July 1940 to October 1941

Fort Gary Horse Regiment

Guard Tower Overlooking Camp "R"    

Prisoners at Work

The Revival

Red Rock Township, 1945

1942 saw the revival of the community when Brompton Pulp and Paper Company purchased the property of the defunct Lake Sulphite Co. The purchase included the existing buildings and the dock, plus the extensive timber limits in the Nipigon area and the Nipigon ground wood mill. The goal of the company was to establish an integrated mill to produce various grades of kraft liner and corrugated boards.

After many delays, actual construction began in 1944 when a paper machine was purchased from a mill in Bromptonville, dismantled and shipped to Red Rock.

July 20, 1945 was a red letter day for the community and the reason we're having a 50th Anniversary celebration in 1995. That is the day the Improvement District of Red Rock was incorporated and the first board was appointed. Members of that Board were Chairman Mr. F.D. Taylor, Mr. G.Arola and Mr. M. Sawchuk, the Town Clerk-Secretary was Mr. H.Keith.

 Expansion

Brompton Pulp & Paper Company, 1945

Another cause for celebration in 1945 came in October when the Mill began producing unbleached kraft pulp 16 point liner board and 9 point corrugate medium. Within a short time 200 tons of paper was being produced on a daily basis.You might be interested in knowing the hourly wage rate was a whopping $.63 per hour.

In conjunction with the success at the Mill, came the development and expansion of the townsite. By 1945 there were nearly 100 brand new homes ready for occupancy by mill employees and their families. The wives of those mill employees have some interesting and not always flattering tales to tell about the infant community where high rubber boots were the order of the day and life was isolated and conditions less than perfect. However, the next few years brought many changes to the town as businesses were established and some amenities were added. By 1949 there was a new store on the corner of Salls Street and White Boulevard, which also housed the bank, next to it a theatre was built and across the street stood a brand new Public School with 352 students enrolled. Two railway stations replaced the converted boxcars that previously served as stations. At the corner of White Boulevard and Brompton Road construction of St.Peter's Church was underway.