Clips from Annual Reports of the Department of Lands and Mines
1938: "The following towers were painted: St. Quentin, Blue Mountain, Big Bald Cupola Cabin, Chipman, Nine Mile Brook, Keenan Hill, Quisibis and Mount Champlain Cupola Cabin." (102nd Annual report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1938: "The South Branch Kedgwick Telephone line in Restigouche County was extended to Biencourt Tower in Quebec in cooperation with the Restigouche Company, Limited, thus placing Kedgwick, Wild Goose Lake and Biencourt Towers on the same telephone line in order that fires adjacent to the Interprovincial Boundary could be accurately located." (102nd Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1938: "Lookout Stations and telephone lines were operated and maintained as usual through the cooperation of various companies. Thirty-four Lookout Stations, 31 Primary and three Secondary were operated. Twenty were operated cooperatively with pulp and paper companies, eleven solely by this Service and three solely by companies." (102nd Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1939: "Usually a certain number of towers are painted each year but during 1939 the usual schedule was set over for another year with the exception of some painting done at Mount Champlain Cupola Cabin which had been left over from 1938." (103rd Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1939: "The same number of Lookout Stations with connecting telephone lines were operated and maintained through the excellent co-operation of various companies. In all, thirty-four Lookout Stations were operated, thirty-one of these being primary stations and three secondary. Twenty were operated cooperatively with companies, eleven solely by this service and three solely by companies. This is the same number as reported during 1938." (103rd Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1940: "The 1939 painting schedule for towers was set over for one year, consequently, this year's expense for this purpose was heavier than usual. The following lookout stations, towers and cupola cabins, were painted:- Lord and Foy, St. Isadore, Ashton Hill, Martins Bluff, Blackville, Doaktown, Mount Hope, McManus Hill, Mount Pleasant, Mount Champlain, Cameron Mountain and Mount Carleton, the latter having been built late in 1939." (104th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1940: "Thirty-three Lookout Stations, thirty-one primary and two Secondary, were operated during the year with co-operation of various companies. These stations were connected by telephone lines which were kept in good repair. Twenty stations were operated cooperatively with companies, ten solely by this Service and three solely by Companies." (104th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1941: "The painting schedule for Lookout Towers did not call for action in 1941 except in a few cases where bolts and nuts on towers required touching up." "A special effort was made during the winter to overhaul and repair all telephones used in Lookout Towers. This improved the service and in future such telephones will be overhauled each winter and returned in the spring in newly designed shipping case to prevent damage in transit." "Three Lookout observer's cabins were erected at Chipman, at Nine Mile Brook and St. Quentin Lookout Stations. These were Badly needed and were completed with warden labor in most cases." "The number of Lookout Stations was in operation as in 1940. Thirty-one Primary and two Secondary, with the cooperation of various companies. The two new stations in Kings and Albert Counties built this year will be in operation in 1942. Twenty of the above stations were operated cooperatively with companies, ten solely by this Service and three solely by companies." (105th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1942: "Two new steel primary towers and one steel secondary lookout tower were placed in operation, making a total of thirty-three primary and three secondary towers, with the cooperation of various companies and corporations. Twenty two of the above stations were operated cooperatively with this Service, ten solely by the Service and four solely by companies." (106th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1945: "No new lookout towers were built but several new sites were investigated looking to future construction." (109th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1946: "No new lookout towers were constructed during the year since it was quite impossible to obtain steel but several sites were examined looking to the erection of new towers as and when materials become available." (110th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1947: "Materials for construction of new towers and telephone lines were in short supply, consequently the program of extension in most cases was postponed until next year. Although a few new telephone lines were built no new towers were constructed." (111th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1948: "Thirty-six lookout stations were in operation again this year either by this Service or in co-operation with companies. These stations were manned by experienced personnel whenever possible as early in the season as necessary. An inspector of lookout stations made periodical visits to the observers to make sure they understood their duties and that instruments were properly adjusted and oriented. Difficulty was experienced in a few cases in obtaining and retaining observers. This was chiefly true of the younger men who did not like to stay so far in the bush." (112th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1948: "A total of nine steel primary lookout towers and two wooden secondary towers were constructed making a total of 41 primary towers and 3 secondary towers which will be available for operation next year. Seven of the new steel towers were on new sites while two others replaced old wooden towers which had been condemned. The two new secondary wooden towers were built to cover hazardous country not covered by the primary towers. Three of the steel towers mentioned above were constructed by companies for better protection of their limits. The remainder were constructed by this Service.
The forest fire lookout system is owned by Government and Industry. Twenty Lookout Stations are owned solely by this Service, 10 are owned solely by Industry and 14 are owned co-operatively by this Service and Industry. They are operated on a different schedule however, because of their location; 24 are operated by this Service, 9 solely by Industry and 11 co-operatively by this Service and Industry." (112th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1948: "Several lookout stations now needing paint will be taken care of next year if possible." (Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1949: "All lookout stations were manned this year, with the exception of one isolated station, which does not cover an extended area. These stations were, for the most part, operated by experienced personnel and were inspected as often as possible by the inspector of lookout stations. He gave particular attention to checking the new observers throughout the season. Assistant Forest rangers and Ranger School students were used at several locations, and since the observers at some of the stations were changed during the season it kept the lookout inspector very busy with his inspection duties.
A total of 40 primary and 3 secondary stations were in operation. Eleven of these stations were built in 1948 and came into operation for the first time this year covering much of the territory which had not previously been under observation." (113th Annual report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1950: "A total of 41 primary and 6 secondary stations were in operation. A secondary wooden tower was built late in the fall, south of Nash Creek, by this service and will be operated next year during hazardous periods, to cover an area not previously under observation. A secondary tower and hose dryer was erected by New Brunswick International Paper Company at Dalhousie and will cover the Charlo-Benjamin country next year. Two towers have been built by the University of New Brunswick recently, on their lands, for use during hazardous periods." (114th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1952: "All Lookout Stations were manned as early in the season as was necessary. The stations in the south of the Province are, of course, manned much earlier than those in the north due to the difference in weather conditions. A total of forty-five primary and nine secondary towers were in operation." (116th Annual Report of the Department of Lands and Mines)
1954: "Four additions were made to the lookout tower system in the Province during the year. Two 80' galvanized steel lookout towers were built by this Service -- at Scotch Mountain on Kings County and at Skiff Lake in York County. Two 40' steel towers were built by Fraser Companies Limited on their freehold lands in eastern Victoria County. These are located at County Line Mountain and at Costigan Mountain on the Tobique watershed. The total number of lookout stations in the Province now stands at 47 primary and 11 secondary stations." (118th Annual report of the Department of Lands and Mines)