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One Man's Passion - Chapter 2 - Hans Hoffmann at Work
May, 2011
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Graphic by Jennifer Chernecki

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The slow years of the 1930's were replaced with boom years during the war. The machine shop stayed busy with repairs and with the business of making donkey engines. Local farmers and mills and the brick yard in Maple Ridge were their best customers.
Hans' foray into the ditching business began soon after the second world war when he was inspired to build a better trenching machine that could lay tiles for the local brick yard. Over the next few years he built three of these machines, two on wheels and one on tracks known as the "Pitt Polder Special". These machines dug the trench, laid the drainage tiles and assisted with the back fill. Hans and his crew used them to drain land throughout the lower Fraser Valley and as far away as West Vancouver. At the same time he continued to run the shop. In the 1960's he ventured into the welding rod business hiring his friend Don Merkley to get the business up and running. Don stayed and ran the company, Staymet Alloys, for another 25 years.

Hans retired in 1977 at the age of 65. The ditching business was becoming more competitive and most of the good land had been drained. When Hans retired, his ditchers retired too. It was then he began his engine hobby with a passion.

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View of the Fairfield garage building soon after becoming the Hoffmann and Son machine shop.
Circa 1934
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Photograph taken by the Hoffmann family

4

View of Harris Road with the Hoffmann shop on left with the Imperial sign.
Circa 1950
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Photograph taken by Hoffmann family

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Jitney at Hoffmann and Son shop site.
Circa 1934
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

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This is the first fire truck in Pitt Meadows, built by Hans Hoffmann in 1942.
Circa 1980
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Photograph taken by Maple Ridge Gazette Newspaper

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Hans with acetylene welder in main area of shop.
Circa 1936
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

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Hans Hoffmann running the ditcher in a field, possibly in Sea Island.
Circa 1950
Sea Island, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Photograph taken by Hoffmann family

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'Pitt Polder Special' ditcher being loaded for the first time onto a truck.
1 May 1956
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Photograph taken by Hoffmann family

10

Frieda's ledger, where she carefully marked and recorded all of the shop's information.
Circa 1947
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Photograph taken by Sandra Borger

11

Hans on the small lathe in his shop.
Circa 1991
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Photograph by Simone Ponne
Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows News Newspaper

12

Hans with a grinder.
Circa 1991
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Photograph by Simone Ponne
Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows News Newspaper