Algonquin Harvest: The History of the Mcrae Lumber Company

Algonquin Harvest: The History of the McRae Lumber Company is a saga of six generations of a family in the lumber industry. The story incorporates industrial change, communities, successful forestry research, and a torrid socio/political controversy that resulted in the Master Plan for Algonquin Provinicial Park of 1974 and the creation of the Algonquin Forestry Authority. J. S.L. McRae began the McRae Lumber Company in 1916. Starting from scratch as a small independent operator, he was able to buy the Mickle, Dyment mill at Airy near Whitney in 1922. He then switched the main product from softwood to hardwood lumber. The book recalls the days of bush operations when trees were cut by pairs of men using crosscut saws and teams of horses hauled sleighs loaded with logs down iced roads, through to the fully mechanized operations of today. The McRae Lumber Company has survived mill-destroying fires, the "Great Depression" of the 1930's, and a near tragedy in World War II. After the war, the company led the industry in the adoption of progressive forestry and milling techniques. To-day, the McRae Lumber Company operates a peeler and chipper with a scragg mill that produces low grade construction lumber and pallets, while a band-mill produces high quality lumber. In each generation McRaes have shown not only industrial leadership with economic success, but quietly, consistently and generously they have contributed to the social needs of their community.Lloyd, Donald is the author of 'Algonquin Harvest: The History of the Mcrae Lumber Company' with ISBN 9780968655610 and ISBN 0968655610.