Gateway to World Markets  (back to top)

Botwood has come a long way since the turn of the century . Industry in the area began to develop in the early 1840s with the start up of the first large scale sawmill operation, known as the Exploits Lumber Company, of London, England.

The start up of the pulp and paper industry in North America came as a result of the Harmsworth Brothers and associates need to ensure another means of supplying their publications with a dependable source of printing paper. Mr. Alfred C. Harmsworth, later Lord Northcliffe, and Harold Sidney Harmsworth, later Lord Rothermere, were the publishers of the London Daily Mail which had a circulation of around 1,000,000 copies per day (Price, 1959).

In the event of an European war involving Britain, France, and Germany, Lord Northcliffe became fearful of losing his current supply of newsprint from Scandinavia and Finland. This seemed inevitable because of Germany's hostile attitude towards England. A war would make it impossible for these countries to maintain their shipments to Britain.

Harry J. Crowe played an important role in the development of a newsprint industry in Newfoundland. In 1903 Mr. Crowe and W. D. Reid formed the Newfoundland Timber Estates. Crowe bought up the larger mills operating at Botwood, Norris Arm, Gambo, Gander Bay, and Point Leamington. After he had obtained most of the timber rights in the area, he journeyed to England intent on persuading Mr. Harold Harmsworth to join him in his logging venture (Neary, 1981).

Needless to say, the Harmsworth Brothers were greatly interested and decided to construct a pulp and paper mill in Newfoundland. Mr. Mayson Beeton, a representative of the Harmsworth Brothers, came to Newfoundland in 1903 to survey the forests and the Terra Nova, Gander, and Exploits River waterways. The Exploits was chosen because of its advantages. It had already been under development for saw logs for several years and it had a densely wooded area that would be a great supplier to produce newsprint.

Mr. Beeton was impressed with Grand Falls as the site for the new mill:

This site, he felt, was ideal for a paper mill. It was only a few miles from the railroad, twenty miles from a deep water harbou,, had adequate hvdaulic resources ready for development, and above all, was on the the bank of a river with the largest water shed in Newfoundland. Logs or pulpwood from the territory above the site could be driven down river to this point with very little expense, and the manufactured pulp or paper shipped by water from Botwood or via rail to an ice free port during the winter period (Price, 1959).

Botwoodville was chosen as the most suitable shipping port after a number of points on the Exploits River had been investigated by Northcliffe's surveyors.

Botwood underwent an incredible change at this time. Construction began on two deep-water wharves, one for unloading incoming freight such as coal, sulphur, limestone, and other mill or woodland supplies and provisions. The other wharf, complete with warehouse, was used for pulp and paper shipments. Two additional warehouses, near the shipping pier, were constructed for winter storage of paper.
 
 

When the A.N.D. Company first came to Botwood it constructed buildings on what is now the Company's upper parking lot. These buildings consisted of Botwood's first power house, a forge, a steam driven machine shop, and a carpenter shop, all under one roof. On the other side of the street there were two wells operated by a large windmill which served the company premises. At this time Circular Road, referred to as the range, was owned by the Company, Living quarters, known as range houses, an office, and a staff house were built there. These homes were serviced with water and sewerage.

The job of shipping pulp and paper to markets of the world fell on the men of Botwood. Notes written by Ken Gill, former Employment Supervisor, state that the working conditions and rates of the A. N.D. Company when it started shipping newsprint in 1909 were as follows: The hatch foremen were paid 20 cents per hour; stevedores, winchmen, carpenters, checkers, and labourers were paid 15 cents per hour. Good, hardy boys, 16 to 20 years, earned 10 cents per hour.
 
 

These rates were to be paid for overtime as wel I as straight time. According to Mr. Gill, when ships were in port, the same men would have to work as long as required on the ships, in the paper shed, in the pulp yard, and in the coal dump. The Company would not hire men for nightshift. In those days it was common practice for men to work two days and two nights without rest.
 

