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The Prince George Oral History Group is made up of volunteers from the community interested in collecting and preserving the memories of older citizens from the Prince George area. In addition to conducting oral history interviews and transcribing the tapes, the Group promotes the oral history process by training people in the practical, legal and ethical aspects of oral history.

Audio cassettes and transcripts of oral histories are deposited at the UNBC Archives as well as in other locations in the city of Prince George. This is an on-going project. Some of the interviewing is conducted in conjunction with the Prince George Retired Teachers Association.

In response to the growing need to provide services to urban Aboriginal people, in 1971, the Federal Government, through the Department of the Secretary of State, introduced the Migrating Native People's Program, which provided core funding to Friendship Centres. Over the next ten years this initiative led to fourteen new Centres being established in BC, attesting to both the need and community support existing across the province.

In these early years, Friendship Centres were primarily perceived as a place where Aboriginal people could drop in and have a cup of coffee; a place where they could socialize with their own people and receive emotional support. During these formative years, Friendship Centres offered few direct services as their primary role was to refer people to existing social services agencies.

The Prince George Native Friendship Centre (PGNFC) has grown and continues to be one of the largest and busiest community service delivery agencies in Prince George. The PGNFC provides culturally appropriate programming to meet the community's unique and diverse needs, including educational, employment, health, and social programs.

The Prince George Métis Elders Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving quality of life for our Elders, as well as educating our community on what it means to be Métis. The Society raises awareness of Métis culture through community involvement (For more information visit: http://www.pgmetiselders.com/ )

The Prince George Historical Society was formed when Constance Cox donated indigenous artifacts to the Prince George Rotary Club. Beginning in 1954, Ian Evans spearheaded a group to display this collection, eventually organising a Historical Society. This society in turn decided to set up a museum in the Civic Centre. There was debate over the name, but the newly formed society was finally named Ft. George District Historical and Museum Society, as a chapter of the B.C. Historical Society. Fort George District was an electoral district for 1956, and extended east to Tete Jaune Cache, west to Cluculz Lake, south to Woodpecker, and north to the Pine Pass.

The Prince George Community Foundation was incorporated on October 25, 1995 by a group of community leaders who saw the potential long-term benefits the foundation would offer to the residents of the Prince George Region.

The signatories of the incorporation documents were:

Jan Christiansen, Barrister and Solicitor
George Paul, Manager of the City of Prince George
Tom Steadman, Businessman
Ron East, Businessman
Murry Krause, Consultant

The signatories called the first annual meeting on February 20, 1996 at which time Beverly Christensen was elected the foundation's first president. Elected to serve on the executive with her were vice-president, Ron East, secretary-treasurer, George Paul and recording secretary, Judy Dix. Elected as the founding directors of the new community foundation were: Daphne Baldwin, Bob Harkins, Rev. Lance Morgan, Noreen Rustad, Tom Steadman and Vasso Vahlas. The directors later appointed Bob Buxton as a director and treasurer of the foundation.

The foundation's constitution and bylaws provides that the Mayor of Prince George may automatically become a director of the foundation. At the time of the foundation's incorporation, Mayor John Backhouse accepted a position as a director On November 16, 1996, following his election as mayor of the City of Prince George, Colin Kinsley also agreed to serve as a director of the foundation.

The first public event held for the foundation was a gala tribute-roast for Mayor Backhouse held October 5, 1996 at the Civic Centre.

The Prince George Citizen daily newspaper has been the newspaper of record for the City of Prince George since 1916.

The Prince George Chamber of Commerce represents and promotes the city's economy, education system, crime prevention programs, environmental, cultural, and governmental concerns. This encourages business, residential and industrial development, broadening the tax base and providing employment.

The Prince George Chamber of Commerce has presented the Business Excellence Awards since 1985. The Awards recognise companies, organizations and/or individuals for outstanding business achievement. Awards are given in a range of categories covering various areas of business and are open to members and non-members alike

The Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) was incorporated on February 27th, 1912. The PGE goal was to complete a rail line heading north from Vancouver to Prince George where it would connect with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR). PGE was privately owned until 1918 when it encountered financial difficulties and was taken over by the British Columbia Government as a Crown Corporation. By 1921 the railway had expanded to a point north of Quesnel but was still 80 miles south of the connection at Prince George. There were no large urban centers on the rail line during this time and it was primarily used for logging and mining operations from the British Columbia interior to Squamish. In 1949 PGE began to expand, and on November 1st, 1952 PGE completed a junction with Canadian National Railway in Prince George. On August 27th, 1956 PGE completed a line between Squamish and North Vancouver completing their original goal of a rail line from Vancouver to Prince George. In 1958 PGE reached Fort St. John and Dawson Creek to meet with the Alberta Railways. On September 10th, 1971 the largest construction that was undertaken opened a line between Fort St. John to Fort Nelson. In 1972 Pacific Great Eastern changed their name to British Columbia Railway (BCR).

"Over the Edge" was established in 1993 as the first student media publication available at UNBC Prince George campus.

Over the Edge Newspaper Society is an independent organization run by UNBC students that produces Over the Edge Newspaper bi-weekly.

Originating in 1994 under the Northern Undergraduate Student Society, Over the Edge ran for 10 years under NUGSS and has run independently since October 2004 producing the only student newspaper on campus.

Over the Edge prints all varieties of content, primarily submitted by students, including news stories, arts and entertainment stories, reviews, creative writing, comics and photography.

Northwood Pulp was established in 1961 when Canadian corporation, Noranda Mines Limited, diversified into the British Columbia forest industry. Partnering with the Mead Corporation of Dayton, Ohio, Noranda Mines Ltd. purchased the Sinclair and Upper Fraser Sawmills, both east of Prince George. After the purchase of these two sawmills, as well as the proliferation of others, there became an excess of waste wood products generated by milling in the central interior of British Columbia. To meet this specific waste reduction need, and to expand into a new wood fibre market, the Mead Corporation and Noranda Mines built Northwood Pulp Mill in 1964-1965. Northwood Pulp Mill was, and still is, a processing plant dedicated to the conversion of waste wood chips to pulp and paper products.

