Sigurd Hage’s time in Port Moody
During the 1900s, logging in Port Moody was a major industry that greatly influenced the area’s development: shaping its landscape and community. The industry expanded rapidly due to the construction boom. Lumber in particular was in demand for wharves, round houses, bunkhouses, storehouses as well as millions of railway ties, bridges, and trestles. Logging camps were quickly established during this time where the loggers both lived and worked. The mills provided hundreds of jobs and contributed to the growth of the city.
In 1923 a logger by the name of Sigurd Hage moved to Port Moody in the hopes of making his fortune by supplying logs to the local sawmills. In 1910, Sigurd had made the move from Seattle, Washington, to Campbell River B.C. Sigurd logged in Campbell River for a decade, then moved his family to Port Moody which was well known as a mill town.
Hage Family history:
Sigurd Hage was born July 15,1882, in Madela, Minnesota.
He was the son of Seuer Jorgensen and Ingri Serumgard Hage, both originally from Norway.
He had two sisters; Anna, and Karn and a brother named Emil.
He attended Annapolis Naval Academy but his eyesight was poor and he had to leave the academy.
He married Mary Adeline Evans in 1911, in Seattle Washington.
They had five children; Sigurd Danielle, Robert Evans, George Hampton, Siver Hage, and Mary Adeline.
He was a member of the Forest Club at the University of Washington in 1915.
He was a resident of Port Moody from 1923 to 1929 and then moved his family back to Seattle, Washington.
He died in 1941.
January 24,1923
Material republished with the express permission of: The Vancouver Sun, a division of "Postmedia Network Inc.”
Noted in the book, Burke and Widgeon written by Lyle Litzenberger,
In the fall of 1921, the Thurston-Flavelle Lumber Company purchased rights to timber tracks a few miles to the north and east of the mill. The mill had some major damage from some fires a few years earlier and had to rebuild some of their structures. They updated and expanded the mill in 1922. Figuring out how to get the timber to the mill was their next step.
Sigurd Hage with his excellent reputation came upon the scene.
In the below articles written on January 24 and 25, 1923:
The Thurston-Flavelle Lumber Company is shown to have purchased equipment from the Smith Dollar Timber Company and they were in talks of leasing the equipment to Sigurd Hage. Sigurd negotiated with Aird Flavelle and bought two tracts of their timber by January of 1923.
January 25, 1923
Material republished with the express permission of: The Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.”
In 1923, Sigurd Hage hired well known photographer Leonard Frank to take photos of his Logging operations.
(photo credit: Leonard Frank, pictures courtesy of Flavelle Mill, owned by Mill and Timber)
The photos feature the two cedar lots that Hage was logging, the camp and cookhouse.
Sigurd Hage is seen on bottom left of picture, sitting
Material republished with the express permission of: The Province, May 2 1923, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.”
May 16, 1923, The Province
As of May 1,1923, Hage and Timber Company had already constructed two miles of railroad, two bridges, and logged four million feet of timber.
Photo: PMHS 1984.103.001
ROE RESIDENCE
Sigurd Hage and his family moved into the Roe Residence in the summer of 1923. They had a creek running alongside the house, a view of the inlet from their house and a terrace on the side. There were fruit trees, and a bridge that crossed the creek.
Heritage Fact:
The Roe Residence was designated a heritage site on October 16, 1978. According to the Port Moody City Heritage Inventory, “ at the time of construction (1910) this was the grandest, most expensive house in the City. It is a beautifully detailed example of a foursquare style, and included some very grand touches, such as a large encircling verandah, paired turned columns and projecting second floor bays”.
September 20, 1923
Material republished with the express permission of: The Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.”
June 4, 1924, The Daily Province
Everything was going well for Sigurd Hage until June of 1924.
According to the Daily Province on the evening of June 3, 1924, a forest fire broke out in the area between Port Moody and Port Coquitlam. “The Hage Logging camp, and its equipment, including its logging railway, and limits between Port Coquitlam and Port Moody were destroyed in the blaze which overran the whole hilly district between the two places and lit up the sky for a distance of twenty five miles”.
In the Vancouver Sun dated June 5, 1924, it is noted that 150 men were needed to fight the blaze that was raging on both sides of the Coquitlam River and heading toward the Pitt River.
The Hage Timber & Investment Company lost their entire logging camp and seven miles of railway.
In the Vancouver Sun dated June 6, 1924, Sigurd Hage’s employees were setting up a temporary camp to resume his operation.
June 5, 1924, Vancouver Sun
June 6, 1924, Vancouver Sun
June 10, 1924, Vancouver Sun
August 1925, Vancouver Sun
In 1925, there was a collaboration among logging companies to promote fire safety, preventing another situation like this from happening again.
August 1927, Vancouver Sun
July 1928, Vancouver Sun
June 1929, Vancouver Sun
The need to begin educating the public was clear. Preventative measures were needed and advertisements were one quick way to begin.
FACT :
Wildfires occur every year in communities across Canada.
Fire departments now make community outreach and education on fire prevention a year round priority. They do this through public events, visiting schools, and hosting annual fire prevention weeks. To learn about our local fire department’s involvement in the community visit:
https://www.portmoody.ca/en/city-services/fire-and-home-safety.aspx
A Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System was also created to inform the public about the danger level and probability of fires throughout the year.
To learn more about the rating system:
