Early Days of Pulp & Lumber Mills

 

Port McNeill Area Map

After a beautiful sunrise at Port Neville we left our anchorage at 7am for the five-hour cruise to Port McNeill.  Once again the weather was pleasant with calm seas which is not necessarily the norm for Johnston Strait.  The winds began to blow that evening however, requiring a layover until seas subside.  In the meantime, we are making use of the marina’s courtesy van to enjoy some land-based day trips. 



Neroutsos Inlet at Port Alice

This morning we drove to Port Alice located southwest of Port McNeill on Neroutsos Inlet.  Port Alice is accessed by boat from the west side of Vancouver Island via Quatsino Sound.  In years past, we have cruised the west side of Vancouver Island and have gone into all five of the sounds that indent the coast line and some of their inlets leading many miles across Vancouver Island.  We are always amazed how far these inlets cut into the Island.  In this case, Port Alice is only 30 miles from Port McNeill by land. 

Neucel Pulp Mill, Port Alice

Port Alice is the site of a pulp mill at the head of Neroutsos Inlet that was constructed in 1916 and became operational in 1918.  Pulp mills convert wood chips or other plant fiber (cellulose) into thick fiber board which can then be shipped to a paper mill for further processing.  Cellulose fibers are used in textiles, paper, and diapers among other products.  The town first began with a row of houses and several bunkhouses placed a few hundred yards from the mill.  The original community was a company town that boasted a movie theatre, bowling alley, and golf course; later adding a hospital, bank, library, and school.  During the 1960’s some residents wanted to own their own homes and the company needed room to expand and modernize the mill.  

Neucel Pulp Mill, Port Alice

In 1965 a new community developed four miles to the north at present day Rumble Beach, now called Port Alice.  All that remains of the old town is the mill itself and the adjacent golf course.  We met one of the friendly locals in town who told us she and her husband had moved from the prairies to Port Alice over 20 years ago and that her husband had worked in the mill.  With disappointment in her voice, she said the mill had closed just two years ago and that many of the folks have started to leave town in search of other places to live.  

Moorage Docks at Port Alice

Who knows, perhaps Port Alice will one day become a ghost town as has happened to other mill towns of the 60’s era in northern British Columbia’s remote areas.  We drove back to the boat for lunch at Port McNeill and then left again in the afternoon to visit Telegraph Cove, located 15 miles east.  

Telegraph Cove

Telegraph Cove served as a telegraph station (built in 1911) as the northern terminus of the Campbell River telegraph line, sending and receiving Morse code signals.  Area pioneer Marmaduke (Duke) Wastell established a saw mill in 1922 and a chum salmon saltery first begun by Charlie Nakamura.  

Boardwalk, Telegraph Cove

Duke’s brother-in-law, Jim Sharpe, left a flourishing boat shop and marine ways in nearby Alert Bay to become the millwright at Telegraph Cove.  Jim made wooden pulleys, friction drives, and two-wheeled lumber carts seen on the boardwalk today.  Later, Duke’s son Fred Wastell and partner Alex Macdonald expanded and carried on the business of the lumber mill.  

Homes and Buildings on pilings at Telegraph Cove

The mill provided lumber for many of the buildings constructed throughout the northern end of Vancouver Island and operated for more than 50 years.  During WWII, the military commandeered the mill and used whatever the mill could cut; finding able-bodied men to do the work was a challenge since most men had been sent off to war and the Japanese workers and families were evicted by the Canadian Government.  To meet the need, sixty-five airmen were sent to staff and operate the mill.  In early 1946, the mill was returned to Fred Wastell and his partner Alex Macdonald.  Many of the original mill worker’s homes remain on the boardwalk surrounding the cove and are now quaint accommodations along with a pub and a couple of café’s.  

Skeleton of a Juvenile Fin Whale

Telegraph Cove serves as a charming resort offering fishing tours, bear watching tours, whale watching, and kayak tours.  Telegraph Cove is also home to an excellent Whale Interpretive Centre, providing fascinating displays and educational programs.