In 1980-1981 an expansion was added to the mill which effectively doubled Northwood's capacity for the making of pulp kraft paper from waste wood chips.

In 1999, the Canadian Forest Products (a.k.a. Canfor) acquired all of the shares of Northwood Inc.; a purchase which included the Northwood Pulp Mill, Prince George Sawmill, North Central Plywoods, Rustad, Houston and Upper Fraser operations, the Kyahwood Forest Products joint venture and J.D. Little Forest Centre. This acquisition gave Canfor the unique designation of being Canada's largest producer of softwood lumber and kraft market pulp.

In February 2006 Canfor effectively separated its pulp business from its wood products business; a strategic move which resulted in the transfer of its northern softwood kraft pulp and paper business, including its Northwood Pulp Mill, Intercontinental Pulp Mill and Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill, together with associated management and employees (now referred to as the “Pulp Income Trust”) to an indirectly owned limited partnership known as the “Canfor Pulp Limited Partnership”.

Northwood Mills was Noranda's first foray into the forestry industry. Northwood Mills was resurrected from National Forest Products when it was purchased by Noranda in April 1961 (Zimmerman p. 33). National Forest Products was in receivership and had 6 sawmills in the Okanagan Valley (Summerland Box Company, Tulameen Forest Products, and the Osoyoos and Oliver mills) and in Prince George (Upper Fraser Mills and Sinclair Spruce Mills) (Zimmerman p. 31). The Prince George mills were larger and more successful, making Prince George the centre of Noranda's forest investment. Included in the purchase of National Forest Products was the harvesting quota for the sawmills and a 3 million acre pulp-harvesting area (pre-approved for a pulp mill) that had been created by the provincial forestry minister, Ray Williston (Zimmerman p. 31). Dick Porritt was named the first president and CEO of Northwood Mills (Zimmerman p. 34).

An agreement between Noranda Mines and the Mead Corporation dated April 24, 1964 provided for the formation of a new company called Northwood Pulp. The capital stock of this new company was divided evenly between Northwood Mills Ltd. and Canamead Inc. (later named Forest Kraft Company). Northwood Pulp purchased from Northwood Mills all the outstanding stock of two of Northwood Mills' wholly-owned subsidiaries: Upper Fraser and Sinclair Spruce Mills. Northwood Mills would provide knowledge and experience with respect to sawmills. Mead would provide knowledge and experience with respect to the engineering and design of pulpmills. Northwood Mills was Northwood Pulp's exclusive agent for soliciting and servicing sales of logs, lumber and other sawmill products globally.

At 1976, Northwood Mills continued to operate four sawmills in the Okanagan region of British Columbia with the capacity to produce approximately 200 million board feet of lumber per year, principally western white spruce. It had a building materials division which operated a lumber brokerage and wholesale building materials business through warehouses across Canada. Early in 1975, it acquired Airscrew-Weyroc, which was then renamed Northwood Panelboard Ltd., with a 145,000 tons per year particle board plant in Chatham, New Brunswick.

Between 1964 and 1985, Northwood Mills purchased holdings in other subsidiaries, including Fraser Inc., W.H. Miller Co Ltd., James Maclaren Industries, Lynn Stevedoring Co. Ltd., MacMillan Bloedel Ltd., McBride Lumber & Building Supplies Ltd., Northwood Properties, and Northwood Panelboard Ltd (Stats Can).

Northwood Mills' Sales Division marketed its own production as well as that for Northwood Pulp and Timber and other non-affiliated producers. Over 80% of the sales were to North America.

Sources:
Zimmerman, Adam. Who’s in Charge Here, Anyway?: Reflections from a Life in Business, (Don Mills, Ontario: Stoddart; Distributed in Canada by General Distribution Services), 1997.

Royal Commission on Corporate Concentration, Noranda Mines Limited: A Corporate Background Report. 1976. p. 64.

Statistics Canada. Inter-corporate Ownership Directory, 1975, 1982, 1985, 1987.

The Northern holds a place in the foundation of the Northern region of British Columbia. Not only is the store a recognized cornerstone of Prince George, it's a landmark. Opened in 1919, only four years after the City of Prince George was incorporated, Alex Moffat and partner Frank Whitmore bought out the Northern Lumber Company and renamed it the now famous "The Northern".

During the 1920s, most of Alex and Frank's customers were loggers, prospectors, and homesteaders arriving to settle the region. With such a diverse clientele, Alex and Frank established an inventory of building, farming, and in-home supplies which is still honoured to this day. When the store first opened, there was so much growth in the region that a second location was opened up in the Wells area in the mid-1920s.

A varied and large inventory helped The Northern survive the Great Depression in the 30s, along with the help of a small gold rush in the Cariboo during that time. Business didn't exactly boom during this economic dry spell, but the store developed a reputation for customer service above and beyond what other stores could offer. From cashing pay cheques to extending credit, The Northern etched out a unique position in the economic development of the region, and the Province.

Despite a fire in the main store on Boxing Day 1933, The Northern managed to grow and evolve when other businesses faltered. In fact, growth was strong enough to require a move to a new location at Third Avenue and George Street (1934), then another to Third Avenue and Quebec Street two years later.

The 40s were also a challenge. The Second World War had a mixed effect on The Northern. Troops and work crews stationed in Prince George kept the store hopping, but both locations felt the strain of heavy taxes imposed by the Government's War Effort. When the war finally ended, Alex and Frank sold the Wells location and began construction on a new building adjacent to the store's operational location. Moving to the corner of Third Avenue and Brunswick Street would turn out to be a huge success: The Northern occupies 1386 Third Avenue to this day.

By 1946, Frank Whitmore had sold his share of the business to Alex Moffat, who arranged for his son Harold and the company's Secretary-Treasurer, Thompson Ogg, to take on a partnership role. As the years passed, The Northern became more and more a family business. By 1949, Alex's sons (Donn, Gilbert [Corky], Earl, John and Keith) were partners along with another employee named Hilliard Clare. Eventually, The Northern included all the Moffat children; in 1951, Betty, Alice and Joyce (Alex's daughters) became equal partners. Just a short four years later, Alex chose to retire, leaving The Northern in the capable hands of his children.

