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Kitimat

Kitimat is a district municipality in the North Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine regional government. The Kitimat Valley is part of the most populous urban district in northwest British Columbia, which includes Terrace to the north along the Skeena River Valley. The city was planned and built by the Aluminum Company of Canada (Alcan) during the 1950s. Its post office was approved on 6 June 1952.[4]

Kitimat
District of Kitimat[1]
Aerial photo of Kitimat residential area with Douglas Channel in the background.
Kitimat
Location in British Columbia
Kitimat
Kitimat (Canada)
Coordinates: 54°03′12″N 128°39′08″W / 54.05333°N 128.65222°W / 54.05333; -128.65222[2] C
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Regional districtKitimat–Stikine
Government
 • MayorPhil Germuth[3]
Area
 • Total242.63 km2 (93.68 sq mi)
Elevation
40 m (130 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total8,131
 • Density34.7/km2 (90/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-08:00 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-07:00 (PDT)
Forward sortation area
Area code250 / 778 / 236
Highways Hwy 37
Websitewww.kitimat.ca

Kitimat's municipal area is 242.63 km2 (93.68 sq mi). It is located on tidewater in one of the few wide, flat valleys on the coast of British Columbia. The 2016 census recorded 8,131 citizens.[5]

The District of Kitimat Development Services situates the port of Kitimat as an integral part of the Northwest Corridor connecting North America to the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Rim.[6]

History edit

"Kitimat" in the Tsimshian language refers to the Haisla First Nation as the "People of the Snow". Before 1950 the Kitimat township was a small fishing village at the head of the Kitimat Arm of the Douglas Channel, a deepwater fjord.[7]

The municipal town of Kitimat came into existence in 1951 after the Provincial Government of British Columbia invited Alcan to develop hydroelectric facilities to support one of the most power-intensive of all industries—the aluminum smelting industry.[8] The company built a dam, 16 km (10 mi) tunnel, powerhouse, 82 km (51 mi) transmission line, a deep-sea terminal and smelter. The company also designed, laid out and assisted with the initial construction of the city. At the time, the combined development was considered "the most expensive project ever attempted by private industry."[7]

Alcan employed the services of city planner Clarence Stein in order to ensure the community design facilitated an environment that would attract and retain workers, although Alcan intended it to not be a company town.[9] Today, Kitimat benefits from the quality of planning resulting from the Garden City design concept. Stein's design kept industry well separated from the community with large areas for expansion. He also created looped streets surrounding an urban city centre mall and linked by over 45 km (28 mi) of walkways connecting to all areas of the community.

The substantial greenspace areas and future expansion concepts designed by Stein have been upheld to this day by the city planners, thereby resulting in a low-density settlement pattern interspersed with forested patches. Also, the Alcan-based city origin and land provenance remain documented in the form of restrictive covenants registered on title.[10]

Economy edit

Aluminum producer Rio Tinto is the main employer in the municipality. Local government, schools, small manufacturing and service/retail are secondary contributors. Secondary core activities include engineering, import of petrochemical products (methanol and condensate), and metal fabrication. Approximately $5 billion in manufacturing investment is anticipated in the 2010–2015 period with a further $5 billion-plus in the investigative stage over the next decade.[citation needed] Anticipated investment includes an approximately $2 billion modernization to the Rio Tinto Alcan facilities and $3 billion in the Kitimat liquefied natural gas export development on Haisla Industrial Land at Bish Creek. The export facility would see natural gas piped in from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (particularly from shale gas developments such as the Montney and Horn River) and shipped to Asian markets.[11] The LNG Canada project, a joint venture between Shell and affiliates of Petronas, Mitsubishi Corporation, Korea Gas Corporation and PetroChina would, if permitted, begin construction in 2015 of a gas pipeline from northeastern BC and a LNG export terminal with an expected lifespan of 30 years. The terminal, located on the Douglas Channel near the aluminum refinery, would be able to accommodate two LNG vessels at a time. Annual volume would be 24 million tonnes.[12] In July 2014 the Financial Post reported that Apache Corp. will "completely exit" the Kitimat LNG mega-project planned for B.C.'s West Coast. The U.S. hedge fund Jana Partners LLC has pressured Houston-based Apache to sell its 50% stake in the BC shale gas plays.[13]

Pending energy projects that have identified Kitimat as a strategic gateway include Pacific Northern Gas' Pacific Trail Pipeline (federal and provincial environmental assessments issued) and the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines (currently being reviewed by the National Energy Board).

Additional investigations into clean energy developments include a Kitimat port development project featuring break-bulk port facilities and consideration of the best uses for the former Eurocan Wharf.[citation needed] In addition, the decommissioning of the former Eurocan pulp and paper facilities or a slimmed down operation are still under consideration. There is also renewed interest in mineral development potential in the Kitimat area. The neighbouring community of Terrace is also in advanced stages of approval for a number of clean energy projects along with the associated infrastructure for linking those projects to the provincial electrical grid.

Air services for the community are provided through Northwest Regional Airport, with connections to Prince George, Smithers, and Vancouver.

