James Arthur Mathieu
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James Arthur Mathieu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ontario MPP | |
| In office December 11, 1911 – May 10, 1923 | |
| Preceded by | William Alfred Preston |
| Succeeded by | John Fullarton Callan |
| Constituency | Rainy River |
| In office December 1, 1926 – September 17, 1929 | |
| Preceded by | John Fullarton Callan |
| Succeeded by | William Herbert Elliott |
| Constituency | Rainy River |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 21, 1869 Alma, Wisconsin |
| Died | November 23, 1966 (aged 97) |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Profession | Lumber merchant |
James Arthur Mathieu (August 21, 1869 – November 23, 1966) was known as "the last of the lumber kings,"[1] as well as "the Mighty Man of the Woods" and "the Lath King of America."[2] Born in Alma, Wisconsin.,[3] he became an Ontario lumber merchant, philanthropist and political figure. He represented Rainy River in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario initially as a Liberal-Conservative in 1911, and then as a Conservative from 1914 to 1923 and 1926 to 1929.
Having worked in his youth as a log driver on the Mississippi River,[1] Mathieu came to Rainy River from Minnesota around 1903 as a manager of the Rainy River Lumber Company's sawmill, later becoming manager and vice-president at the Shevlin-Clarke Company.[4] He was later involved in controversy as part of what became known as the "Old Tory Timber Ring,"[5] when fellow Conservative Howard Ferguson, as Minister of Lands and Forests, arranged for the sale of three timber limits in the Quetico Forest Reserve to Shevlin-Clarke for less than half the price they would have normally fetched,[6] and the company later paid a fine of $1.5 million for breaching the Crown Timber Act.[7] The transactions were criticized in a subsequent inquiry.[8]
In 1921, he left Shevlin-Clarke and founded J.A. Mathieu Limited, which set up a mill at Rainy Lake.[9] The company opened another sawmill in 1945 at Sapawe Lake, near Atikokan.[10][11] He was instrumental in pioneering the use of mechanized equipment in the woods (while other firms were still relying mainly on horses), as well as in using aircraft.[12] After his death, the company was acquired by Domtar.[11]
He set up an educational foundation to provide financial assistance for students from the area,[12] for which he was honoured in 1958 by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation.[2] Mathieu also established a wildlife reserve and help fund community projects in the region.[12] During his time in the provincial assembly, he helped promote the development of roads to encourage settlement in the district.[12] He also served as President of the Northern Pine Manufacturers Association for 22 years.[2]