Writing and Researching Local History Jan Peterson Recorded as presented to the Historical Society on February 12, 1998 Transcribed by Dalys Barney, Island University Library on May 1, 2020

Pamela Mar Nanaimo Historical Society. Thursday, February 12, 1998, at the society's regular meeting. Introducing tonight's speaker, Mrs. Jan Peterson, who will comment on writing and researching local history. Mrs. Peterson is the author of books on the Albernis and on Cathedral Grove.

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Jan Peterson Not long into the research, I realized I couldn't write about this period in history until I knew what had happened before. For example, who were these first mayors and councillors? Where did they come from? What motivated them? There was also the mystery regarding the city's name. For first there was Alberni, then there was Alberni and New Alberni (which became ), until the two amalgamated and became Port Alberni. If that's confusing.

Another conversation with Dorrit determined when and where I should begin. And we decided on the time when the Opetchesaht roamed Sproat Lake and Great Central Lake areas and the Tseshaht came up the Alberni Inlet during the winter months, occupying the site in the Port Alberni area. That was before European settlement.

Sometimes I found it difficult to remain focused on the subject: the formation of the two cities. Oftentimes, I wanted to take my research in another direction, and I think all researchers will find this. You find something that really interests you, and off you go on another tangent. But I became fascinated with the Native history and legends, some of it uncovered in the Shoemaker dig, which showed they'd occupied this land for about 4,000 years.

About a year later, when I had a bit of a voice, I had a memorable interview with Chief Adam Shewish of the Tseshaht, who agreed to talk to me one day from 10 'til 12 noon at his home. And so interesting was the conversation, I completely lost track of time. And when I looked at my watch, it was 1 o'clock. I apologized. Adam said not to worry, he'd been expected at a meeting at 12 o'clock.

I called Adam many times to clear up some item or another. It was a very interesting interview that time. I had a tape recorder, and I was recording the interview. I was also taking notes in my shorthand book. And, at one point in the conversation, he started to talk about his life on the reserve. And this was totally off the subject of what we were talking about. And he talked about his wife, and how he missed his wife - she had passed away. And he started talking about how sad he was. And I'm thinking to myself, "Oh, man, this is wonderful stuff! Great material for research." And, we went on with the conversation, got back on track. And I thought, "Gee, I better look at my recorder." It was off. And I thought, "Oh, Lord, I've lost all that information." The tape recorder had gone off half way through, it wasn't because it had finished. It had just gone off by itself during that point in the conversation when we were talking about his wife. I couldn't believe it. It was really uncanny.

There was one particular point in history where I was quite moved by what was happening in town. You get really into this. You really get into the lives of the people you're researching. It was during the First World War, when the men were off to war, and the mill was closed. There was no work and no money coming in and no food on the table. And I continued to read about the struggle in the newspapers. Then suddenly, there was a news release - the mill would open. Well, sitting at the microfilm and oblivious to all around, I let out a cheer! And suddenly realized where I was, and everybody came running in to see what had happened. I yelled, "The mill is opening! The mill is opening!" I was so happy for them.

Every waking hour, and even those when I was asleep, I thought of nothing else. I remember one night I danced with pioneer Captain Albert Huff in one of my dreams. The previous day I had been writing about a concert where he was the star of the evening when he sang "Polly, Wolly Doodle all the Day" and he sang it over and over again as the crowd cheered him on. Well, that was my dream that night.

Then there was the memorable character, German-born Bobby De Beaux. He was a very short man. He was a slow, incisive drawl that could sting anybody he disagreed with. He also had a reputation for never using a smaller one when a fancier sounding one would do. On one occasion he posted a sign on his store on the window when he went to Vancouver on business, and he left his clerk in charge. The sign stated: "Gone to Vancouver, my prostitute is in charge."

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He had mistakenly used the word "prostitute" instead of "substitute." During the First World War, Baron Alvo von Alvensleben became interesting research and perhaps highlighted the distrust with which Canadians and Americans regarded all Germans during these years.

