Charles Fenn Pretty
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Charles Fenn Pretty | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1865 |
| Died | 1940 (aged 74–75) Harrison Mills, British Columbia, Canada |
Charles Fenn Pretty (1865–1940) was the father of the forestry industry in British Columbia.
Charles Fenn Pretty was born in 1865 in Canada West. Charles was brought up on the family farm at Belleville. In his early twenties, he entered the contracting business. He quickly made money off of the demolition of the old jail at Stratford by selling its timbers at a profit. However, he lost everything after building several hundred houses in Sault Ste. Marie for a contractor who went broke and couldn't pay.
In 1890, he moved to New Westminster with 17 cents in his pocket and, according to tradition, booked a room in the best hotel straightaway. He got wind of a poorly organised housing project with an impossible deadline, took it over and immediately set about rounding up all available labour from local bars. He finished with one day to spare and to a satisfactory standard. With the proceeds from this development, he opened a fish cannery but was faced with strong opposition. To solve this problem, Pretty bought the entire supply of ice in New Westminster. By 1892 he had bought out all his competitors and incorporated C.F. Pretty and Co.