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Archival description
British Columbia Cement Company Limited fonds Series
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Photographs

The series consists primarily of photographs relating to the Bamberton cement plant operations; secondarily, there are photographs relating to operations at Tod Inlet and Texada Island. They concern the earliest development of those sites, plant and quarry operations, workers, and village scenes.

Note that photographs form part of many files throughout the fonds (notably, there are approximately 600 photographs in series MS-3104). However, in this series, many photos were taken by professionals, and it appears they were created and maintained by company staff in order to document the history of the company.

The series includes a photograph album which the creator called “British Columbia Cement Company Limited -- Historical Photographs.” The date of creation is unknown. Subjects include, for Tod Inlet (1905 to 1913), the arrival of machinery, plant activities, and workers. For Bamberton (1912-1952) subjects include: early excavation, arrival of machinery, workers, pit and quarry operations, early development of Bamberton village houses and reservoirs, machine shops, kiln erection, substation, crusher house, wet mill, dry mill, cement storage, tanks and oil dock, waterfront and ships, cranes, fluming, coal elevator, packing floor, kilns and kiln motors, pallet loading, and new construction projects in 1951-1952. For Blubber Bay, Texada Island (1929-1949) subjects include: village construction, equipment, quarry activity, dock construction, workers, loading facilities and buildings, and rock handling and storage. The album is oversized, measuring 61 x 51 cm, with a total of 46 pages, with 360 black and white photographs of different sizes. There are 95 large prints (approximately 24x20 cm); 105 medium-sized prints (about 14x8 cm to 14x18 cm); and 160 small prints (5x7 cm to 6x8 cm).

The series also consists of photographs, particularly of Bamberton, dating from 1912 to the 1970s, which were not mounted in the photograph album. These include photographs of H.K.G. (Henry) Bamber and of the early development of the Bamberton plant, quarry and village, photographed by Fleming Brothers of Victoria. Later Bamberton plant operations and workers were photographed by professional photographers including Bill Halkett and Edward N. Pryor.

The series includes photographs relating to the cement industry in other locations in the province. It is probable some photographs were collected by long-time company employee Robert H. (Bob) Moffatt during his research for his history of the company (see series MS-3109). Some of the photographs were collected from sources such as the City of Vancouver Archives. There are photographs (of unknown origin, possibly ca. 1970) of the cement plant ruins at Princeton, B.C.

The file “Quarry photographs,” with six photographs, may relate to the reclamation of the quarry at Tod Inlet, B.C., which became the location of the Butchart Gardens. The file “Breakwater photographs” may relate to the Ogden Point breakwater in Victoria, B.C.

Technical drawings, plans and maps

The series consists of technical and engineering drawings and diagrams, architectural drawings, and various cartographic materials including maps (mainly unpublished) and site plans. In smaller numbers, there are records which are neither drawings nor cartographic materials; for example, there are charts of recorded data, and a schematic flow sheet of the Bamberton cement plant manufacturing process. The file classification system dating from the 1940s is also represented in an oversized, format on blueprint paper. These various types of records are interfiled, that is, not distinguished from each other in the way they were originally ordered by the creators of the records.

Technical and engineering drawings (the predominant type) are plans for the plant and its equipment, either produced by the B.C. Cement Company, the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd., or by companies which manufactured the machines and equipment. Cartographic records include published and unpublished maps, rough diagrams, survey maps, and subdivision plans. These include maps of the Bamberton industrial site and residential area, watercourses, reservoirs and the water supply area of the region, and include early maps of the Malahat area in the vicinity of Bamberton. The records include general maps and specialized mineral deposits maps for areas including Horne Lake, Cobble Hill and Texada Island. Site plans include facilities such as Bamberton port facility and an insurance plan for Bamberton Works. The series includes architectural drawings for proposed buildings and structures and a plan for Robert Butcharts' residence at Tod Inlet.

Many of the maps and plans are potentially of high value to researchers for the geological, environmental, and historical information they contain.