Kemano hydroelectric project edit

External media
Kemano-Kitimat transmission line
Images
  Catenary
Video
  Helicopter landing on catenary

In the 1920s, the provincial government of British Columbia extensively evaluated the province's hydroelectric generating potential. In the late 1940s, the Canadian Government sought to tap the untapped resources of northwest British Columbia. All this led to the identification of the Eutsuk/Ootsa/Nechako River drainage basin as a potential site for a sizable reservoir. The potential of this vast system of rivers and lakes prompted British Columbia to invite Alcan to conduct a detailed investigation of the area. Alcan was searching for a site for a large aluminum smelter, an activity requiring vast amounts of electricity. Alcan concluded that the area was more than adequate to generate the required electricity, and decided to build a smelter there. The timing was right because the post-World War II boom saw a rising demand for aluminum.

Between 1951 and 1954, after signing the agreement with the British Columbia government for land and water rights, Alcan undertook the Kitimat–Kemano Project, one of the most ambitious Canadian engineering projects of the 20th century.[7] The project required not only building the Kenney Dam to reverse the Nechako River, but also boring a 16 km (10 mi) tunnel under Mt. Dubose, within the Coast Range, to the large hydroelectric Kemano Generating Station built under Mt. Dubose. Electricity from Kemano is transported 80 km (50 mi) across mountains via a custom built twin circuit transmission line. After avalanches tore away transmission towers, a catenary system was built.[14]

In three years, 6,000 construction workers built the dam, tunnel, powerhouse, transmission line, smelter, and town.[15]

The town of Kitimat was carved out of old-growth forest. The company invested over CA$500 million (equivalent to CA$3.3 billion) and employed over 35,000 workers over the five years required to build the Kenney Dam, the hydropower plant under Mt. Dubose at Kemano, a 250,000 tpy aluminum smelter, a year-round deepwater port, a townsite designed for a population of 50,000, and a paved highway to the outside world. As a result of this project other companies saw the potential of the area, resulting in further industrial development in the Kitimat valley.

LNG Canada terminal project edit

On 1 October 2018, Royal Dutch Shell and its Asia partners gave formal approval to an estimated $40 billion investment into the construction of a new liquified natural gas port terminal project named LNG Canada, coupled with the construction by a subsidiary of TransCanada of a gas pipeline, known as the Coastal GasLink Pipeline, linking this terminal to the Montney, British Columbia, natural gas field.

If and when completed, LNG Canada should become the first Canadian LNG export ocean terminal, which will compete with other LNG terminals in the US, either existing or planned on the West (Alaska, Washington, Oregon), Gulf (Louisiana, Texas) and Atlantic coasts (Maryland, Virginia).

This new terminal to be built in the port of Kitimat will be connected to the Pacific Ocean via the existing Douglas Channel. This development will add new sensitive ship traffic when the LNG Canada natural gas storage and liquefaction terminal will be completed and operational, which is estimated to be in 2025. The LNG Canada terminal project will see large LNG carrier ships loading liquefied natural gas at the future Kitimat LNG terminal, and sailing along the Douglas Channel to carry it to export destinations, mainly in Asia.

Geography edit

Kitimat is located 63 km (39 mi) south of Terrace and Thornhill on Highway 37. Prince Rupert is 207 km (129 mi) northwest, and Prince George is 629 km (391 mi) to the east.

Climate edit

Kitimat has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb) with mild summers and cold, snowy winters (much warmer than inland) with significant snowfall averaging 128 inches (325 cm) each year. The rainiest season is fall, with the wettest month, October, having 320 mm of rainfall. There is also a significant drying trend (Mediterranean pattern) in summer, but it is too rainy to classify as such. Cloud cover is significant, especially in winter, and less than 30% of possible sunshine occurs each year.

Climate data for Kitimat
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12.2
(54.0)
13.0
(55.4)
18.0
(64.4)
27.5
(81.5)
32.8
(91.0)
37.0
(98.6)
36.1
(97.0)
36.0
(96.8)
33.3
(91.9)
25.0
(77.0)
13.3
(55.9)
10.0
(50.0)
37.0
(98.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 0.5
(32.9)
3.1
(37.6)
6.7
(44.1)
11.7
(53.1)
16.2
(61.2)
19.5
(67.1)
21.6
(70.9)
21.4
(70.5)
16.8
(62.2)
10.1
(50.2)
3.9
(39.0)
1.2
(34.2)
11.1
(52.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.7
(28.9)
0.3
(32.5)
3.2
(37.8)
7.1
(44.8)
11.0
(51.8)
14.5
(58.1)
16.7
(62.1)
16.5
(61.7)
12.6
(54.7)
7.2
(45.0)
1.8
(35.2)
−0.8
(30.6)
7.4
(45.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4.0
(24.8)
−2.5
(27.5)
−0.3
(31.5)
2.4
(36.3)
5.7
(42.3)
9.5
(49.1)
11.7
(53.1)
11.5
(52.7)
8.3
(46.9)
4.3
(39.7)
−0.3
(31.5)
−2.8
(27.0)
3.6
(38.5)
Record low °C (°F) −25.0
(−13.0)
−23.9
(−11.0)
−19.4
(−2.9)
−10.0
(14.0)
−6.7
(19.9)
−0.6
(30.9)
3.9
(39.0)
2.0
(35.6)
−2.0
(28.4)
−13.0
(8.6)
−24.0
(−11.2)
−25.0
(−13.0)
−25.0
(−13.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 288.4
(11.35)
186.8
(7.35)
160.7
(6.33)
128.3
(5.05)
89.5
(3.52)
73.1
(2.88)
62.4
(2.46)
95.7
(3.77)
190.2
(7.49)
323.5
(12.74)
320.3
(12.61)
291.8
(11.49)
2,210.7
(87.04)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 195.7
(7.70)
133.6
(5.26)
134.5
(5.30)
123.0
(4.84)
88.7
(3.49)
73.1
(2.88)
62.4
(2.46)
95.7
(3.77)
190.2
(7.49)
319.9
(12.59)
266.6
(10.50)
202.7
(7.98)
1,886.1
(74.26)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 92.7
(36.5)
53.2
(20.9)
26.3
(10.4)
5.4
(2.1)
0.8
(0.3)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
3.6
(1.4)
53.7
(21.1)
89.1
(35.1)
324.6
(127.8)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 19.7 15.5 18.5 17.2 15.8 14.8 13.2 13.7 16.9 22.1 21.7 21.5 210.5
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 14.5 12.0 16.7 17.0 15.8 14.8 13.2 13.7 16.9 21.9 18.8 14.8 190.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 9.2 6.3 5.0 1.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 7.0 11.4 41.2
Mean monthly sunshine hours 48.5 75.9 103.8 153.9 199.6 189.5 214.3 196.5 129.7 69.2 38.1 30.9 1,449.9
Percent possible sunshine 19.5 27.7 28.3 36.6 40.3 37.1 41.7 42.7 33.9 21.1 14.8 13.3 29.7
Source: [16]

