (b) Cat 3612 Engine".
Photograph depicts large Caterpillar engine on flatbed. Road in foreground, trees in background. Accompanying note reads: "MTCE 4-01 (b) Cat 3612 Engine".
Photograph depicts a man wearing a hard hat standing at what is believed to be the dust collection system in the Cassiar mill. Sign on right reads "CAUTION NO WELDING, BURNING OR SMOKING IN THIS AREA." Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph: "1961".
Photograph depicts hallway in power house building. Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph: "1961".
Photograph depicts woman in white lab coat testing quality of asbestos fibre. Special lab instruments sit on counter top. Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph: "1961".
Photograph depicts man seated on stool between two carbon arc Horton movie projectors. These were 16 mm French projectors, and were located at the Cassiar Recreational Center. They were used before the new movie theater was built in the late 1970s. Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph: "1961".
Photograph depicts Ross Duddy with back to photographer, working at table in lab. Unidentified woman stands in right foreground operating unidentified machinery. Miscellaneous equipment and supplies throughout. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "ROSS DUDDY / LAB SUPER".
Photograph depicts group of twenty-four men standing on front steps of main office building. Handwritten annotations on recto of similar photograph: "OFFICE STEPS APPROX 1965 / TOP L-R / JULIEN ST. GEORGES / GEORGE TROWSDALE / HANS VELTMEYER / BOB LOVETT / KARL SHULTZ / LOTHAR TISCHLER / - "; "2ND / FRANK CLEMENTS [i.e Kliment?] / BILL PLUMB / HEWETT / - "; "3RD - / - / RENE PASIAUD / DICK [Stevens]"; "4TH / DOC NAVIN / VIC SARAKOSKI / - "; "5TH / CHARLIE GANDER / GORDON EDWARDS / AL FLANIGAN [i.e. Flanagan?] / ANDRE BEGUIN / CHARLIE BRONSON / JACK THORNICROFT". Information in above annotation supplemented with insight from individuals who contributed to Northern BC Archives Facebook Photo ID Project, contact archivist for more information in research file pertaining to item 2000.1.1.3.19.75.
Photograph depicts large square model of the new mill building that was built at the Cassiar plant site in 1970. Model is displayed on green material laid on floor against wall in unidentified room. Machinery modeled inside the structure is colour-coded.
File contains photographs depicting close view of drill bits used in the Cassiar mine. The photos were taken for documentary purposes during an evaluation procedure in which the bits were tested and compared. 32 of the photos are adhered to three reports containing detailed analysis of the condition and function of the drill bits used. Reports were addressed to "E. Komperdo / Assist. Mine Superintendent, Production," and were sent by "Bob Clark / Industrial Engineer" and "E. Isaaks / Engineer Trainee." All of the photos are heavily annotated on verso and recto, often documenting the date, bit number, drilling depth, and notes on general condition.
Six metal storage cases containing primarily slides depicting drill core sections in wooden storage trays. Cases contain inventories of slide images as well as annotations which document the year, drill hole number, and the length along the drill hole from which core sections are taken. In addition to the documentation of drill core sections, the cases contain slides depicting the following subjects: “Representative samples” of drill core fragments, drill core fragments in perspective, “physical characteristics” of the drill cores and the storage trays, the pit mine, a worker in a plaid shirt, close up shots of the geology of the working face, and images annotated “SHOTS OF JADE BOULDER CORE J5-J1”. Five slides originally filed separately and stamp dated “Jul. ‘73” depict what is speculated to be employees working on the diamond drilling project include 2 images annotated ‘R. Dickin Aug ‘72’, ‘I. Oliver Aug ‘73’, ‘S. Zimmer Aug ‘73’, and ‘core shack ’73’. The cases contain 234 7x7cm slides and at least 8 5x5 cm slides which are duplicates of the remaining images. The file also contains a slide strip containing several 7x7 cm slide images.
The file contains eight photographs depicting close up images of three rock samples, some photographed with a ruler for scale. One of the rock samples is speculated to be obsidian and the other two are likely serpentine. The images where originally found in an envelope titled "ROCKS" and are likely dated around 1991.