Canada's book banning episode during this period amazed and distressed. The documentation from the National Archives showed the war paranoia that existed in the country. And the tentacles of the press censor in Ottawa reached out to Alberni and almost ruined the lives of several people. There was a few people there who were imprisoned and fined for having books in their possession. I managed to reach the daughter of one of the people. She was quite elderly. And I phoned her up one day and asked if I could come and interview her about the subject. And she slammed the phone down. And that was the first time in all my research experience anybody had ever slammed the phone down. It was still a sensitive subject for her and her family.

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By 1991, I had the manuscript finished for The Albernis, which was this one. Or so I thought. Now to find a publisher. Well, regional histories are not great money making ventures, so publishers... The markets are limited in the area of interest, so few publishers even want to involve themselves in it. You might want to know that has the highest per capita rate of book reading in . We also have an astonishing number of publishers and writers: around 50 publishing firms; 350 independent book producers; and according to the editor of B.C. Bookworld, Alan Twigg, 2,000 living authors. He noted: "The climate is so good, B.C. publishers are producing on an average a book a day." Now, who wouldn't be buoyed by such numbers?

And this sounds like we have a thriving book publishing industry in B.C.; however, finding a publisher for your book is an entirely different project. The question many writers ask themselves: "Should I self-publish?" If you decide to go this route, you must be prepared to do the marketing, advertising, and distribution yourself. You also need a good editor, plus the cost of publication. Well, my health limitations ruled this option out right away.

But the library was a good place to begin to find a publisher. And I began by looking at regional histories. Who had published them? Did I like their format? Did I envision a book similar in my book? And I made a list of the various publishers whose treatment of history books I liked. Then I prepared an outline of the book from [inaudible], so the publisher can get a clear indication of your writing skills and the saleability of your book. And this is probably the most important document, next to the manuscript. And I forwarded this to about six publishers. There was two or three in Victoria, and about two in Vancouver, and Oolichan in Lantzville.

Within two weeks, Oolichan in Lantzville had replied that they wanted to publish. The people in Vancouver wrote that I should find a publisher. One in Victoria didn't even reply and another one sent a note saying he would publish if I'd pay for it. Receiving that letter from Oolichan really gave my confidence a boost. Oolichan at first showed enthusiasm for publishing the book, that is, until the downturn in the forest economy in December and January of 1991.

And after seeing the headlines in the Times Colonist about the layoffs in the city, the closing of the plywood plant, and how the community was suffering, dead, or dying, I received a telephone call from Oolichan informing me the book may not be published because there did not appear to be a viable market for a regional history there. "Could we sell 1,000 copies?" I was asked. I was flabbergasted. To have a manuscript rejected for bad writing, or whatever, was one thing. But to be turned down because of the economic climate in town was another.

Oolichan suggested if I could show some support from the community, they might reconsider. Well, I think I sat by the phone for about five minutes, wondering what to do. Was it presumptuous of me to ask people in the community to support the manuscript without anybody ever having read it? Then I thought to myself, "I've spent the last three years researching this, and that has to account for something. And if I don't believe in this project myself, then who's going to?" So I began by calling all the movers and shakers in town, and I asked them to write to the publisher their opinion of the future of Port Alberni.

Well, everybody agreed to write letters; they were all astounded at the circumstances. And the campaign absolutely took off. Even the mall sent an economic report on the district. Individuals, the museum, the archives, the library, the arts council, city council, regional district, even the economic development officer - all supported my efforts to get the book into publication.

Oolichan was so overwhelmed by the letters, et cetera, about a week and a half later, another telephone call: "Stop! Stop! No more letters! We will publish!" Well, after all the trials and tribulations of editing, rechecking footnotes, and indexing, I awaited the book launch. This was the big highlight of 1992 for me, to see family, friends, acquaintances, and descendants of the early settlers there before me was absolutely overwhelming. And the success of the book surprised even me.