Demographics edit

Historical population
YearPop.±%
199111,305—    
199611,136−1.5%
200110,285−7.6%
20068,987−12.6%
20118,335−7.3%
[17][18][19]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kitimat had a population of 8,236 living in 3,604 of its 4,381 total private dwellings, a change of 1.3% from its 2016 population of 8,131. With a land area of 239.28 km2 (92.39 sq mi), it had a population density of 34.4/km2 (89.1/sq mi) in 2021.[20]

Ethnicity edit

Panethnic groups in the District of Kitimat (1986−2021)
Panethnic
group
2021[21] 2016[22] 2011[23] 2006[24] 2001[25] 1996[26] 1991[27][28] 1986[29][30][31]: 100 
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
European[a] 6,285 76.55% 6,555 81.38% 6,950 83.38% 7,595 84.86% 8,895 86.87% 9,780 88.03% 9,645 85.51% 9,690 87.06%
Indigenous 1,240 15.1% 940 11.67% 920 11.04% 755 8.44% 540 5.27% 545 4.91% 715 6.34% 530 4.76%
Southeast Asian[b] 200 2.44% 105 1.3% 155 1.86% 115 1.28% 90 0.88% 65 0.59% 35 0.31% 30 0.27%
South Asian 145 1.77% 155 1.92% 135 1.62% 255 2.85% 465 4.54% 430 3.87% 660 5.85% 670 6.02%
African 130 1.58% 80 0.99% 0 0% 30 0.34% 80 0.78% 40 0.36% 25 0.22% 45 0.4%
East Asian[c] 95 1.16% 95 1.18% 120 1.44% 140 1.56% 105 1.03% 180 1.62% 165 1.46% 135 1.21%
Latin American 60 0.73% 70 0.87% 10 0.12% 45 0.5% 65 0.63% 10 0.09% 10 0.09% 20 0.18%
Middle Eastern[d] 30 0.37% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 30 0.27% 25 0.22% 10 0.09%
Other/Multiracial[e] 25 0.3% 55 0.68% 0 0% 20 0.22% 0 0% 15 0.14%
Total responses 8,210 99.68% 8,055 99.07% 8,335 100% 8,950 99.59% 10,240 99.56% 11,110 99.77% 11,280 99.78% 11,130 99.41%
Total population 8,236 100% 8,131 100% 8,335 100% 8,987 100% 10,285 100% 11,136 100% 11,305 100% 11,196 100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

Religion edit

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Kitimat included:[21]

Controversies edit

The Alcan project was not free from controversy. Politicians, aboriginal groups, farmers and residents of the Nechako Lakes District opposed the contractual release of provincial resources with the profits going to a private firm. Many individuals and groups protested the flooding caused by the creation of the new reservoir, with the destruction of homesteads, villages, burial grounds, millions of board feet of prime timber, and the disruption of prime fish habitat on the Nechako River.

In the late 1980s, the company began work on the Kemano Completion Project which would have doubled the generating capacity of the Kemano plant. After Alcan had already bored a second tunnel through the mountain and extended the generating station within the mountain, the provincial government of the day called a halt to the project for a variety of reasons. Having invested over $500 million into the project, Alcan took the provincial government to court. This controversy was settled when Alcan and the provincial government signed the 1997 KCP agreement.

Most of the first decade of the twenty-first century saw the District of Kitimat in court with the Provincial Government over the electricity rights granted to Alcan and its obligations to the Province and to the District.

