Table of Contents
Aberdeen Station
Aberdeen Cannery, BC, Canada
alt- Aberdeen Cannery
alt- Windsor Cannery
Elevation- 19 ft above sea level
1717.3 miles from Winnipeg
28.8 miles from Prince Rupert
Telegraph office here.
The Windsor Cannery, started by Robert Draney 1), was built on the Skeena in 1876 for the Windsor Canning Co. Ltd. of London, England. It was located at the mouth of the Khyex River. It was sold in 1889 to British Columbia Canning Company of London.
Oceanic Cannery replaced it, which was built by BC Canning Co. in 1903. It was located on Smith Island and was approx 15 miles from Inverness. It was opposite Cunningham's operation.
Notable Dates
1881
- John McDowell- Storekeeper, age 25 b- Ireland
- John Roode, Carpenter, age 24, b- NS
- Alex McNeill, Canner, age 25, b- NB
- W. H. Dempster (see below)
1887
- Windsor Packing Company at Aberdeen, W. H. Dempster, Manager
- George Alexander, Head Fisherman
- Aug. Holmes, Manager Aberdeen Cannery
- John Johnston, Canner
- Alex McNeill, Prop., Aberdeen Cannery
- William Sayyea, Canner, Aberdeen Cannery
1890
- A country Post Office on the Skeena River in the Cassiar District
- Population= 200
- 6 Canneries located here at this time
- Methodist and Episcopal Churches
- Post Master- William H. Dempster (see above)
- Aberdeen Canning Company
June 1, 1895
- Fire destroyed the Windsor Cannery buildings,
- all but the Storehouse and the Wharf were destroyed.
- Owned by the BC Canning Company of London
- W. H. Dempster was Manager, also part owner at that time. (see bio below)
- Loss was $50,000
Nov 19, 1900
- Fire destroyed 3 buildings at the Cannery,
- one was Mr. Harris's house, Manager at the time.
- Owners shown as Findlay, Durham, and Brodie in Victoria
Mar 26, 1903
- Cannery destroyed by fire again
- This time the cannery, wharf, boats and sheds were destroyed
- The water reservoir burned so fire fighting was hampered.
1905
- Aberdeen was a fishing station that had Methodist and Episcopal Churches
- John Barbeur- Camp Boss
- British Columbia Canning Company Ltd. Windsor Cannery,
- Findlay, Durham, & Brodie Agents, Victoria
- George S. McTavish, Oct 1899 he was Manager of the Cannery
- Rev. R. Tomlinson, Missionary, see Cedarvale history
Post Office History
Name of Office: Aberdeen
Federal Electoral District: Cariboo (BC)
- Office opened Aug 1, 1885
- closed- Oct 1, 1891
- Re-opened Apr 1, 1892
- closed Oct 1, 1892
- Re-opened Apr 1, 1893
- closed Aug 1, 1903
Postmaster Information
| Name of Postmaster | Date of Appointment | Date of Vacancy | Cause of Vacancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Hattrick Dempster (see below) | 1885-08-01 | 1891 | ? |
| W. H. Dempster (re-opened) | 1892-04-01 | 1897-03-31 | Resignation |
| George Simpson McTavish | 1897-06-01 | 1900-03-20 | Resignation |
| Frederick William Harris | 1900-05-01 | 1902 | Non-residence of PM |
| William John Leary | 1902-07-01 | 1903-07-31 | Closed |
This reproduction is NOT represented as an official version of the materials reproduced,nor as having been made in affiliation with,or with the endorsement of the National Archives of Canada. The source of this material is the National Archives of Canada
William Hattrick Dempster
- b- Nov 1841, Campbellton, Restigouche, NB
- d- Jan 31, 1936, in Victoria, BC, age 95
- wife- Catherine Dempster, nee Morrison, age 35, b- NB
- 1891 and 1921 census say she was 4 years older than him.
- William Hattrick Dempster, Manager, and part owner of the Cannery
George Simpson McTavish
- b- ca 1863, Albany, Hudson's Bay,
- (age 38 when he was married in 1901)
- d- Apr 20, 1943, in Esquimalt, BC, age 80
- Oct 1899 he was Manager of the Cannery
- Living in Rivers Inlet, BC, Cannery manager there, when he was married in 1901
- son of George McTavish and Mary
- married Lillian Julia Augusta Gurd, Dec 21, 1901 in Nelson BC
- b- in Ireland
Frederick William Harris
- b- July 1, 1855 in England
- d-
- wife and 2 children immigrated in 1888
- He married Sarah A. Harris, nee Cheney
- b- Dec 18, 1854 in England
- d-
- daughter- Ethel Emmeline (alt: Emaline) Harris
- b- Dec 28, 1882 in London, England, age 96
- d- Feb 19, 1979, Saanich Peninsula Hospital, Saanichton, BC
- she married Hubert William Wilders, Apr 29, 1903 in Victoria BC
- son- William Sandham Harris
- b- Dec 9, 1880 in England
- d- Mar 25, 1943 in Vernon BC, age 63
- He was an Engineer at the Cannery
W. J. Leary
- William John Leary
- b- Apr 21, 1864 in ON
- d- Mar 28, 1941 in Merritt, age 76
- married Susan Leary,
- b- Jan 22, 1868, in England
- d-
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