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My royalties from The Albernis were donated to the Alberni District Historical Society, who had helped so much in my research and whose workshop volunteers had become very close friends. The royalties from Twin Cities, which was the second book, this one, were signed over to the Rollin Arts Centre. Under the standard contract signed between the author and publisher, the publisher receives 50%, the bookseller 40%, and the author 10%. If the book is distributed through general distribution, the author only receives 6%.

Contrary to many people's belief, there are not boxes of books sitting in my basement waiting to be sold. Under the contract, the author receives six books of the first edition free of charge. Any additional books have to be purchased like anybody else. However, I felt quite fortunate to be able to find a publisher willing to take a chance of an unknown writer. And I also felt fortunate in having improved health through this worthwhile project.

While working to get The Albernis into print, I continued to research the next book, Twin Cities. Once you start researching, it's very hard to stop. Anyway, Oolichan agreed to publish even before it was finished. Every newspaper from 1907 to 1967 was scanned. An amazing thing was happening - I was getting well. And even though I still had physical limitations that will probably always be with me, I finally had a voice.

The second book, Twin Cities, covered the years 1922 to 1967. It perhaps reflected the growth being experienced in British Columbia. Only a narrow, two-mile ribbon of road separated Alberni from Port Alberni, and this was like an umbilical cord that had held them together from birth and united them as one when they amalgamated. The rivalry that existed between the two towns was real and often showed itself during the sporting and social events that were so much a part of the early life there. And actually, it's still there yet. There are still old timers that still think they come from Alberni, and they still think they come from Port Alberni. And it still goes on.

I became familiar with some memorable characters in the history, pioneers like A.W. Neill and Major Richard Burde, who raised the profile of the area through their political actions in Ottawa and Victoria. Burde, the former mayor of Port Alberni and publisher of the local newspaper, through his persistence and hard work as MLA, changed forever the hours of work and working conditions of thousands of British Columbia forestry workers. And we can thank him for the eight- hour day. Neill championed the cause of the Old Age Pension legislation and earned the right to present the first Old Age Pension cheque to Alberni teamster, Bill Derby. And we can also thank him for Armistice Day and the half-hour holiday on voting day.

Again, I lived through the city's trials and triumphs: the buoyant optimism and changes during the Roaring Twenties; the fishing boom in Barkley Sound; the Great Depression; the Great Trek of 1934, when striking workers walked from Parksville to Great Central Lake Sawmill demanding wage increases, establishment of unions, and improved working conditions in logging camps. The spin-off to the economy of the gold find in Zeballos was enormous. It awakening the mining in the hills around Alberni. The Second World War, which brought its own form of prosperity with the army camp and the construction of the new plywood mill and the building of the pulp and paper mill after the war. And who could forget the great sporting days? The fistic fights of Wing Hay, with his winning ways, and the Alberni Athletic basketball team. The arrival of the new immigrants in the '50s that changed the face and enriched the culture of the twin cities. And the opening up of the road to the West Coast gave tourism a whole new meaning as visitors saw the magnificent Long Beach for the first time.

Easter Friday 1964 will always be remembered by residents as the day they survived the tidal wave. Triggered by an earthquake in Alaska, a series of giant waves slowly and silently crept up the sides of the Alberni Inlet into the Port Alberni Harbour, and up the Somass River, pushing aside boats, cars, houses, and creating millions of dollars in damage. Bringing order out of chaos became the business of the two mayors, who found that working together was not unthinkable. Why not amalgamate?

The road to amalgamation was not an easy one. It'd been discussed on and off for years, I think since the '20s. But a referendum held in October 1964 showed that the two cities could put aside all their differences and join forces. The new city of Port Alberni that emerged became one of the largest in British Columbia at the time, with an industrial tax base the envy of many. It had a workforce of 5,700 people working in the forest industry, earning some of the highest wages in Canada. And the city at that time had the third largest seaport. And there was definitely a lot to blow their horn about.

