The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
An historic plaque that has stood the test of time in the bush since 1928, can now be seen at the Flin Flon Creighton Public Library. The plaque was originally placed on an impressive stone cairn, which stands about 10-feet high, near the rail line just north of Cranberry Portage. During a ceremony at the public library on Friday, July 2, members of the Flin Flon Archives unveiled the plaque for the first time, for the public's viewing. At the unveiling, they stressed that it had been a struggle to decide whether or not to remove this piece of history from its natural habitat. However, their concerns about potential vandalism made them realize that either they brought it in from the bush, or it would eventually disappear. In fact, this particular plaque was one of three that had originally been at this site. The other two were missing. (If anyone has any information about the missing plaques, please contact the Flin Flon library). Hanging on to the impressive stone cairn by just two loose screws, and showing the scars of at least one bullet hole, the plaque was recently removed from the bush and brought under the care of the Flin Flon Archives group. The group issued the following statement about the plaque's history: This plaque comes from a cairn erected by Harry Falconer McLean 75 years ago at the Sherritt Junction just north of Cranberry Portage. Harry McLean was undoubtedly the greatest construction foreman in Canadian history, and upon completion of each of his major projects he erected similar cairn to honour his workers. There are eight in all, located at four railway jobs (Flin Flon being the first), two quarries and two major hydro-electric projects (including the Abitibi Canyon Dam). On December 27, 1927, Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting was incorporated to develop the Flin Flon mine. See 'History' P.# Con't from P.# What we today fail to appreciate is that Flin Flon was just about the most exciting development in Canada in its early history. It attracted the giants of mining and industry, and Harry McLean was certainly one of those. An integral part of building a power dam at Island Falls and the plant at Flin Flon was the quick construction of a railway from The Pas. The contract was given to Harry McLean of Dominion Construction, and included a clause providing for a $250,000 bonus if the railway was operational by the end of 1928. Construction began in January of 1928 in minus 45 degree weather. In a radical departure from all previous practice, McLean laid the track on the frozen muskeg without a roadbed! In two months he had freight and mail going and coming on the line. When the thaw came, the crews went back and lifted the track as gravel was put under, and then between, the ties, and the steel laid back down. Sinkholes and rock slides were major problems. Despite all the hardships, cold, rock, sinkholes and mosquitoes, the last spike was driven by Premier John Bracken on September 28, 1928. Harry McLean was not at the ceremony, he was already away on another job, pausing only long enough to order the construction of the cairn to the Sons of Martha. The poem "The Sons of Martha" written by Rudyard Kipling, honours the workers of the world. Martha and Mary were the sisters of Lazarus, and it was Martha who was chastised by Jesus for complaining that her sister should spend her time in looking after their guests rather than listening at the feet of the Lord. It was Kipling's view that without the Marthas, the "doers" of the world, we wouldn't have the quality of life we enjoy. Apparently McLean adopted the poem and used it on one or two cairns without permission. McLean and Kipling met at a Halifax hotel, and instead of the "dressing down" McLean expected for using the poem in this way, Kipling told him he was very pleased that his poem had been recognized and used on construction jobs to pay tribute to the workers on McLean's projects. This plaque was removed from its original site by the Flin Flon Archives out of concern for its safety and for use as a reminder to everyone of a crucial chapter of our local history. Formal ownership was acquired from Hudson Bay in February 2004. The intention of the Flin Flon Archives is to find a suitable permanent home in the next year. At the present time, the most appealing idea is to build a cairn for it outside the Flin Flon Railway Museum.
