Kitimat

Kitimat is a small port city on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada.

Understand
Kitimat, population 8,100 (2016), is a port city located in one of the few wide, flat valleys on the coast of British Columbia. The city was planned and built by the Aluminum Company of Canada (Alcan) during the 1950s and is now an integral part of the Northwest Corridor connecting North America to the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific Rim.



History
"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.

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 the aluminum smelting industry. The company built a dam, tunnel, powerhouse, 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."

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. 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 of walkways connecting to all areas of the community.

By car
The only access by car is a by taking Highway 37 from Terrace, which is about a 40-minute drive.

Do

 * Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding on Douglas Channel.
 * Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding on Douglas Channel.
 * Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding on Douglas Channel.
 * Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding on Douglas Channel.

Go next
Turnaround and return to Terrace. Continue north on the Stewart–Cassiar Highway (Highway 37) to the Alaska Highway.