Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1882-1956, predominant 1882-1909 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1.12 m of textual records. -- 1 microfilm reel. -- 19 photographs. -- 1 technical drawing
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The North Western Coal and Navigation Company (NWCNC) was incorporated in 1882 in Great Britain. Sir A.T. Galt was president. In 1883 NWCNC applied to build a railway from the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) line at Medicine Hat to the company coal mines at Belly River. The Alberta Railway and Coal Company (ARCC) was formed to raise the capital, by selling land granted to it by the government. In 1890 NWCNC amalgamated with ARCC under the latter name. In 1891 the Alberta Railway and Coal Company brought in Mormon settlers to farm the land it proposed to irrigate. The company later constructed a canal to divert water from St. Mary River. The Alberta Irrigation Company, which had received its charter in 1893, and was run by E.T. Galt, manager of ARCC, was in charge of the canal project at St. Mary River. In 1899 ARCC changed its name to the Canadian North West Irrigation Company, and around the same time, Elliott T. Galt formed the St. Mary's Railway Company (SMRC). In 1904 SMRC and CNWIC amalgamated to form the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company, and in 1912 the CPR took over ARIC's operations. Peter L. Naismith was the manager of the company from 1900 to 1912.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Gifts of Canadian Pacific Railway, O.S. Longman, Lawrence P. Burns, estate of Oscar Carlson, and D. Spafford, 1959-1997; and purchased, 1997.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The fonds consists of correspondence regarding patents and land grants; orders-in-council and schedules; agreements between the CPR and the province of Alberta pertaining to irrigation; North Western Coal and Navigation land sales register; water agreements of the Canadian North West Irrigation Company and the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company; maps of irrigation projects; telegrams and express ledger of Alberta Railway and Coal Company station at Raymond; coal mine employee register (1908-1924); photograph album accompanying report by Jeremiah L. Head (1898); verbatim report of a hearing into a complaint by Cardston farmers and business interests concerning rates (1909); plan of the right-of-way of Western Dominion Railway from Waterton River to the USA border (1915); and a historical sketch of the company. Includes a microfilm of an ARIC scrapbook.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
No restrictions on access.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
The material is in English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
The location of the original scrapbook is unknown.
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Title based on contents of records.
Note
Inventory listed under North Western Coal and Navigation Company
Note
M's should be amalgamated with M 2431.
Note
Microfilm-Alberta Railway
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Alberta Railway and Coal Company (Subject)
- North Western Coal and Navigation Company (Subject)
- Canadian North West Irrigation Company (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Thursday, December 21, 2017