It had stood for many many years, first as Simpsons Sawmill, then Crown Zellerbach, then Fletcher Challenge, then Riverside Forest Products before the company was sold to Tolko about 20 years ago.
In this Google map, the shaded and unnamed buildings at the north end of Guy Street included an office, sawmill, planermill, plywood plant, log yard and in recent years, a precipitator had been built to eliminate the dryer smoke.
Right on the foreshore of Okanagan Lake, the sawmill's location was across the lake from the Bear Creek Log Yard. A small tugboat ushered log booms across the lake to the sawmill's infeed ramps.
I worked for Riverside Forest Products for 20 years, retiring in 1999, a year or two before Tolko purchased the entire business interests of Riverside.
Hired at Riverside's Lumby division, I can honestly say I loved my job. Loved it! Right from the start, the ensuing years and when I retired. Honestly. It was a great company to work for...great management with hard-working employees, many of whom became the friends I still treasure today.
So it was with fond memories last week that I decided to drive down to Guy Street during a short visit to Kelowna...I had heard the mill might be closing. Not knowing any current Tolko employees (most of my Riverside colleagues had by now also retired), I wanted to see the facility again after all these years.
(I was working at the Kelowna head office when I retired).
I knew not to try to find all my short-cut "in and out" roads southeast of the facility, so I simply headed down Hwy 97 and turned right on Ellis. The growth of downtown Kelowna was frankly amazing, so many new buildings, with many evidencing an "arty" air, restaurants and art supplies and pubs mixed with specialty shops including a tailor. A lot had changed since I had last driven down these roads.
On approaching the waterfront, I noticed new condo towers, mini parks and small paved roads (one no larger than a common lane), all well landscaped with lovely trees, benches, paved walking areas.
Turning left on Bay, I soon found Guy Street and turned right. Travelling one block towards the sawmill I expected the main office building to appear. But first, I saw this:
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This building was photographed as I left, so it's on the right of my vehicle. But this development was on the left, beside the old Riverside main office, when I arrived.
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Opening the vehicle window as I slowly drove past the main office, and approached other buildings, it was so very quiet. No planer running, no forklifts feeding the sawmill from the log yard infeed, no mechanical trucks. It was eerily quiet.
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Just past the main office (not shown) at left, a few maintenance workers were walking about, carrying tools. Beyond the red (parked) truck is the waterfront of Lake Okanagan
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The eerie silence continued as I turned right and saw that several buildings were empty of equipment, with the tall precipitator tower already dismantled.
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Some buildings had holes cut in their metal sides, presumably to allow easier removal of machinery. This picture shows the gate where, in times past, log inventory would be stored after arriving from Bear Creek across the lake (in booms, guided by the Riverside tugboat).
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I turned away from the mill without approaching the lakefront towards Poplar Point at the base of Knox Mountain. Driving slowly back to the highway, I had mixed feelings about "progress". I knew that a sawmill in the middle of a thriving modern town could no longer be accommodated in a modern society. But for those of us whose income depended on the facility, it was a sad quietness. I even turned the truck radio off to let that all "sink in".
And sink in it did.
The value of the former Riverside lands, on the waterfront, is obviously immense. Many many years of sawmill activity had preserved the area from the city's insatiable sprawl in every direction. Every direction but one. To Poplar Point.
For the "old timers" like me and those who spent their entire working lives at this facility, emotions and thoughts were no doubt strong.
Looking in my rear view mirror, one last time, I said good bye.
To a great career. A career of which I'm proud to have shared with many dedicated colleagues.
Good bye, Kelowna Riverside Division.
I thank you, my family thanks you...for an outstanding standard of living.
Now onto your next phase...
