The item is an audio recording of an interview with Alexander Douglas Turnbull, recorded in Victoria in 1974.

T0270:0001: Background, education and work for Cominco at Trail, B.C. Discussion of work for Cominco. Political discussion group, Liberal Party. Development of Coalition Government. Running for election in 1948, defeat. Election of 1949 and becoming an MLA. Work to improve conditions in riding. Throne speech, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, 1949. Discussion of British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service, problems of initiating it and administration. Role of George Pearson, Minister of Labour and Minister of Health and Welfare. Discussion of legislation.

T0270:0002: Discussion of the problem of financing hospital insurance. Reaction of the voters in Trail, B.C. to the Coalition. Affect of road construction in political campaigning. Relationship with C.C.F. Appointment as Minister of Health and Welfare, 1950 and initial approach to the problem of hospital insurance. Role of Herbert Anscomb as Minister of Finance. Problems with: payment of premiums for hospital insurance, setting up program, housing of program's operations, and overall criticisms of program. Expansion of Vancouver General Hospital and the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine at U.B.C. Attempt to put hospital insurance on sound financial basis. Hospital insurance as a political issue.

T0270:0003: The British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service, and the reaction of the medical profession to its establishment. Budgetary control of hospitals under BCHIS. Payment of premiums to BCHIS. Involvement of Byron Johnson and Herbert Anscomb with hospital insurance. Budget Speech, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Byron Johnson and his automobile accident. W.A.C. Bennett crossing the floor and leaving the Conservative Party. Operation of government in the Coalition period. Description of Health and Welfare Department. Increasing costs of BCHIS.

T0270:0004: Creation of Hospital Insurance Inquiry Board to investigate British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service by Legislative Assembly. Attempt to use it as a political issue. Minister's relationship with inquiry board. Directing of inquiry by Sidney Smith, MLA. Problem of morale at BCHIS during inquiry. Mannix Report, Hamilton Report. Preliminary recommendations of inquiry board. Favourable response of hospital administrators to BCHIS. Criticism of inquiry board. Political pressures against Coalition and problems between Herbert Anscomb and Byron Johnson.

T0270:0005 track 1: Mr. Turnbull discusses in detail the last year of the Coalition government of Boss Johnson in 1951-52. He focuses on the details of the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service, which he was responsible for. He discusses the impact of the BCHIS on the electorate. He mentions why Premier Johnson called the election.
T0270:0005 track 2: In the last half of the tape Mr. Turnbull provides even greater detail on the concept and funding of the BCHIS at the time of the 1952 provincial election.

The series consists of taped interviews and radio broadcasts, all relating to Cominco. The original recordings include audio cassettes, 3", 5", 7" and 10" reels and 8 track tapes.

T3135 to T3147 consists of thirteen oral history interviews with retired Cominco employees, recorded by students employed under the Young Canada Works Program in the summer of 1977.

Items T4217:1-2 consist of the proceedings of the annual general meetings for Cominco, 1978 and 1980.

T4245 consist of oral history history interviews, recorded from [197-] to 1982. Archives staff transcribed many of the interviews or kept content notes. Three of the interviews consist of notes or memoirs only, no taped recording. If a transcript of an oral history interview exists, it is noted in the file list. Documentation files containing notes on interviews are also indicated on the file list.

T4350 consists of oral history interviews with retired Cominco employees (1-42), recorded between 1977 and 1981, mainly by Dr. Joanne Pepper. It also contains recordings (43-88) of radio broadcasts and audio tracks for slide presentations, social events and pension rallies, all recorded between the 1950s and 1983. No transcripts exist for these recordings however some content notes exist in the accession file.