John Hendry (industrialist)

John Hendry (January 20, 1843 – July 17, 1916) was a Canadian industrialist and politician who founded B. C. Mills, the first major lumber company in western Canada starting with his first mill in 1875. He is a person of National Historic Significance in Canada.

Early life
Hendry was born in Belledune, New Brunswick to Scottish immigrants James and Margaret Hendry (née Wilson). John Hendry’s father had immigrated to New Brunswick from West Kilbride, Scotland in 1840, settled in Gloucester County, and was engaged in the sawmill and flour milling businesses. John was educated in New Brunswick and he received formal and practical training with his father. In the 1860s, he and his elder brother started their own sawmill. When their father died John took over the family business temporarily. He then travelled in the “western States,” but in 1870 he returned to New Brunswick to establish a sawmill, which exported to the West Indies. He worked at the family mill before moving west permanently in 1872.

Lumber dominance
In 1876, Hendry and David McNair established Nanaimo Planing Mills.

Political foray
Hendry, was on New Westminster city council from 1879 to 1880 and elected mayor in January 1889. He resigned in July because of a conflict of interest with him being involved with the New Westminster Southern Railway Company.

Legacy
Hendry's introduction of steam donkeys and railways were the model for the lumber industry of the 20th century.

In 1926, Hendry's daughter Aldyen, who was married to the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Eric Hamber, donated some mill property to the Vancouver Park Board with the condition that it be named after her father. It is still known as John Hendry Park.