Most, though not all of the records were assigned a sequential number, with the prefix “MAL.” A small number of the records were labelled “TI.” The meaning of these prefixes is not given in the records; however, “TI” almost certainly refers to “Tod Inlet.” It is possible that “MAL” indicated “Malahat,” and that these two codes indicated the two different locations of the company operations. Some drawings that were first given the “TI” prefix may have later been given the “MAL” prefix. For example, a drawing apparently used as an insurance plan for Tod Inlet dated 1916 was apparently first TI 101 and was later changed to MAL 272B. Later records use the year as the first part of the sequential number.

There is no complete and comprehensive inventory or index to the drawings and maps. Inventories that exist are as follows: staff in the Modern History department of the Provincial Museum [ca.1985] created an index; however, not all the records were catalogued, and it is not comprehensive for the sequence it covers (from MAL 101 to MAL 4034). The electronic version of that inventory no longer exists. The hard copy is available (see the file “Partial index to drawings” in container 907976-0700. Series MS-3117 includes several volumes which are registers and indexes, however, none are comprehensive. Two drawing register books list technical drawings and plans made or received by the company. Possibly created in the 1960s, they include technical drawings and plans which date back to the early 20th century. Drawing Register Volume 2 includes a detailed scope note in the front of the volume which explains the drawing numbering system, the register system and the filing system. This scope note also reads “This register lists drawings made or received from 1960 onwards.”

Series MS-3117 also includes three volumes originally titled “Bamberton Process - Books No. 1, 2, 3.” These books apparently served as subject indexes to the drawings and plans, and consist of small reproductions of the original full-sized drawings. The volumes are organized with tabs which are labelled with a wide range of subjects such as: “Electrical,” “Piping -- General,” “Heat & Ventilation.”

The arrangement of the records and their physical location was determined by two facts: (1) there are two different physical formats (flat and folded) and (2) some records were indexed and some were not. For this reason, the records are in three different groups. (1) ca. 2200 technical drawings and cartographic records which were processed and indexed at the Provincial Museum ca. 1985 (as noted above). With partial index. (2) ca. 1500 technical drawings and cartographic records, flattened. No inventory available. (3) ca. 4000 technical drawings and cartographic records, folded. Arranged by their original numbering system, they range from MAL 163 to MAL 74-020, although this sequence is not comprehensive. No index or inventory available.

Note that drawings are not only found in this series, also are commonly found as forming part of a file in other series in the fonds.

Bamberton plant files by classification system

The series consists of records which were classified by B.C. Cement Company employees according to the company's records classification system. This system reflected the major functions of cement production, so the subdivisions of classification include the cement packing plant, materials handling, dry mill, wet mill, electrical, kilns and coolers, and rock handling. Another area of classification (Offices, Shops and Laboratory) covered a wide range of subjects including research, quality control, administration, financial records and personnel. Record types include: correspondence, memoranda, minutes, research reports, photographs, recordings of chemical testing and production statistics, budget and financial reports, scientific and technical studies, quotations for goods and services, and collected published materials such as brochures, pamphlets and flyers. Drawings, plans, equipment manuals and catalogues, when originally part of a file, are located in this series. When not part of a file, those record types are located in other series in the fonds. Similarly, there are approximately 600 photographs which form part of these files. The term “photographs” can be searched in the “title” field in the file list. The earliest version of the company filing system is found in the 1940s record “Bamberton Files.” It consists of the schema for records classification in the late 1940s and the 1950s. (That document was also assigned the record number “MAL 914”). The system was modified over time, and by 1975-1977, was called the “Filing Index.” The documents “Bamberton Files” and “Filing Index” (several versions) are not located in this series, but are part of series MS-3117 Record registers and indexes. The evolving classification system reflects changes in the company's activities and concerns; for example, the subdivision (2-0-0) for “Coal Plant” was eliminated by the 1970s. Also, by the 1970s, new subjects are reflected in the filing system, including the environment, health and safety, and new employee benefits.

