Kitsault, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Kitsault is an unincorporated settlement on the North Coast of British Columbia
, Canada
, at the head of Alice Arm
, Observatory Inlet
and at the mouth of the Kitsault River
. The locality of Alice Arm
and the Nisga'a
community of Gits'oohl (formerly Gitzault Indian Reserve No. 24) are in the immediate vicinity. "Kitsault" is an adaptation of Gits'oohl, which means "a ways in behind".
and Stewart
had mining booms. A. Taylor, of Taylor Way fame at Park Royal, started the mine with the help of Chicago money. Bunkhouses, stores and a ten mile railway
was built to access the rich silver ore. The mine only operated for 3 years until it was held up in litigation. Taylor eventually won the mine and he
went on to build the Lions Gate Bridge.
The later town of Kistault was established in 1979 as the home community to a molybdenum
mine run by the Phelps Dodge
corporation of the United States. The community was designed for 1,200 residents and even included a shopping mall, restaurant, swimming pool and bowling alley. In 1982, however, stock prices for molybdenum crashed and the entire community was evacuated after just 18 months of residence.
In 2005, the entire ghost town was bought by Indian-American businessman Krishnan Suthanthiran.
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, at the head of Alice Arm
Alice Arm
Alice Arm is the east arm of Observatory Inlet, which itself is an arm of Portland Inlet, on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, near the border with the American state of Alaska...
, Observatory Inlet
Observatory Inlet
Observatory Inlet is an inlet on the North Coast of British Columbia. It is a northward extension of Portland Inlet, other sidewaters of which include the Portland Canal. The entrance of Observatory Inlet, from Portland Inlet, lies between Ramsden Point and Nass Point. Ramsden Point also marks, to...
and at the mouth of the Kitsault River
Kitsault River
The Kitsault River is a river on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located at the head of Alice Arm, which is the east arm of Observatory Inlet, which is a sidewater of Portland Inlet...
. The locality of Alice Arm
Alice Arm, British Columbia
Alice Arm is a locality and former post office and steamer landing on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, located on the east side of Observatory Inlet at the mouth of the Kitsault River....
and the Nisga'a
Nisga'a
The Nisga’a , often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga’a language as Nisga’a, are an Indigenous nation or First Nation in Canada. They live in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. Their name comes from a combination of two Nisga’a words: Nisk’-"top lip" and...
community of Gits'oohl (formerly Gitzault Indian Reserve No. 24) are in the immediate vicinity. "Kitsault" is an adaptation of Gits'oohl, which means "a ways in behind".
History
Mining came to the remote valley with the Dolly Varden mine in 1918. Much of the area had been explored for minerals as AnyoxAnyox, British Columbia
Anyox was a small company-owned mining town in British Columbia, Canada. Today it is largely destroyed and abandoned. It is located about southwest of Stewart, British Columbia on the shores of Observatory Inlet...
and Stewart
Stewart, British Columbia
Stewart is a small town, incorporated as a district municipality at the head of the Portland Canal in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. In 2006, its population was about 496.-History:...
had mining booms. A. Taylor, of Taylor Way fame at Park Royal, started the mine with the help of Chicago money. Bunkhouses, stores and a ten mile railway
was built to access the rich silver ore. The mine only operated for 3 years until it was held up in litigation. Taylor eventually won the mine and he
went on to build the Lions Gate Bridge.
The later town of Kistault was established in 1979 as the home community to a molybdenum
Molybdenum
Molybdenum , is a Group 6 chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42. The name is from Neo-Latin Molybdaenum, from Ancient Greek , meaning lead, itself proposed as a loanword from Anatolian Luvian and Lydian languages, since its ores were confused with lead ores...
mine run by the Phelps Dodge
Phelps Dodge
Phelps Dodge Corporation was an American mining company founded in 1834 by Anson Greene Phelps and William Earle Dodge, Sr.. On March 19, 2007, it was acquired by Freeport-McMoRan and now operates under the name Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.-History:...
corporation of the United States. The community was designed for 1,200 residents and even included a shopping mall, restaurant, swimming pool and bowling alley. In 1982, however, stock prices for molybdenum crashed and the entire community was evacuated after just 18 months of residence.
In 2005, the entire ghost town was bought by Indian-American businessman Krishnan Suthanthiran.