117

Construction
1914
Iroquois Falls, Ontario, Canada

118

Chronological Order of Events

1909- F.H. Anson gave two university students $1000, to prospect for gold. They returned a year later with no gold, but had found an abundance of lumber, perfect to open a mill.

1910- Anson investigated the site and lumber properties.

1911- Anson continued with his investigation.

1912- Anson sends several experts to Iroquois Falls mill site. Ansons dream of Abitibi Pulp and Paper Co. Ltd. became known as "Anson's Folly". Abitibi received one million acres of land.

1912- The begining of Abitibi Pulp and Paper Company. Abitibi receives 1 million acres of land, and on August 15th, 1912 the right to cut pulpwood on a certain area situated on the Abitibi Lakes and River, was granted to Shirley Ogilive and Frank Harris Anson. The grantees paid $25,000 to the government to cover the first five year period. They were to construct a Mill valued at $500,000.

1913- The clearing of land for Iroquois Falls was started. This was one of the first new paper mills built in Canada. There was a bank of Ottawa established beside the mill offices. The dam was built. Thomas Adams a qualified planner came to plan Ontario's "model town"

1913- In February, men started clearing the site for Iroquois Falls. Also the T.& N.O. rail line was being built to Iroquois Falls. The first train arrived in September, with the steel needed to build the roof of the mill. During the winter the land was cleared for the present site of the mill. One million dollars in Abitibi stock was offered to the public, but was later postponed because of bad market conditions.

1914- February 25th, the mills name was changed to Abitibi Power and Paper Co. Ltd.. The foundation for the Paper Mill were started and the Sulphite plant building begun. The company also started a dairy and a farm at the bottom of Buckingham Avenue for its employees in Iroquois Falls. Aug.4th, the first pulp was produced. The newsprint output for that year was 470,000 tons. The first three houses were built in town on Buckingham Avenue. The first hotel was built. The protestant Church started services in this year. There were already thirty or more houses standing in Ansonville. The first telegraph started operating in this year.

1915- On May 10th, the Ladies Aid Organization was formed, and the first railway station was built. The people were aloud to elect their own mayor and council. On June 4th, the town was incorporated. The first Mayor was Samuel McCoubrey. Two paper machines in the mill began production in June, and on July 11th the first newsprint was produced. The employees of the mill joined a union, that year. On October 11th, the first Public School opened, there were twenty-three students.

1916- The Abitibi Mercantile store was built (later burned down in 1966), and the first four giant paper machines were installed early in the year. On July 25th a disastrous fire burnt the chapel. On the 29th, the fire destroyed thirty-five houses in Iroquois Falls and all of Ansonville.

1917- Forty-five new houses were built. The first grocery store was built in Ansonville, and was opened by the Trembleys. It was situated on Main street. The first restaurant, clothing store, and St. Mark's Anglican Church were also built during 1917.

1918- A group of Russians settled in Ansonville. The net earnings of the mill that year were $1,643,653. In this year a group of people came to town from Twin Falls with the flu, it spread through town causing an epidemic. One man and his son cared for eighty people. Classes from the public school overflowed into the Orange hall.

1919- Fifty more houses were built. The Royal Bank of Canada was built on April 23rd. A bowling alley and pool hall were built. There were 250 people on the voter's list with only one woman on it; Mrs. Frank Scott. The production of newsprint reached 70,000 tons per year.

1920- The North Star Theatre was built and the first women's Athletics Movement was started. In August, a fire burned twenty-five houses in Iroquois Falls. An electrical system was installed in Ansonville for three blocks. The National Pharmacy, an Army and Navy store was opened. The Abitibi limits were estimated to contain over five million cords of spruce and other woods suitable for pulpwood and paper-making.

1921- The post office was opened in Ansonville, as well as the St. Anne's Separate School in Iroquois Falls. The Ansonville Branch of the Royal Bank opened July 21st. The Iroquois Falls Amateur Athletic Association was formed. In the winter the girls hockey team won supreme honours, in Northern Ontario. The Iroquois Falls Continuation School began classes. The mill production doubled with the installation of three new paper machines. A dam and powerhouse were built at Twin Falls giving 30,000 horsepower. The mill went on strike and closed down for a few months during this year.

