Description
Audio tape of Peter Handley interviewing Mac Mason.
In this interview Mac talks about numerous aspects of his life including work, sailing and the history of lumber mills on Lake Nipissing. Mac Mason was a captain, and his name was listed as Michael on his birth certificate when he was born in 1922, despite the fact his mother wanted him to be named Maxim, thus the nickname Mac stuck. Mason’s family moved from Quebec to Callander in 1922 after Mason’s father’s job went bad. Mason’s father worked at a pulp and paper mill in Quebec, and after moving to Callander, he continued to work in lumber business,
For example his father worked at JB Smith and retired from there.
Mason talks about that at that point there were 5 mills in the area. Mason discusses his own experience in working in mills since he was 12 and on boats and ships that assisted with the transportation of men and logs in the area. For example, at one point he worked with a jack ladder. Mason became full time in 1947 after obtaining his first mates ticket.
Mason also discussed the large presence of boats on lake nipissing related to the lumber mills in the 20s and 30s. At one point, there was 28 steam vessels on lake nipissing that were used for a variety of tasks including being used at the logging area for transport, for freight, and for towing logs. He also talked about how the lumber industry and the presence of mills started to break and disappear in the 20s. Many mills came and went on Lake Nipissing, including Canadian timber which burnt down in 1933, followed by another mill burning down in 1935. Fire was a significant and detrimental issue that plagued both mill and ships. Mason discusses the burning of the John Fraser. By the later 1930s lots of mills were gone due to as Mason said the the little fellows (small independent owned mills and lumber companies) could not compete against the big guy. However JB Smith would operate in Callander till 1968.
-lots of fire
Mason describes the many boats he has been the capital of including a steam driven alligator (which was a side wheeler), and the woodchuck, and last boat he captioned, the Siscan. He also discusses in detail the mechanism of this boat and how it helped with the logging process in connection with tugboats and how logs were towed in the lake. The last tow that took place on lake nipissing occurred in 1961. Mason describes this as a sad moment as that was his life and he enjoyed doing his job. Mason talked about many of his experiences including taking a boat up to North Bay in a snowstorm to be taken out of the water to be stored for the winter. As well as, how he had to save men off a sinking ship.
In the later of the interview he discussed numerous smaller topics such as uranium mining and the Chief Commanda.The Chief Commanda was the first diesel ship on Lake Nipissing, which they would then discuss how this would impact the production of boats and such. Mason however did not like The Chief Commanda because she was too pot bellied so to speak and that made it hard to steer. With Lake Nipissing being as unpredictable as it is because of its shallowness, in 15 minutes the lake could go calm to 6 ft swells. They concluded the interview by discussing how the first map of the lake was only being done in the 1950s. As well as touching on Mason’s job working for the government after his retirement.Creator
Peter Handley