Included in this file are an five photographs of rocks on a shelf, which may be asbestos sample rocks. There are five accompanying negatives to these photographs and are likely dated around 1977. The photographs and negatives were found in an envelope labelled "Negatives - CIMM Photos."
Additionally two negative strips of geology maps of Canada. These negatives were found in an envelope labelled "Negatives - CIMM Papers, Mining, Planning, Geology."
File contains photographs depicting superintendents accepting safety awards on behalf of Cassiar Asbestos Corporation ltd, and BCIT Scholarship Winners.
Photograph depicts large square model of the new mill building that was built at the Cassiar plant site in 1970. Model is displayed on green material set on a platform in snowy area. Machinery modeled inside the structure is colour-coded. Mountain in background.
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.
File contains 4 sheets of microfiche depicting a parts and service manual, wiring diagrams and schematics for a GAF Print Vac 190 printing machine that was used in the Engineering Department.
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”.
Photograph depicts what appears to be a small model of projected bench mining on McDame mountain. The model stands outdoors on small wood table, car partially visible in background. Annotation printed in border on verso of photograph: "1955."
Photograph depicts bucket hanging from tramline in foreground. Support tower stands in midground in front of station building. Another building can be seen at top of mountain in background. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "INCOMING BUCKET #1 STATION". Photograph was glued to cardboard backing with the annotation: "1962".
Photograph depicts an unidentified individual wearing a welding helmet, and kneeling behind large bearing cups of one of the Ruston Hornsby diesel engines that turned the generators in the power house on the Cassiar plant. Door, bulletin board, and miscellaneous supplies in background.
Photograph depicts the large bearing cups of one of the Ruston Hornsby diesel engines that turned the generators in the power house on the Cassiar plant. Engine believed to be under repair. Electric panels in background.
Photograph depicts large Caterpillar engine in large shop with sheeted walls and brick floor. Accompanying note reads: "MTCE 4-01 (b) Cat 3612 Engine".
Photograph depicts large Caterpillar engine against painted brick wall in building with brick floor. Miscellaneous equipment in background. Accompanying note reads: "MTCE 4-01 (b) Cat 3612 Engine".
Photograph depicts a fan from the air system used to transport fibre throughout the mill system. It is believed that this photograph was taken on the top floor of the mill. Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph: "1961".
Photograph depicts man [possibly Paul Clark?] seated with two women at table in lab. Second man [possibly Lab Superintendent Ross Duddy?] seated at table in background. Miscellaneous equipment and supplies throughout. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "Paul Clark / [Odett?] Cario".
Photograph depicts two women seated at lab table, facing away from photographer. Woman on right believed to be combing asbestos fibres to determine length and grade. Woman on left believed to be conducting standard lab tests (weighing filters, test tubes, or fibres).
Photograph depicts group of twenty-four men standing on front steps of main office building. Handwritten annotations on recto of photograph: "JULIEN ST. GEORGES / CHARLIE GANDER / HANS VELTMEYER / GEORGE TROWSDALE / BOB LOVETT / KARL SHULTZ / FRANK CLEMENTS [i.e. Kliment?] / GEOFF PARKER / AL FLANNAGIN [i.e. Flanagan?] / CHARLIE BRONSON / JACK THORNICROFT / GORDON EDWARDS / ANDRE BEGUIN / DOC NAVIN / VIC SERICOSKI [sic?] / RENE PASIAUD / BILL PLUMB / HEWETT / LOTHAR TISCHLER". Information in above annotation supplemented with insight from individuals who contributed to Northern BC Archives Facebook Photo ID Project, contact archivist for more information in research file pertaining to item 2000.1.1.3.19.75. See item 2000.1.1.3.19.73 for similar image with more precise annotations.
Photograph depicts part of the vacuum dust control and removal system in the Cassiar mill building. Unidentified man can be seen at rotary air-lock, in which heavy blown dust would collect before dropping to plenum conveyor resting just above floor. From here, the dust would eventually be expelled at the tailings pile outside of the mill. Second unidentified man can be seen climbing steps in background. This section of the mill was located above the lab.