About 3:30 pm the stevedore in charge would come along to each gang and shout out 'All hands back after tea' and that was the order. If some men wanted the evening off and had the courage to ask, nine times out of ten the answer would be 'If you don't come back after tea, don't come back tomorrow morning', end of conversation! The railway was run on the same basis. The same crews had to keep it running day and n.ght. Often crews had to work a week with only two or three hours rest each night (A.N.D., 1942).

The employees of the Company laboured long and hard to see that their tasks were properly done.

The Botwood Railway  (back to top)

One of the major problems facing the A.N.D. Company in the beginning was that of transporting its product to the shipping facilities in Botwood. Their solution was to build a railway to Botwood.

In 1908 construction began on the Botwood Railway, running between Grand Falls and Botwood. It was a joint effort between the A.N.D. Company and the A. E. Reed Company of Bishop's Falls. It was to be the transportation link for the import of coal, sulphur, china clay, and limestone, and the export of pulp and paper from the newly built mill at Grand Falls. Construction of the railway was done by manual labour with picks, shovels, and wheelbarrows. Terrain covered with bogs, hills, and rock cuts were just some of the obstacles these men faced. (At this time, a telephone line was also built from Grand Falls to Botwood). The railway became operational by the fall of 1909. Freight was now picked up in Bishop's Falls and shipped by boxcar to Botwood.
 
 

 
The first shipment of paper fom the new mill, produced in December 1909, was transported by the Newfoundland Railway to Heart's Content, Trinity Bay to be sent to England. Winter shipments, when Botwood Harbour was frozen, continued to be sent this route until the mid-thirties, when the railway line to Heart's Content was removed. Winter shipments were then sent through the port of St. John's (Rockwood, 1989).

The first shipment of cargo by rail to Botwood occurred in February 1910. It consisted of slat baled groundwood pulp bound for England in the spring. On May 6, 1910 the Kastalia arrived at Botwood to take this first load.

Botwood served as maintenance headquarters for the Company's locomotives and rolling stock. A yard, roundhouse, and shops were built to look after normal running repairs and the building of cars.

The yard in Botwood bustled with activity. Paper was stored in sheds located on the level ground known as the field. The paper would then have to be moved, as required, to the paper boat. Railway cars had to be available for ships discharging coal to be transported to Grand Falls and Botwood. Trains were made up in the yard, prior to being sent out on the main line. The number nine shed is the only one of these sheds remaining.

According to notes written by T. W. Antle, former Port Superintendent, the town and plant got its source of power from an old coal-fired powerhouse. A messenger was sent to the powerhouse to start up the plant about 4 pm so that work in the office could continue. Lights were turned off at midnight. A flash was given at 1 1:45 pm so that those wishing to stay up later could have their lamps readied or they would have to make a mad rush to bed. The residents of Botwood continued to get their source of power this way until 1927 when a transmission line was built from Bishop's Falls to Botwood (A.N.D.).

In 1925 the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) perfected a method of recovering individual metals in ore and entered into partnership with the A.N.D. Company to develop the Buchans Mine.

The first concentrates were produced in September 1928. In the same year, the Buchans mine used the railway facilities to ship ore to Grand Falls on the Canadian National tracks. It was then taken from there to Botwood on the Botwood Railway. Railway cars, containing ore, were picked up from the main line, moved to the ore shed, and then to shipside when ore boats arrived.

The S.S. Kiruna carrying the first shipment of ore concentrates from Buchans on December 1, 1928 was hit by a storm. The cargo shifted and she had to be escorted back to Botwood by the S.S. Kvle. She was then beached in Peter's Arm for unloading. Botwood continued to ship ore concentrates from Buchans until the mine closed in August 1984.

Railway Services  (back to top)

The A.N.D. Company commissioned a special railway car to be built in Halifax and assembled in Botwood. It was named the Shawnawdithit. This passenger car, equipped with sleeping accommodations and diner, was used to transport company officials to and from St. John's. It was also used to transport dignitaries from Botwood to Grand Falls, as most visitors came by paper boats from England to Botwood. The Shawnawdithit was used until the Company obtained another passenger car around 1930.

