HILLCREST LUMBER COMPANY LTD.
EMPLOYEES REUNION NEWSLETTER - THE LAST WHISTLE
Doug at a fundraiser in January on Gabriola Island where he donated this painting of fishing boats heading out to the fishing grounds. This painting was raffled off as 1st prize and raised over $10,000.00 for the Search And Rescue Boats based in Ladysmith BC.
DOUG HARRISON ~ Doug was born and raised in the Alberni Valley where his father worked for MacMillan Blodel as a heavy duty diesel mechanic. Doug was raised with the old time loggers using steam trains and steam donkeys in the woods, so he cut his eye teeth on the early days of logging. Doug eventually became manager of one of MacMillan and Blodel camps first in the Queen Charlotte Islands and later at Copper Canyon near Chemainus on Vancouver Island. Along the way Doug amassed a huge knowledge of the early days of forestry, logging, steam engines and tall tales. When Doug retired he decided to put his life experiences on canvas, so he started painting and has never quit. His paintings are a nostalgic look at the earlier by gone days of logging with steam.
Please check out his Shaw TV You Tube below.
CLICK ON THE ARROW TO START VIDEO.
CLICK ON THE SQUARE BOX IN LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER FOR FULL SCREEN.
Doug painted this logging scene for me depicting the old #10 SPOT pushing a load of log skeleton cars up to a spar tree for loading. This was in the days of steam logging and steam locies. The engineer on the 10 SPOT at this time would have been George Grant who started working for Hillcrest in 1933 and retired 35 years later at Mesachie Lake. When George retired Harry Wright took over the controls until Hillcrest closed in 1968.
