1889 – The Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company was founded by William Lossee. He had worked as a master mechanic for the E & N railway. As he rode regularly up and down the island with his job, he could see the potential in the timber he passed. He was especially impressed with the timber at Shawnigan Lake. He approached James Dunsmuir (son of Robert) to ask about leasing the timber. The lease was granted and Lossee was given access to the timber around the entire lake and back one mile from the shore. The agreement gave the E & N payment of 50 cents per thousand feet of sawn timber. Lossee bought a four and a quarter acre parcel for the mill site, which was not far from the first hotel in the area (Morton House). Until this time most sawmills in B.C. transported their lumber by water. Lossee had chosen a spot on the rail line, which would enable him to transport his lumber by train rather than sea. Having the sawmill close to the available timber meant that they were able to transport lumber rather than logs which was less costly.
The community of Shawnigan Lake developed largely because of the lumbering operations. Many employees of the Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company became the first Permanent residents. Gradually farmers and other settlers arrived but they, also, relied on the company in many ways. Essentially there were two groups of residents: transitory full time lumber workers and the permanent and summer residents. Together these groups created a viable community.
The men involved with the sawmill and logging were reputed to be more unsavory than most social groups and relished the moniker of “timber beast” which was frequently used to refer to them. This was a rough class of man and the men at the Shawnigan Lake Lumber Co. were typical of the industry. Sawmill workers were generally more stable and often married – perhaps because they worked closer to the community. Loggers led a roving existence and rarely stayed in one place long.
Typically, a Saturday night was spent in the bunkhouse drinking whiskey and playing cards. Men talked about their drinking prowess, told filthy stories and bragged about their conquests of women and their ability to cheat at cards. However, the men of the Shawnigan Lake Lumber Company were considerate and respectful of the local women.
There was a wide range of nationalities at the Shawnigan Lumber Co. including English, Scottish, Irish, French Canadian, American, Swedish, Native and Black. The first cook was Chinese and, later, many of the sawmill employees and wood crews were Chinese and Japanese.
Early conditions at the camp were primitive. The first bunkhouse was a rough two story building near the sawmill. The men provided their own bedroll and straw from the barn was used for mattresses. A central wood stove provided the heat. Conditions improved after 1910 and Camps provided single metal bunks and clean bedding. A bullcook was usually provided to clean the bunkhouse and light a fire prior to breakfast. Food was simple but plentiful. The cook was very important! Good cook – good production. Not so good cook – poor production.
The camp for a while was constructed on rafts which were towed around the lake to areas that were active. As the logging sites moved farther from the shore in the 1920’s the camp constructed buildings on skids that could be moved by railway cars as the camps shifted location.
As Shawnigan developed a close connection grew community and company. Together, they worked on issues to improve the area and gained strength from each other. The operation of the mill meant much to the economic and social life of the community. When the Company flourished, the whole community thrived. The final closure of the Shawnigan Lake Lumber Co. was a blow to the community. Fortunately, the fact that Shawnigan Lake had grown as a resort area, with easy access, helped the community survive better than many others in BC which simply disappeared.
An environmental issue that was faced by the company was the accumulation of debris in the lake from years of sawmilling and logging. Debris was evident all over the lake; splinters of logs, sinkers and bark. The accumulation at the mill stream was especially dense and prevented fish from entering the lake. Over the years the company went to great lengths to clean up the lake. They burned debris, placed a boom across the mouth of the lake, and removed sunken logs.
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