A Planned Community: Kitimat Takes Shape

Access

About

Kitimat is unique when it comes to Canadian towns. It was not a town that sprung up naturally but rather, the dream and plan of experienced and passionate town planners. Every aspect of Kitimat's original layout was carefully thought over with the goal of making the town a happy, peaceful, and productive place.

The Aluminum Company of Canada, or Alcan, built the town of Kitimat in the 1950s to be a place that would inspire workers of the nearby aluminum smelter to stay at their jobs long-term. They wanted neither a shack town nor a company town but an independent, thriving community that would attract families to the region. They hired a team of town planners, psychologists, scientists, and architects to attempt to create the perfect town.

In this walking tour through Kitimat's first neighbourhood, Nechako, we will dive into the philosophies that went into creating a completely planned town. In the first stop, at Kitimat's Public Safety Building on the edge of Nechako, we will look at Kitimat's first steps towards independence from the aluminum company that created it. Then, we will turn down Kingfisher Street and walk to the base of Oriole Street, the first street to be constructed in the new town. Here, we will learn about the town planner, Clarence Stein, and the many philosophies that underlay the creation of Kitimat.

Stop three is farther down Kingfisher Street at the Nechako Centre, a shopping complex that was originally key to Kitimat's unique system of neighbourhoods. Here, we will discuss Kitimat's overall layout and the principles which went into the neighbourhood-centred design of the town. At stop four, located nearby at the United Church, we will talk about multiculturalism in Kitimat and how the town's diversity created a thriving community.

To reach stop five, follow the community walkway behind the church to the pedestrian underpass across from the Nechako Centre, where we will learn about Kitimat's unique, highly developed system of walkways and greenspace. Lastly, pass through the underpass to the far side of the Nechako Centre and learn about the lives of women and children throughout Kitimat's early years.

Links

• Website onthisspot.ca
• Download App apps.apple.com

Organizer

On This Spot

The On This Spot app takes people on guided walking tours through the history that surrounds them.

At each stop on their journey users will find themselves standing on the spot a historic photo was taken. They can view a then and now photo comparison, use the built in camera to create their own, and read about local history and how it ties into the broader human experience.

Based in Vancouver, On This Spot is working with heritage, tourism, and business organizations across Canada to expand the app's coverage.