Your Visit 

Who We Are?

The McLean Mill National Historic Site is a former sawmill and logging operation located in the Alberni Valley of Vancouver Island, British Columbia’s west coast. McLean Mill was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1989 to commemorate its collection of extant resources related to logging, sawmilling, transportation and labour, and, its close association to significant aspects of the forest industry.

Gorgeous. Having the prep area right next to the hall was a bit disruptive during parts of our seminar. Breakfast, lunch and snacks were good. Buffet was kept refreshed. The grounds were amazing. It was raining so a collection of umbrellas were provided so we could wander comfortably. Wonderful peaceful historical grounds. I imagine it would host beautiful weddings:)  Gina Galway

The McLean Mill National Historic Site was acquired by the City of Port Alberni in 1988 through donations from the McLean family and MacMillan Bloedel (now Weyerhaeuser).

With the assistance of funding from Parks Canada and Forest Renewal B.C., the sawmill has been restored to a fully working condition, the mill pond and the dam have been reconstructed and some of the residences and service buildings have been preserved.

Even before the acquisition of the site by the city, the Western Vancouver Industrial Heritage Society initiated a number of projects to restore the historic McLean machinery. The Society continues to play a key role in the operation of the site such as logging shows or steam equipment demonstrations.

The McLean Mill National Historic Site is located on 12.8 hectares and contains 35 buildings and structures. They form a self-contained community of residences, offices and service buildings centred around the steam-driven sawmill and mill pond. The R.B. McLean Lumber Company was a family-run business that operated from 1926 to 1965. Although small in scale, its logging, milling and marketing operations were similar to larger mills in the province. Much of its original machinery and buildings have survived, making it a rare example of a sawmill complex from the first half of the 20th century. For these reasons the McLean Mill was designated as a national historic site in 1989.

We invite you to explore the site and discover for yourself the fascinating relics of a bygone age – visit just a part or tour the whole site. The map provides information about the five main themes of the site: Forest, Camp Life, Logging, Sawmilling, and Markets and Transportation.

A Taste of History

McLean Mill is a rare, surviving example of an early-to-mid 20th century logging and lumber operation in British Columbia. Established in 1925 by Robert Bartlett McLean, his wife Cora and their three sons, it continued as a family-run operation until 1965. Built resources at the site were constructed of local materials by the McLean family and their workers. The delicate creation of zones of activity is still plainly visible.

The site includes a steam-powered sawmill and original machinery representative of the range of activities undertaken in the forest industry. Built resources and machinery span 40 years of mill operation and their evolution over that period. The site also includes transportation facilities for the steam powered locomotive.

McLean Mill was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1989 to commemorate its collection of extant resources related to logging, sawmilling, transportation and labour; and its close association to significant aspects of the forest industry. The formal recognition consists of some 35 structures and the land surrounding them. Built resources include an operational steam-operated sawmill, and ancillary structures including a wide variety of wooden garages, storage structures and outbuildings, a cluster of wooden residences and administrative buildings, and a rail line. Landscape features include outdoor areas for processing and storage of lumber, and a mill pond.

[Sources: Historic Sites and Monuments Board, Minutes, June 1989; Commemorative Integrity Statement.]