The Northern continued to expand under the direction of the next generation of Moffats. In 1956, the top-floor apartments were vacated and renovated to accommodate the evolving and growing business. A customer parking lot was paved in 1957, the first paved lot in Prince George. When Alex passed away in 1963, his son Harold became company president.

Under Harold's direction, The Northern expanded further with the purchase of the neighbouring Five & Dime store in 1965. And growth continued. It was during the 70s that Harold opened AMCO, a subsidiary wholesale company, a few blocks away on Queensway Avenue. To this day, both AMCO and the Northern Appliance Centre are located there.

Harold's political ambitions ultimately placed him in the office of Mayor of Prince George from 1970 to 1979, so his brothers took over much of business at The Northern and the sister companies.

Today, The Northern continues to thrive under the direction of a third generation of Moffats, and members of the fourth generation are presently employed there.

Northern BC Archives & Special Collections is an administrative unit of The Geoffrey R. Weller Library located on the 4th floor of the Library Building. In February 1992 informal discussions began regarding the establishment of an archives to preserve the University’s history. In 1996 a committee drafted “The Plan for a UNBC Archives” that expanded on these ideas and outlined the need to establish an archives of Northern BC that would preserve, acquire and provide access to public and private records related to the history and culture of Northern BC. Hence, the position of Archivist was created and the Northern BC Archives was officially opened in November 2000. The Archives also houses rare book collections and maintains the University’s artworks and artifact collections. - The mandate of the Northern BC Archives is to acquire, preserve and provide access to materials of permanent value related to the institutional history and development of UNBC and its institutes and to acquire, preserve and provide public access to archival materials of value related to the history and culture of Northern British Columbia. The Archives will serve research and scholarship by making these records available to researchers, university personnel, students, faculty and the general public.

The North Central Plywood plant in Prince George was a sawmill that produced 185 million square feet of plywood annually and employed approximately 250 people. The sawmill closed in 2008 after it was destroyed by a fire.

Noranda Sales Corporation Ltd. was responsible for marketing the metals and minerals from Noranda's own operations, its associated companies and 25 other Canadian companies. The products sold included copper, zinc, molybdenum, lead, silver, gold, selenium, tellurium, fluorspar, cadmium, bismuth, sulphuric acid, phosphate fertilizers, potash, and copper sulphate. These sales were conducted internationally.

In 1974, the total value of its transactions amounted to about $1.5 billion from 23 products in 45 countries. The company had a 50% interest in Rudolf Wolff and Co., a charter member and the largest metal broker at the time on the London Metal Exchange.

Source: Royal Commission on Corporate Concentration, Noranda Mines Limited: A Corporate Background Report. 1976. p. 49.

Noranda Metal Industries was the successor to Noranda Copper and Brass and Noranda Copper Mills. It produced copper and copper-based alloy products in the form of sheet, strip, rod and tube in three plants across Canada. Its principle markets were the automobile industry and the house construction industry. The company consumed significant quantities of copper and lesser amounts of other metals such as zinc. In 1974, it reported that in excess of 54,000 tons of metal were processed.

In addition to its operations in Canada, Noranda Metal Industries owned two plants in the United States, one of which closed circa 1975, and another which had an interest in a mill in Colombia. In an effort to reduce its dependence on the highly cyclical copper and brass business, Noranda Metal Industries constructed a $23.5 million plant at Arnprior, Ontario to produce zirconium alloy sheathing and pressure tubes for use in nuclear reactors. The plant was built in anticipation of a rapidly-growing requirement for those products as Canadian utilities, particularly Ontario Hydro, would be accelerating their nuclear power construction programmes. Zirconium tubes were sold directly to utilities for use in conducting steam from the reactors, and to fuel cell manufacturers such as General Electric and Westinghouse Electric.

Source: Source: Royal Commission on Corporate Concentration, Noranda Mines Limited: A Corporate Background Report. 1976. pp. 56-57.

Noranda was incorporated in 1922 as Noranda Mines under the leadership of James Y. Murdoch. Noranda merged with Falconbridge in 2005 and continued under the name Falconbridge Limited, ending the Noranda name.

In 1956, after the birth of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) by a merger of two previous labour congresses, negotiations began between the CLC and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) to bring about an alliance between organized labour and the political left in Canada. In 1958 a joint CCF-CLC committee, the National Committee for the New Party (NCNP), was formed to create a "new" social-democratic political party, with ten members from each group. The NCNP spent the next three years laying down the foundations of the New Party. During this process, a large number of New Party Clubs were established to allow like-minded Canadians to join in its founding, and six representatives from New Party Clubs were added to the National Committee. In 1961, at the end of a five-day long Founding Convention which established its principles, policies and structures, the New Democratic Party was born and Tommy Douglas, the long-time CCF Premier of Saskatchewan, was elected its first leader.

The Nechako Environmental Coalition was involved in several environmental health legislation campaigns, which included the development of the National Pollutants Release Inventory, achieving federal legislation for dioxins and furans, preventing diversion the Nechako River from industrial diversion and regulation of formaldehyde emissions in the MDF industry.

In 1996, the Nechako Environmental Coalition made an appeal to the Deputy Director of Waste Management regarding the upholding of the issuance of a waste management permit to Canadian Forest Products Ltd. (Canfor), which allowed Canfor to discharge emissions to the air from a proposed medium density fibre board (MDF) plant in Prince George.

The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations and European heritage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with formal recognition equal to that of the Inuit and First Nations. At one time there was an important distinction between French Métis born of francophone voyageur fathers, and the Anglo-Métis or Countryborn descended from Scottish fathers. Today these two cultures have essentially coalesced into one Métis tradition.

Almost 400,000 people self-identify as Métis in Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada outlined three broad factors to identify Métis rights-holders: self-identification as a Métis individual; ancestral connection to an historic Métis community; and acceptance by a Métis community.

