15 



river and manufactured for the uses of the prairie settlers. 

 The saw mills of Messrs. Cameron, Mather, and others are 

 dotted along the edge of the lake for some three miles. 



2. The presence of large quantities of spruce, birch and 

 poplar upon the feeders of Lake of the Woods, along with the 

 splendid water power of the lake, has suggested the making 

 of pulp for the manufacture of paper. The timber can be 

 cheaply obtained and delivered, and the passage of the railway 

 through the neighborhood of the water-power gives every 

 facility for advancing this important industry. It has also 

 been suL'gested that the nearness of the prairies might well be 

 utilized to grow flax for the manufacture of high grades of 

 paper. It is said that 1,281,354 bushels of flax seed were pro- 

 duced in Manitoba in 1895. To be able to use the straw 

 would be an addition to the farmers' income. The manufac- 

 ture of barrels and woodware is also a feasible industry. 



3. The first advantage, other than in the w orking of 

 wood, has been taken of the water power in the manu- 

 facture of flour. This must ever be a chief industry in the 

 Northwest. The Lake of the Woods Milling Company, 

 which began operations about ten years ago, has since, along 

 with the Ogilvie Milling Company, of Winnipeg, been doing 

 an enormous business. To those of us who remember the 

 suspicion with which our Manitoba wheat was looked upon as 

 a flour producer twenty-five years ago, it is a great gratifica- 

 tion to know the high place which Manitoba flour has taken 

 in the markets of the world. The output of this mill last 

 3'ear was very large. 



4. As the basis of these manufactures, which may render 

 the Rat Portage and Keewatin district worthy to be called a 

 great manufacturing centre, there is certainly to be mentioned 

 as important the service rendered by the Keewatin Power 

 Company. In order that the full power might be utilized, it 

 has been found necessary to dam one of the outlets of the 

 lake at a considerable cost. We are fortunate through the 

 courtesy of the " Flag " newspaper, of Ottawa, in being able 

 to publish a cut of the dam of the Keewatin Power Company. 



