National Historic Site at Port Alberni

The McLean Mill National Historic Site

The highlight of visiting Port Alberni is arriving at the National Historic Site of McLean Mill aboard the 1954 diesel locomotive heritage train.  Tickets are available at the historic Port Alberni train depot, located a short walk from the Harbour Quay Marina.  The train departs at 11 am for the 40-minute ride to the McLean Mill site and arrives back at Port Alberni at 3 p.m.  We spent a good deal of time walking the Mill site, which includes 35 buildings and structures, logging equipment, and logging vehicles including train cars, trucks, and automobiles.  It’s like stepping back in time.  The focal point is the mill itself, with equipment that still runs by steam power.  The R.B McLean Lumber Company was a family-run business that operated from 1926 to 1965. 

The Old Mill Pond

Located up in the mountains, the McLean Mill was a river and pond mill, “down by the old mill pond.” 

The Head Saws

You can view some of the steam-powered machinery in the mill that ran the equipment.  The main steam engine for the mill was built around 1890 and powered the head saws by means of an overhead drive shaft and was used to power the belts that ran other machinery.  The oldest piece of equipment is a steam engine built in the 1880’s (originally used to power a ship’s winch) acquired by the McLean’s to power the log carriage, before the carriage was converted to electricity in 1958. 

The Log Carriage

Equipment at the mill is still operational, and demonstrations are scheduled throughout the summer months.  Logs come up from the mill pond and are rolled onto the carriage from the log deck.  The head saws then slab the logs into timbers. 

Transfer Chains and Rollers

Transfer chains move the log slabs onto the belts that feed the edger, which makes timbers into boards.  Getting the boards to market was accomplished by rail cars or by truck.  Lumber was loaded onto rail cars from the loading deck after being dipped in a chemical bath to inhibit mold that discolored the wood. 

The rail cars were pulled out to the main line by a small locomotive built in 1928, which is also on display at the mill site. 

1930's Vintage Truck

Restored logging trucks from the 1930’s, 40’s, and 50's can be found in garages or parked on the property. 

1958 Logging Truck

In addition to the mill, other buildings of interest include the cookhouse, office, bunkhouse, blacksmith shop, and the Arnold McLean house. 

Partially Restored Houses

All of these buildings have been partially restored, and many contain exhibits depicting the mill’s history and the people who lived here. 

The home of R.B. McLean was too far gone to be restored, so it was replicated and now contains his office desk.  Thanks to the generous donation of the site by the McLean family and MacMillan Bloedel (now Weyerhaeuser), the site was acquired by the City of Port Alberni in 1988. 

The Blacksmith Shop

With funding assistance from Parks Canada and Forest Renewal B.C., the sawmill was restored to its working condition, the mill pond and dam reconstructed, and houses shored-up.  Before acquisition by the City, the Western Vancouver Industrial Heritage Society initiated a number of projects to restore the historic machinery, and the Society still plays an important roll in the operation of the site. 

Restoration work for the mill was completed in 1999 by Souther Construction of Port Alberni, the same firm that had rebuilt the mill for the McLean’s in the 1940’s.  There were many challenges to restoring the mill to its original working condition.  Such a project had never before been attempted in Canada.  The site was officially opened to the public in July 2000, with more work yet to be done.  New for 2018, is the addition of a few RV sites towards the back of the property, providing a one-of-a-kind camping experience.  The annual “Five Acre Shaker Music Fest” is held at the McLean Mill site during the second week of August and brings in hundreds of visitors.  The time went by quickly during our visit of the Historic McLean Mill Site, and we noticed that children were as spell bound as we were. 

The 1954 Diesel Locomotive takes us back to Port Alberni

Our time was up and the train whistle blew for all aboard; we soon were rumbling down the tracks. 

Peering down from the train tracks above

The heavy 1600 horse power diesel engine swayed back and forth over the uneven rails which was a bit unnerving, especially when we passed over a high bridge and peered down at the river below.  As the train made its way through the forest, skirted by pasture land and country homes, locals came out to wave hello, some in humorous costumes putting on their own side show for the tourists, what a fun time indeed!

Rolling to a stop at Port Alberni