User:JMHarold/sandbox

The story of the Roland & Williams Family Foundation begins against the growing backdrop of the lumber industry's expansion of the late 1860s. During this transformative era, P. Roland (b.1852) and H. Williams (b.1854), two young and ambitious men whose lives would soon intertwine, decided independently of one another to embark on an extraordinary journey to grow and secure their family legacies. Their narrative is a testament to the spirit of adventure, opportunity and the values of an unwavering friendship which would ultimately lead to the creation of a proud philanthropic legacy.

In the late 1860s, then strangers, Roland and Williams were working in separate offices conducting much of the same work separated only by the English Channel.

Both men worked diligently under the guidance of their fathers René Roland and Reuben Williams who were prominent figures in the European lumber industry. The younger Roland and Williams worked tirelessly for their family business’, while recognizing the burgeoning potential across the Atlantic. Roland and Williams are given their fathers blessings months apart, and make the courageous decision to leave the comfort and familiarity of their homes to explore the untapped opportunity of Canada and specifically the Ottawa Valley timber tradewhich had begun years earlier by Philemon Wright. Their vision was clear: the young men's ambition was to continue their fathers' legacies and assume leading roles in the writing of a new chapter in Roland & Williams family legacy which would ultimately lead to the creation of what is now the Roland & Williams Family Foundation.