Before Ottawa became Canada’s capital, it was Canada’s timber capital. The massive log booms floating down the Ottawa River, the roar of sawmills, and the wealth of lumber barons defined the region for decades. This industry built fortunes, attracted thousands of workers, and shaped the city’s character in ways still visible today.
The Ottawa timber trade created the economic foundation upon which the capital was built. Understanding this history explains much about how Ottawa developed.
Key Highlights
TL;DR: The Ottawa Valley timber trade dominated the region from the 1800s to early 1900s. Giant timber rafts floated down the Ottawa River to Quebec City for export to Britain. Lumber barons like J.R. Booth and E.B. Eddy built empires. The industry employed thousands but also brought violence and environmental damage.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Peak Era | 1850s-1900s |
| 📍 Centre | Ottawa/Hull/Chaudière Falls |
| 🎟️ Export Route | Ottawa River to Quebec City |
| ⏰ Main Market | British Empire |
The Birth of an Industry
Why Ottawa?
The Ottawa Valley was perfectly positioned for timber:
Natural Advantages:
- Vast forests of white pine
- Ottawa River provided transportation
- Rapids powered sawmills
- Access to British markets via St. Lawrence
The Trees:
- White pine: tall, straight, strong
- Perfect for ship masts and lumber
- Some trees over 200 feet tall
- Seemingly endless supply
Early Beginnings
The timber trade predated the canal:
Philemon Wright:
- American settler who arrived 1800
- First to raft timber to Quebec (1806)
- Founded Hull (across from Ottawa)
- Pioneer of the industry
Growth:
- British demand for ship timber
- Napoleonic Wars cut off Baltic supply
- Canadian timber filled the gap
- Industry exploded after 1810
Illustrative image only.
How the Trade Worked
Harvesting
Timber cutting was winter work:
The Camps:
- Remote forest locations
- Men lived in rough shanties
- Worked through brutal winters
- Cut trees with axe and saw
The Workers:
- French-Canadian habitants
- Irish immigrants
- Indigenous guides and workers
- Seasonal employment
The Work:
- Felling giant pines
- Squaring timber with broadaxe
- Hauling logs to waterways
- Dangerous, exhausting labour
The River Drive
Spring brought the log drive:
The Process:
- Snow melt floated logs downstream
- Raftsmen guided timber
- Logs assembled into massive rafts
- Journey to Quebec could take weeks
The Dangers:
- Log jams could be deadly
- Cold water, fast rapids
- Accidents common
- Many men died in the drives
The Rafts
Timber rafts were remarkable:
Construction:
- Logs bound together into “cribs”
- Cribs assembled into larger rafts
- Some rafts covered acres
- Carried crews and supplies
Sliding the Chutes:
- Chaudière Falls blocked navigation
- Timber slides bypassed falls
- Spectacular, dangerous descent
- Essential infrastructure
The Lumber Barons
J.R. Booth
The greatest of Ottawa’s lumber kings:
Rise to Power:
- Arrived in Ottawa 1852
- Started with one mill
- Built an empire
- Became Canada’s wealthiest man
His Empire:
- Controlled vast timber limits
- Owned sawmills at Chaudière
- Built his own railway (Canada Atlantic)
- Employed thousands
Legacy:
- Booth Street named for him
- Booth family donated parkland
- Defined Ottawa’s industrial era
- Died 1925 at age 98
E.B. Eddy
Another industrial titan:
His Story:
- Ezra Butler Eddy arrived 1851
- Started making matches in Hull
- Expanded into paper and lumber
- Built massive industrial complex
The Eddy Company:
- Major employer for generations
- Matches, paper, lumber products
- Survived the 1900 fire
- Operated until 1998 (Domtar acquisition)
Others
More lumber barons shaped the region:
- The Bronson family
- The Perley family
- The Edwards family
- Multiple smaller operators
Impact on Ottawa
Economic Engine
Lumber drove Ottawa’s economy:
Employment:
- Thousands worked in mills
- More in camps and on drives
- Supporting businesses thrived
- Women worked in ancillary roles
Wealth:
- Created local millionaires
- Funded civic development
- Built grand houses
- Supported philanthropy
Social Consequences
The industry also brought problems:
The Shiners’ War:
- Violent conflict 1830s-1840s
- Irish vs. French-Canadian workers
- Gang warfare in the streets
- Murder and mayhem
Working Conditions:
- Dangerous work
- Poor pay for labourers
- Seasonal unemployment
- Limited worker protections
Inequality:
- Vast gap between owners and workers
- Barons lived in mansions
- Workers in crowded housing
- Class tensions persistent
Illustrative image only.
