Lumberjacks in the North

In three lumber camps in the Highlands Newfoundland woodsmen worked to increase the timber supply needed for Britain’s war effort. Around two thousand volunteers came to Scotland in 1940 after an appeal by the British Government on the outbreak of war. They were paid 8 shillings 2 pence a day compared to 4 or 5 dollars in Canada.

The lumberjacks quickly became part of the communities they lived in, visiting houses and attending social gatherings. They even put on an exhibition baseball match at the Clachnacuddin Football ground.

With so many local men away fighting it was inevitable that some of the local girls fell for the lumberjacks and went on to marry them. This meant that when the war was over many of them faced a new life in Canada.

To help them deal with this the Highland Canadians Wives’ Club was formed. This allowed members to find out about Canadian life through lectures, talks and watching films. The object of the clubs was to make the transition to the new life overseas as smooth and happy as possible.