Rio Tinto Alcan plans to increase the output of its Kitimat smelter from 250,000 MT/Yr to 400,000 MT/Yr and initially committed $300 million to this effort. Since late 2008, relations between Rio Tinto Alcan and the District appear to have become more cordial, with the two parties working to achieve modernization of the aluminum facilities. In December 2011, Rio Tinto Alcan announced its investment of $2.7 billion to complete the modernization of the smelter.[32]

Media edit

Newspapers edit

  • Kitimat Northern Sentinel[33]
  • Skeena Reporter[34]

Radio edit

Television edit

Notable people edit

  • Benjamin Arthur – actor
  • Kayla Czaga – poet
  • Mark Fitzpatrick – professional ice hockey goaltender
  • Wayne Kelly – Swimmer. 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. 5th – 4 × 200 m freestyle relay.
  • Jon Kelly – Swimmer. 1988 Seoul Olympics. 7th 200m butterfly, 12th 400m Individual Medley.
  • Bill Leeb – musician and record producer
  • Alison Redford – lawyer, Canadian politician, Alberta Progressive Conservative Leader and MLA (2011–2014), first female Premier of Alberta
  • Eden Robinson – author
  • Monique Goffinet Miller - first female CEO of a Commissionaires Division[35][36][37]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
  2. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
  3. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
  4. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
  5. ^ Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.

References edit

  1. ^ (XLS). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Kitimat". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  3. ^ Mayor and Council
  4. ^ Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. p. 44. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
  5. ^ "Census Profile, 2016 Census – Kitimat, District municipality [Census subdivision], British Columbia and Kitimat-Stikine, Regional district [Census division], British Columbia". 8 February 2017.
  6. ^ (PDF), Kitimat: a Port City on the Move, Kitimat, British Columbia: District of Kitimat Development Services, 2005, archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2013, retrieved 5 May 2014
  7. ^ a b c Boyer, David S. (September 1956). "Kitimat–Canada's Aluminum Titan". National Geographic. National Geographic Society. CX (3): 376–398.
  8. ^ 'Top Planners Here to Map Alcan City', Vancouver Sun 19 September 1951 p. 21
  9. ^ "The Town of Kitimat". Royal BC Museum. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Sample Kitimat residential land-title document, including expectation of tolerance of emissions from Alcan smelter in Kitimat, Province of British Columbia, Canada" (PDF).
  11. ^ Kitimat LNG. . Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  12. ^ . The Province. Vancouver. The Canadian Press. 3 April 2013. Archived from the original on 19 May 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  13. ^ Lewis, Jeff (31 July 2014), "Kitimat LNG mega-project in doubt after major American partner pulls out", Financial Post
  14. ^ "Challenges for Industry and Town". Royal BC Museum. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  15. ^ Kendrick, John. . Royal BC Museum. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  16. ^ "Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data". Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 18 February 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  17. ^ "2011 Census: Population and dwelling counts". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  18. ^ . Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  19. ^ . Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  20. ^ "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  21. ^ a b Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (26 October 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  22. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 October 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  23. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 November 2015). "NHS Profile". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  24. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (20 August 2019). "2006 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  25. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2 July 2019). "2001 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  26. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (4 June 2019). "Electronic Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1996 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  27. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (29 March 2019). "1991 Census Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions - Part B". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  28. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (29 March 2019). "Data tables, 1991 Census Population by Ethnic Origin (24), Showing Single and Multiple Origins (2) - Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  29. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 June 2019). "Data tables, 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 Census - Part A". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  30. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 June 2019). "Data tables, 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 Census - Part B". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  31. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (3 April 2013). "Canada's aboriginal population by census subdivisions from the 1986 Census of Canada". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  32. ^ Press Release: Rio Tinto to invest US$2.7 billion to complete the modernization of the Kitimat aluminium smelter in Canada. Online at http://www.kitimatworksmodernization.com/pages/posts/rio-tinto-to-invest-us2.7-billion-to-complete-the-modernisation-of-the-kitimat-aluminium-smelter-in-canada35.php 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ Kitimat Northern Sentinel
  34. ^ "About - The Skeena Reporter". skeenareporter.com. 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  35. ^ "Commissionaires appoints first female CEO of a Division". Canadian Military Family Magazine. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  36. ^ "Commissionaires names first woman CEO". Canadian Security Magazine. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  37. ^ "Monique Goffinet Miller is Appointed CEO of Commissionaires South Saskatchewan Division - Commissionaires". commissionaires.ca. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2023.