The McGregor Model Forest Association (MMFA) was established in 1992 by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Forest Service’s Model Forest Program which was established across the country to examine and test principals of sustainable forest management. The MMFA operated successfully for over 15 years to support research, development of integrated forest management models, forest education and facilitation of collaborative decision-making. The Association’s approximately 50 members included communities, First Nations, industry, government and non-government representatives, as well as individual scientists and practitioners. The MMFA was an active participant in the Canadian and International Model Forest Networks, and also carried out projects in Russia on behalf of the Canadian International Development Agency. The Model Forest Program concluded in 2007, and was replaced by the Forest Communities Program. This new program was intended to facilitate the development and sharing of knowledge, tools and practices to empower forest-based communities to participate in informed decision-making on the forest land base, allowing communities to sustain and grow forest resource benefits while capitalizing on emerging forest-based opportunities. During this changeover, many of the existing Model Forests continued their operations under this new program, including the MMFA, while others continued their operations through partner and other funding sources, and some closed their doors. In October 2007, MMFA was combined with the Integrated Resource Management Partnership of Northern British Columbia (the “IRM Partnership”) into the Resources North Association - a new society whose aim it was to strengthen the previous relationship between the groups and to capitalize on their synergies.

MacMillan Bloedel Limited was formed through the merger of three smaller forestry companies in 1951 and 1959: the Powell River Company, the Bloedel Stewart Welch Company, and the H.R. MacMillan Company. MacMillan Bloedel Limited was bought by Weyerhaeuser in 1999.

The Lockwood Survey Corporation Ltd. was an aerial photographic survey company based in the Toronto, Ontario area with divisions across Canada, the west coast division being located at 1409 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC.

It was formed out of a number of amalgamations, mergers and name changes of predecessor companies, beginning with the Toronto-based Photographic Survey Company, which began in 1946 under the direction of Douglas M. Kendall, with British financing from Sir Percy Hunting. From 1956-1965, the company was known as Hunting Survey Corporation, Ltd., later known as Lockwood Survey Corporation, Ltd. from 1965-1972. From 1972-1975 the company was called Northway Survey Corporation, Ltd., and then Northway- Gestalt Corporation Ltd. from 1975-1984. The company has been named Northway Map Technology Ltd. since 1985.

The Liberal Party of Canada is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative Party and to the right of the New Democratic Party (NDP). The party dominated federal politics for much of Canada's history, holding power for almost 69 years in the 20th century, more than any other party in a developed country.

In 1979, Alcan announced that they would use the rest of the water that the 1950 Agreement decreed the Company could use and they applied to the Utilities Commission for an Energy Project Certificate to start Kemano II. This declaration led to a legal skirmish between Alcan and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) over the potentially hazardous water levels for the migrating salmon. The issue was resolved with the 1987 Settlement Agreement signed on September 14th between Alcan, the Government of British Columbia, and the Federal Government, which confirmed that the Company had the legal right to use more water from the Nechako River. However, Alcan agreed to give up water rights to the Nanika River and the Cheslatta River while setting up a program to keep an eye on the fish habitats. This agreement resulted in the Kemano Completion Project (KCP), which was a scaled down version of Kemano II. In 1989, a Collective Labour Agreement was signed between the Allied Hydro Council and the Kemano Completion Project Employers’ Association, signifying the launch of KCP.

The project had an initial estimated cost of $800 million and would increase Kemano’s power generating capabilities by 75 percent. It consisted of five components: building a cold water release facility at Kenney Dam to increase chances of survival for Chinook and sockeye salmon; dredging the Tahtsa narrows an increase water-flow through the Nechako Reservoir; installing four more generators in Kemano; building another 68 km transmission line between Kitimat and Kemano; and building an additional 16 km power tunnel parallel to the existing tunnel through Mount DuBose.

However, not all British Columbians were ecstatic about the KCP. Some of the major opponents to this project were environmentalists, the fishing industries, wildlife activists, and First Nations peoples such as the Haisla and Carrier-Sekani Tribal Council. Some of the environmental groups included “A River Forever” and “Rivers Defence Coalition”. An organization called “Save the Bulkley” was formed by residents from Smithers, Telkwa, and Quick areas to oppose the KCP.

On June 16th, 1992, Premier Mike Harcourt commissioned Murray Rankin and Arvay Finlay to create a report on the KCP, “Alcan’s Kemano Project: Options and Recommendations”. This report was completed in October of that year and recommended that the Government of British Columbia conducts a public review on the KCP. Thus, the British Columbia Utilities Commission public review of the KCP was initiated in January of 1993. That same year, Alcan told the provincial government that they were short of $350 million in their estimated cost for KCP and would need more power revenues. Two years later, on January 23rd, Premier Harcourt decided to cancel KCP.

This 405 km long stretch of Highway 97, named for former British Columbia Premier John Hart, begins at Prince George, traveling for 152 km north through the small hamlet of Summit Lake, which is situated at the Continental Divide, as well as, through Crooked River Provincial Park, Bear Lake and McLeod Lake, to its intersection with Highway 39. It then journeys northeast another 150 km through the Continental Divide at which point the time zone changes from Pacific Time to Mountain Time. After emerging from the Pine Pass, the highway intersects with Highway 29 at the town of Chetwynd. After a trek of another 97 km east, the Hart Highway terminates at Dawson Creek, BC.

