Kitsault
{{Short description|Unincorporated settlement and private town in British Columbia}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Kitsault
| other_name = Chandra Krishnan Kitsault
|native_name_lang = ncg
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| pushpin_map = Canada British Columbia#Canada
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| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Kitsault
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Canada
| subdivision_type1 = Province
| subdivision_name1 = British Columbia
| subdivision_type2 = Regional district
| subdivision_name2 = Kitimat–Stikine
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| population_as_of = 2008
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| population_total = 1
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| coordinates = {{coord|55|28|00|N|129|29|00|W|region:CA-BC|notes={{Cite cgndb|JCQPH|Kitsault}}|display=inline,title}}
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| name = Kitsault
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Kitsault{{BCGNIS|38020|Kitsault (Community)}} also known as Chandra Krishnan Kitsault is an unincorporated settlement and private town on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, at the head of Alice Arm, Observatory Inlet and at the mouth of the Kitsault River. The locality of Alice Arm and the Nisga'a community of Gits'oohl{{Cite cgndb|JDGZE|Gits'oohl}}{{BCGNIS|54636|Gits'oohl}} (formerly Gitzault Indian Reserve No. 24{{BCGNIS|54302|Gitzault Indian Reserve 24 (rescinded)}}{{deadlink|date=September 2023}}) are in the immediate vicinity. "Kitsault" is an adaptation of Gits'oohl, which means "a ways in behind".
History
The later town of Kitsault was established in 1979 as the home community to a molybdenum mine, run by the Phelps Dodge corporation of the United States. The community was designed for 1,200 residents and included a shopping mall, restaurant, swimming pool and bowling alley.{{cite web|url=http://www.kitsault.com/about_hist.html|title=About Kitsault - History|website=Kitsault - Heaven on Earth}} In 1982, however, prices for molybdenum crashed and the entire community was evacuated after just 18 months of residence.
In 2004, the ghost town was bought by Indian-Canadian businessman Krishnan Suthanthiran for $5.7 million; he has spent $2 million maintaining the town.{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-ghost-town-could-become-major-natural-gas-hub-1.1391052 |title=B.C. ghost town could become major natural gas hub |publisher=CBC |date=2013-07-31}} He renamed the community from "Kitsault" to "Chandra Krishnan Kitsault", after his deceased mother.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-24 |title=Northern B.C.’s famed abandoned town preserved in time awaits its turn - Terrace Standard |url=https://www.terracestandard.com/news/northern-b-c-s-famed-abandoned-town-preserved-in-time-awaits-it-turn/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=www.terracestandard.com |language=en-US}} In the end, he would have spent over $20 million more to fully update the town. He has also since closed the town to the public.{{cite web|url=http://globalnews.ca/news/1483593/ghost-town-mysteries-the-30-year-slumber-of-kitsault-b-c/|title=Ghost Town Mysteries: The 30-year slumber of Kitsault, B.C.}}
In an effort to revitalize the ghost town, Kitsault has been proposed as a location for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal site for the export of natural gas from northwestern British Columbia. LNG pipeline routing to Kitsault has been proposed.{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/the-market/ghost-town-to-boom-town-bcs-kitsault-looks-to-lng/article20732414/|title=Ghost town to boom town: B.C.'s Kitsault looks to LNG|first=BRENT|last=JANG|date=23 September 2014|newspaper=The Globe and Mail}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- [https://thetyee.ca/News/2013/05/07/David-Black-Refinery/ David Black's Refinery Wild Card Gets Wilder, Geoff Dembicki, The Tyee, May 7, 2013]
External links
- [http://www.kitsault.com Official Website, with images]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAsSkrtZD5A 1929 film footage of the Dolly Varden Railway]
Category:Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia
Category:Ghost towns in British Columbia
Category:Mining communities in British Columbia