Person Page - 81

Predeceased: Armand Coppens.¹

Survivor(s): Eva Sunderland, Jennie Summach, Faye Erickson, Loretta Young and Dorothy Maxine Sunderland. Predeceased: Charles Sunderland, Hattie Sunderland, Edeth Sunderland, Norma Whelan, Mervyn Sunderland, Iola Welsh, Eldine Welsh, Eula Elphinstone, Bert Elphinstone, Mereta Wood, Ernest Wood, Dwade Coppens, Armand Coppens, Ray Summach, Elmer Erickson and Everett Young.²

Survivor(s): Jenny Summach, Loretta Young and Eva Sunderland. Predeceased: Mervyn Sunderland.¹

The registration listed the following official witnesses: Rhoda Johnston and Charles Elliott.⁴

Predeceased: Eldon Burke Elliott and Frances Denison.¹¹

Alexander Elliott, his father had surgery for a cancer of his lower bowel "just before" his son's enlistment so possibly in 1939 or 1940 when he was about 60 or 61.

It also explains that his mother, Mabel was "on the edge of invalidism" ever since Burke's birth.¹⁶

Sutherland Flier Reported Missing
Rev. A. E. Elliott and Mrs. Elliott of Sutherland have received word that their son, Fit. Lt. Eldon Burke Elliott, 33, is reported missing from air operations. Flight Lieutenant Elliott saw service in Britain Malta, Egypt and during the Tunisian campaign.

He received his high school education at Milden, where his father was a minister, and at Regina College, then studied engineering for two years at the University of Saskatchewan. Later he was employed by the Canadian General Electric Company in Peterborough as production manager.

He enlisted in the R.C.A.F, in Toronto in July, 1940, and went overseas in the spring of 1941 as an observer with the rank of pilot officer. He saw service in bombing from England until October, 1941 and flew to Malta, where he was stationed, with the rank of flying officer, until March, 1942.

He then served in Egypt and Tunis. From information they had received, his parents believed he had finished operational flights and was at rest. He went out on his latest flight on November 3 and did not return.¹⁸

Western Producer -- March 18, 1982 -- page WP14
Featured article and picture of Alex Elliott at 103.²³

Saw Mill And Hoop Factory, Kolapore, Ontario
By Rhoda J. McLellan Mar. 1969
The Kolapore sawmill and hoop and stave factory, owned and registered under the name Johnston, White and Company operated from 1890 to 1913. About twenty men were employed.

In winter, work began with the felling of the trees. Many beautiful big maples, rock elm, beech, birch and soft elm were cut. Two men on a crosscut saw felled the trees and the deeper the snow the higher the stumps were. The logs were hauled to the mill yard by horses and piled three logs high by men who were adept with cant-hooks. This was done when there was plenty of snow.

During the cutting season, April - July, hoops, staves and lumber were produced. The logs were moved to the gangway where machinery took them up into the sawmill. There, a large six foot circular saw reduced them to square timber, then cut into lumber. A quantity was cut, and by means of trolleys on the tramway, taken out and piled on either side of the long tramway for seasoning. When dried the lumber was placed on a wagon: rack and drawn by horses the eleven miles to Thornbury. The round trip required a whole day. The lumber was shipped by Grand Trunk railway to various places throughout the province. There was always a market.

The soft elm trees, from which the hoops and staves were cut, grew large, often 4 ft. in diameter, and many would cut three logs. These were hauled from the yard and taken into the mill where they were reduced to plank 9'x2". These were moved into vats, where they remained in live steam for thirty-six hours, before cutting into hoops., The steaming hot planks came in on rollers to the hoop cutting machine. This was a large heavy machine with a 9 ft. cutting blade, As the operator moved the plank forward, with the machine in action, the hoops dropped to metal arms on the other side. They then passed through several planing machines, the last of which was the pointer, from which they were placed in a boiling water vat before going through the coiler. There were ten hoops to a coil, the pointed end of the tenth was nailed, the coil was then released and it rolled out. These were taken by wagon loads to where they were piled in the best way to favour drying. When dry, they were tied with binder twine into bundles of five and stored in the cooperage stock shed. Hoops and staves moved out in time for the apple crop. The barrel headings were made in the Heathcote mill.

The last time I saw the old mill site (1968) there was nothing but some stones and masonry left where the boiler had been, the firm's office was gone, sawdust, which was spread evenly over quite an area, had returned to mother earth and looked like a meadow.

I fancy I smell the fresh cut sawdust and hear the whistle at 7 a.m. and again at 6 p.m.. Those were the days when men worked a ten hour day, 6 days a week. I think the men were paid $1.00 per day. Board was $10.00 per month. They were happy and spent the evening playing baseball or football and they did a great deal of bicycling. It was a quiet country life, our activities centred mostly around the church and school. The church is still being used for services. The school house is now used as a residence.²⁶