Kitimat's City Centre: Building Community

Accès

À propos

As BC's first fully planned town, Kitimat had many expectations to live up to. For the Aluminum Company of Canada, Alcan for short, the most important aspect of the new town was a family-friendly, welcoming nature to attract and retain workers. For the city planners, the town was a blank canvas on which to enact long held dreams and philosophies of town planning. And for Kitimat's new residents, it was a place to build a life. All of these hopes came together in the construction of City Centre, located as it was at the core of the community.

Kitimat's unique city plan centred around a commerce hub where residents of all of the neighbourhoods could gather. This hub would have everything anyone would need: a grocery store, department store, health care centre, movie theatre, library, government building, and a museum. Civic buildings such as a library, museum, and federal government building would be signs of a stable, well established community.

In this short walking tour, we will dive into the planning principles that went into the design for City Centre and look at how the Centre has changed over the years. At stop one, outside of the Kitimat Museum, we will identify why this location was chosen for the Centre and how the shopping complex differed from the Service Centre across the river. From there, walk up the stairs behind the Kitimat Museum & Archives to reach the other side of the City Centre Mall. Or, head inside to the elevator and cross through the mall to the far parking lot. At stop two, outside of the old Hudson's Bay Company Building, we will learn about the Centre's original design and the original businesses and amenities that comprised it.

To reach stop three, cross part of the parking lot and stand at the base of the Kiwanis Clock. Here, learn about the community clubs and groups that built Kitimat together. Our fourth and final stop on the tour takes us to Centennial Park, where we look at community spirit in Kitimat and the many events and social get-togethers that were so essential to life in a small town.

Liens

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

Organisateur

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.