Land of the Spirits
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Virtual Museum of Canada
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Photograph of camboose shanty interiour

 

 

1900: Shanty Life

From September to May up to 100 loggers would live cramped together in a shanty, a low log structure built around an open fire, also known as a camboose.

"Our diet consisted mostly of bread, pork and beans. When you got tired of that, you ate beans, pork and bread."
—J. Pennock, McLachlin Bros., c. 1900

"Them days in the lumber camps they wore nothing but heavy Macinaw pants, heavy underwear. Everything was heavy because you were out in the cold at four o'clock in the morning [until maybe nine o'clock at night] with your team of horses. Long days would make you a dollar, you know."
—Henry McGuey

Listen: Henry McGuey tells Rory MacKay about Shanty Life

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