External links edit

  • www.kitimat.ca
  •   Kitimat travel guide from Wikivoyage

kitimat, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, june, 2010, learn,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Kitimat news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message Kitimat is a district municipality in the North Coast region of British Columbia Canada It is a member municipality of the Regional District of Kitimat Stikine regional government The Kitimat Valley is part of the most populous urban district in northwest British Columbia which includes Terrace to the north along the Skeena River Valley The city was planned and built by the Aluminum Company of Canada Alcan during the 1950s Its post office was approved on 6 June 1952 4 KitimatDistrict municipalityDistrict of Kitimat 1 Aerial photo of Kitimat residential area with Douglas Channel in the background FlagKitimatLocation in British ColumbiaShow map of British ColumbiaKitimatKitimat Canada Show map of CanadaCoordinates 54 03 12 N 128 39 08 W 54 05333 N 128 65222 W 54 05333 128 65222 2 CCountryCanadaProvinceBritish ColumbiaRegional districtKitimat StikineGovernment MayorPhil Germuth 3 Area Total242 63 km2 93 68 sq mi Elevation40 m 130 ft Population 2016 Total8 131 Density34 7 km2 90 sq mi Time zoneUTC 08 00 PST Summer DST UTC 07 00 PDT Forward sortation areaV8CArea code250 778 236HighwaysHwy 37Websitewww kitimat caKitimat s municipal area is 242 63 km2 93 68 sq mi It is located on tidewater in one of the few wide flat valleys on the coast of British Columbia The 2016 census recorded 8 131 citizens 5 The District of Kitimat Development Services situates the port of Kitimat as an integral part of the Northwest Corridor connecting North America to the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Rim 6 Contents 1 History 2 Economy 2 1 Kemano hydroelectric project 2 2 LNG Canada terminal project 3 Geography 4 Climate 5 Demographics 5 1 Ethnicity 5 2 Religion 6 Controversies 7 Media 7 1 Newspapers 7 2 Radio 7 3 Television 8 Notable people 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External linksHistory edit Kitimat in the Tsimshian language refers to the Haisla First Nation as the People of the Snow Before 1950 the Kitimat township was a small fishing village at the head of the Kitimat Arm of the Douglas Channel a deepwater fjord 7 The municipal town of Kitimat came into existence in 1951 after the Provincial Government of British Columbia invited Alcan to develop hydroelectric facilities to support one of the most power intensive of all industries the aluminum smelting industry 8 The company built a dam 16 km 10 mi tunnel powerhouse 82 km 51 mi transmission line a deep sea terminal and smelter The company also designed laid out and assisted with the initial construction of the city At the time the combined development was considered the most expensive project ever attempted by private industry 7 Alcan employed the services of city planner Clarence Stein in order to ensure the community design facilitated an environment that would attract and retain workers although Alcan intended it to not be a company town 9 Today Kitimat benefits from the quality of planning resulting from the Garden City design concept Stein s design kept industry well separated from the community with large areas for expansion He also created looped streets surrounding an urban city centre mall and linked by over 45 km 28 mi of walkways connecting to all areas of the community The substantial greenspace areas and future expansion concepts designed by Stein have been upheld to this day by the city planners thereby resulting in a low density settlement pattern interspersed with forested patches Also the Alcan based city origin and land provenance remain documented in the form of restrictive covenants registered on title 10 Economy editAluminum producer Rio Tinto is the main employer in the municipality Local government schools small manufacturing and service retail are secondary contributors Secondary core activities include engineering import of petrochemical products methanol and condensate and metal fabrication Approximately 5 billion in manufacturing investment is anticipated in the 2010 2015 period with a further 5 billion plus in the investigative stage over the next decade citation needed Anticipated investment includes an approximately 2 billion modernization to the Rio Tinto Alcan facilities and 3 billion in the Kitimat liquefied natural gas export development on Haisla Industrial Land at Bish Creek The export facility would see natural gas piped in from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin particularly from shale gas developments such as the Montney and Horn River and shipped to Asian markets 11 The LNG Canada project a joint venture between Shell and affiliates of Petronas Mitsubishi Corporation Korea Gas Corporation and PetroChina would if permitted begin construction in 2015 of a gas pipeline from northeastern BC and a LNG export terminal with an expected lifespan of 30 years The terminal located on the Douglas Channel near the aluminum refinery would be able to accommodate two LNG vessels at a time Annual volume would be 24 million tonnes 12 In July 2014 the Financial Post reported that Apache Corp will completely exit the Kitimat LNG mega project planned for B C s West Coast The U S hedge fund Jana Partners LLC has pressured Houston based Apache to sell its 50 stake in the BC shale gas plays 13 Pending energy projects that have identified Kitimat as a strategic gateway include Pacific Northern Gas Pacific Trail Pipeline federal and provincial environmental assessments issued and the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines currently being reviewed by the National Energy Board Additional investigations into clean energy developments include a Kitimat port development project