Showing 164 results

The sub-series consists of films produced by or for the British Columbia Electric Company during the years 1945-1961. There are films on all of the company's major engineering projects from that period: all phases of the Bridge River hydro-electric development; construction of dams, power plants and transmission lines throughout the Lower Mainland; and the laying of undersea power lines to Vancouver Island. Most of these "project films" are detailed and technical in nature, intended mainly for an engineering audience. Other titles, created for public relations use, promote BC Electric transit, natural gas and home electrical services. A few, such as GARDEN RENDEZVOUS, VACATION TIME and VANCOUVER DIAMOND JUBILEE, do not relate to BC Electric operations, but were sponsored and distributed by the company for general interest.

The item is an industrial film made around 1957. It shows the construction of BC Electric's gas turbine generating station at Port Mann. Includes aerial shots of Vancouver.

The item is a release print of an industrial film from 1956-1957. It shows the construction of the Georgia Gas Turbine Generating Station on Bare Point at Chemainus. Footage includes press conference with BC Power Commission general manager Lee Briggs, construction of power plant, cantilever tanker dock and fuel tank farm by Sandwell and Company Ltd., design of turbines in New York and transport operation, arrival of tanker "Oregon Standard" with first load of fuel. There is also a sequence on Vancouver Island communities and industries regarding their demand for electricity.

The item consists of reel of film footage from 1958-1959. It contains a spliced-together footage compilation showing various Power Commission operations: mobile 500KW diesel generating unit arrives in Revelstoke, cable-laying barge, boats and shore crew lay underwater line to Thetis & Kuper Islands, island residents celebrate at a picnic, where First Nations dancers perform, power plant construction & tunnel work at Ash River project on Great Central Lake [similar tunnelling shots in Men at Work], continuing through winter, completed Ash River Generating Station and penstock, shots of Chemainus sawmill and new power station.

B&W footage: official opening of Georgia Gas Turbine Generating Station at Chemainus -- people touring station, Premier W.A.C. Bennett and Commission chairman Hugh Keenleyside addressing crowd and on-site CHEK-TV interview [b&w, sound] with Premier Bennett re Power Commission development.

The item is a newsreel compilation on a black and white film print. It contains an historical compilation of international news items: the Rise of Mussolini 1922-36, 1919 Schubert show girls, 1921 personalities, 10,000 homeless by fire 1930, "The Spacehunters 1919-36" [Mt. Wilson observatory], 1921 aviation [USN dirigible C-7], 1927 fashions and 1933 sports. It also includes BC material spliced into the prin]: 1948 Fraser Valley Floods [ca. 30 secs.] and 1950 BC Electric opens new Horne-Payne substation [ca. 2 mins.]. The latter item discusses BC Electric's new system of substations in the lower mainland.

The item is a composite print of a documentary film made in 1948. It depicts the Fraser River flood of 1948 and includes aerial and general views of flooded farmland and communities, as well as relief efforts and dyke construction.

The item consists of five reels of original reversal footage/outs from ca. 1964 to 1969. The footage shows aspects of the Peace River project other than dam or powerhouse construction. Footage includes: exploring the Peace River canyon by boat; settlements and farms along the river; fossils and geology; burning of abandoned buildings; flooded areas and debris; land clearing, construction and community scenes in and around Hudson's Hope from ca. 1964-1965.

The item is a reel of reversal film footage. It shows flooding in the Kamloops area in June 1972.

The item is a reel of reversal footage from 1972. It shows flooding in the Fraser Valley, June 1972.

The item is a reel of spliced film footage from 1961. It shows flooding of the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers in early June, 1961. Includes footage of: rivers in flood, dikes and inundated streets in Trail, flooded land and roads in the vicinity, Bonnington and Corra Linn dams on the Kootenay River and Robson (?) ferry at dock..

The item is a composite print of an industrial film made around 1964. It shows the construction of the Mica, Duncan and Arrow Dams in the Columbia River basin. Some of the communities in the project area are shown and the problems and benefits are discussed. There is footage of Revelstoke and Trail-Kaslo area, flooding of the Columbia near Trail and aerial views of area communities. There is also footage of the 1964 ratification of the Columbia River Treaty at the International Peace Arch, with US President Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Pearson and BC Premier Bennett.

The item is a release print of a promotional film made by the US Bonneville Power Commission. The film is a 1973 revised, updated version of a 1963 film which examines the Columbia River and its watershed. It profiles the dams along the American section of the river and discusses the importance of dams for power production, flood control and creating recreational areas. Most of the footage is of the Columbia in the USA, but there are brief shots of the Duncan, Keenleyside and Mica dam sites in BC (ca.1973).

The item is a composite print of a documentary film made by the US Army Corps of Engineers, ca. 1967. It shows the dams of the Columbia River basin and their vital role in flood control. Includes brief shots in BC near the source of the Columbia, and at the Mica, Arrow and Duncan dams.