The Shawnawdithit was given to the Newfoundland Railway some years later. The Department of Education used it as a school car with a travelling teacher to visit isolated communities along the railway line. When the Shawnadithit finally became obsolete it was purchased by Carl Jewer, who used it as a cabin at Charles Brook.

In 1930 the Botwood Railway contributed to the social life of the area by embarking on another type of service. The "Nickel Train" was put on the line and provided the people of Botwood and Bishop's Falls the opportunity to attend the new talkies (talking movies) in Grand Falls.

Mr. Garfield Langdon was one of the many who rode on these trains. Mr. Langdon said he isn't sure if the train got its name by the Company or whether it got started by the passengers themselves. He thought the train got its name because it only cost a nickel to go from Botwood to Bishop's Falls or from Bishop's Falls to Grand Falls. 7 Monday nights were scheduled for passengers from Bishop's Falls and Tuesday nights were for Botwood residents. Regular shipments of cargo were also carried during these runs. "The ticket for the train at 65 cents included admission to the theater, as at that time they were both owned by the A.N.D. Company" (Rockwood, 1989). The Nickel Train was a popular means of transportation and entertainment for the residents of Botwood. They were always filled to capacity. The train left Botwood at 6 pm and Grand Falls at I I pm. The service continued until the late 1940s.

Mr. Langdon stated:
 

If you had a $1.50, you could leave here, pay 35 cents for your ticket (and for two if you had a girlfriend or if there was one on the train and you wanted her to go to the show with you) ... you could go to the show, go in on the train to the theater and buy yourself a couple of bars. Bars at that time were only a nickel anyway, and buy yourself bars, a drink each and come back on the train when she was ready to leave (!rand Falls and come on ho.c'@n comfort for a $1.50 (Rowsell, 1991).

The Botwood Railway also provided a shopping service for residents of Bishop's Falls and Botwood, making it possible to shop in Grand Falls twice a week. A train left Botwood at 8:30 am carrying a passenger car, a baggage car, and cargo. They were able to shop 'or several hours before returning on the 2 pm train from Grand Falls.

A milk service was also available as part of the general freight. The first train scheduled for Botwood in the morning would carry bottles of fresh milk packed in wooden crates for the office staff, the doctor, and certain other people in the seaport town. This milk was supplied from the A.N.D. Company Dairy Farm.

During WWII the railway was used to transport troops, since Canadian servicemen were stationed at bases in Botwood and Phillip's Head. In addition to the Nickel Train, a Soldier's Train was added to the run. This enabled the servicemen to travel to Grand Falls for entertainment on Saturday evenings. According to Mr. Roy Rockwood, former Superintendent of the Gran(] Falls Central Railway, "Every Saturday night there was a soldier's dance ... men from the Canadian Army regiment at Botwood and from the artillery station at Phillip's Head would come to Grand Falls by train, returning on a special train at one in the morning" (Decks Awash, 1981).

The railway was also the supply route for the troops at Botwood and other communities, along with its regular responsibilities.

The fastest trip ever made by rail between Botwood and Grand Falls was done in 28 minutes on July 13, 1942 (normally the trip took 40 minutes one way). A stevedore, Charles Squires (Swyers), had been working in the paper shed and was seriously injured. An emergency run had to be made to take him to the hospital in Grand Falls, since that hospital was owned by the A.N.D. Company. Mr. Squires later recovered from his injuries.

When the Grand Falls mill altered its operation to the use of bunker C oil, it was necessary to purchase 16 tank cars to convey the daily oil to Grand Falls. Storage tanks for this oil had to be constructed at Botwood in 1949.

From the 1930s to the 1950s speeders would follow the train from Botwood to Grand Falls. The trains used coal as fuel which would create a lot of coal flankers that would fly out of the stacks. The big, hot flankers would touch the alders and bushes that were dotted along the tracks, sometimes causing fires. Three ofthe men who worked with the fire patrol on the speeders were Walter Pardy, Jim Curtis, and Baxter Eveleigh.