Literature collection

The series consists of literature collected by employees of the B.C. Cement Company on topics including cement chemistry and technology, cement types, the cement industry, mining engineering, geology and other science research topics.

The types of records include information circulars, conference proceedings, unpublished reports, brochures, booklets, complete journals and trade magazines, and clipped articles from publications.

A considerable amount of literature appears to have been collected by F.A. (Arthur) DeLisle and J.M. Cummings. Art DeLisle worked for the B.C. Cement Company from approximately 1950 to 1980, and became chief chemist at the Bamberton plant. John M. (Jack) Cummings worked for the B.C. Cement Company as a geologist and research engineer. This series and series MS-3109 include unpublished research reports and published articles written by Cummings both before and during his employment with the B.C. Cement Company.

The B.C. Cement Company was a member of the U.S.-based Portland Cement Association. Company employees retained a large amount of literature created by that association, in particular, literature from its research and development laboratories.

A selection of literature from the British company, Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (A.P.C.M.) was retained by the archivist in series MS-3111.

Plant record and log books

The series consists of log and record books which include data on a wide variety of plant operations, including production statistics and the results of chemical and physical tests. They were produced by staff in the plant laboratory and in the departments of the Bamberton plant. The logs and reports give daily and monthly recordings of data regarding the kilns, boiler, wet mill, dry mill, coal plant and coal and oil consumption, slurry and grinding, shipments and materials handling, stocks and sacks, and sales data. For monthly production, the total hours of operation per time period are given, and, as appropriate, measurements of production in barrels, inches or tons. Periods of inactivity in the plant are reflected in the records. Stock reports indicate barrels of cement and clinker on hand, barrels manufactured and shipped per month, and per year. Log and report books for the dry mills also record extensive data regarding cement types, commentary on mill performance and on the condition of machinery for each shift, hours of running, with remarks and commentary on the operations during each shift. A daily report of slurry mixers reported various measurements, including pumping from the raw mill and slurry depth at the end of a shift. The Laboratory Daily Slurry Report gives measurements including alkali and moisture. Cement tests record books record data to determine suitability for production, and to control the content of cement. Testing includes cement fineness, setting time and strength, and chemical composition. Other reports include chemical analysis of quarry samples, clinker samples, and moisture content. Shipments records include data regarding the name of ships, oil shipments and fuel in stock. The records are not comprehensive over a long period of time. They represent therefore only samples from specific periods of the types of logs that were kept and kinds of data that were measured and reported. The logs and record books in this series were not classified by their creator and it is speculative to state what offices or department created them. For this reason, this wide variety of logs and reports were collected into an artificial series by the archivist.

Record registers and indexes

The series consists of several indexes and registers of the company records. The series includes the company's file classification system. An early version of this system is in the 1940s record “Bamberton Files.” It shows the schema for records classification in the late 1940s and 1950s. (That document was also assigned the record number “MAL 914”). The company file classification system was modified over time, and by 1975-1977, was called the “Filing Index.” The series also consists of a bound book entitled Memo Register, ca. 1911-1915, which is a register of memoranda. This register appears to list memoranda chronologically, with a subject index in the back of the book. It is not clear what memos are referred to, and they do not appear to have survived. This register is still valuable as an indicator of the subjects, functions and activities of the company in this early period. The end of the time period covered by this register may coincide with the shutdown of the Bamberton plant in 1916. The series also consists of a register of gears, pulleys and belts, which includes technical drawings accompanied by an index. It is organized according to the part of the plant where the equipment was located, such as the coal plant, packing house, dry mill, wet mill, kilns and coolers. The series also consists of a single volume, labelled “Edwin Tomlin” (Tomlin became the company's managing director in 1926). It appears the book was used as an alphabetical subject index to folios held by the company. These folios cannot now be found. In addition to correspondence, the volume includes recorded information with regard to: amounts of cement manufactured at Tod Inlet and Bamberton, manufacturing costs, company profits, cement sales statistics, the selling value of cement, Bamberton water licenses, Bamberton plant depreciation, and particulars of properties owned at Saanich Inlet, Texada Island and Chilliwack, B.C. The series also consists of two drawing register books which list technical drawings and plans made or received by the company. Possibly created in the 1960s, they include technical drawings and plans which date back to the early 20th century. Drawing Register Volume 2 includes a detailed scope note in the front of the volume which explains the drawing numbering system, the register system and the filing system. This scope note also reads “This register lists drawings made or received from 1960 onwards.” The series also consists of three volumes originally titled “Bamberton Process - Books No. 1, 2, 3.” These books apparently served as subject indexes to drawings and plans, and consist of small reproductions of the original full-sized drawings. The volumes are organized with tabs which are labelled with a wide range of subjects such as: “Electrical,” “Piping -- General,” “Heat & Ventilation.”