• 1864 Purchase by James Maclaren of the sawmill located on the west side of the Lièvre River, from the Baxter Bowman Estate.
• 1876 Maclaren receives the Award of Excellence at the Philadelphia World's Fair for the products displayed at the event.
• 1885 Opening of a new warehouse at Mont-Laurier.
• 1889 Founded by James Maclaren and James G. Ross, The North Pacific Lumber Company starts up a sawmill at Barnett, British Columbia.
• 1892 James Maclaren, founder of Maclaren, dies, leaving behind "The Estate of James Maclaren".
• 1893 Maclaren receives the Award of Excellence of the Chicago World's Fair for the products displayed at the event.
• 1894 Founding of the "Albert Maclaren Electric Light Company".
• 1895 Incorporation of "THE JAMES MACLAREN CO. LTD.", June 28th.
• 1900 First meeting of the Board of Directors of "THE JAMES MACLAREN CO. LTD.". James Maclaren's five sons, David, Alexander, John, James Barnet and Albert bought the estate, the sawmills, the properties and the woodland concessions.
• 1901 Purchase by the Company of the "Ross Bros." sawmill, located on the east side of the Lièvre River at Buckingham.
• 1901-02 Construction and start-up of a mechanical pulp mill with a daily production capacity of 60 tons.
• 1903 Purchase of the hydraulic rights owned by Sir Edward Andrew Stuart downstream from Buckingham.
• 1906 Opening of a new log piling depot, south of the Buckingham Roman Catholic Cemetery, along present Hwy 309, between Masson and Buckingham.
• 1907 Modernization of the sawmill located on the east side of the river in Buckingham.
• 1911 Purchase of the "Lièvre River Telephone Co.".
• 1912 Increase in the production of mechanical pulp to 90 tons per day,
• 1913 Shutdown of the Barnett sawmill in B. C.
• 1913 Purchase of the 100 sq. mi. Sharples woodland concessions along the Lièvre River.
• 1913 Construction of a retaining dyke and log slide to bypass High Falls on the Lièvre River.
• 1922 The sawmill on the west side of the river at Buckingham is demolished to make way for a new mill (Head Works and Pulpwood).
• 1928-30 Construction of a newsprint mill with a production capacity of 350 tons per day and a chemical pulp mill at Masson.
• 1928-30 Renovation and expansion of the mechanical pulp mill capable of producing 300 tons per day at Buckingham.
• 1928-30 The mechanical pulp was carried from Buckingham to the Masson plant via a pipeline located in a north-south axis between Georges Street and the river. The 4-foot logs used to make chemical pulp were floated down a log slide from Buckingham to Masson. Both systems spanned a distance of three miles.
• 1928-30 Construction of a dam and hydro-electric generating station at High Falls, on the Lièvre as well as the construction of a dam and hydro-electric generating station at Masson.
• 1941 Construction of the Mitchinamekus dam.
• 1954 Construction of the Kiamika dam.
• 1956-59 Construction of a mechanical pulp mill at Masson.
• 1957 Construction of a hydro-electric generating station at Dufferin Falls, on the Lièvre at Buckingham.
• 1959 Shutdown of the mechanical pulp mill at Buckingham.
• 1959 Construction of a debarking and slashing mill at Poupore, upstream from Buckingham, on the Lièvre.
• 1964 Purchase of the Kraft pulp mill and other installations from the Singer Company at Thurso.
• 1965 Purchase of "Canadian Hardwood Limited", "Buckingham Lumber Ltd." and "Quebec Hardwood Limited".
• 1968 Sale of the affiliate Company "Lièvre River Telephone Company" to Télébec .
• 1970 Purchase of the Allaire sawmill at Notre-Dame-du-Laus.
• 1974 Purchase of 50 % of Sogefor Ltd’s assets in Lac-des-Îles.
• 1979 Installation of solar heating panels at the Masson plant.
• 1980 Acquisition of the Maclaren Company by Noranda Inc.
• 1981 Modernization of the bisulfite plant at the Masson newsprint plant, allowing the recovery of 80 percent rather than 50 percent of fibbers, and a reduction of suspended solids in the water returned to the river.
• 1983 Modernization of $61 million at the Kraft pulp mill in Thurso, comprising of the installation of a new recovery boiler and a precipitator.
• 1985 Construction and installation of a new newsprint machine with a total capacity of production of 750 metric tons per day.
• 1988 Increase of production capacity at the Kraft pulp mill in Thurso: from 365 tons to 580 tons per day. Cost of the project: $175 million.
• 1988 Modernization of the corporate office of the Company at Masson.
• 1988 Announcement of the construction of a clarifier at a cost of $7 million at the newsprint mill.
• 1988 Announcement of a $27 million expansion project of the Masson newsprint plant to increase production from 180,000 to 209,000 metric tons par year.
• 1990 Purchase of Normick-Perron.
• 1990 Modernisation and expansion at the Kraft Pulp Mill in Thurso.
• 1991 Announcement of the start-up of a newsprint deinking plant at Cap-de-la-Madeleine, jointly with Cascades and Donohue.
• 1993 Introduction of recycled pulp in the newsprint manufacturing process at the Masson plant
• 1993 The Kraft pulp division celebrates its 35th anniversary with the theme "35 years of efficiency and improvement... and counting"
• 1993 Logging operations on the Lièvre River are abandoned and a new system for log conversion and storage is introduced at the newsprint mill at a cost of $ 3.8 million
• 1994 Announcement of a $70 million investment in water treatment plants at Maclaren plants both in Masson and Thurso.
• 1994 With the end of logging operations on the Lièvre River, the 64-year old log slide used to float the logs from Buckingham to the Masson plant is now obsolete and consequently dismantled.
• 1994 Investment of $44 million for the modernization of the wood yard at the Kraft pulp mill in Thurso resulting in a pulp of superior quality.
• 1994 The Normick-Perron group, until now under the Maclaren umbrella, will come under the authority of Norbord, another division of Noranda Forest.
• 1995 In conformity with its environmental policy and the optimization of its resources, Maclaren announces that 80 tons a day of solid waste from the Masson newsprint plant will be turned into compost.
• 1995 Maclaren celebrates its 100th anniversary of incorporation and adopts a new corporate symbol.
• 1997 Noranda Forest, which later became Nexfor surprised everybody by announcing the sale of its newsprint mills in Masson.
• 1998 Noranda Forest finally finds a buyer for it's Masson newsprint mill, Papier Mason Ltée
• 1999 Nexfor sell it’s Hydro-Electric operations to Great Lakes Hydro in Trust,the Maclaren Hydro Division becomes a subsidiary of Great Lakes Power.
• 2000 On the 7th of January, Nexfor, a Toronto firm, announces the sale of its Kraft Division in Thurso, thus becoming part of its Fraser Paper subsidiary.

