NW Logging Memorial- Usk BC

Usk, British Columbia, Canada

Please note- This is NOT an Official Web Site for this Memorial, It is only part of my series of Local History Pages.
As it stands now this page will record the Dedication Ceremony only.
I am NOT part of the Official Memorial Building Group, This is only a page to help the promotion and awareness of the Memorial.

Located 12 miles east of Terrace BC
Beside the famous little Usk Pioneer Chapel

This Memorial and the Church are both on Private Property.
Please respect their Property, Church, and the Memorial.

Latitude- 54º 38' N,
Longitude- 128º 25' W

Memorial dedicated to those who died while working in the Forestry Sector in Northwest BC

Like all occupations, a person working for a living, should not die from doing their job.

Logger's Memorial at Usk

A plaque affixed to one of the boulders at the Memorial, reads
“In Memory of those who lost their lives in the Forest Industry.”

Dedication Ceremony was held Apr 27, 2014, at 2 pm

Hard Hats and saw hanging in a tree, a symbol of a logger's death at that spot.

Frank Donahue gave a very good speech on the reason for the Memorial.
Please click on link below to read that.
I also understand others had some input in the speech.
Tribute to Loggers.pdf

Some of those involved in the construction, per the local newspaper article in Apr 2014,
Brian Lecleir, Bill McRae Jr., and Doug Suttis

Joerg Jung, aka: JJ, aka: JJ's Woodart
carved a logger, from a stump of a cedar tree,
and it is now located just off highway 16,
near the Stone Memorial above,
Just West of the Usk Pioneer Church.
It is worth the trip to see it in person.

Before the Unveiling

The Artist with his work

Carving modelled after Harry (Slim) Wesley Varner
his son Don Varner, is standing by the carving.
Slim came from Pennsylvania, USA in the early days, and worked as a teamster, at various mines and sawmills in the Usk area.

I have decided to not put the list of men on this site, until the memorial is completed.

I understand a permanent brass plaque will eventually be placed on the memorial, when all the correct names are collected.
So any changes and corrections, are important before that happens.
When the Brass Plaque is installed, I will add a photo here.
At that point it will be Public, and part of History.

I think it was also causing confusion with 2 or 3 lists floating around.
The builders at Usk will be the one and only contact.

I encourage families to submit their names to the Memorial, In honour of their Son, Father, Grandfather, Husband, etc.
Most of these men are buried all over the north, and this gives their friends, and fellow workers, one place to come and pay their respects.
It is a good cause, and hope the builders get the credit they deserve.

I gave the list I compiled, as of May 20, 2014, to the Memorial builders at Usk.

Memorial signs above, from the Dedication, May 9th,
More names have been added since.
Note- A few names and dates are wrong in the photos.
Correct spellings have been submitted.