Deliveries record books

The series consists of eight bound volumes which record deliveries of cement to consignees, together with “cement tests” (details on the technical testing done on that cement).

The records books include date, consignee name, destination, quantity (sacks), shipping receipt number, bin number, and order number. A “delivered by” column usually indicates the method (by truck, scow, barge, or by a named boat). The accompanying cement tests measure fineness, setting time, tensile strength and soundness. A “remarks” column often indicates the type of transaction (cash or cheque).

Information regarding consignee names, destination locations and delivery dates may be of historical value because they may indicate when and where construction projects occurred in British Columbia.

Volume numbers were created by the archivist and not by the B.C. Cement Company. The dates of the records are from 1913 to 1970; however, no records exist from February 1961 to June 1964, so it can be presumed a volume is missing for that period.

Bamberton plant main office files

The series consists of a diverse group of records, most of which concern the company as a whole, reflect its functions and activities, and were probably maintained in the main office at the Bamberton plant. Among the types of records are: company annual reports, organizational charts, plant operation flow charts, company publications, employee newsletters, company forms and stationery, reports and policy documents regarding records keeping and document retention, internal audit reports and collected articles and clippings. The reports include inventories and appraisals of properties and mineral deposits owned by B.C. Cement Company, with maps and photographs. There are also planning reports regarding potential future mill development and new plant locations.

The series also consists of a history of the B.C. Cement Company written by a long-time company employee, Robert H. (Bob) Moffatt. This is accompanied by articles, research notes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings which appear to be the product of Moffatt's research. It is possible that some of the photographs in series MS-3108 were collected by Moffatt in the course of his research.

A number of the reports in this and in other series in the fonds were written by John M. (Jack) Cummings who worked for the B.C. Cement Company as a geologist and research engineer. Other unpublished research reports and published articles, written by Cummings both before and during his employment with B.C. Cement Company, may be found in series MS-3120.

These files were not classified by B.C. Cement Company employees according to the company file classification system. They were assigned to this artificial series by the archivist.

Associates Securities Company Ltd., stock certificate books

The series consists of three books of numbered certificates which indicate persons to whom company shares were issued for the Associates Securities Company, Ltd., between 1915 and 1918.

The covers of the books are labelled “British Columbia Cement Company, Ltd. (Formerly) Associates Securities Company, Ltd.” Associates Securities Company Limited was incorporated as a Canadian company on November 27, 1914. The company name was changed to British Columbia Cement Company Limited on February 24, 1919.

The books appear to offer information regarding the shareholders and financial structure of the company, and give evidence of the role played in the company by Robert Pim Butchart and his relatives.

Bamberton plant department files

The series consists of a wide variety of files to which B.C. Cement Company employees assigned subject-based titles, but did not classify according to their file classification system. They are mainly of a technical nature, relating to plant department operations; for example, relating to equipment and to engineering, structural, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation issues. The records will probably be of greater value to researchers interested in detailed aspects of specific equipment, processes and technologies. Records related to specific pieces of equipment can also be found in series MS-3106. There are very few files dating from earlier than the 1950s.