Today, other cities have overtaken Port Alberni in growth, and the forest industry's struggling through the '90s, a shadow of its former self. But the city has clean air and clean water for the first time in 40 years, and there's a sense of community there that you will not find in larger centres. The city will survive its current crisis, and it will emerge stronger and better equipped for the new century.

16:09

My third book, Cathedral Grove, which is this little one here, is equally important in the history of Port Alberni and the Central Island area. When researching the other books, I noted in my research local efforts to save the forest. But since the other books were so large and focused mainly on the development of the city, the Grove research was put aside. In fact, it was taken out of all the information on both the books, because these books were too large. My research coincided with the protests happening on the West Coast by environmentalists bent on saving Meares Island, Walbran, Carmanah, Clayoquot Sound, and so on and so forth.

I remember Mayor Gillian Trumper challenging the groups to save Cathedral Grove. They were sitting in the Grove with a little table, asking people to sign their petition to save Carmanah Park, and here was Cathedral Grove in dire need of help itself. The tiny park, so easily accessible to everybody, suffered from its growing popularity and the damaged park's ecosystem was going unnoticed and unchecked. Within a few years, Carmanah forest was declared a park. And I suddenly thought back on how long it had taken Cathedral Grove to be preserved as a park. It just blew me away that within two or three years, Carmanah Pacific had been declared a park, and it had taken almost half a century to have Cathedral Grove declared as a park.

What a remarkable achievement that had been so many years before. I wondered, "How many people would ever be able to see Carmanah?" When in contrast, a quarter of a million people from around the world annually stop along the highway to visit the giant trees in the Grove. And I began to research in earnest the people and the process involved which led to its preservation.

Now I'd like to give you a little history, a little preview of Cathedral Grove. The first person to actually suggest the trees of the Cameron Valley be saved was Dr. James Fletcher, Canada's first entomologist and botanist. In August 1901, he was on a speaking tour of British Columbia with British Columbia's deputy minister of agriculture, James Robert Anderson, and the Reverend George Taylor of Wellington. The trio visited Alberni to speak with the farmers and give what Fletcher called his "nature speech." It was at this meeting he urged everyone to do all they could to preserve the magnificent forest.

Of course the farmers in Alberni were more intent on clearing away the stumps of the giant trees to make way for agriculture than they were for preserving the forest at Cameron Lake. Well, Fletcher returned to Ottawa, and there's a memorial in his honour at the experimental farm in that city. The Reverend Taylor returned to Wellington and founded the Pacific Biological Station. James Anderson continued his career in Victoria while maintaining an interest in the parks and plants and trees of the province. He became a member of the Natural History Society of British Columbia, and it was with this society Anderson began writing letters, lobbying politicians, and speaking out at every opportunity to save Cathedral Grove.

After the First World War, he attempted to have the forest preserved and dedicated as a lasting memorial to those who had lost their lives. He even managed to get the Canadian Forestry Association to pass a resolution urging the preservation of the Cameron Lake forest. Unfortunately, Anderson was killed in a traffic accident in 1930 and never lived to see his dream fulfilled.

There were many who saw the beauty of this forest and described their experience driving through the Grove. But seeing the beauty of the forest and suggesting the trees should be saved was another matter. The forestry resources appeared inexhaustible when additional timber could be found over the next hill or valley just over the horizon. The "cut and get out" mentality was still the norm during this period.

In 1912, the Province hired its first chief forester: Harvey Reginald MacMillan, "H.R." He began implementing the Forest Act which established B.C. Forest Service, log scaling, and royalties, and the concept of forests being a renewable resource. The measures MacMillan implemented made him a leader in forest management and a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. MacMillan went on to establish one of the province's largest forestry companies.

The next man to take an interest in Cathedral Grove was the MLA from New Westminster, the Honorable Wells Gray, the Minister of Lands. He tried for years to negotiate a deal with John Humbird of the Victoria Lumber & Manufacturing Company in Chemainus, who had earlier purchased the Cameron Lake forest along with other tracts of land from the E&N Railway. Humbird was unwilling to turn over the Grove to the government until he was suitably compensated.

