Margaret started working at the Dryden Bag Factory in 1940 or 1941 at the age of sixteen. She continued working there until the Bag Factory closed shortly after the end of the War.
The bag factory was one of the few places at the Dryden Paper Company where a woman could work. In order to acquire her job, Margaret had to be interviewed by Al Holm, who was the foreman at the factory. Although she already knew him, he needed to know her age before she could start working. After a brief interview, she immediately started her employment there.
During her first day, Margaret was nervous because she did not know exactly what was expected of her. When she entered the workplace, she remembered that there were five tables, with four persons at each table. All the employees were women except for the foreman and one man who stacked and wrapped the bags. The bags would arrive in piles of twenty-five. Each person had one task to perform. Like all new employees, Margaret started by making a one inch fold along the top of the bag. She then passed the bag to the second person, who would paste a cardboard strip along the fold. The third employee put a handle into the two holes at the top of the bag. Finally, the fourth person, using a large machine, would staple the handle and strip onto the bag. Although new employees started by making the fold on the bag, all workers rotated their positions. This gave even newly hired workers like Margaret, the chance to learn and perform another task.
Dryden Paper Company Bag Factory Employees. Picture dates to early 1940s
Picture was contributed by Margaret (Wilson) MacKinnon
Back row left to right: Chrissie Henderson, Adie Cole, Lilly Beyer, Kate McKee, Mabel Potter, Muriel Sherwood
Middle row: Evelyn Sherwood, June Oliphant, Helen Hadley, Stella Myren, Myrtle Pearson, Wilma McKee
Front Row: Rosie Rushowick, Florence Mugaberg, Lily Myren, Margaret Wilson
The workers, though jovial amongst themselves, worked quickly. There was always a competition to see who could do the most. Margaret adds that the work was fun because the workers knew each other, they sat in close quarters, and they talked and laughed while working.
Left to Right: Leila (Wilson) Ferguson. Margaret ( Wilson) MacKinnon, Elaine Sharples. Front row: Arthur Wilson. This photograph was taken in Dryden
The bag factory had one shift per day, from eight in the morning until five in the evening. There was also a fifteen minute coffee break in the morning and afternoon. The pay was considered very good at the time. Margaret does not remember income tax deducted from her paycheque, and like many people during that era, she does not recall the steps that one would undertake to ensure that taxes were paid.
One particular day that she does remember well, was the day that armistice was declared in Europe. Everyone was excited. All the workers in the bag factory were dismissed early that day and during the evening there was a large bonfire held at the high school. Soon afterwards excitement was felt throughout the town in anticipation of the return of soldiers stationed overseas.
Two photographs in Dryden when victory over Japan was declared. Use scroll bar to view entire image. More text at bottom of page
Shortly after the War the Dryden Bag Factory closed and Margaret transferred to the finishing room. In the finishing room, rolls of paper of different widths had to be wrapped and packaged before they were shipped to the customer. One end of the wrapping paper was wet with paste so it would stick to the paper being shipped. Margaret would wrap the shipment of paper and seal the bottom of the paper with the wet paste. As many of the rolls were heavy, there were men working in the finishing room who could lift and carry the rolls. Margaret worked at the finishing room until the early 1950s when she, like many young women, married and stayed home to raise their family.
Left to right Elaine (Strand) Trist, Margaret (Wilson) MacKinnon, Ruth Larson. In front of cenotaph in Dryden during the Second World War
Elaine (Strand) Trist
Picture of Margaret Mackinnon in from Albert Street School. Picture dates to World War II
Left to right Grace (Wilson) Berry, Margaret (Wilson) Mackinnon,Leila (Wilson) Ferguson, Elaine Sharples. In front of CPR station during the 1940s.