Mr. Pardy said that the equipment used to douse fires was a galvanized tank strapped to their backs with a hose and a nozzle attached to this tank. Mr. Curtis also referred to this piece of equipment as a pumper canteen that worked like a squirter. Buckets and shovels were also a part of their equipment.

The employees of the fire patrol would work only during the fire season. There were two men on a crew. Their work day started at 7 am and finished when the last train of the day returned to Botwood. This was usually between 6 pm and dark. Mr. Eveleigh stated that the crew would make 2 3 trips a day from Botwood to Grand Falls. They would wait for the trains to return after the train had loaded or unloaded. The speeders were operated until the steam engines were no longer used.

On July 1, 1957 the Botwood Railway, a subsidiary of the A.N.D. Company, was sold. It became the Grand Falls Central Railway (GFCR). This railway was designated under the Federal Transportation Act as a common carrier.

The old fashioned steam engines first used to transport pulp and paper from the mill to Botwood made their final run in 1958. They were replaced by diesel-electric locomotives. The first run of a diesel train from Botwood was in March 1958.

The Whistle(back to top)

A nearly forgotten sound to the employees of the A.N.D. Company (and also to the residents of Botwood) was the Company whistle. The whistle was blown mostly as a reminder of the time. In the beginning it was operated by steam; in 1951 it was operated by electricity. The following is the schedule for the whistle which was distributed to all households in Botwood:
 

Rule 1. The Plant Whistle will be blown on week days as follows:

7 am, 8 am, 12 noon, 1 pm, and 5 pm
FIRE ALARM - Botwood

FIRE ALARM SIGNALS, as shown below, are blown on the
Boiler House Whistle.

To report a fire, call the Boiler House Operator,
Dial 2222. The Operator will sound the alarm.

The town has been divided into four zones:

ZONE 1. A.N.D. CO. PLANT,
including Wharves, Paper Shed, Ore Shed, Shops, etc.
ALARM - Three (3) whistle blasts sounded TWICE

ZONE 2. WIRELESS ROAD
ALARM - Four (4) whistle blasts sounded TWICE

ZONE 3. EAST OF FIRE HALL
ALARM - Five (5) whistle blasts sounded TWICE

ZONE 4. WEST OF FIRE HALL
ALARM - Six (6) whistle blasts sounded TWICE
 
 

ALARM OUT SIGNAL - TWO (2)

WHISTLE BLASTS

You are requested NOT to dial 2222 for information after an alarm has been sounded. This number is for reporting a fire ONLY. The co-operation of all is requested (A.N.D. Company, 1958).

The A.N.D. Company felt the effects of World War I (WWI) because of the scarcity of ships to transport its product. The Company began building two large ocean-going schooners at Botwood around 1917, one being the Bella Scott and the other the Sordello. The Newfoundland Registry, which lists all vessels built in the area, listed the Bella Scott as having had one deck, two masts, and operating under steam and sail.

At 6:10 pm on Saturday, October 19, 1918 the A.N.D. Company launched the Bella Scott which weighed 504 tons. In the diaries kept by the A.N.D. Company, she is reported to have loaded or unloaded cargo at Botwood from late 1918 to the early months of 1919. The last entry regarding the Bella Scott was on Thursday, April 10, 1919 recording her to be at Trepassey. No one knows her fate for certain. The Newfoundland Registry lists her as being either burned, blown-up, or destroyed some time in 1919 in Kingston, Jamaica.

On October 6, 1919 the A.N.D. Company launched the 582 ton schooner the Sordello, She is listed with the Newfoundland Registry as being rigged with a kerosene motor and sails, one deck, and three masts. This ship is said to have been the biggest ever built in Newfoundland and according to the A.N.D. diaries, the Sordello carried different types of cargo to and from Botwood such as pressed sulphite, pulp, ballast, coal, etc. She travelled to nearby ports and also made transatlantic voyages. The last entry in the diaries concerning the Sordello in Botwood was made on August 2, 1922. But the Newfoundland Registry lists her as being dismantled and sold as hulk in 1935. Her whereabouts from 1922 to 1935 is unknown.