Photograph depicts Zora Ivanovska in safety gear, vaccuming asbestos dust from "hall screen" in mill (slanted vibrating tables with varying mesh sizes, used to separate different lengths of fibre). Mill General Foreman Tony Pinto is visible on far right, with unidentified man.
Photograph depicts three women wearing white aprons while conducting tests on asbestos fibre in lab area, miscellaneous equipment throughout room.
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.
Images contain technical engineering drawings from the Asbestos Mining Corp. Drawings are primarily of plant buildings and mining and milling equipment, but also include drafts of town site and utilities, (extensive images of water and sewer pipes and septic systems). Microfiche slides are 4.6cm x 3.5cm mounted on 8.3 x 18.2 cm paper cards with systematic puncture marks, presumed to be an antiquated form of computer memory. Slides are numbered ranging from 1001 to 1549 and a drawing number ranging from 1006 to 8008, generally in the format “2017/02/02”. Microfiche are dated 1950- 1976, several are dated “OLD”, and several are undated. All microfilm reels are annotated “CASSIAR ENGINEERING DRAWINGS”.
Photograph depicts large square model of the new mill building that was built at the Cassiar plant site in 1970. Model is displayed outdoors on a platform that stands on four saw horses. Machinery modeled inside the structure is colour-coded. Plant buildings and mountains in background.
Photograph depicts extreme close up of colour-coded machinery modeled inside large square model of the new mill building that was built at the Cassiar plant site in 1970.
Photograph depicts large square model of the new mill building that was built at the Cassiar plant site in 1970. Model is displayed on platform draped with green material. Machinery modeled inside the structure is colour-coded.
File contains photographs of a report completed in 1980 depicting the ambulance garage, as well as the interior and exterior of the hospital building in Cassiar, B.C. Each room is captured, as well as medical equipment such as the X-ray, audiometer, lung function apparatus, and autoclave. A doctor, two nurses, and several patients are shown. Accompanying report contains a description of the medical facilities in Cassiar including a detailed budget, description of staffing and utility requirements, and a floor plan of the facilities.
In addition there are two albums of Cassiar Hospital and Pharmacy Staff engaging in social functions. These photographs appear to be informal and depict staff parties, people at work and some of the patients, including their thank you notes to the Cassiar Hospital staff.
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 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”.
Photograph depicts colour-coded model of mine in display case. Legend partially legible in image: "TALUS / VOLCANICS / WASTE SERPENTINE / AAA ORE / AA ORE". Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "Cassiar B.C. June 1970 by Tom Kiefer".
File contains photographs documenting the construction of Cassiar's new mill building. Photos depict early excavation, foundations, framework, construction of all seven stories, sheeting, siding, and roof tarring. Also included are photos depicting the large model of the mill, as well as construction work done on the tramline. Photos taken inside the mill depict flooring work, and milling machinery including feed chutes, screens, fans, wheelabrators, control panels, electrical panels, conveyor systems, vacuum systems, and the fan-driven air system that transported the fiber. Many photos depict construction workers, building supplies, worksites, and equipment including cranes, bulldozers, tractors, hauling trucks and trailer flatbeds. Some photos depict aerial views from the new mill and feature the plantsite, tramline, mine road, mountains, and valley.
Photograph depicts chute from distance. Annotation on verso of photograph: "CASSIAR ASBESTOS CORP. LTD. MINE AND ORE CHUTE ON McDAMES MOUNTAIN".
Photograph depicts tramline in a strip cleared of trees on McDame Mountain, bucket in foreground. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "1961 - 62".
Photograph depicts towers and bucket in foreground, plantsite midground in valley, opposite mountains in background. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "GENERAL VIEW VISIBLE TOWERS ARE IN #1 SECTION PLANT IN BACKGROUND". Photograph was glued to cardboard backing with the annotation: "1962".
Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "MINE DRY ON LEFT". Photograph was glued to cardboard backing with the annotation: "1962".
Gravel road in foreground, mountain in background. Sign over road reads: "CAUTION TRAMLINE CROSSING".
Photograph depicts towers and buckets in distance. Gravel road in foreground winding through hills of dirt. Handwritten annotation on recto of photograph: "#1 SECTION". Photograph was glued to cardboard backing with the annotation: "1962".