featuring break bulk port facilities and consideration of the best uses for the former Eurocan Wharf citation needed In addition the decommissioning of the former Eurocan pulp and paper facilities or a slimmed down operation are still under consideration There is also renewed interest in mineral development potential in the Kitimat area The neighbouring community of Terrace is also in advanced stages of approval for a number of clean energy projects along with the associated infrastructure for linking those projects to the provincial electrical grid Air services for the community are provided through Northwest Regional Airport with connections to Prince George Smithers and Vancouver Kemano hydroelectric project edit External mediaKemano Kitimat transmission lineImages nbsp CatenaryVideo nbsp Helicopter landing on catenaryIn the 1920s the provincial government of British Columbia extensively evaluated the province s hydroelectric generating potential In the late 1940s the Canadian Government sought to tap the untapped resources of northwest British Columbia All this led to the identification of the Eutsuk Ootsa Nechako River drainage basin as a potential site for a sizable reservoir The potential of this vast system of rivers and lakes prompted British Columbia to invite Alcan to conduct a detailed investigation of the area Alcan was searching for a site for a large aluminum smelter an activity requiring vast amounts of electricity Alcan concluded that the area was more than adequate to generate the required electricity and decided to build a smelter there The timing was right because the post World War II boom saw a rising demand for aluminum Between 1951 and 1954 after signing the agreement with the British Columbia government for land and water rights Alcan undertook the Kitimat Kemano Project one of the most ambitious Canadian engineering projects of the 20th century 7 The project required not only building the Kenney Dam to reverse the Nechako River but also boring a 16 km 10 mi tunnel under Mt Dubose within the Coast Range to the large hydroelectric Kemano Generating Station built under Mt Dubose Electricity from Kemano is transported 80 km 50 mi across mountains via a custom built twin circuit transmission line After avalanches tore away transmission towers a catenary system was built 14 In three years 6 000 construction workers built the dam tunnel powerhouse transmission line smelter and town 15 The town of Kitimat was carved out of old growth forest The company invested over CA 500 million equivalent to CA 3 3 billion and employed over 35 000 workers over the five years required to build the Kenney Dam the hydropower plant under Mt Dubose at Kemano a 250 000 tpy aluminum smelter a year round deepwater port a townsite designed for a population of 50 000 and a paved highway to the outside world As a result of this project other companies saw the potential of the area resulting in further industrial development in the Kitimat valley LNG Canada terminal project edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed October 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message On 1 October 2018 Royal Dutch Shell and its Asia partners gave formal approval to an estimated 40 billion investment into the construction of a new liquified natural gas port terminal project named LNG Canada coupled with the construction by a subsidiary of TransCanada of a gas pipeline known as the Coastal GasLink Pipeline linking this terminal to the Montney British Columbia natural gas field If and when completed LNG Canada should become the first Canadian LNG export ocean terminal which will compete with other LNG terminals in the US either existing or planned on the West Alaska Washington Oregon Gulf Louisiana Texas and Atlantic coasts Maryland Virginia This new terminal to be built in the port of Kitimat will be connected to the Pacific Ocean via the existing Douglas Channel This development will add new sensitive ship traffic when the LNG Canada natural gas storage and liquefaction terminal will be completed and operational which is estimated to be in 2025 The LNG Canada terminal project will see large LNG carrier ships loading liquefied natural gas at the future Kitimat LNG terminal and sailing along the Douglas Channel to carry it to export destinations mainly in Asia Geography editKitimat is located 63 km 39 mi south of Terrace and Thornhill on Highway 37 Prince Rupert is 207 km 129 mi northwest and Prince George is 629 km 391 mi to the east Climate editKitimat has an oceanic climate Koppen climate classification Cfb with mild summers and cold snowy winters much warmer than inland with significant snowfall averaging 128 inches 325 cm each year The rainiest season is fall with the wettest month October having 320 mm of rainfall There is also a significant drying trend Mediterranean pattern in summer but it is too rainy to classify as such Cloud cover is significant especially in winter and less than 30 of possible sunshine occurs each year Climate data for KitimatMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 12 2 54 0 13 0 55 4 18 0 64 4 27 5 81 5 32 8 91 0 37 0 98 6 36 1 97 0 36 0 96 8 33 3 91 9 25 0 77 0 13 3 55 9 10 0 50 0 37 0 98 6 Mean daily maximum C F 0 5 32 9 3 1 37 6 6 7 44 1 11 7 53 1 16 2 61 2 19 5 67 1 21 6 70 9 21 4 70 5 16 8 62 2 10 1 50 2 3 9 39 0 1 2 34 2 11 1 52 0 Daily mean C F 1 7 28 9 0 3 32 5 3 2 37 8 7 1 44 8 11 0 51 8 14 5 58 1 16 7 62 1 16 5 61 7 12 6 54 7 7 2 45 0 1 8 35 2 0 8 30 6 7 4 45 3 Mean daily minimum C F 4 0 24 8 2 5 27 5 0 3 31 5 2 4 36 3 5 7 42 3 9 5 49 1 11 7 53 1 11 5 52 7 8 3 46 9 4 3 39 7 0 3 31 5 2 8 27 0 3 6 38 5 Record low C F 25 0 13 0 23 9 11 0 19 4 2 9 10 0 14 0 6 7 19 9 0 6 30 9 3 9 39 0 2 0 35 6 2 0 28 4 13 0 8 6 24 0 11 2 25 0 13 0 25 0 13 0 Average precipitation mm inches 288 4 11 35 186 8 7 35 160 7 6 33 128 3 5 05 89 5 