Sloan Watters worked for Gillies Bros. lumber company from the time he was twenty in 1947, until his retirement in 1991. He started work as a truck driver in Temagami and later became a log scaler, time keeper, pay master, depot clerk and office manager. He kept a journal of activities including some photographs and articles related to the lumbering in the area while working for Gillies Brothers Ltd.
Mr. Watters was transferred to Braeside in the 1960’s when he became the Purchasing agent for all Gillies’ operations. He worked in that capacity until Consolidated Bathurst built a pulp mill in Portage du Fort, Quebec in about 1981. He was very involved with the activities of the Land Preservation Society of the Ottawa Valley (LPSOV - formally Save the Grove committee) for many years.
Language
English
Acquisition Source
Sloan Watters donated material at intervals between 2001 - 2010.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of various items related to Mr. Watter's employment with Gillies Bros. including:
1) Annual Journal of Temagami Sawmill & Woods Operations 1957 with several photos including D. A. Gillies at Rapid #3 Matabitchwan River, near Temagami in 1958 (scanned). Mr. Gillies built the timbered log slide at Rabbit Lake Dam.
2) Inventory Binder for “Portable and Larger Machinery Items for Gillies Bros. 1927 - 1958.
3) Gillies Bros. Ltd. Requisitions Guide Book for Small Shelf Hardware Items. This guide was used when writing orders for various types of items standardized by the Gillies Bros. Head Office for all Logging and Sawmill operations.
4) File “Alligator” containing blueprints, 1936 license and inspection certificate and other information pertaining to the Gillies Bros. tug “W.M. Douglas” which was scrapped and used as a buoy in Red Pine Bay in June 1953.
5) Inventory Data (1964) for Temagami-Temiskaming Management Plan, Gillies Bros & Cyo. Ltd. [Bound Volume]. Data relates to stand descriptions and growing stock summaries for Townships of Angus, Askin, Eldridge, Gooderham, Hartle, Hebert, LaSalle, McAuslin, McLaren, Parkman, Riddell, South Lorrain, Wyse. Volume also contain a summary report for all areas. (O 2.2)
6) Seven Documents relating to Land Records and Cutting Contracts for Temagami, McConnel and McLaren Twp. 1919 - 1954. Includes an Indenture for the Public School for Gillies Depot dated January 1, 1933. Some documents have maps attached. (H10.4)
7) File on "Montreal Canoe", the birch bark canoe which was commissioned and financed by D. A. Gillies for the Museum of Man which now hangs in the Museum of Civilization. Sloan Watter's friend, Arnold Muirhead helped to get proper acknowlegment of the role that Mr. Gillies played in the creation of this canoe.
8) Canadian Lumberman magazine August 1950 containing an article about the Temagami Mill.pg 32.
9) Building Plans and elevations of Temagami Townsite home. 1947 by Archibald and Illsley Architects, Montreal
10) File containing financial reports titled "Logging Reports and Sawing Reports for Temagami Mill 1957" 11) "Woods Meetings Etc." File containing minutes of Woods meeting 1963 by J. O. Smith and Presidents Opening Message to Meeting of Woodland Personnel 1963. File also contains memo re: visit of Lands & Forests to Gillies Bros. operations by E. R. Caldwell.
12) File containing sections copied from larger map of Coulonge, Schyan and Black River Limits 1961. Map described at item level in database.
13) Miscellaneous file containing assorted historical information including:1945 gasoline ration stamps, three pencil drawings by Ernest Sawford-Dye depicting log structures, correspondence from Henry Miller, Forest Ranger re: squared timber buried in mud slide at Clay Bank, 1964, Two copies of Extracts from Historic Notes of M. Chenier of Ville Marie by T. McCamus of New Liskeard about the establishment of the North-West company at Temiscaming, and a booklet of Indian Names and Meanings by Maurice S. White. Copy of framed copy of Order in Council dated 22nd day of December 1920 establishing the Nopiming Game Sanctuary.
14) B&W mounted photograph of the Wm. Douglas Tug Boat, one view of Gillies Bros. Planing Mill beside railway tracks and one view of mill circa 1930's.(scanned)
15) Musson's Improved Ready Reckoner, Form and Log Book. This is a small reference book which belonged to Neil Mullin of Braeside who was a logging camp clerk for Gillies Bros in the early 1940's. Neil Mullin went to work at Coulonge at age 12. He worked at the Coulonge and Temagami limits.
16. Large photocopy of Marshall's Bay flag stop with several children and one woman on platform. (donated in 2009. Museum has copy for their display) Map Cabinet 2, Dwr 2
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
Related Material
See also 2002-0149 Save The Grove/LPSOV fonds
For other records regarding the Gillies Bros. Ltd. lumber operations see #95-0060 The Gillies Family Collection, #93-0005 The Arnprior & District Museum Collection, #95-0047 Arnold Gillies Muirhead Collection and the Archives of Ontario F 150.