Log turner

A log turner is a tool used by log drivers and loggers to handle logs. It consists of a pick with a movable hook, attached to a long wooden handle. After the pick is planted in a log, the hook is folded back and fixed into the wood. Once the log is gripped, the long handle allows the log driver or logger to use the leverage to move it.

Logging is a booming industry in Canada in the 19th century. In 1806, the establishment of the Continental Blockade by Napoleon forces England to turn to its colonies for raw materials. Wood, therefore, becomes the main Canadian commercial product. The majority of the production destined for export to England is used for the construction of the Royal Navy.

Because the road system is poorly developed, rivers are used to transport (float) the trees that the loggers cut down. Log drivers guide the logs and make sure they don’t get stuck on their way down. Some of the wood is sawed in the water mills located down the rivers. The rest is shipped in the rough to Europe on commercial ships. The forest industry contributes to the development of villages along the St. Lawrence estuary as well as to the creation of other villages in the hinterland.