Category Archives: Forest History & Archives

©Wikipedia by Craig Talbert

Under Jasper’s Patricia Lake lies the remains of one of history’s most peculiar wartime experiments. Project Habakkuk was an audacious idea born during World War II, as a solution for Allied forces battling German U-boats. Though it never came to fruition, its legacy remains a chapter in Alberta’s history. Project Habakkuk was a secret Allied experiment launched in the early 1940s under the guidance of British inventor Geoffrey Pyke to build an aircraft carrier unlike any other—not from metal or wood, but from ice. Specifically, it would utilize pykrete, a blend of 85% water and 15% wood pulp. This strange new material was stronger than concrete, resistant to bullets and torpedoes, and melted significantly slower than traditional ice. …The final vessel would need 300,000 tons of wood pulp, 35,000 tons of insulation, and a staggering amount of steel for reinforcement. These challenges … led to the project’s cancellation in late 1943.

TELEGRAPH COVE, BC — Many North Island communities are saddened by the news of the fire at Telegraph Cove on Dec. 31, 2024 as images of the blaze consuming the historic mill building and the Whale Interpretive Centre were startling. …Telegraph Cove is a rare reminder of early industrial life on the coast. In 1909, Alfred Marmaduke “Duke” Wastell was recruited to manage a struggling box-making factory in Alert Bay, also known as ‘Yalis. It was to make the shipping boxes for the cannery operated by BC Fishing and Packing Co. ‘Yalis, with a population of 230, was a hub of economic activity, driven by its booming fishing and logging industries. Logging operations dotted the coastline, but getting timber to market was difficult. …In 1912, the federal government began constructing a telephone and telegraph line stretching from Campbell River to Northern Vancouver Island. At that time, ‘Yalis served as the headquarters for commercial interests, and the superintendent of telegraphs wanted to set up a telegraph station nearby.

Jubiel Wickheim

A world-class lumberjack sportsman from B.C. has died, his family says. Jubiel Wickheim, better known as Jube, passed away on Feb. 17 at the age of 91. The Vancouver Island man was a 10-time world champion in the sport of log rolling, and an avid outdoorsman. Jube grew up in Sooke, B.C. There, he went to school until about Grade 8 — not unusual for those times — and eventually began his career in forestry. …According to a document outlining the history of logging sports in B.C., written by Jube himself, logging sports, including birling, began in small logging towns as a friendly rivalry on weekends. …Jube won the world championship for log rolling 10 times between 1956 and 1969. …After his time as a champion birler, Jude went on to produce and emcee logger sports exhibitions, hoping to share his love of the sport with others. 

A unique club celebrated its 25th anniversary on Feb. 7 with a breakfast attended by 32 former employees of MacMillan Bloedel and Western Forest Products, all of whom once worked at the Chemainus sawmill. The club was founded in 2000 by Bob Heyes, Neal Burmeister and Gary Grouhel, initially bringing together 41 retirees from the Chemainus mill. Over the years, the group has maintained its tradition of breakfast meetings, offering former colleagues a chance to reconnect and maintain friendships. The inaugural breakfast took place on Feb. 4, 2000, at the Mount Brenton Golf Club. Over the past 25 years, these breakfasts have become a cherished tradition where members can catch up, share updates and honour the legacy of their shared workplace. The club’s attendance has fluctuated over the years, but the retirees’ camaraderie has remained strong.

The North American forest products industry has a rich and storied history, and nowhere is it more evident than in Domtar’s combined 205 years of business. Our family tree took root in 1820, and it extends unbroken to today under the ownership of Indonesian businessman Jackson Wijaya. Much has changed over the two centuries that have passed since we began operations in Canada by exporting lumber to Great Britain, but what hasn’t changed throughout Domtar’s history is our relentless pursuit of excellence. …Our story began in 1820, when the William Price Company was established to export lumber to Great Britain from Quebec, Canada. The company, which eventually rebranded as Price Brothers, remained focused on lumber exports until 1912, when it entered the paper business, joining several other well-established Canadian paper companies. After the industry underwent decades of mergers and acquisitions, the consolidated company emerged in 1979 under the name Abitibi-Price.