HILLCREST LUMBER COMPANY LTD.
EMPLOYEES REUNION NEWSLETTER - THE LAST WHISTLE
TOMMY GORDON
Tom started at the mill at Mesachie Lake in 1943 and remained there as a power house shift engineer until the closure of the mill in 1968, 25 years as an employee. Born in 1913, Tom started working in 1928, at age 14 for Dunsmuir Coal at #1 mine and Protection Island mine in Nanaimo. He worked there until the mine closed in 1938.
He left with a 4th class steam ticket. In 1939, he married Florence Tembey in Nanaimo.Tom and Florence moved to Youbou in 1939 and bought a house for $500. They moved to the area because Tom's grandfather owned the Lakeside Hotel, then located about one mile from Lake Cowichan on the north shore of the Lake. He worked in logging and then went to Hillcrest as a 2nd class shift engineer, their children, Wendy was born in 1942 and Don in 1948.
They moved to the "foot", as Lake Cowichan was known, in 1942 and built a house in 1946 where they lived for many years. Tom was in the Lake Cowichan Fire Dept. for 30 years, 10 as chief. He was a voluntary ambulance attendant for many years when the Kinsmen ran the service. He was a Life Member of the Kinsmen. Florence died in 2009, at that time one of only a few left in Cowichan Lodge, as everyone was being kicked out of that facility. Tom died at Cairnsmore Place in 2012. He was 98 years of age.
Left photo: Don Gordon and dad Tommy at the 2006 reunion at Mesachie Lake
Right photo:
2010 reunion. Tommy with Marvin Nordstrom
From left: Ted Demings, Harry Fielden, Tommy Gordon and Roy Jack
Tommy with Bikar Mann at the 2010 reunion.
DON GORDON:
Don with Nancy Davis )Robertson) granddaughter of founder Carlton Stone
Don being greeted by Ann Adamschek as he is entering the reunion hall.
DON GORDON: I started working while in high school right after my 16th birthday in May of 1964. I worked on Sundays cleaning the boiler furnaces and combustion chambers. At the time, not knowing much, I thought it was a good job. I worked as a bunkerman for the summer relief. The powerhouse worked 24/7 as we provided power for the townsite as well as the mill. The first fireman I worked with was Red Miller, but I eventually worked with all of the shift engineers and firemen.
I quit school on a Friday in 1966 and that afternoon started as clean-up in the Swede Mill. I worked in the Big MIll, Swede Mill, planers, sorting table, timber deck, stripping alley, dip-tank operator and eventually got into the powerhouse as bunkerman. Later, some firemen started to leave as the mill closure neared and I became a fireman. I did not have a 4th class steam ticket as it was not necessary at that time. After the mill closed in Sept.,1968, I went to WFI Honeymoon Bay and did many jobs there for 14 years until it also closed. After a prolonged UIC period I went to Domans Nanoose (Chemainus) Mill and worked there 20 years until it closed also. I relieved in a few mills and then decided to retire (as a saw fitter) in 2003.
Hillcrest had a 420 unit fuel bin adjacent to the power house. The mill sawdust, planer shavings and bark from the de-barker were used to keep the 8 boilers going and the excess went into the bunker for use when the mill was not operating, including week-ends. The bunkerman used a fork and poles to knock this fuel from the large piles into the conveyor which fed the boilers. The fireman controlled the fuel to the boilers as well as the water levels in the 7 HRT (horizontal return tubular) boilers and the 1 water-tube boiler. These boilers powered the turbines in the engine room for electricity for the mill and townsite, and provided heat in the mill and bunkhouses. Also, the mill had several steam engines. Part of the bunkerman's job was to start and stop these steam engines.The bunkerman answered to the fireman and he reported to the shift engineer. There were 4 of these crews for continuous operation. I studied for my 4th class steam ticket but I never followed through.