The Icelandic Canadian - 01.03.1954, Page 21

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
19
phase of this vast development is near-
ing completion. A production of
80,000 tons of aluminum a year, start-
ing this year, is anticipated with ithe
completion of this first phase. One
part of this development was the con-
struction of a vast dam across the
Nechako River, baoking water up into
a chain of lakes in this high plateau;
driving a tunnel ten miles long and
twenty feet across down through the
mountain to Kemano, where a power-
house is being built in a large excava-
tion in the side of the mountain. Here
will be located the generators which
will produce—when the maximum of
this development is achieved—1,600,000
firm horse power. The smelters and
town-site will be at Kitimat at sea level
where an entirely new town has been
laid out and is under construction. A
railroad is being constructed from Ter-
rance to Kitimat—a distance of forty
miles—to connect this vast develop-
ment with the C.N.R. This project—
the Aluminum Co.,— has, in itself, had
a very large bearing on the employ-
ment provided for people moving to
British Columbia—two or three thous-
and people working on the site over
the past three years, and the general
employment in machine shops, supply
firms, shipping companies located on
the lower Mainland have made a large
contribution to the economic life of
the Province. This is one of those pro-
jects which staggers the imagination.
And as one, who as Premier of the
Province, was close enough to see the
planning, the vision and the courage
required to tackle such a large project,
I may make the observation that it is
fortunate for Canada we have in our
country—in our industries—men with
the courage shown by Mr. Powell,
President of the Aluminum Co., and
his very able Vice-President, Mr. Mc-
Neely Duiboise, who, I believe, was the
spark-plug in planning and bringing
to its present position this vast indus-
trial development.
In a matter of months people will
be living in a well laid out town, prob-
ably about five or six thousand people,
with about one thousand workers in the
smelters. Where a wilderness stood
four years ago, a modern city is in the
making, and a great industrial devel-
ment is well on its way.
Already plans are being made for
the construction of a large pulp and
paper plant at Kitimat in which one
of our well-known companies, the
Powell River Co., is joining hands
with the Aluminum Co. Cheap power
and large stands of timber in the area
provide the setting for this proposed
development, and with such an
experienced and well-managed comp-
any in the newsprint field as the
Powell River Co., in partnership with
the Aluminum Co., it seems reasonable
to expect that this project will go
ahead.
Second only to Aluminum in the
new investments during the past few
years are pulp and paper projects,
totalling 225 million dollars—more
than four times their value ten years
ago. Included in these projects are
Harmac pulp plant of the H. R. Mac-
Millan Co., at Nanaimo. This plant
was started in 1947. When completed
it operated on a 250 ton a day basis.
Then the plant capacity was more
than doubled and is now operating at
full capacity. This was the first plant
built to operate entirely on waste from
lumber mills and from logs which
were unsuitable for lumber. Also on
Vancouver Island a newsprint plant
was constructed at Duncan Bay near
Campbell River. It is now in operation
and produces 230 tons of newsprint a