The Bonde(back to top)

The Bonde was one of the Liberty boats that survived the second World War. During the war it was used to carry food and medical supplies to Yugoslavia and other European countries. After the war she was used for shipping cargo out of Botwood. The Bonde was the most regular visitor to Botwood from the late 1940s to 1957.
 
 

Port Remains Open  (back to top)

Botwood's history as a shipping port had been relatively prosperous despite one major drawback. The port was often closed by ice during the winter. When this happened the paper was either stored or shipped by rail to St. John's or Heart's Content. From there the paper was shipped to the markets of the world. The port of Botwood remained open to shipping for the first time in its history in the winter of 1959-60. Botwood's harbour can be described as a natural port, being protected from adverse weather conditions by the surrounding land mass. The bay provides a deep water approach with no navigational hazards. Two icebreakers and several ships capable of breaking through fairly heavy ice were on dutv during the winter and spring months. The Wolfe, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, the Veteran Algerine, and the Granwood, all played a part in keeping the harbour open (A.N.D. News, 1960). Today ice breaking is conducted bv the Canadian Coast Guard',s vessels.

In 1960 the M.V. Crystal Falls, a diesel powered, steel vessel weighing roughly 42 tons and measuring 14 x 45 feet, arrived at Botwood to be fitted for ice-breaking in the port. The vessel was equipped to operate a plow designed to break through 28 inches of ice. This tugboat is very powerful for its size and can still occasionally be seen crashing into the harbour ice.

Unions(back to top)

On August 8,1929 the Longshoremen's Protective Union (LSPU) was established in Botwood. "Unity! Equity! Progress!" was the slogan members adopted. "None cease to rise but those who cease to climb" became their motto (A.N.D. News, 1960).

In the early 1900s the LSPU was said to have been the best known of all the unions formed. The wharf labourers, the stevedores, the fish packers, the barrowmen, the cullers, the stowers, and the tradesmen's helpers became its members.

During its existence, the union maintained leadership in civic affairs of the town. Apart from taking an active interest in the welfare of its members, the Botwood LSPU played an important role in the growth of the town. In 1938 for example, the LSPU plaved a prominent part in extending the water system in the town (A.N.D. News, 1960).

Over 600 men, of which some 400 were regularly employed on the basis of seniority, had a membership in the Botwood LSPU. The LSPU Hall (present day Kin Center) in Botwood was officially opened on January 17, 1947. The union members loaded the newsprint as well as concentrates from the mines of Buchans and the cargoes of coal, oil, and sundry goods.

The Mechanical and Railroad Workers' Union at Botwood was formed in May, 1947. The Railway Workers' Union was associated with the Longshoremen's Union.

The Company Merger  (back to top)

In April 1961 the merger of the A.N.D. Company and Price Brothers and Company Limited took place. In 1962 Price Brothers and Company owned 98.56/c of the shares in the A.N.D. Company and as a result the name was changed to Price Pulp and Paper Limited on April 29, 1965. According to Mr. Donald MacDonald, former emplovee, the merger made no changes to the employees or the waterfront operations (Newhook, 1991).

1961 Waterfront Fire  (back to top)

On August 17, 1961 a fire broke out along Botwood's waterfront. There are conflicting stories as to how and where the fire started. Some eyewitnesses said that it started due to an explosion in the engine room of the ship, M. V Atiensis, which was moored at the waterfront. Other eyewitnesses, who stood on shore, thought that the fire may have started on the wharf itself. The aftermath of the fire supports the story of the fire starting aboard the Atiensis because that particular part of the ship was gutted and three crew men working in that area could not escape the fire and died. The skipper and crew men of the Artensis denied that the fire had started on board their ship.
 
 

Mr. William Humber, a former member of the Botwood Fire Brigade, was called out to fight the blaze that day. He said that he thought the fire started aboard the ship because that was where the fire brigade was asked to report. When they reached the wharf and got out of their truck to go aboard of the ship, Mr. Humber said, "somebody said'tis all out there. The fire's under the wharf.' When we tried to get the truck goin'to get away, the oxygen was all burned up and we couldn't get our truck to go, and then the fire was so fast that we just had to go and leave the truck and set up from the other machine ..." (Heath, 1991).