3 52 73 1 2 88 62 4 2 46 95 7 3 77 190 2 7 49 323 5 12 74 320 3 12 61 291 8 11 49 2 210 7 87 04 Average rainfall mm inches 195 7 7 70 133 6 5 26 134 5 5 30 123 0 4 84 88 7 3 49 73 1 2 88 62 4 2 46 95 7 3 77 190 2 7 49 319 9 12 59 266 6 10 50 202 7 7 98 1 886 1 74 26 Average snowfall cm inches 92 7 36 5 53 2 20 9 26 3 10 4 5 4 2 1 0 8 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 1 4 53 7 21 1 89 1 35 1 324 6 127 8 Average precipitation days 0 2 mm 19 7 15 5 18 5 17 2 15 8 14 8 13 2 13 7 16 9 22 1 21 7 21 5 210 5Average rainy days 0 2 mm 14 5 12 0 16 7 17 0 15 8 14 8 13 2 13 7 16 9 21 9 18 8 14 8 190 1Average snowy days 0 2 cm 9 2 6 3 5 0 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 0 11 4 41 2Mean monthly sunshine hours 48 5 75 9 103 8 153 9 199 6 189 5 214 3 196 5 129 7 69 2 38 1 30 9 1 449 9Percent possible sunshine 19 5 27 7 28 3 36 6 40 3 37 1 41 7 42 7 33 9 21 1 14 8 13 3 29 7Source 16 Demographics editHistorical populationYearPop 199111 305 199611 136 1 5 200110 285 7 6 20068 987 12 6 20118 335 7 3 17 18 19 In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada Kitimat had a population of 8 236 living in 3 604 of its 4 381 total private dwellings a change of 1 3 from its 2016 population of 8 131 With a land area of 239 28 km2 92 39 sq mi it had a population density of 34 4 km2 89 1 sq mi in 2021 20 Ethnicity edit Panethnic groups in the District of Kitimat 1986 2021 Panethnicgroup 2021 21 2016 22 2011 23 2006 24 2001 25 1996 26 1991 27 28 1986 29 30 31 100 Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop Pop European a 6 285 76 55 6 555 81 38 6 950 83 38 7 595 84 86 8 895 86 87 9 780 88 03 9 645 85 51 9 690 87 06 Indigenous 1 240 15 1 940 11 67 920 11 04 755 8 44 540 5 27 545 4 91 715 6 34 530 4 76 Southeast Asian b 200 2 44 105 1 3 155 1 86 115 1 28 90 0 88 65 0 59 35 0 31 30 0 27 South Asian 145 1 77 155 1 92 135 1 62 255 2 85 465 4 54 430 3 87 660 5 85 670 6 02 African 130 1 58 80 0 99 0 0 30 0 34 80 0 78 40 0 36 25 0 22 45 0 4 East Asian c 95 1 16 95 1 18 120 1 44 140 1 56 105 1 03 180 1 62 165 1 46 135 1 21 Latin American 60 0 73 70 0 87 10 0 12 45 0 5 65 0 63 10 0 09 10 0 09 20 0 18 Middle Eastern d 30 0 37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 0 27 25 0 22 10 0 09 Other Multiracial e 25 0 3 55 0 68 0 0 20 0 22 0 0 15 0 14 Total responses 8 210 99 68 8 055 99 07 8 335 100 8 950 99 59 10 240 99 56 11 110 99 77 11 280 99 78 11 130 99 41 Total population 8 236 100 8 131 100 8 335 100 8 987 100 10 285 100 11 136 100 11 305 100 11 196 100 Note Totals greater than 100 due to multiple origin responsesReligion edit According to the 2021 census religious groups in Kitimat included 21 Irreligion 4 220 persons or 51 4 Christianity 3 690 persons or 44 9 Islam 110 persons or 1 3 Hinduism 45 persons or 0 5 Buddhism 35 persons or 0 4 Sikhism 20 persons or 0 2 Indigenous Spirituality 10 persons or 0 1 Other 75 persons or 0 9 Controversies editThe Alcan project was not free from controversy Politicians aboriginal groups farmers and residents of the Nechako Lakes District opposed the contractual release of provincial resources with the profits going to a private firm Many individuals and groups protested the flooding caused by the creation of the new reservoir with the destruction of homesteads villages burial grounds millions of board feet of prime timber and the disruption of prime fish habitat on the Nechako River In the late 1980s the company began work on the Kemano Completion Project which would have doubled the generating capacity of the Kemano plant After Alcan had already bored a second tunnel through the mountain and extended the generating station within the mountain the provincial government of the day called a halt to the project for a variety of reasons Having invested over 500 million into the project Alcan took the provincial government to court This controversy was settled when Alcan and the provincial government signed the 1997 KCP agreement Most of the first decade of the twenty first century saw the District of Kitimat in court with the Provincial Government over the electricity rights granted to Alcan and its obligations to the Province and to the District Rio Tinto Alcan plans to increase the output of its Kitimat smelter from 250 000 MT Yr to 400 000 MT Yr and initially committed 300 million to this effort Since late 2008 relations between Rio Tinto Alcan and the District appear to have become more cordial with the two parties working to achieve modernization of the aluminum facilities In December 2011 Rio Tinto Alcan announced its investment of 2 7 billion to complete the modernization of the smelter 32 Media editNewspapers edit Kitimat Northern Sentinel 33 Skeena Reporter 34 Radio edit FM 92 1 CFNR FM First Nations community classic rock Terrace FM 92 9 CJFW FM 1 country repeats CJFW FM Terrace FM 97 7 CKTK FM hot adult contemporary FM 100 3 CFKI FM CBC Radio 2 repeats CBU FM Vancouver FM 101 1 CBUK FM CBC Radio One repeats CFPR Prince Rupert FM 105 1 CBUF FM 5 Premiere Chaine repeats CBUF FM Vancouver Television edit Channel 3 CFTK TV CTV 2 affiliate Terrace DTBS cable channel 10Notable people editBenjamin Arthur actor Kayla Czaga poet Mark Fitzpatrick professional ice hockey goaltender Wayne Kelly Swimmer 1984 Los Angeles Olympics 5th 4 200 m freestyle relay Jon Kelly Swimmer 1988 Seoul Olympics 7th 200m butterfly 12th 400m Individual Medley Bill Leeb musician and record producer Alison Redford lawyer Canadian politician Alberta Progressive Conservative Leader and MLA 2011 2014 first female Premier of Alberta Eden Robinson author Monique Goffinet Miller first female CEO of a Commissionaires Division 35 36 37 See also editList of Panamax ports Kitlope Indian Reserve No 16Notes edit Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity Statistic includes total responses of Filipino and Southeast Asian under visible