This series documents the engineering work carried on by the company in relation to the development on the Lower North Shore and the maintenance and modifications of their paper mills. It complements the records in the Research Files Series, the records on microfilms and the photographic records. Indeed, in conjunction with microfilms, carthographic, technical and architectural drawings, it provides an almost complete record of the engineering and maintenance work done at the company facilities from 1930 to 1983. This is a remarkable record of engineering that can serve as an example of best practice for the Canadian pulp and paper industry as a whole. The most significant subjects covered in this series are: the construction of the McCormick Dam on the Manicouagan River, the planning of a chrome reduction facility at Baie Comeau and the development of paper making from late 1940s to the early 1970s. The dam project and the chrome reduction plant reflect the Colonel's long term plans for the Lower North Shore.
This series reveals that the pre-war development of Baie Comeau was based on the dam and power plant on the Rivière aux Outardes. Planning for future exploitation of the Manicouagan began during the Second World War (see files from vol. 25296 to vol. 25297, and vol. 25452 file 4 "Preliminary Report First Falls Dam"). After 1945, work on the project took on a more urgent tone as it is noted in the various reports in vol. 25452 files 5-21. The actual construction of the McCormick Dam can be found in vol. 25453 files 1-3. Further studies included the examination of damming Lake Pletipi, at the head waters of the Outardes to create more storage facilities and better control the flow of the river, vol. 25453 files 11-16. Before the company convinced British Aluminum to set up a smelter in Baie Comeau, it attempted to get the French aluminum producer Pechiney to invest in a chrome reduction smelter. Intensive meetings took place with Pechiney representatives through the winter and spring of 1952 (see memo from Garlow to Schmon, 6 Feb. 1952, vol. 25460 file 16). But correspondence shows that problems developed about where to build the smelter and other aspects of the development (Edouard Fiset to B. Panet-Raymond, 20 Feb 1952, and Bert Jones to Schmon 14 Apr 1952, vol. 25460 file 6). By June 1952, Schmon's interest in the project had cooled considerably after he had received reports saying that the chrome market had peaked and that rates of return were low (see the correspondence between Gralow to Schmon, 23 May 1952, in vol. 25460 file 6).
This series also documents the company's efforts to keep up to date with making paper making technology. Of particular importance are the reports produced by consulting firm of Beecher & Sandwell (subsequently Sandwell & Co.), 1949-1961 and 1982 (see vol. 25490 to 25491 file 8 and microfilm reels 113-v and 175), research reports from the Pulp & Paper Research Institute of Canada, 1959 to 1972 (vol. 25491 file 9 to vol. 25492) and the technical and architectural drawings. The company kept voluminous types records of all maintenance and modifications undertaken at its two mills at Baie Comeau and Thorold. For example, see R. N. Millman's files, 1975-1983, vol. 25471 file 16 to vol. 25477 file 19; his earlier files on 48 reels of microfilm, 1950-1976, reels 282-330; and the "pink copies" memos, etc. from Millman's office, 1977-1983, vol. 25495 file 9 to vol. 25496 file 7. For an earlier run of these engineering and maintenance records, 1937-1975, see microfilm reels 1-v to 20-v and reel 215 to 230.
The microfilm reels, when used in conjunction with the other series, provide a complete engineering record for both the Baie Comeau and Thorold mills from at least 1930 through the late 1970s. As such, this is an outstanding record of two paper mills that is representative of the best engineering practices in this major Canadian industry. Without the engineering effort documented here, Colonel McCormick's ambitions to develop a Canadian newsprint supply for his newspapers would never have come to fruition.
These microfilms furnish a complete record of the construction and operation of the Baie Comeau mill and town-site. Every detail is covered here. For example see microfilm reels 231 and 232 for specifications for such items as cranes, pipes and building material while the building contracts are on reels 232 to 235. The construction and early operational files for Baie Comeau can be found on reels 38V to 67V. Other operational and maintenance files on microfilm are mentioned in the Engineering Records series.