Source: André Joyce http://maclaren.iquebec.com

1930s began with a sawmill in Whonnock, BC.
1963 incorporated as Yorkston Lumber Co.
1963 name changed to Whonnock Lumber Co.
1967 converted to a public company.
1967 name changed to Whonnock Industries.
1979 Sauder Industries acquired a controlling interest in Interfor (since transferred to the Sauder family's Mountclair Investment Corporation holding company).
1988 name changed to International Forest Products Ltd.
1995 buy Weldwood Operation
1996 close Bay Lumber Operation
2000 sell Flavelle Mill
2001 Buy Primex Mills
2001 Close Fraser Mill
2002 Close MacDonald Operation/Open Sumas Operation
2004 Close Squamish Operation
2005 Buy Crown Mills
2005 Buy Floragon Mills
2005 Close Marysville and Field Operations
2006 Sell Saltar and MacKenzie Operations
2008 Buy Portac
2008 Close Queensborough Operations

The Interior University Society was incorporated in 1987 after organizational efforts initiated by Tom Steadman, Bryson Stone and Charles McCaffray. The society’s objectives were to promote the establishment of a university in Prince George, B.C., later to be known as the University of Northern British Columbia. The first president of the society was Prince George lawyer W. Murray Sadler. The Society launched a membership campaign in 1987, retained the services of Dr. Urban Dahllof to undertake a feasibility study, and conducted a survey to determine the support level in northern B.C. for a university. In October, 1988, the society’s proposals and studies were presented to the provincial cabinet. In 1989, an Implementation Planning Group was established, chaired by Horst Sander. The planning group completed its study and reported to the government in December of 1989, recommending a full-status university be established in the north.

The Interior University Society was incorporated in 1987 after organizational efforts initiated by Tom Steadman, Bryson Stone and Charles McCaffray. The society’s objectives were to promote the establishment of a university in Prince George, B.C., later to be known as the University of Northern British Columbia. The first president of the society was Prince George lawyer W. Murray Sadler. The Society launched a membership campaign in 1987, retained the services of Dr. Urban Dahllof to undertake a feasibility study, and conducted a survey to determine the support level in northern B.C. for a university. In October, 1988, the society’s proposals and studies were presented to the provincial cabinet. In 1989, an Implementation Planning Group was established, chaired by Horst Sander. The planning group completed its study and reported to the government in December of 1989, recommending a full-status university be established in the north.

Industrial Forestry Service Ltd. (IFS) is a natural resource-based consulting firm with offices in both Prince George and Dawson Creek, BC, which specializes in multi-phase resource development activities, forest seedling production and silviculture research. IFS has also been involved with land and resource development in British Columbia for over 50 years and provides the following services: stream classification, GPS surveys, access development, road and bridge engineering, cruising and timber evaluation and mapping. (For more information please see company website: http://www.industrialforestry.ca/index.shtml )

In 1936, the Woodpecker and United Districts Women's Institute was established in the Central Interior region of British Columbia, just outside of Prince George. In 1955 it became known as the Woodpecker-Hixon Women's Institute, and from 1963 onwards has been called the Hixon Women's Institute. In 1992, with the assistance of Moreen Thorp, Bernice Monroe, Leslie Kaehn, the Hixon Women's Institute undertook a history project which resulted in the publication of “Footsteps of our heritage : a history of Hixon, Woodpecker, Strathnaver”. (For more information see also: “Hixon Women's Institute fonds : 1936-1976” held at the British Columbia Archives)

Haida people have occupied Haida Gwaii (also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) since time immemorial. Their traditional territory encompasses parts of southern Alaska, the archipelago of Haida Gwaii and its surrounding waters.

Gitxsan (also spelled Gitksan) are an indigenous people whose home territory comprises most of the area known as the Skeena Country in English (Git: means "people of" and Xsan: means "the River of Mist"). Gitksan territory encompasses approximately 53,000 square kilometers of land, from the basin of the upper Skeena River from about Legate Creek to the Skeena's headwaters and its surrounding tributaries. Part of the Tsimshianic language group, their culture is considered to be part of the civilization of the Pacific Northwest Coast, although their territory lies in the Interior rather than on the Coast. They were at one time also known as the Interior Tsimshian, a term which also included the Nisga'a, the Gitxsan's neighbours to the north. Their neighbours to the west are the Tsimshian (aka the Coast Tsimshian) while to the east the Wet'suwet'en, an Athapaskan people, with whom they have a long and deep relationship and shared political and cultural community.

The Legislature of the Province of Canada (now parts of Ontario and Quebec) created the Geological Survey of Canada in 1842. The first director was William Logan, a Montréal citizen educated in Scotland. The headquarters for the Survey was in Montréal where Logan took on an assistant named Alexander Murray, a formal naval officer. Together, they began the task of mapping out the geology of a country that stretched from 5514 kilometres between coasts. The Geological Survey of Canada continued to expand into an organization with many employees conducting rigorous exploration, making maps, producing reports, and maintaining a public museum. Confederation in 1867 brought new challenges to the Geological Survey. The new provinces of Manitoba, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island increased the area of operations. In 1871 the Survey mounted an expedition to investigate the geology and mineral resources along the proposed railroad routes. In 1870, Canada purchased Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company. This immense area stretched across the country from Ontario to the Rockies and north to the Arctic. This was the beginning of the age of Canadian exploration. The uncharted areas of the west and arctic were difficult and dangerous but exciting. The Survey collected observations on geology, botany, and zoology.

Fyfe Lake Sawmill, also referred to as Fyfe Lake Fir, operated at Fyfe Lake, 32 km Southwest of Prince George near West Lake Provincial Park, during the 1950s. The lumber company was owned and operated by the Bachand Family, primarily Henri Bachand, and produced lumber for domestic sale. The sawmill closed sometime in the early 1960s and many families, who had developed a small community at Fyfe Lake, moved into Prince George and the surrounding area.

Fraser Companies Ltd. was a pulp, paper and lumber producer with operations in New Brunswick and Maine.

In April 1974, Noranda, through its subsidiary Northwood Mills, made a successful public offer to acquire 51% of the shares of Fraser Companies, Ltd.