The firemen had no alternative but to abandon the truck. Eventually the wharf gave way beneath it, and the truck tumbled 30 feet below the water.

Mr. Humber also said that they had to use the A.N.D. Company truck to get the water hoses set up. The fire got out of control, preventing the men from fighting it. They called the Grand Falls Fire Brigade to come and assist them in battling the blaze.

The men were fighting the fire from the back end of the paper shed where the fire had engulfed the wharf. Mr. Humber said, "The fire started to rage in under the wharf just like a whirlwind came up and nothing only a big ball of fire ... 'twas rolling and when it struck, rolled up and struck the other end of the shed. We thought the end was gone out of the shed! And then she exploded and she went from that" (Heath, 1991).

The fire engulfed the whole area. Three paper sheds, eight box cars, 5,000 tons of newsprint, and the new firefighting pumper truck were all destroyed within minutes.

During the course of the fire, the Artensis was towed out from the wharf by the freighter the San Juan Trader. The Artensis had a crew consisting of 27 men along with two women. According to an article in the Evening Telegram, August 18, 1961, one of the crewmen was reported to have said, "We've lost everything, the ship was our home."

Burning material was blown inland and scattered over the smoke-covered town. T. W. Antle told the Evening Telegram that, at the height of the blaze with such high winds blowing, concern was felt for the whole town and the heavily wooded area leading to Northern Arm.

Though flames spread along several hundred feet of wharf, the property owned by the Buchans unit of American Mining and Smelting Company escaped damage. Three hours after the fire started, it was under control. The next morning the sheds continued to spark, ventilated by strong offshore winds. The remains of charred beams and steel smouldered for several days.

Homes owned by Alex Nichols and Cyril Boone were destroyed in the waterfront fire. Several other homes in the area were damaged by blowing embers.

Mr. Nichols still feels a sense of anxiety about his loss. At the time it was hard to watch his home go up in flames. He said, "When you're standing up and watching everything you got goin' up in flames, 'tis no way to explain that anyhow" (Heath, 1991).
 
 

Some newspaper articles in the days following the fire speculated that the fire would put the men out of work for a long time. It was thought that repairs to the wharf and sheds would take up to six months. However, the Company's business was moved to another wharf and ships were loaded from there. Though things looked bleak to the men employed on the waterfront at the time, no working time was lost. Work continued on the waterfront while repairs were made to restore the premises. The waterfront employees participated in the rebuilding process. Mr. George Woolridge, employee, said "we went to work after with contractors and built a new wharf and shed" (Heath, 1991). In two years, the wharf and sheds were completely restored, better than ever before.

From Trains to Trucks  (back to top)

In 1974 Abitibi Price calculated that if it converted to trucks, it could cut transportation costs in half; in time this was proven right. The cost of changing over from trains to trucks was completely paid for in four years, including the purchase of 20 trucks. Twenty truckers and six maintenance men replaced the 68 needed by the railway to perform the same tasks.
 
 

The management of Abitibi Price had no regrets about the loss of the GFCR. The handling of paper became much easier all around, especially the loading and unloading. It was and still is a more flexible means of transport.

A way of life started by the A.N.D. Company, and continued by Price Pulp & Paper Limited, ended in 1977 after 69 years. The last run of the trains was made on June 29, 1977. The railway was abandoned, due to its high cost, in favour of transport trucks.

With the railway no longer in use, the equipment, including three diesel-electric locomotives, box cars, and oil tank cars were sold and shipped to Costa Rica to extend the existing railway in that country. The remaining railway track was removed and sold for scrap iron (Rockwood, 1989).
 
 

The presence of the A.N.D. Company in the town of Botwood promoted the construction of schools, water and sewerage facilities, paved roads, electricity, and a better way of life for the people of this shipping port. In 1975 Abitibi Price Company acquired controlling interest in the Price Company and in 1980 the name of the company was changed to Abitibi Price. This Company is still prominent in Botwood today.
 
 

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