MS-2500 is an extensive collection of records selected by Cominco, from its offices in Vancouver, Trail, and elsewhere, for transfer to the Provincial Archives. The records include: annual reports, early correspondence, financial and legal records, research and development department records, records of metallurgical, smoke, chemical and fertilizer operations, diverse records of Cominco's various mines, subsidiaries, and affiliates, smoke control records, public relations department records, histories of Cominco, and personnel records.
The legal department series of documents are organized according to the Cominco assigned identifying number, the first two digits of which group the document by subject. For example, numbers beginning with .02 and .03 refer to legal documents re Rossland.
The public relations and advertising series of records were removed from their original filing sequences by Cominco staff for transfer to the Provincial Archives. In that process, evidence of their original order was lost and the series have been reconstructed by Archives’ staff on the basis of physical similarity. In cases where there was no evidence that files have previously existed as a series a note "put into series by Public Archives of British Columbia" has been put beside the series description. The public relations and advertising series contain files relating to the production and management of press releases, brochures on various Cominco operations, employee newsletters, information brochures for employees, shareholder information, some training manuals, files on donations made by Cominco to various community and recreational groups, and information prepared for submission to various regulatory and legislative bodies.
The history files series contains original records selected by Cominco officials because they were thought to be of historical interest. Records include: published and unpublished articles; notes on reference questions answered by the Cominco Library; correspondence, research notes, and draft manuscripts connected with the preparation of company histories; and notes, correspondence, lists of people interviewed, and transcripts connected with Cominco oral history project.
The old Rossland employment history cards series includes the following data on the cards: record card number, name, occupation, age, marital status, height, dependents, weight, nationality, birth, citizenship, last employer, length of employment, date leaving, signature, dates of employment, day rate and bonus earnings, clock number, department, division, classification of work, and reason for quitting, transferring or being laid off. Based on a sampling of recorded occupations, the cards appear to cover employment in the Trail operations as well as at the Rossland mines; specific place of employment is not stated on the cards.
In the insurance history cards in alphabetical order series, each individual represented in the file is documented by two cards. Card 1 contains the following information: name, man number, record of share certificates received, and occupation/job. Card 2 contains: date of birth, gender, marital status, nationality, date entering service, clock numbers, date of severance, reason, beneficiaries, certificate no. plan "A" group assurance c/w dates, certificate no. plan "B" group assurance c/w amount and monthly premiums, payroll deduction authorization c/w signature in full, man number and name.
The general payroll index 1898-1915, found in the IRD (industrial relations division) pay office records, Trail, records series, contains the following information: record of shifts worked, earnings per month, workplace, name, date of birth, nationality, married or single, pay period, clock no., balance, and pick-up balance. In 1916, a new format was introduced along with the existing format and additional information was captured, including: name, department, earning by month and shift, and total bi-monthly. In 1922, the format was changed to a bi-monthly debit-credit sheet with name, date of birth, nationality, marital status, period, ledger page reference, doctor, credit, balance and pick-up balance. In 1927 a “bonus” element was added. In 1932, there was another change in format and the following information was captured: clock no. name, workplace and/or job title, month, man number, month and hours worked, gross, tax, total, and bonus share.
The textual records include annual reports, correspondence, financial and legal records, research and development department records, records of metallurgical, smoke, chemical and fertilizer operations, smoke control records, public relations department records, histories of Cominco, and labour relations and personnel records.