The Chaudière District
Industrial Heart
Chaudière Falls powered the industry:
The Location:
- Falls provided water power
- Mills lined both shores
- Hull and Ottawa sides developed
- Industrial complex grew massive
What Was There:
- Multiple sawmills
- Paper mills later added
- Match factories
- Supporting industries
Danger and Disaster
The Chaudière was also dangerous:
Fire Risk:
- Sawdust and wood everywhere
- Mills burned repeatedly
- Great Fire of 1900 started here
- Constant threat
Pollution:
- Sawdust choked the river
- Smoke filled the air
- No environmental regulations
- Long-term damage
Decline of the Trade
Why It Ended
Several factors ended the timber boom:
Forest Depletion:
- Best trees cut first
- Had to go further for timber
- Quality declined
- Supply became difficult
Market Changes:
- British demand decreased
- American forests competed
- Steel replaced wood in ships
- New materials emerged
Transition:
- Lumber gave way to pulp and paper
- Sawmills converted or closed
- Employment patterns changed
- New industries emerged
What Replaced It
The region adapted:
- Government employment grew
- Service sector expanded
- High-tech industry eventually arrived
- Tourism developed
Legacy Today
What Remains
Traces of the timber era survive:
Chaudière Falls:
- Now being redeveloped (Zibi)
- Some historic structures preserved
- Interpretive elements planned
- Industrial heritage recognized
Street Names:
- Booth Street
- Bronson Avenue
- Various roads named for lumber families
Museums:
- Bytown Museum covers the era
- Canadian Museum of History
- Various interpretive sites
In Popular Memory
The timber trade lives in:
- Local folklore and stories
- Family histories
- Historical photographs
- Community identity
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I see any original lumber mills? A: Most mills are gone, but the Chaudière area retains some industrial structures. The Zibi development is incorporating some heritage elements. Watson’s Mill in Manotick (a grist mill) gives a sense of 19th-century milling.
Q: Where did the lumber go? A: Most was exported to Britain via Quebec City. Some was processed locally for construction. As the industry evolved, pulp and paper products also shipped worldwide.
Q: How long did the log drives last? A: The spring log drive could take weeks, depending on water levels and distance. The last major Ottawa River log drive occurred in 1994, ending a centuries-old tradition.
Q: What happened to the lumber baron families? A: Many remained prominent. Some families continued in business, others became philanthropists. Streets, parks, and institutions bear their names throughout Ottawa.
Q: Was the timber trade environmentally destructive? A: Yes. Old-growth forests were devastated, river ecosystems damaged by sawdust and log drives, and air quality poor from mill operations. Environmental understanding was minimal in that era.
Final Thoughts
The Ottawa timber trade built this city—literally. The wealth generated by lumber funded construction, attracted workers, and created the economic base that helped Ottawa become a viable capital city.
But the timber era was also marked by exploitation: of forests cleared without thought for the future, of workers who labored in dangerous conditions for modest pay, of a river choked with sawdust and pollution. The contrast between the lumber barons’ mansions and their workers’ hovels reminds us that industrial prosperity has always been unevenly shared.
Today, as the Chaudière district transforms from industrial site to residential neighbourhood, Ottawa has a chance to honour this history while moving forward. The roar of sawmills has faded, but the Ottawa River still flows past where timber rafts once floated. And the city they helped build stands as the lasting legacy of the timber trade era.
Source: Historical Society of Ottawa, Library and Archives Canada, Bytown Museum - Compiled for Via Ottawa readers.
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