14

Clearing for the Townsite
1910
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
A28-7-1
Rod LeMay, photographer

15

A June 1911 view of the Powell River mill. The acid tower is the highest building (to the right), bunkhouses are in the background, and various other industrial buildings can also be seen.

16

General view of the plant
June 1911
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
P03324
Rod LeMay, photographer

17

A 1910 view of the Powell River mill and town site. The Bon Ton Apartments, Dr. Henderson's House, the Black Building, the Tent Hospital, the Bunkhouse Hospital, the High Line and the building which would later become Number 2 Warehouse have been constructed. Dr. Henderson's House is in the centre of the picture and can be identified by the white trim. It was purchased by the Townsite Heritage Society in 2009. A restoration project should have the house open for visitors during the summer 2010 hundred year anniversary of the Powell River Townsite.

18

Powell River Mill and Townsite
1911
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
P03047
Provincial Archives, Victoria, B.C.
MacMillan Bloedel Business Archives Ltd.

19

Throughout 1910 and 1911, and into the spring of 1912, the huge project at Powell River took form: the site was cleared, production buildings were erected and heavy machinery was imported and installed. A power dam was constructed across the Powell River to provide water for power generation as well as for use within the pulping process.

20

Constructing concrete dam
4 April 1911
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
P00333
Rod LeMay, photographer

21

The construction of the mill was not without mishap. In 1911 one of the penstocks which delivered water from the dam to the mill burst filling the machine rooms with sand, dirt, and other debris.

22

Burst penstock
1911
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
P01066
Rod LeMay, photographer

23

Workers clean up the mess in No. 3 and No. 4 machine rooms after the penstock burst. Note the men working without shoes or boots.

24

Problems
1911
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
P03510

25

A dam, a mill, shipping and receiving facilities and a town site to house the workers and their families were all built simultaneously. Before the end of 1912, the mill had produced and shipped the first roll of newsprint from the Powell River mill.

26

The Mill and Wharf
1912
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
P03088
Ellis, photographer