July 29, 2010
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Earlier years saw the east side of Montreal Lake as the hunting and trapping grounds of the Cree Indians. Following these years, the white man appeared as an explorer then the fur trade occurred bringing the Hudson's Bay Company and various French companies. Later, the missionaries established residence. A regular trade route was established on the Churchill River between Montreal Lake, Lac La Ronge and Stanley Mission due to the major waterways. During the years 1870 to 1890 the migration patterns of the Cree people began to change and permanent settlements were established at the south end or Montreal Lake and the north end or Molanosa. Between 1890 and 1910 an overland passage began and completed from Prince Albert to present day Wsakesiu. From Waskesiu to the south end there was a trail and from the south end travel was by canoe to La Ronge. During the winter, travel was by the Montreal Portage. The trail was cut from the north end directly to La Ronge. Sometime between 1910 and 1920 a horse trail was built to the south end and extended to La Ronge for freighting purposes. It was during this time Timber Bay arose to what it is today. On this trail there were horse barns about every 25 miles meaning there would be a horse barn at mile 75 or present day Timber Bay. The area had begun to open up for trading furs and having a choice in trading with the Revillon trading post or the Hudson's Bay Company post. Taxi trips could be made from Prince Albert to Waskesiu in a Model T Ford. Regular air travel begun between Prince Albert and La Ronge in 1925. A man named R.D. Brooks began freighting the area around the 1920, frequently freighting from Prince Albert to La Ronge. R.D. Brooks seemed to have the most profound effect upon the Montreal Lake area, particularly Timber Bay for he had a horse barn established in Timber Bay. The meadow near Big Island was used as a source of hay. To this day, a mower still sits in the middle of the muskeg. During the 1920's, the native people in the area relied on hunting, fishing and trapping of the traditional life. More and more trading posts were established when the road opened up. Around 1936 Mr. Laginier started a trading post in what is now Timber Bay. He married a local woman from Montreal Lake. The late thirties saw logging as a major activity. R.D. Brooks established a sawmill at the south end of Montreal Lake. Logs were hauled from the bush to Montreal Lake in the winter and left on the ice. The logs were boomed when the ice broke up and floated to Brooks mill. The remains of this mill can be seen at the south end in the form of a huge sawdust pile. Brooks continued to freight and operate the sawmill with his brother Floyd. A house was built in Timber Bay for Floyd by a man named Bruch. The remains of the house still stands in the form of a fireplace and rotted logs where the present day ice house is. The house also served as Timber Bay's first school house during the 1940's. It was in 1940 that Henry Fournier from Quebec came on the scene. He married Joyce Sheppard of Tweedsmiur and moved to Montreal Lake, then to Timber Bay in 1941. In 1942 Fournier bought Laginier's store. By 1947, Fournier had built a garage, a store, a coffee bar, and gas pumps. He had house built during the same year. Fournier was also employed by the Department of Natural Resources as a maintenance foreman and grader operator. Tom Beatty later took over the job. With the influx of disease, particularly tuberculosis, many people were struck with it and sent to the Prince Albert Sanitorium. The first teacher in Timber Bay was Bernard McIntyre who moved in 1951-52. The second teacher was Elsie Sawatsky in 1952-53. McIntyre taught in the house with the fireplace built for Floyd Brooks. Sawatsky taught in the church. The third teacher was Bill Harrison of 1953-54 teaching in a log cabin converted into a school room. In 1954 the government built a school in Timber Bay. Today, it serves as a home for Tom Beatty. Albert and Ida Henderson and family arrived in Timber Bay to become permanent residents in 1954. During the late fifties the Timber Bay Trading Post and Coffee Bar made their appearance. The building was bought from Tweedsmiur and moved. It was in the late sixties Burt Carl bought the coffee bar and moved it to present day Timber Cove. In 1977 Carl sold it to Wayne McDowell who is the present owner. Electric power services came into existence in 1971 with the installation of power lines. Employment opportunities arose in various areas such as the Weyakwin sawmill, pulp and paper, log cutting, commercial fishing, trapping, and housing. A community hall was built in 1977 along with a skating rink which was completed in 1979. For a list of businesses in Timber Bay, click here. For the Environment Canada weather forecast for Timber Bay, click here. | |||||||
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Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not. -George Bernard Shaw |
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