After this acquisition, Fraser Inc. modernized and extended its the bisulphite plant (1976-1979), renovated its the paperboard mill (1988), and the installed high pressure steam pipelines linking the Edmundston pulp mill to Fraser Paper of Madawaska, Maine (1981-1982). The goal of these improvements was to increase production, reduce costs, conform to the new environment protection standards, and an increased ability to compete on the North American markets.

In addition to the Edmundston and Madawaska mills, Fraser Inc. owned mills in Atholville, Kedgwick, Plaster Rock and Thorold, Ontario. The company managed more than 1.8 millions acres of woodland concessions.

In May 1987, Fraser Inc. was amalgamated into Noranda Forest Inc.

Sources:
Royal Commission on Corporate Concentration, Noranda Mines Limited: A Corporate Background Report. 1976. p. 94-95.

http://www.toucherdubois.ca/tdb/result_item.php?item=6632&lang=en

The Fraser Basin Council (FBC) is a non-profit society that advances sustainability in the Fraser River Basin and across BC. Established in 1997, the Council is a collaboration of four orders of government (Federal, Provincial, Local and First Nations) and those from the private sector and civil society. FBC helps bring people together to find solutions to sustainability issues, and works on such issues as flood management, smart planning for communities, climate change action and adaptation, air quality, green fleets, sustainable watersheds and fisheries, and sustainability reporting and education.

The FHABC was formed on March 29, 1982 in Vancouver at a meeting attended by people from many backgrounds and disciplines.The purpose and objectives of the association are to promote awareness of, appreciation for, and preservation of the forest history of British Columbia.The association assumes a promotional and coordinating role, and does not collect archival material, but rather, encourages the assembly, cataloguing, and deposition of such material in the appropriate local, regional, provincial, or federal archival facilities. The FHABC has an annual general meeting and publishes a newsletter up to three times a year.

The British Columbia Forest History Newsletter, in production for over 30 years, predates the association and traces its origins to a meeting organized by the Forest History Society, then of Santa Cruz, California, and held at the University of British Columbia on April 27, 1981. When the FHABC came into being the next spring, the newsletter then became its official organ.

The Department of Marine and Fisheries was created on July 1, 1867, although it did not receive legislative authority until May 22, 1868.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada’s scientific, ecological, social and economic interests in oceans and fresh waters. The Department’s guiding legislation includes the Oceans Act, which charges the Minister with leading oceans management and providing coast guard and hydrographic services on behalf of the Government of Canada, and the Fisheries Act, which confers responsibility to the Minister for the management of fisheries, habitat and aquaculture. The Department is also one of the three responsible authorities under the Species at Risk Act.Its mandate includes responsibility for the conservation and sustainable use of Canada's fisheries resources while continuing to provide safe, effective and environmentally sound marine services that are responsive to the needs of Canadians in a global economy.

DFO is responsible for several organizations, including the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Hydrographic Service.

In 1755, the British Crown established the British Indian Department, and responsibility for Indian Affairs rested on the Superintendents of Indian Affairs from 1755 to 1841. After 1843, the Governors General held control of Indian Affairs, but usually delegated much of their responsibility to a series of Civil Secretaries. In 1860, the responsibility for Indian affairs was transferred from the government of Great Britain to the Province of Canada and the responsibility for Indian Affairs was given to the Crown Lands Department Commissions Responsible for Indian Affairs.

The federal government's legislative responsibilities for Indians and Inuit derive from section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867 and responsibility was given to the Secretary of State for the Provinces Responsible for Indian Affairs. In 1876, the Indian Act, which remains the major expression of federal jurisdiction in this area, was passed and a series of treaties were concluded between Canada and the various Indian bands across the country. The responsibility for Indian Affairs and Northern Development rested with various government departments between 1873 and 1966. The Minister of the Interior also held the position of Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs after the Indian Affairs Department was established in 1880. In 1939, federal jurisdiction for Indian peoples was interpreted by the courts to apply to the Inuit. A revised Indian Act was passed in 1951.

From 1950 to 1965, the Indian Affairs portfolio was carried by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. On October 1, 1966, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development was created as a result of the Government Organization Act, 1966. Effective June 13, 2011, the department was renamed the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

The Northern Development part of the department has its origins in the Department of the Interior, a body created by then Prime Minister John A. Macdonald for the purpose of administering the Dominion Lands Act of 1872. When the Department of the Interior dissolved in 1936 (with the Natural Resources Acts transferring control over natural resources to the Prairie provinces), Indian Affairs fell under the purview of the Department of Mines and Resources. However, the need for social and health-care services in the North led to the establishment of the Northern Administration and Lands branch in 1951, which led to the creation of the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources in 1953. This became the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1966 and then the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in 2011.

The Columbia Cellulose Company, Limited was established under the name Port Edward Development Company, Limited in 1946 by the Celanese Corporation of America to produce high alpha wood pulp. The name was changed to the Port Edward Cellulose Company, Limited in 1947 and was finally changed to the present name in 1948. The first mill was constructed at Prince Rupert after the company was granted Tree Farm Licence (TFL) No. 1 in 1948. Celgar Development Company (more commonly known as Celgar Limited), a subsidiary of Columbia Cellulose, purchased three sawmill operations in the Arrow Lakes region at Nakusp and Castlegar in the early 1950s. The sawmills at Castlegar were transformed into an updated sawmill, a kraft mill, and a pulp mill. Columbia Cellulose was granted TFL No. 23 in July, 1955 and Nakusp was the headquarters for the woods operations in the interior with the Arrow Lakes system and tributary rivers providing waterways for booming and towing to the mills at Castlegar. The Columbia Cellulose Company added Prince Rupert Construction Limited (incorporated 1954) as a subsidiary in 1958 along with Skeena Logging Equipment Limited that same year. More mills in the interior were opened and in 1964 Columbia Cellulose began working with Svenka Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, a large Swedish manufacturer of forest products in the province, to build Skeena Kraft Limited. Skeena Kraft Limited was granted TFL No. 40 and Skeena Kraft headquartered its operations in Terrace. In 1965, Columbia Cellulose bought Calum Lumber Limited in Prince Rupert and acquired Columbia Pulp Sales Limited within the next two years. The declining Columbia Cellulose Company was taken over by the government of British Columbia in 1973 and was the basis for a new company: Canadian Cellulose Company, Limited. The name was changed again in 1981 to BC Timber Ltd.