minority section on census Statistic includes total responses of Chinese Korean and Japanese under visible minority section on census Statistic includes total responses of West Asian and Arab under visible minority section on census Statistic includes total responses of Visible minority n i e and Multiple visible minorities under visible minority section on census References edit British Columbia Regional Districts Municipalities Corporate Name Date of Incorporation and Postal Address XLS British Columbia Ministry of Communities Sport and Cultural Development Archived from the original on 13 July 2014 Retrieved 2 November 2014 Kitimat Geographical Names Data Base Natural Resources Canada Mayor and Council Hamilton William 1978 The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names Toronto Macmillan p 44 ISBN 0 7715 9754 1 Census Profile 2016 Census Kitimat District municipality Census subdivision British Columbia and Kitimat Stikine Regional district Census division British Columbia 8 February 2017 The Private International Port of Kitimat PDF Kitimat a Port City on the Move Kitimat British Columbia District of Kitimat Development Services 2005 archived from the original PDF on 16 May 2013 retrieved 5 May 2014 a b c Boyer David S September 1956 Kitimat Canada s Aluminum Titan National Geographic National Geographic Society CX 3 376 398 Top Planners Here to Map Alcan City Vancouver Sun 19 September 1951 p 21 The Town of Kitimat Royal BC Museum Retrieved 16 February 2012 Sample Kitimat residential land title document including expectation of tolerance of emissions from Alcan smelter in Kitimat Province of British Columbia Canada PDF Kitimat LNG Kitimat LNG s terminal Archived from the original on 13 July 2011 Retrieved 26 December 2009 Shell submits Kitimat plans for 4 billion gas pipeline and terminal to government environmental agencies The Province Vancouver The Canadian Press 3 April 2013 Archived from the original on 19 May 2013 Retrieved 12 June 2013 Lewis Jeff 31 July 2014 Kitimat LNG mega project in doubt after major American partner pulls out Financial Post Challenges for Industry and Town Royal BC Museum Retrieved 16 February 2012 Kendrick John Making It Happen Royal BC Museum Archived from the original on 4 July 2011 Retrieved 16 February 2012 Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data Environment Canada Archived from the original on 18 February 2014 Retrieved 9 July 2013 2011 Census Population and dwelling counts Statistics Canada Retrieved 8 October 2012 2001 Community Profiles Community Highlights for Kitimat Statistics Canada Archived from the original on 12 January 2016 Retrieved 8 October 2012 1996 Census of Population Electronic Area Profiles Kitimat DM Statistics Canada Archived from the original on 12 January 2016 Retrieved 8 October 2012 Population and dwelling counts Canada provinces and territories and census subdivisions municipalities British Columbia Statistics Canada 9 February 2022 Retrieved 20 February 2022 a b Government of Canada Statistics Canada 26 October 2022 Census Profile 2021 Census of Population www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 11 November 2022 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 27 October 2021 Census Profile 2016 Census www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 27 November 2015 NHS Profile www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 20 August 2019 2006 Community Profiles www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 2 July 2019 2001 Community Profiles www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 4 June 2019 Electronic Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions 1996 Census www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 29 March 2019 1991 Census Area Profiles Profile of Census Divisions and Subdivisions Part B www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 29 March 2019 Data tables 1991 Census Population by Ethnic Origin 24 Showing Single and Multiple Origins 2 Canada provinces and territories census divisions and census subdivisions www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 27 June 2019 Data tables 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada Provinces and Territories Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions 1986 Census Part A www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 27 June 2019 Data tables 1986 Census Census Profile for Canada Provinces and Territories Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions 1986 Census Part B www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Government of Canada Statistics Canada 3 April 2013 Canada s aboriginal population by census subdivisions from the 1986 Census of Canada www12 statcan gc ca Retrieved 10 March 2023 Press Release Rio Tinto to invest US 2 7 billion to complete the modernization of the Kitimat aluminium smelter in Canada Online at http www kitimatworksmodernization com pages posts rio tinto to invest us2 7 billion to complete the modernisation of the kitimat aluminium smelter in canada35 php Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Kitimat Northern Sentinel About The Skeena Reporter skeenareporter com 2023 Retrieved 4 November 2023 Commissionaires appoints first female CEO of a Division Canadian Military Family Magazine Retrieved 15 October 2023 Commissionaires names first woman CEO Canadian Security Magazine 12 July 2022 Retrieved 15 October 2023 Monique Goffinet Miller is Appointed CEO of Commissionaires South Saskatchewan Division Commissionaires commissionaires ca 12 July 2022 Retrieved 15 October 2023 External links editwww kitimat ca nbsp Kitimat travel guide from Wikivoyage Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kitimat amp oldid 1187969191, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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