The CPR also felt the pressure to give a portion of its forest land around Cameron Lake for a park. However, until Humbird and the government reached a decision, the CPR would not even consider this move. The Port Alberni MLAs kept up their pressure on the government, as did the other mayors and communities all across Vancouver Island and the Mainland. Only Gray seemed to be one sympathetic to the cause. When civic-minded individuals began to realize the importance of tourism in the area, then they came onside.

The Vancouver Island Development League and the boards of trade all agreed - Cathedral Grove must not be logged. Some people composed beautiful poems about the beauty of Cathedral Grove, while others saw the irony in the situation. I'm thinking now of Tofino poet Roland Brinckman, or "Brinck" as he was known to his friends. He was the night-watchman at the Tofino lifeboat station and a regular contributor to the West Coast Advocate in Port Alberni. And he wrote:

Wat's all this talk of Cathedral Grove? Why shouldn't we cut it down? What right have people who beauty love To shake their heads and frown? Why shouldn't we spoil the country-side? Why shouldn't we chop and slash? Who in mere landscape would take a pride, If it couldn’t be turned into cash.

Think of the packing-cases new: Think of the sashes and doors: Think of the shiplap and V-joint too: And think of the two-by-fours. There's ain't no money in Beauty boys, And money’s our god, that's flat: For Beauty only the Soul enjoys, And the Soul – my gawd – what's that?

It wasn't until the Victoria Lumber & Manufacturing Company was sold to E.P. Taylor in 1944 and the H.R. MacMillan Export Company began managing the company on Taylor's behalf, that the opportunity arose for H.R. MacMillan to make the donation. He stated he had arranged with E.P. Taylor that: "He leave this in my hands." MacMillan donated 330 acres, an area including the large trees, "Enough," he said, "to fill all the requirements for the park." About one-third the size of the forest portion of Stanley Park.

Many people have the idea MacMillan received something in return for his gift of Cathedral Grove, but all he asked in return was that the company retain his right-of-way through the park when it began logging the remaining timber on the adjoining land. Not only had MacMillan donated the 30 acres comprising Cathedral Grove trees, but he also gave an additional 302 acres surrounding the area to protect the timber. In December 1944, Premier John Hart announced the new name for Cathedral Grove would be MacMillan Park, in honour of the donor. Congratulations came in from around the country. MacMillan Park (Cathedral Grove) was officially declared a provincial park on February 25, 1947.

H.R. MacMillan was a forest industry giant, a philanthropist, scholar, and outdoorsman. The tall, craggly man with the bushy eyebrows was known to the public only by the empire he created and the millions he gave away. Few even knew his first name. He led a quiet life, free of all the trappings of a millionaire. He overcame poverty and ill health to work his way up the ladder. Outside of his business interests, he loved the outdoors and the mountains of British Columbia. When his health permitted, he fished and he hunted, and enjoyed his farm in Qualicum, or vacations aboard his ship, the Marijean. Most of the time, he buried himself in his work. MacMillan made a great contribution to British Columbia. His gift of the park is a living legacy to the people of the province. As he would have wished, the park provides an excellent opportunity to study the old-growth forest, and to further knowledge and understanding of the forest.

Last February was the 50th anniversary of the park. Alberni MLA announced plans for the future of the park to include a parking lot plus an interpretive centre. Today the park receives over a quarter of a million visitors, and this is expected to increase to three quarters of a million within a few years. I first saw the park in 1964, and even today, I still get this wonderful feeling walking beneath the giants. Port Alberni poet Dick McMinn said it best: "There is no medicine like these, the quiet touch of tall, tall trees."

Thank you very much.

[applause]

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...watch walk through the park. It's just amazing. Any questions? No. Thank you very much for inviting me here tonight. [applause]

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