HILLCREST LUMBER COMPANY LTD.
EMPLOYEES REUNION NEWSLETTER - THE LAST WHISTLE
HILLCREST REUNION 2016
Richard Buck on the left read a poem that his father had written entitled "SONG OF THE WHISTLE PUNK"
Song Of The Whistle Punk
I was hangin' round the coldecker Wasting my time,
Asetting no chokers And pulling no line
When up stepped a feller and said, I suppose
you work on the riggin' by the look of your clothes,
Now I'm a whistle blower And that's my desire,
You should see me perform On that old whistle wire,
When I blow a tightline I make no mistakes
On a haywire skagit That ain't got no brakes.
The riggin' slingers' haywire And the hooktenders worse,
When I blow the wrong whistle They both start to curse,
A man's better off fishing Than working out here,
Where there's plenty of water, Whiskey, and beer.
By
Gordon A. Buck
Gordon Buck is shown in this classic photo from Hillcrest Lumber Company
This is the Lidgerwood skidder:
From left: Sid Smith-chaser, Gordon Buck-Loading Engineer, Unknown, Gordon Whan- Head Loader and George Smart, Logging Foreman.
Every year the Cowichan Valley Regional District puts up our welcome sign.
Betty Turko, wife of John Turko who come out faithfully every year.
Jackie Pearson whose husband Don worked in the boiler plant.
Bill Parks is a regular every year.
Liloyd Smith on left was an electrician at the Hillcrest mill for ten years, and Don Pearson worked in the boiler room.
Doug Hudson and Lynn (Dorward) Turko
chatting in front of the Hillcrest sign.
Ed Pawlik on left was a contractor for Hillcrest and Don Gordon worked in the boiler room. Don blew the "Last Whistle" on the last day the mill operated.
Don Gordon and Lloyd Smith by the Hillcrest Lumber Reunion sign.
Bikar Mann and Lloyd Smith, old workmates in the mill. Bikar was a lumber grader in the planer mill.
Dave Berry whose father owned Berry's store at Mesachie Lake.
Byron Wilson, lumber carrier and fork lift driver in the mill.
Bob Crawford and Ann Turko. Bob is a second generation employee of Hillcrest.
And Ann Turko's family is also second generation.
Theresa Cooke, wife of logger Walter Cooke.
Walter Cooke, logger for many years.
Mary Turko, mother of the large Turko family still comes out every year.
John Turko on left and Bill Turko worked in the mill and lived at Mesachie Lake for many years.
Art Lundgren, 89 years old is wearing his Hillcrest reunion hat.
Oke Anderson is a regular attendee. Oke was a planer feeder, planer setup man and planer night shift foreman.
Eileen Lundstrom (Clode) with mom Gladys Lundstrom who is 91 years young.
Ann Turko having a conversation with Bikar Mann's family. From left: Ann Turko, Jason Mann, Manjeet Mann and Harinder Mann.
Ron Dorward signing in. Ron's dad was the chipper foreman in the mill.
Bill Turko, Byron Wilson and Bikar Mann talking over old times.
Two lovely ladies, Alice Anderson, Oke's wife and Sharon Bell.
Jim Young used to work in the boiler room.
Bill Keserich, who worked for a short time in the planer mill at Hillcrest. Bill's father worked at the original Sahtlam Hillcrest. Bill is one of only a few originals left that lived and attended Mount Prevost school at the old Sahtlam mill.
Bill Irving, whose father was the plant superintendant.
Dick Pollock arriving, Dick's dad was the manager of the original Sahtlam sawmill.
Sally Smith arriving with Beth Russell on the right who is 102 years young. Beth's husband Harold "Rusty" Russell worked as a tallyman in shipping.
Al Lundgren signing in.
Some of Al's jobs in the Hillcrest woods were as chokerman, rigging slinger, chaser, second loader, on the bull gang, and worked behind Frank Vanyo’s cat as a swamper and occasional as a hooktender when they cat logged small areas.
A great photo of cousins Nancy Davis and Doug Stone, grandchildren of founder Carlton Stone.
Ryan Spedding and Tyler Hooper filming our reunion for Shaw Cable TV.
Ian and Ann MacInnes arriving. Ian wrote a book about Hillcrest called "Carlton Stone's Hillcrest"
Old friends, Wally Oppal, Neil Dirom, Bill Kesserich and Bill Irving.
A great photo of two fantastic gals. Beth Russell on left is 102 years young and "Mother" Mary Turko at 97 years young, Looking good ladies.
Two more lovely ladies. Barb Stone on left and Sharron Sweeney.
Ian and Ann MacInnes donating an old fire signal sign to the Kaatza Museum.
Don Gordon accepting the fire signal sign for the Kaatza Museum.
Joyce Ashley and John Turko enjoying a laugh.
Brenda Price on the left having a chat. Brenda is a granddaughter of Carlton Stone founder of Hillcrest.
Jack and Nirmala Greenwell enjoying lunch.
From L: Manjeet Mann, Harindar Mann, Jason Mann and dad Bikar Mann
Grandchildren of founder Carlton Stone: from left: Mike Stone, Nancy Davis, Brenda Price, Doug Stone and Julie Roome.
Mike Stone and Doug Hudson having a chat.
Sharron Sweeney and Ann Adamschek (Turko) catching up.
Dick Pollock and Ian MacInnis talking over old times. Dick and Ian's dad's worked at the old Sahtlam Hillcrest mill.
Cousins of founder Carlton Stone, Julie Roome and Nancy Davis.
Wally Oppal and Neil Dirom having a chat. Neil is a well known lumber man and athlete from the Cowichan Valley.
Georgie Grant saying a few words. Georgie and her husband Don Grant came to almost all the reunions until Don fell ill a couple of years ago. Don passed away on May 25, 2016.
Jim and Lorene Milligan talking with our caterer Arlene Savinakoff.