Some of the files were created by staff in the laboratory. Others were probably created in the kiln department and the mills. Often it is not clear which department created the records. For this reason, they are an artificial series created by the archivist. They have been arranged alphabetically.

Technical drawings books

The series consists of bound books containing technical drawings of equipment and machinery. It is not clear how these technical drawings are related to the drawings in series MS-3123, which were organized by means of a “MAL” code number.

Some pages consist of journal-style entries which are unrelated to a technical drawing. For example, some pages consist of handwritten notes about the arrival of a scow at Bamberton, and accompanying details such as water depth, and loading and unloading details.

The books are accompanied by a handwritten list of the technical drawings, by title and page number, although this list is incomplete. See the file "Index to technical drawings books."

It is probable there were originally at least nine books; however, only seven are now held by BC Archives (Books 3 through 9). Apparently missing are Book 1 (page 001 to 100) and Book 2 (page 101 to 200). It appears the books were used with carbon paper to create copies.

Stores material received record books

The series consists of seven bound volumes which record the details of goods and services purchased by the B.C. Cement Company. Examples of the types of materials purchased are: equipment, coal, lumber, insurance and food. The record books include short descriptions of the goods or services purchased, date of purchase, who the goods were purchased from, and the cost.

Bamberton weekly and monthly reports

The series consists of single-page reports giving data on operations, including total production output and labour statistics, for the Bamberton plant and other quarry locations. Because the reports cover a long time-frame, from 1925 through 1969, they vary in form and content. In general however, the reports list: (1) cement manufactured in tons, (2) stocks, (3) data on testing done on cement (tensile strength, etc.) (4) output and running hours of the kilns, clinker grinding plant, coal grinding plant and the raw material plant, (5) coal consumed, (6) fuel stocks, (7) raw material quarried or received. When the plants were not running, this information is stated.

Under the category of labour the reports give total number of employees, distinguishing between “White and Chinese” employees. Total hours worked are given, and man hours in each department of the plant are broken down. May 3, 1934 appears to be the last date that Chinese workers were employed at Bamberton. By 1947, the labour component is broken down by number of hours worked at Bamberton and the number at Texada Island.

A “remarks” section refers to events which affect operations, including weather, and power failures or power supply reductions and interruptions.

Reports are weekly from January 8, 1925 to November 25, 1937. Weekly reports are then phased out. Beginning September 1, 1937, they begin making monthly reports, and by November 25, 1937, weekly reports are discontinued. It is not known why no records exist prior to 1925.

Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd. records

The series consists of records created by the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd. (A.P.C.M.) of London, England.

The series includes the proceedings of the annual conferences of the British Cement Works' Managers, in London. The conferences were attended by overseas visitors, including B.C. Cement Company staff (though the frequency of this is unknown). The annual publications, in 17 bound volumes, are complete for the years 1928-1938 and 1953-1958 (with the long gap through the 1940s). The proceedings appear to be published by the Works Department of A.P.C.M.

The series also consists of course training materials and of technical reports and information produced by the research laboratories of A.P.C.M.

The records are evidence of the B.C. Cement Company's ongoing relationship with A.P.C.M. In particular, the B.C. Cement Company relied on the technical and research expertise of A.P.C.M.'s laboratory and research department.

Correspondence and memoranda

The series consists of correspondence and memoranda concerning all activities and subjects of concern to the B.C. Cement Company.

In most cases the items (letters and memos) were not classified by company employees according to the company file classification system. In some cases, items were classified, but were not filed together, and arrived at BC Archives in no discernible original order. For these reasons, the records needed to be brought together in an artificial series by the archivist. They are arranged chronologically.

Equipment files

The series consists of records related to specific machines and equipment, and includes manuals, operation guides and related correspondence.