The photographs albums in this sub-series document the construction and engineering work carried on by and for the Company in Quebec and Ontario. This sub-series should be considered as an integral part of the engineering records files. As such these photographs provide visual evidence of the Company's construction and engineering accomplishments. Together with the textual engineering records and the technical and architectural drawings, they are perhaps the most complete record of construction engineering extant for the Canadian pulp and paper industry. The Company's most significant construction projects are recorded in these images. The following projects are covered:
Building of the Baie Comeau mill and town (multiple albums scrapbooks, and prints including aerial views);
Dams on the Outardes and on the Manicouagan Rivers;
Expansion of the Baie Comeau mill, post-1945;
Construction of the British Aluminum smelter at Baie Comeau;
New wharves at Baie Comeau, 1961-1962;
Installation of an additional paper machine at Baie Comeau, 1963-1964;
Alcohol plant at the Thorold mill;
Vanillin plant at the Thorold mill;
Construction of the plant and townsite at Heron Bay.
The photographs in this sub-series are described in more detailed the finding aid. The images begin with the early exploration work on the Lower North Shore and continue to the building of the new mill at Thorold. The sub-series contains prints and negatives taken by professional photographers including George Hunter, W. E. Shore, Business and Industrial, Malak and Jean-Jacques Lavoie, and by Paul Provencher. The first 3 volumes of photographs in the sub-series contain albums with an assortment of construction photographs. The rest of the sub-series is broken down by location: Baie Comeau, Shelter Bay, Thorold and Heron Bay as well as by date within the location.
This sub-series contains also a large amount of cartographic, technical and architectural drawings. They are related to the development of machinery, its technology and engineering processes. Most of these drawings were annexed to studies and reports produced by the Engineering Department and contractors working for the company. Some drawings are also related to the building of Baie-Comeau and Thorold towns and mills including drawings of houses, machines, etc. The drawings were arranged in two classification systems by staff members of the department. Both systems were in used at the same time and they share similarities in naming conventions. However, staff members changed over the years and some drawings were integrated into this classification system without the numbering convention. Technical and architectural drawings produced in later years are identified by projects or contract.
Here below is an explanation of these two different systems used by the company. This will allow researchers to understand the finding aid produced by Library and Archives Canada which list each original item with its naming convention.
The first system of classification was reserved for drawings created by engineers in Thorold and later, by engineers in Baie-Comeau. It consists of 17,975 items and they are numbered according to a straight numeric sequence essentially in chronological order (e.g.: TE2-501-1 for "structure-paper loading dock" drawing). This system also includes several hundred of drawings numbered differently but they were linked to it. The numbers are preceded by one, two or three letters. The first letter was used to identify the location, e.g.: "T" for Thorold, "O" for Outardes, "B" for Baie-Comeau, "W" for Outardes River hydro-electric development, "S" and "SK" for sketch. The second part of the system was used for indicating the size of drawings: "A" to "G" from the smallest to the largest sizes. The versions of drawings were identified by another letter. Most of drawings in this series are originals and were made by hand.
The second classification system for drawings is arranged by subjects and consists of 5,786 drawings produced by suppliers and contractors. This system was also used to identify the textual records files. Each textual file, technical and architectural drawing is identified either by a letter indicating the project and the place (e.g. "BG" Baie-Comeau, general) or by a title such as "Wood Room" or "Paper Storage Sheds", etc. The records in this system are related to the maintenance and the development of new machines reflecting the company's efforts to increase its technology to produce pulp and paper. Most of these drawings are photochemical reproductions.
Finally, Library and Archives Canada acquired the master list of these drawings on paper prepared by staffs of the Engineering Department from 1912 to 1988. They appears in 4 scrapbooks (see volumes 1 to 4). Drawings in these scrapbooks are arranged in chronological order and do not indicate whether they were all transferred to LAC.
