Deep and Sheltered Waters by David R. Gray

Author:David R. Gray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Royal British Columbia Museum
Published: 2020-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

The schooner Laurel Whalen as a floating cannery in 1928. BC Archives D-09060.

By 1920, Bamberton was preparing to reopen. BC Cement Company began advertising for “an experienced foreman for Limerock Quarry at Bamberton” in September. An article about how Vancouver Island’s cement industry had “suddenly struck a vein of prosperity” appeared in the Financial Post of Toronto in the fall of that year. Among other things, the BC Cement Company had gained a distinct advantage over other Pacific districts producing cement because of its tidewater location and easy access to sea transportation. In the past year, the cement company had shipped 7,000 barrels of cement to Australia and another 3,000 to South American ports.

At the same time, smaller freighting vessels such as the Trader and Grainer were busily carrying cement from Tod Inlet to Victoria’s outer wharf for loading onto transoceanic ships, including the Iris bound for Cuba and Talthybius bound for China. Cement was also being shipped to Bellingham, Washington, where the local cement company was partially shut down for repairs.73

The CPR liner Princess Mary—later the famous Princess Mary Restaurant in Victoria—sailed from Victoria to Tod Inlet in May 1921 to take on a consignment of cement bound for Vancouver. The entire passenger accommodation on the ship was booked for the trip, which continued north to Alaska after dropping its cargo in Vancouver.74

When Bamberton reopened in 1921, Tod Inlet was indeed running out of limestone. This was seen as an opportune time to reduce the older plant’s capacity, with a view to closing down and making Bamberton the only production facility. As the limestone deposits at Tod Inlet were used up, the cement production was transferred to Bamberton, and in June 1921, the Tod Inlet plant and quarries would close.

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