The creator classified these files with an “Equipment List” classification system, distinct from the company’s main file classification system. This Equipment List had a code number, typically four digits in length, up to the range of 9000. Numbers were assigned according to the appropriate department; for example: crushing, raw grinding, mixing and slurry storage, fuel oil system, kilns, cement distribution, finish mill, packaging and bulk loading and plant vehicles.

This Equipment List had a cross referencing between a new equipment number and its corresponding old number. The Equipment List was normally maintained in loose-leaf binders, and can be found filed at the end of the series.

On the BC Archives file list, the creator’s original Equipment List number can be found in the “Creator Code” field.

There is a related series, MS-3124 - Plant equipment manuals and operation guides. That series, however, consists of manuals and operating guides which were loose (not filed) and to which no file classification number was applied.

There are very few files dating from earlier than the 1950s.

Plant equipment manuals and operation guides

The series consists of manuals, guide books and other literature which give specifications and instructions for the installation, operation, maintenance and repair of specific machinery and equipment. The manuals include technical drawings.

The series also consists of correspondence, price lists, price catalogs, parts lists, company bulletins and promotional literature, and proposals and quotations.

The archivist made the selection for retention of the manuals and guides when it was clear that the B.C. Cement Company did in fact own and operate said equipment.

Personnel and union files

The series consists of records relating to personnel and employment matters, including grievances, seniority, vacations, shift changes, overtime, maintenance hours worked, training, and evaluation reports on trainees.

The series also consists of records regarding the agreements made between the company and the union, including matters such as working conditions, wages and Labour Code arbitration.

The files also consist of 36 photographs of staff during a social event in the 1970s.

Types of records include correspondence, memoranda, staff lists, seniority lists, job application forms, booklets and photographs.

Bamberton manufacturing costs reports

The series consists of single-page reports on manufacturing costs for the Bamberton plant. Reports are monthly, and the set is complete for all months from January 1960 to April 1972. The reports give manufacturing costs by department, and show operating costs, repairs and general charges, including labour, supplies, and staff salaries. Figures also include raw material used, barrels of cement shipped, and monthly costs per barrel of product manufactured.

Another set of records give cumulative manufacturing costs, per month, from November 1961 to April 1972, although this set is not complete.

Shift log books

The series consists of shift log books, which are handwritten narrative reports written by the responsible employee for that shift. Primarily, the logs contain commentaries on plant operation and performance during each shift, including, for example, the operation of the kilns, wet and dry mills, and rock system.

The shift log books occasionally contain reporting on other details and incidents (such as injuries) that were witnessed during the shift. For this reason, while they primarily give details of the mechanical operations of the plant, they also to some extent give a picture of working life at the Bamberton plant.

There were usually three shifts per day, 8am to 4pm, 4pm to midnight, and midnight to 8am. The log books are complete for the period 1962 to 1981.

Production and operations reports

The series consists of production and operations reports in the period from 1967 to 1980. These consist of statistical reports showing cement shipments, limestone received, clinker production and stocks of clinker, oil, gypsum, slurry, as well as hours and amounts of production in the wet mills, dry mills and kilns.

The series primarily includes daily production reports, but also includes flash reports, telexes, weekly and monthly production reports and monthly cumulative reports. The records in the series had no file classification system applied. They were arranged chronologically by the archivist.

Plant cost statements

The series consists of variable cost statements and period cost statements, which were reports distributed to company staff including the V-P Production, General Production Manager, Plant Manager, superintendents, Maintenance Foreman, Department Supervisor, Plant Accountant, Budget Accountant and Controller.

There is data reported for cost elements by cost centre, consumption reports, summaries of direct expenses, labour hours summaries, wage analysis, labor distribution, production supplies for plant and quarry, utilities reports, purchasing and stores, supervision, plant and quarry development and plant maintenance.

The records were unclassified and poorly ordered on their arrival at BC Archives, and have been arranged chronologically by the archivist.