The series consists of photographs which document the activities of Canadian Collieries (Dunsmuir) Ltd. between 1911 and 1922, primarily in the Comox Lake area, Cumberland, and Union Bay, B.C. A large portion of the photographs document the construction and operation of the Puntledge River power project. The company developed the hydro-electric potential of Comox Lake and the Puntledge River to supply electricity for their mining operations and settlements in the Cumberland area and Union Bay. "Switched on" in August 1912, the project consisted of an impoundment dam on Comox Lake, a diversion dam and intake structure, a flume and penstock system, pipelines, a powerhouse, and spillway. The photographs include views of this hydro-electric infrastructure in construction and operation.

The records were originally in seven Kodak negative albums, accompanied by two inventories (lists done by the creator of the albums). A complete inventory was housed with each of the seven albums. The other inventory covers only photographs 1 to 358. It is in a separate notebook labeled "Photographic Record" and signed "L. Netland, Res. Engineer." Notations indicate that Netland, a Canadian Collieries engineer in Cumberland, maintained and catalogued these photos. Whether he took the photos is not known. Netland records in his inventory that he was sending some of the photos to Henry Kinder Owens (1858-1919) of Seattle, who was a consulting engineer on the Puntledge River power project.

The photographs also document company operations in Union Bay, including: coal sizing and cleaning at the coal washery plant, the port and ocean-going ships, and the machine shops and coke ovens. The series also documents mining operations at Comox Number 7, Number 8, and Number 6 mines. A smaller number of photographs relate to Comox No. 5 and 4 mines, and No. 5 South Wellington. Photographs include views of: the mine sites and equipment; rail line construction; the community of Bevan, townsite construction, and immigrant workers.