Fonds 239 - W. Bruce Hunter fonds

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Title proper

W. Bruce Hunter fonds

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  • Graphic material
  • Textual record

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Fonds

Reference code

239

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Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1932-1951, 1980 (Creation)
    Creator
    Hunter, Bruce

Physical description area

Physical description

2 cm of textual material
460 photographs : b&w; col. Prints, postcards

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Name of creator

Biographical history

W. Bruce Hunter was born in Brockville, Ontario in 1915. In 1918, he moved to Mort Lake, Saskatchewan with his family where he finished his schooling. He first came to the north in 1935, working at a variety of jobs. In 1937, he began working for the Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL) and continued to work for NTCL until his retirement in 1980. He held various positions during these years beginning as a deckhand in 1937, to Assistant General Manager in 1948, Manager in 1960 and Vice President of Operations in 1971. In 1942, Mr. Hunter was seconded from NTCL to work on the Manhattan Project. He ensured that all materials that were needed for the Eldorado mines made it from Fort Norman to Great Bear Lake. In 1950-1951, as Assistant General Manager, he oversaw the portage of the "Radium Franklin" at Bear River.

Custodial history

Scope and content

This fonds consists of 456 photographs, 4 postcards and 2 cm of textual material. The majority of the photographs were contained in photo albums but have been removed. The photo albums include captions and two bear titles: "Ice Conditions - Bear River Upon Opening of Bear River Camp, June 1950" and "Operations on Bear River - 1951 Including Portaging of "Radium Franklin" and barges, and freight operations Bear River and Franklin." The third album documents a survey camp in the Great Bear River region during the 1930s; Hunter obtained the album from a surveyor. The photographs predominantly document Port Radium and Cameron Bay during the 1930s. The images depict life at the uranium mine, recreational activities, mining operations, mining employees, transportation and wildlife in the area. In addition, there are images of Fort Resolution, Fort Reliance, water transportation along Great Slave Lake, whaling and trapping. The loose colour photographs taken in 1980, document the portaging of the "Radium Franklin." Additional black and white photographs from the 1930s and 1940s feature Canol camps, Norman Wells and riverboats.

The textual material consists of a diary of a trip to the north compiled by David Walker, a writer hired by the Northern Transportation Company (NTCL), NTCL schedules and rates from 1938 and 1940, a copy of NTCL letterhead and a photocopy of Hudson's Bay Company Fleet schedules.

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