The item consists of a release print on two reels, of an industrial film from 1978. It was produced to inform Hydro employees about some of the key daily tasks of the company, this film looks at load forecasting techniques, planning processes to meet electrical, gas and transit needs, the natural gas system, public transit and railway services, and how hydro operations are financed and paid for. Charles Nash, general manager for Corporate Affairs, introduces the film.

The item is an answer print of an educational film from 1979. It consists of a cartoon-style electrical safety film, intended mainly for children in grades 2 to 8.

The fonds consists of industrial, engineering, and public relations films created for or by British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority and its predecessors (the British Columbia Electric Company and the British Columbia Power Commission) from 1945 to about 1984. This material includes 164 unique film items in 16 mm film, each containing one or more printing elements such as prints, sound tracks, negative reels, selected out-takes and unedited footage. In some cases, there are no edited prints, only miscellaneous reels of footage.

Most of the BC Electric and BC Hydro films are the work of Vancouver producer Lew M. Parry. The fonds also includes a number of non-Hydro films produced by Parry, as well as a selection of prints and film material relevant to BC which had been circulated through (or stored at) Hydro's film library.

The item consists of 17 rolls of unedited film footage. The footage mainly comprises coverage of public meetings held at Madeira Park, B.C., sometime between 1978 and 1980, to discuss the social, economic and environmental impact of the then-proposed Cheekye-Dunsmuir transmission project on the Sunshine Coast. The transmission line, built in 1982-84, was created to supply electrical power to Vancouver Island by linking Cheekye substation near Squamish to Dunsmuir substation near Qualicum, using overhead transmission lines and submarine cables.

The item is a composite print of a training film, ca. 1961. It is a film for linemen and switchmen showing procedures for safe repair of power lines. Several repair jobs are illustrated, as are use of safety clothing and tools. Probably shot on Vancouver Island, as it includes sequences at the Nanaimo switching station.

The item is a original picture reel of an industrial film, made around 1945. It shows how electricity is supplied to Victoria households. It shows Jordan River storage dam; 5.5 mile flume to storage reservoir at Forebay, penstocks to Jordan River power plant, exterior and interior of plant; Brentwood Bay steam generating plant, operations of Bay Street substation in Victoria, line crew at work in rural area, testing of power meters and electrical appliances in the home.

The item is a promotional film made around 1947. It show the BC Electric Railway Company's $50 million post-war expansion and modernization program, to be completed by 1950. Shots includes: expansion of transit services, including start of the switch from streetcars to trolley buses, water gas plant, explanation of the Bridge River project, with footage of construction (including La Joie Falls storage dam) and Lower Mainland power sub-stations. It also include various Vancouver street scenes, especially Fraser Street and downtown.

The item is a reversal reel of unedited footage from 1976. It shows a protest march against wage and price controls is shown in the streets of downtown Vancouver.

The item is a print of an industrial film from 1974. It examines the proposed development of the Site One power project on the Peace River, 14 miles downstream from the W.A.C. Bennett Dam. The film profiles the growing energy demand which necessitates the project, and examines the engineering details, environmental effects, social impact, and land use and recreational considerations of the plan.

The item is a release print of an industrial film, made in 1964-1965. It show the continuing construction of Portage Mountain dam on the Peace River. Includes: re-enactments of the region's history (Indigenous people, Alexander Mackenzie's journeys, fur trade & homesteading); local farming; dam construction; the 5-mile conveyor built to carry earth fill to build the dam; activities in and around Prince George; the Endako Mine; etc.

The item consists of a release print of an industrial film from 1963. It show the initial steps in the Peace River project. Includes: overview and surveying of proposed Portage Mountain dam; aerial views of dam site and local communities; creation of three tunnels to divert the Peace River and expose the river bed for dam site preparation.

The item is a composite print of an industrial film, made in 1964-1964. It is the second in a series of films on the Peace River development at Portage Mountain; shows the complex operations required to divert the Peace River and leave the river bed dry for preparation of the dam site; includes excavation and reinforcing of tunnels for the diversion.

The item is an answer print of an industrial film from around 1963.. It shows the excavation and construction of a diversion tunnel at the Peace River dam project.

The item consists of three unedited film elements that formed an industrial film from 1964. It contains a news clip on Peace River dam construction, 1964.

The item consists of four reels of unedited film elements that formed part of an industrial film from 1966. There are news clips showing dam site, excavation and construction on Peace River dam project.

The item is a film print from a National Film Board newsreel from 1962 on the Portage Mountain Dam. It includes a map of the Mackenzie/Peace River system, illustration of dam, aerial and ground level views of dam construction and general views of the surrounding area.

The item consists of a release print of an industrial film, made between 1963 and 1967. It shows the planning, construction and official opening of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam at Portage Mountain on the Peace River. Includes discussion of the geology of the region.