This was a ~4” thick , 8’ diameter, Fiberglass Structure
made by CT&S in Burnaby,
with 3 floors,
1st Floor- 8 Propane Tanks, (headroom 6’)
2nd Floor-- 3 Propane TELAN Thermo-Electric Generators
(headroom 5’)

Example of a Telan Generator above

3rd Floor- Radio room and original living quarters
(2 clip in cloth hammocks).
Huge Propane tank farm was built in the 80’s,
to augment the internal tanks.
Access to the building was by only 2 outside doors.
Both of these doors were similar to a ship door.
Top floor was via an outside aluminium ladder,
and a small 3ft high ship style hatch door.
Access to the middle floor was via a 2ft hole,
in the floor of the upper level.
Being in this structure was like sitting in a Rocket Ship!
Looked like one too!
The propane was hauled up every summer via helicopter,
from a fuel truck on Highway 37.
The first Bell Irving building came fully equipped with radios,
and was dropped by the helicopter, used to lift it to the top of the hill.
The second and present building was flown up completely empty.
The radio first installed was the Lenkurt 78 system.
Outside the building was a massive propane tank farm,
visible in the picture above, and an antenna structure,
pointing toward Brown Bear Radio site.
____________

BELL  IRVING
GRIZZLY  BEAR  STORY

I remember one day at Bell Irving in the Spring, very little snow,
when 4 of us flew up to the site in a Bell 206.
While we were there, off on the next rise, towards the south,
we seen 2 younger grizzly bears running like hell,
then they would stop, look behind, then run again.
Wondering what the heck would be scaring a grizzly bear,
we found out real quick.
Over the hill came Momma Grizzly Bear,
who had enough of these 2 kids hanging around,
and she was putting the run on them.
We had a CT&S guy with us, and he had a camera,
and seen an opportunity for a picture.
So to get a good picture,
the helicopter pilot decided he would whistle,
and make the bear stop, and stand still for a great picture.
Well that worked for a second, and away she ran again.
Again he whistled, and only this time the bear turned,
and in seconds it was right beside us!
Don Parr and myself climbed up the ladder,
and got into the top floor of the building,
the CT&S guy was up the ladder behind us,
and the Pilot took to the antenna structure.
This bear was not happy, and she circled the antenna,
the helicopter and us,
before remembering what she was doing, and away she went.
While she was circling the helicopter,
the pilot wasn’t whistling any more!
I learned that day, a grizzly can out run a man, very easily.

This Picture was taken shortly after Bell Irving
was installed, in the background
is the CT&S installer,
installing the propane tank farm fittings.
It clearly shows the doors and ladders
and area around the building.
The building can be seen
bolted to a cement pad floor,
and in front of the door
a cement pad to set the large
round propane tanks on, when they
were being lifted into place by helicopter.
Inside the bottom door, was a roof track,
similar to a meat packing plant,
which we could use to lift, and move the large
cylinders, full of propane into place.

Pictures above are all taken of fuelling Bell Irving
the large round upright propane tanks were all inside the bottom floor.
they were the last ones to be used, after the large propane tank farm.

Bottom 2 rows of thumbnails are all Bell Irving Site and antenna pictures
Last one on right bottom row is the emergency living quarters we had built.

Bottom series of photos courtesy Brian Wolfe, Ladysmith BC