The Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company, 1889-1943
Date
1979
Authors
Griffin, Robert Brian
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Abstract
The lumber industry developed slowly in British Columbia. Faced with market problems and difficulties in logging much of its timber wealth, British Columbia lumbermen initially had to struggle to compete even in the local markets. The industry gradually developed by perseverance until the rapid settlement of the Canadian Prairies opened a new market and provided the basis for spectacular growth within the industry.
Little detailed study has been undertaken on the historical development of "the British Columbia forest industry. The Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company illustrates the development of the forest industry during its period of most innovative growth; from simple beginnings in the late 1880's to the 1940's when giant corporations began to dominate production and sales. Each lumber operation had its own individual characteristics but it is possible to visualize certain industry-wide trends within the microcosm of the single company. It is upon these microcosmic units a comprehensive study of the industry must be constructed.
The Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company went into production just prior to the beginning of the boom on the Prairies. The first years were difficult and the initiators were forced to retire, but once competent men had taken it over and reorganized the operation into a company, the business prospered. Markets were established and opportunities were eagerly seized.
The most significant development was the new technology that became available shortly after the company's re-organization. The owners quickly seized upon these developments and made use of them to improve their operations. This was particularly noticeable in the logging operations where the changes were dramatic and highly visible. The ox was replaced by the horse which was in turn replaced by the tremendous power of steam. Steam logging methods changed the face of the land as the slower animal methods of logging did not. Technological change occasionally occurred simply because it was available but it was usually introduced only after terrain forced an improvement in technique. Ground lead yarding, for instance, was used for a number of years by The Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company after high lead yarding became widely known. The success of the firm, however, lay in the ability of the owners to realize that constant change and improvement was necessary in order to adapt to changing conditions and to remain competitive. The sawmill was constantly being improved and while it did not undergo the dramatic change which occurred in the logging operations, the improvements were of significant importance, as better logging technology poured additional logs into the Lake so the sawmill had to increase its capacity.
The product, lumber, was meaningless unless the owners of the company possessed the ability to dispose of it at a profit. The Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company was relatively successful but was never able to match the larger concerns such as Thurston-Flavelle Limited. The company concentrated on the local Canadian markets, particularly the Prairies and Victoria. The British Columbia lumber industry neglected the export trade while the Prairie markets remained good but in the uncertainties of the 1920's The Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company like other British Columbia sawmills made attempts to enter the export trade. The depression of the 1930's ended the Prairies' markets and the export attempts.
The Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company was never just a company; it was also people--both the owners and the sometimes crude loggers. It was a unit and formed an important centre for the formation of a larger community. What affected the sawmill and logging operations often dramatically affected the surrounding community. The men who worked at the mill formed an important part of the community not only for their very presence but also for the money they spent.
The demise of such enterprise can only be sad. This is especially true when it drags on as The Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company did in its final years. Several operators tried to rebuild the operation but it instead merged into the H. R. MacMillan Export Company and became part of a new age of giant business. The company lost its separate existence as a result of four major factors; the inability of its owners to rebuild the sawmill following the fire in 1934, the poor quality of the timber resources available, the financial problems incurred during the depression, and the need for the stronger companies to expand their resource base in order to maintain their own identity.