Dear Sir:
We’re replying to the recent letter from Teresa Shore about the Kitsault slide.
I was the mill maintenance foreman in Kitsault when the new trailer court slid lock stock and barrel into the bay along with a new rental bulldozer on or around 1970.
The trailers were pulled to the beach ramp by the company tug.
This was the ramp where the Grumman Goose from Trans Provincial Airlines in Prince Rupert landed and rolled out of the ocean onto dry land.
Divers were brought in to see if the bulldozer could be recovered.
With the trailer court gone, a new one was developed up the Line Creek Rd. and the school was over the bailey bridge across from the trailer court.
The school kids were bussed to school on account of the bear population in Kitsault.
The mine closed in 1972 for the first time, and other mines personnel came in to offer employment at other mines, many went to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.
AMAX finally purchased the mine from Kennercott Copper and added on to the mill building and built 90 stick built hues in the new downside and seven apartment blocks.
I can say that 16-1/2 years, with just my wife and I, one gets to know one’s partner pretty well.
We thoroughly enjoyed the tranquility of Kitsault and the opportunity for an original Derbyshire copper miner. We are both eternally grateful for Canada allowing us to live in this wonderful country.
John and Patricia Wheatley,
Terrace, B.C.