1922- There were seven machines running in the mill, and three of them were the largest in the world. The mill was producing 50 tons of newsprint a day. The Iroquois Falls mill was called the largest on the Continent. A railway was built to the logging camps, and a hockey rink was erected. A few people in town bought cars. Twenty-five more houses were built.

1923- The United Church and Fire Hall were built. In the winter a larger power plant was put in at Twin Falls. A telephone system was installed by a private company of residents. The Argyle Hotel burnt. On November 1st Mr. Frank Harris Anson died at the age of 61yrs.

1924- The mill capacity increased by 300 tons daily. The power increased by 30,000 horsepower. Abitibi was listed under the New York Stock Exchange. In the spring a sewer system was built in Ansonville.

1925- By this year Ansonville and Montrock both had piped drinking water, and sewage facilities. On this year the Victoria Community was renamed to Montrock.

1926- Abitibi's net profit for this year was $2,961,995.

1927- The Financial Times stated that Abitibi's assets totalled over $178,000,000. Abitibi had, at the time, 35% of the total investment in the Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry.

1928- The Ukrainian Hall, the Funeral Home and the first public school in Ansonville were built. The last Caribou in this area was sighted at Lake Abitibi. A road was built linking Iroquois Falls and Cochrane. Abitibi took over -Spanish River Pulp and Paper Mills Ltd., Manitoba Paper Mill at Pine Falls, Fort William Power Co. Fort William, St Annes's Paper Co. at Beaupre, Murray Bay Paper Co. Murray Bay. The net profit for Abitibi this year was $4,562,855.

1929- Abitibi acquired the General Power and Paper Co. Ltd. in conjunction with Canada Power and Paper Corporation. They also bought the Provincial Paper Ltd.

1930- In January Abitibi Head Office was moved from Montreal to Toronto.

1931- The Ansonville branch of the Royal Bank closed.

1932- On September 10th Abitibi went bankrupt and into receivership on September 10, 1932. A receiver was appointed which lasted until 1946. During this time no new equipment or buildings were made to the mill.

1935- The old Iroquois Falls public school became a high school.

1936- The Iroquois Falls Municipal Airport was built.

1939- During the war the school played a significant role through their cadet corps training, the operation of an aircraft, a spotting group, and the sale of war savings stamps. One hundred and ninety-four former Iroquois Falls high school students served in the Canadian Armed Forces and sixteen of them made supreme sacrifices.

1940- In August, soldiers found themselves homes in Iroquois Falls, and were helped by local people. The streets were snow ploughed for the very first time that year.

1944- The Caisse Populaire was built. The first motorized snow plough was brought to town.

1946- The student population at the high school was 213 and the staff was ten. In May the T. Gibbens Tug Boat was launched at the Low Bush River.

1947- The Iroquois Falls newsprint capability was 195,700 tons annually. The board machine at the mill was speeded up and produced a better quality board. the Gibbens Tugboat was launched at the Low Bush River

1948- A construction program on the mill was started. A major portion of it being done on the grinder room. An Honourable Monument was built in town to honour the soldiars of the two wars.

1949- The new grinder room, screen room, and wood room at the mill were put into production. Construction on the new Powerhouse was started. The Catholic Church in Ansonville was built.

1950- All additions and renovations to the Iroquois Falls mill were finished including new boilers. The net profit for the period between reorganization and the year ending May 1st
1950, was $92,134,420. The net profit for this year was $22,863,833.

1951- The forty hour week was introduced to Iroquois Falls. Additional houses were built for Abitibi employees.

1953- Abitibi built a Fire Hall in Ansonville.

1954- Railroad spur line to camps were replaced by roads. Ambulance services began.

1955- The largest volunteer project of that era in Canada began with the building of the Community Arena. The arena was built by public subscription and volunteer labour.

Further reading about the history of the town of Iroquois Falls and the Paper Mill can be viewed on the Iroquois Falls Pioneer Museum website.