Workers

From the beginning, finding workers willing to come to Bitumount was a struggle. Even during the Great Depression, Robert Fitzsimmons seemed to hire almost anyone who showed interest, regardless of their skills. In 1948, W. E. Adkins reported that “The obtainment of sufficient skilled labor was a problem which was never satisfactorily eliminated.”

Part of the difficulty in finding and keeping workers at Bitumount was the isolation. Conditions in camp were also a factor as was the seasonal nature of the work. In summer, camp population could balloon up to fifty or more people at times. Then, in the winter, they would almost all be let go.

There were all types of jobs to do at Bitumount. These varied from sawmill operator to teamster and from cook to boilermaker. Machinists, truck drivers, accountants and warehousemen all worked at Bitumount.

During the early years, frontier skills like building with logs and using horses to clear the land were a must. Living conditions were challenging. Tom Morimoto described large gaps between the logs of the bunkhouse walls that allowed clouds of ravenous mosquitoes free entry. Harry Everard remarked, in 1936, that one of the staff had “put up a temporary shower bath Saturday and we all tried it out. It certainly is a great feeling to take the usual Saturday night bath.”

One saving grace at Bitumount was the food. Fitzsimmons made sure a large garden was planted, and arranged for a root cellar to be built to store food for the camp. Even if they were not being paid and the conditions were tough, the workers were well fed. The camp cook was an important person, on whose skills the morale of the camp depended. As was often the case in those days, Fitzsimmons’s camp cooks were Chinese men. The welfare of the cooks and their relationship with the rest of the camp were matters of some importance.

Conditions were much improved at the new Bitumount camp in the 1940s. The buildings were all new, and the camp was kept very clean and tidy.

The bunkhouse had steam heat, hot and cold running water, and indoor sanitation. Provisions were made for socializing, with events such as a free weekly movie night in the mess hall, and buildings set aside for recreation. Workers got an isolation bonus, and health and safety were a priority.

Despite all these efforts, Karl Clark noted in 1947 that “It is not easy to get men in here at wages that can be paid. A steam fitter came in with us and he went out next morning. Somebody hired him in Winnipeg at wages that would have upset the whole camp unless like wages had been granted to all.”