On the hunt for secrets

The Squamish Historical Society is on the hunt for secrets — Woodfibre secrets. 

On Friday, Sept. 26, the non-profit organization is opening an exhibit regarding the former milltown’s history. The show will be on display at the Britannia Mine Museum. But before it’s unveiled, the group wants residents’ help, society president Bianca Peters said. 

“We’re looking for stories people don’t know about,” Peters said, adding photographs, memorabilia and artifacts are all welcome.

The mill site at the base of Mill Creek has more than 100 years of history. Originally constructed in 1912, the townsite of Woodfibre is only accessible by boat. Until the 1960s, families lived and worked at the site. In 2006, Western Forest Products closed the mill. 

Woodfibre was once called West Britannia, with Britannia Beach claiming the title of East Britannia. Before World War II, it was home to one of the largest Japanese populations in B.C. 

The historical society has gathered a lot of information on the site, but the true experts are those who lived there, Peters said. 

“We want this to be a collaborative effort,” she said. “We are not experts on Woodfibre.”

A proposal to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at Woodfibre has thrust it into the spotlight recently. Society members thought it was a prime time to let people know about the area’s past. Woodfibre was a vibrant community, complete with its own public swimming pool, Peters said, noting some residents don’t realize that Woodfibre functioned as its own stand-alone town.

“You have got to remember where we were before you look at the future,” she said. 

The society aims to gather 10 unknown stories about Woodfibre. Entries will be placed into a draw to win a two-day package for a deluxe suite at Executive Suites Hotel and Resort. 

People can vote on their favourite photo, story and artifact on the historical society’s Facebook site. Entries must be submitted before Aug. 30. Email entries to [email protected].