=Lumsden, John.= Ever active, progress followed the efforts of Alexander Lumsden, one of the pioneer lumbermen of the Ottawa Valley, and the father of John Lumsden, his only son, the subject of this sketch. On the death of his father in 1904, John Lumsden came into possession of large and rich timber limits in the Temiskaming region and a fleet of steamers for the transportation of men and supplies to the camps on the edge of Lake Kippewa. Inheriting his father’s energy and vitality and his determination to keep ahead of the times, Mr. John Lumsden is ever found at the helm directing his business and carefully sees that there is no lagging in the performance or execution of the necessary work. The lively town of Lumsden Mills, of over 500 inhabitants, lighted by electricity and with its planing mills, head offices, large general store, church, school, bakery, lumber, boat works and handsome homes—the creation of this great lumber industry and owned entirely by Mr. Lumsden—is nothing but hustle and bustle from morning till night and the abode of a happy and contented people who take great delight in watching the wheels of industry spinning and in doing their share towards the successful termination of each day’s labor. At his mills between 125,000 and 130,000 feet of lumber and 30,000 laths and pickets are turned out per day and sent to the piling grounds ready to be shipped to the markets of the world—to wherever the demand calls for them. While Mr. Lumsden has all these details and commercial and financial responsibilities resting upon his shoulders and demanding his careful administrative and executive attention he can, and does, find time to make his racing establishments truly representative on the American turf at Maryland, Saratoga and other places. His horses represent a big investment—there are between 20 and 30 of them—two-year-olds, three-year-olds, seasoned campaigners, jumpers, etc., and most of them are a gilt-edge breeding of British and Irish Stock and racers of the swiftest class to whom many prizes and honors have fallen. Mr. Lumsden is President, Dominion Explosives, Ltd., La Banque Nationale Building, Ottawa; President, Lumsden Lumber Company, Ltd., Ottawa; Director, Forwarders, Ltd., Kingston; Director, Caledonia Realties, Ltd., Montreal; Director, Security Life Insurance Company of Canada; Life Governor, St. Luke’s Hospital, Ottawa, and is closely associated with many other philanthropic and business interests. He was born at Ottawa, June 24, 1870, and is the son of the late Alexander Lumsden, M.P.P., and Margueretta Lumsden, of Scottish descent. He began his business career in the lumber business with his father and served apprenticeship as a machinist with the Patterson Law of Ottawa. He was chief engineer on a lake steamer from 1891 to 1893; was with the Laurie Engineering Company, Montreal; associated with his father, 1903-1905. In the latter year he went into business for himself. He established Dominion Explosives and became President in 1910. He organized the Lumsden Mining Co., and became President in 1906; organized the Lumsden Lumber Co. and became President, 1913. He is part owner of the Lumsden Building, Toronto; sole owner of the town of Lumsden Mills, Township of Gendreau, Province of Quebec. A member of the Ottawa Board of Trade; Director, Ottawa Horse Shows; offered building at Lake Temiskaming to K.E. Memorial Hospital for Consumptives. On May 11, 1905, Mr. Lumsden married Emily E. MacPherson, daughter of John MacPherson, Pioneer Mill Builder, Chelsea. He is a member of the following Clubs: Laurentian, Connaught Park Jockey, Royal Hunt, Rivermead Golf, Ontario (Toronto), Wabinini Hunting and Fishing, and of the A.F. & A.M. Society. His recreations are motoring, walking, reading. In politics he is a Liberal. In religion, a Presbyterian, and he resides at 38 Charles St., Ottawa.
History Brief
A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography — Part 194
2026-11-15 02:01:06 · Cedar Herald Index
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