Logging was one of the earliest industries in Mission, B.C. Its history begins in the 1880s with logging for barrel staves and sternwheeler fuel, moving on to the manufacture of railway ties for the Canadian Pacific Railway, dimensional and finished lumber, and the production of shakes, shingles and lumber products. These industries are still present in Mission today.
With the coming of the railroad, the federal government issued timber licenses that allowed logging for 12 miles to the north and south of the rail beds. These rights were bought up quickly since they were offered at a more reasonable rate than those sold by the province. Mission’s close proximity to the railroad and river also made transporting the logs easier.
Mission has watched the growth of logging, from the time when logs were cut with axes and cross-cut saws to when chain saws were used; from when logs were hauled with oxen to the use of modern logging trucks; and from the use of hand-powered “up-and-down” mills to that of modern, high-production lumber and shake mills. With the help of photos and video, Tackling the Timbers in Mission presents a brief overview of the history of logging in Mission, B.C.
This exhibit contains some 162 images and eight videos that help to explain and illustrate Mission’s logging history as outlined above. It is broken into 4 storylines: a general overview; a look at the effects of fire on the industry; the evolution of log transportation; and an illustrated glossary of some “logging lingo.”
