become an important figure in
the local lumber industry.
   Port Moody thrived with
new jobs and new immigrants,
but economic boom and bust
cycles made the success of
the lumber industry hard to
predict over the years.
Lumbering life was rough.
Fires were common, causing

many mills to shut down
temporarily. Some never
reopened, leaving people out
of work. Larger economic
factors imposed periods of
hardship, such as the frail
international markets and the
end to railway construction
in the coastal region in
1884. The lumber industry

flourished, however, in an
economic boom just before the
First World War that created
a world-wide demand for
lumber. A second boom in the
1920’s came with a turbulent
time of Union movement and
ended with the Depression.
Some mills managed to keep
some residents employed but

many mills did not survive.
In recent times the forest
industry has cycled from boom
to bust with economic
fluctuations influenced by
the energy crisis,
environmental concerns,
softwood lumber trade,
computerization and global
warming.