Stories of the Past Brought to Light

Many of our seniors hold precious memories, but as they age these stories become lost. It has been our aim to collect these stories and present them here. We have tried hard to capture the spirit of each individual, the way they speak, and how they see the industry that they spent their lives working in.

Throughout this website, you will find not only stories of the men and women of the Cowichan Valley Forest Industry, but also maps of areas of importance; a photo archive that includes a section of old advertisements that pertain to the forest industry of those times; a section of old camp recipes; and plenty of other forestry-related materials.

Although we have included a lot of historical data about the forestry industry in the Cowichan Valley, particularly between the 1930’s and 1960’s, we have tried to keep our focus on the personal stories of the individuals. We have interviewed people who have held a variety of occupations within the forest industry:  millworkers, loggers, and silviculture workers.    

Here is an opportunity to explore the human side of history that is often displaced and misplaced with time. Rarely can one find such rich stories of the forest industry, other than in out of print books or told by relatives or friends.

Why Do We Care?

The Cowichan Valley is made up of communities that are reliant on the forest industry, for employment and the economic spin-off it creates. We are all affected by what happens in our communities, and need to remember our past in order to see to our future.

An appreciation for the value of community-driven, environmentally sound forest practices that ensure the longevity and health of our forests, is now understood and is the common interest and goal of those who live here.

This project, while seeking to preserve the memories of forest pioneers, unearthed many strong feelings from those who toiled in the woods. We have done our best to preserve the opinions of the men and women featured on our website and we have not excluded their opinions of companies or government policies, as we believe that these individuals are entitled to their opinions.

The opinions and comments expressed in the stories on this website are solely those of the individuals, and are not necessarily shared by the Mosaic of Forestry Memories team, or Mosaic Training Solutions.

We hope that what you find within this website encourages you to seek the history that lies just outside your own backdoor.  May you find it and cherish it!