Neiland, Thomas (Snr)

Person

Neiland, Thomas (Snr)

[1870] - 1 Mar 1949²

Born in Quebec of Irish immigrants. The family moved on to the USA where Tom grew up, possibly Wisconsin. He came to Canada to join the Canadian Army somewhere about 1914. There is family speculation that he might have been a card shark in his early days as he wouldn’t let the children play cards because he thought gambling might lead to a bad life.³
Thomas Neiland had been friends with John Jardine in the First World War. Both men were working on the PGE rail line together when John was killed. Thomas married John's widow, Lizzie Jardine on 2 May 1922² . The pair had son together: Thomas Neiland Junior.

In 1921 Tom was working for the PGE railway as a conductor, but he had always had dreams of working for himself. He bought some land and in May 1921 moved the whole family up to Alta Lake to start his own logging camp.

At first the family lived in the Alta Lake townsite, but after 8 months they moved down to Thomas Neiland’s first venture at Alpha Lake; logging cedar logs to be exported to Japan. In July 1922 the export log prices of cedar logs collapsed and so did Thomas Neiland, who had to file for bankruptcy.

Tom was not defeated, however. He gained financing under the name of Lizzie Neiland and bought land at 34 ½ mile. In 1923 the family moved into an old logger’s cabin on the property and this became their home for the next 20 or more years.

Life was often difficult, there were times when money was good, but also times when money was bad, especially during the Great Depression.

Tom Neiland lived at 34½ Mile until his death in 1949.¹

Neiland, Lizzie (24 Feb 1882 - 9 Dec 1984)

Neiland, Thomas Warren (Jnr) (29 Jul 1922-1995 ¹)

Jardine, John Alexander (Jack) (27 Jul 1914¹ - Spring 1999²)

Jardine, Robert Laidlaw (26 Sep 1918 - 27 Mar 2008¹)

Betts, "Jenny" Janet (December 7, 1912 - Aug 1, 2003)

¹ Florence's new book
² BC Births, Marriages and Deaths index
³Email from Louise Smith, 29 Jan 2012.