Beardmore Logging
In the early years, pulpwood was “hand bombed” into rail cars in Jellicoe but soon all wood deliveries were by water. The pulp would be hauled by horses to the roadside, then by truck to the bank landings of the Sturgeon, Blackwater and Postagami Rivers or to an ice landing on a lake in the river system. Then, floated to Lake Nipigon on the spring flood, where it would be rafted to the mill in Red Rock’
In the late 40’s, there were as many as 29 small logging contractors in operation.
By the mid 50’s, only 6 or 7 operations were active.
Most woodworkers in Beardmore worked in bush camps run by Domtar. Some were employed at Abitibi’s camp in Auden and Clark’s at camp 72.
Originally, the Beardmore Depot handled the accounting, all purchasing and most of the mechanical repairs, employing some 30 people. By the late 60’s these duties were assigned to the camps and the accounting staff was moved to the Nipigon office.
The last raft was moved on Lake Nipigon 1973, after which time all deliveries were truck hauled directly to the mill.