The College of New Caledonia (CNC) is a publicly-funded post-secondary institution. It was established in Prince George, BC in 1969, and has since expanded across central British Columbia, with campuses in Prince George, Quesnel, Mackenzie, Burns Lake, Valemount, Fort St. James, Fraser Lake and Vanderhoof.

CNC enrolls about 5,000 students each year (all campuses) in approximately 90 distinct programs in business and management, community and continuing education, health sciences, adult basic education / upgrading, trades and industry, social services, and technologies. As well, CNC offers university-level classes leading to degrees and professional programs in many subjects.

In November 1944, the Canadian Department of Transport granted a license to operate a radio station to brothers Cecil and Frank (Tiny) Elphicke of CKPG Radio Limited. Land was purchased in May 1945 for the transmitter site near the Hudson Bay Slough in Prince George. Construction of the transmitter began in August, and Radio Station CKPG Limited was incorporated and capitalized at $25,000 (2500 shares at 10.00 per share). CKPG signed on the air on at 5:00 p.m. on 8 February 1946, operating on 1230 kHz. Studios were in Ritz-Kiefer Hall on George Street and the 250-watt transmitter was at South Fort George. CKPG was a CBC Trans-Canada affiliate, with an original staff of Cecil Elphicke (Managing Director), Ray Tate (Engineer) and Jack Carbutt (announcer). Bob Harkins began as a copywriter at the station in 1954. Three years later, at age 26, Harkins was appointed general manager and president of the station. On 20 August 1959, CKPG-TV began broadcasting on Channel 2.

The CKPG-TV station began operations on August 20, 1961, with a power output of 8,300 watts. It was co-owned with the local radio station of the same name, and was a CBC affiliate from its inception. The station's president and general manager, Bob Harkins, was one of the first people to appear on air.

In 1965, the station put a re-broadcaster in Quesnel into operation on channel 13. In April 1969, both the CKPG radio and television stations were purchased by Vancouver's Q Broadcasting Ltd., owners of CHQM in Vancouver.

In 1973, Gord Leighton became the new general manager of both stations and by 1985, the station had six rebroadcasting stations (including three owned by the CBC) in operation in Hixon, Mackenzie, Quesnel, Vanderhoof, Fort Fraser and Ft. St. James.

In 1988, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) renewed the network licence for CKPG-TV and CFTK-TV Terrace, which allowed the two CBC affiliates to use the Corporation's microwave equipment to transfer syndicated programming, when it wasn't being used for CBC programming.

On 11 October 1990, Radio Station CKPG Limited and its CKPG Television subsidiary were sold to Monarch Broadcasting Ltd.
On December 21, the CRTC approved the buyout of Monarch Broadcasting by the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, a division of the Jim Pattison Group, which included CKPG-TV and its retransmission stations.

At noon on 30 May 2003, news-talk format CKPG-AM became classic-rock format CKDV-FM “The Drive”.

The Charles E. Goad map making company was established in Montreal, Quebec, in 1875. In its business of creating fire insurance plans, the Charles E. Goad map making company was the most comprehensive company in its coverage of Canada. By 1885, the company was firmly established in Canada and by 1910, Goad and his surveyors had created fire insurance plans for more than 1300 Canadian communities. When Charles E. Goad died that same year, the company was taken over by his three sons, who continued to run the business under the name Chas. E. Goad Company. In 1911 an agreement was reached between the Chas. E. Goad Company and the Canadian Fire Underwriters' Association, by which the Goad Company was to create and revise plans for the Association exclusively. The Canadian Fire Underwriters' Association was founded in 1883 for the purpose of standardizing fire insurance rules. This agreement ended in 1917, and in 1918, the Canadian Fire Underwriters' Association established its own plan making department. It was named the Underwriters' Survey Bureau Limited. At the same time, the Bureau acquired the exclusive rights from the Chas. E. Goad Company to revise and reprint the Goad plans. The Goad Company, which continued to exist until 1930, stopped producing fire insurance plans. In March 1931, the Underwriters' Survey Bureau purchased all of the assets of the Chas. E. Goad Company, including copyright. The Underwriters' Survey Bureau continued to produce fire insurance plans for the cities and towns in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes. The Canadian Fire Underwriters' Association remained responsible for the production of plans in the western provinces and the B.C. Underwriters' Association was responsible for plans in British Columbia. In 1960, these regional operations were amalgamated with the production of plans under the centralized Plan Division of the Canadian Underwriters' Association. In 1975, the Association changed its name to the Insurer's Advisory Organization, and at the same time, decided to cease fire insurance plan production and sell all plan inventory. This was the end of 100 years of continuous fire insurance plan production in Canada.

Cassiar Asbestos Corporation Limited (CAC) was established in 1951 by the parent company Conwest Exploration Company Limited. CAC opened an asbestos mine and mill in 1952 in northern BC and constructed a townsite for its workers. Because Cassiar was unincorporated, CAC provided municipal services (sewer, water, electricity, medical, educational, community and retail.) Cassiar town holdings include administrative, housing, school, hospital, and retail store records. For 40 years Cassiar was a thriving one-industry town of 1200+ people. In the late 1950s, CAC began active efforts to find and acquire another asbestos deposit for the company. In 1957 such a deposit was discovered in the Yukon Territory, and acquired by CAC. By 1967 CAC had begun construction of a second mine, plant, and town in what became known as Clinton Creek. For most of its history the Cassiar operation was an open-pit mine, but in 1988 it began construction of an underground mine which became operational in 1990. The unprofitability of this underground operation contributed to the corporation’s bankruptcy in 1992. Most employees were laid off and in September the entire town, mine, and mill infrastructure was auctioned off by Maynard Industries, Vancouver.