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From stump-to-dump part of worklife in Prince George

Retired former Social Credit MLA and former City of Prince George Alderman Howard Lloyd and his wife Marg are enjoying every day of their retirement. Here is their story in a nutshell. Howard Lloyd was born in Turtleford, Sask. in 1930.
Howard and Marg Lloyd
Howard and Marg Lloyd, great-grandparents to more than two dozen, are enjoying their retirement among family and friends in Prince George.

Retired former Social Credit MLA and former City of Prince George Alderman Howard Lloyd and his wife Marg are enjoying every day of their retirement. Here is their story in a nutshell.

Howard Lloyd was born in Turtleford, Sask. in 1930. When he was five years old. his parents separated after having five children. Later his mother married George McCormick and the family moved to Winnipeg, where jobs were scarce because of the Great Depression. The few jobs that were available paid as low a $1- $2.50 for an eight-hour work day; not nearly enough to support a family. Two years later, they moved to a farm in Ericksdale where they raised livestock and grew a good garden until the potato bug arrived in 1939 and ruined their crops.

Relatives in Prince George encouraged George to move to Prince George because of work opportunities, a warmer climate and a better way of life for his family.

Howard said, "After tuning up our old 1929 Nash we hooked up a homemade trailer, packed our belongings, camping supplies and food and we left for Prince George. That old dependable Nash took us through the Rockies and delivered my parents, five Lloyds and two McCormick girls safely to Prince George.

"My step-father raised all 12 of us. Looking back, I still admire him for doing a great job of raising us through some pretty had times. He was a hard-working self-taught mechanic who could repair anything. We all learned a strong work ethic from him.

"When we arrived in Prince George he worked in the business of supplying home firewood and sawdust for commercial furnaces."

Howard attended school in Central Fort George, Baron Bing High School and graduated from Prince George Junior Senior High in 1948.

After graduation Howard worked for Alexander Sawmills at Island Cache and then J.E. Ongman and Sons Sawmill in the north Nechako subdivision area.

He said, "I started skidding logs with a team of horses and later with a D4 Cat building roads and skidding trees to the mill.

"In 1951 my three brothers and I bought a small sawmill in the Sweden Creek area and we started Lloyd Bros. Lumber Company. In 1955 we moved our operation and set up an efficient sawmill on the east end of Clucuz Lake.

"I married Helen Smith in 1953. One year later we bought three lots on Birch Street for $1,350 and built a 1050 sq. ft home for $15,500.

"Helen's family owned the Culchannu Lodge on an island on Stuart Lake and we had many great fishing trips and picnics on the beach.

"We had three children and 26 years of marriage when unfortunately, Helen became ill and passed away in 1979.

"In 1957, I sold my shares in the Lloyd Bros Lumber Company, started contract logging as a phase operator working with a D7 Cat and a truck in Prince George.

"I started my own stump to dump operation in 1960 and named it Howard Lloyd Logging. I contracted for Park Bros. at Summit Lake until they were bought out by La Pas Lumber. Later I did logging contract work for Northwood Timber."

In 1970, Howard and five other logging contractors started the North Central Plywood Veneer Mill. Prices were continually low for veneer so they went into a full-scale plywood plant. He sold his shares in North Central Plywood in 1978.

He served as the president of the Prince George and District Truck Loggers Association from 1971-72 and proudly said, "We worked very hard to get five-year logging contracts and three-year contracts for our phase operator members from the major licensees."

"In 1972 and with the support of my wife and family I entered civic politics as a Prince George alderman under Mayor Harold Moffat.

"I served on council for three one-year terms from 1972 -75 which included a position as a director on the Regional District of Fraser Fort George.

"During that time, we achieved the successful 1974 amalgamation of the outlying areas and South Fort George to form the existing city of Prince George. We asked the people to look at the bigger picture of the prospects of improved road infrastructure, recreational and cultural facilities along with other amenities of a growing and modern city which we enjoy today.

"I enjoyed working for the people in my community. It was really something working with Harold Moffat because he was extremely thrifty with the taxpayer's money."

Howard's provincial political career began in 1975 when the then NDP Premier Dave Barrett called a snap election. Howard, a strong Social Credit supporter was elected the Social Credit MLA from 1975-79 for what was then called the Fort George Riding.

His campaign organizers were Marlene Ongman and Judy Jackson.

In 1980, Howard married long timefamily friend Marg Pilon.

Marg was born in Maple Creek, Sask. in 1932. In 1936, her parents also left Sask. and headed west looking for a better life.

She reflected back and said, "My parents loaded up the family in their 1929 Pontiac, drove across the Rockies and ended up in Duncan where they lived for eight years. They moved to Victoria in 1944 where I continued my schooling.

"I married Ray Pilon in 1951 and we moved to Prince George in 1954. Ray managed the Arrow Radiator Shop. We had four children and sadly Ray passed away in 1963.

"I was devastated and my parents urged me to move to Victoria. They were more than happy to look after my four children while I went to university for my teachers training.

"I started teaching in 1966 with a standard teaching certificate and by 1972 I completed all my studies and earned my teaching degree. I taught school for 13 years in Victoria and retired in 1979."

The Lloyd family and the Pilon family had been close friends since late 1954. When Lloyd and Marg married they had a blended family of seven children. They now have 15 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren with one more on the way.

They love to spend time with their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren out at their cabin at Bednesti Lake.

Over the years, Marg volunteered with the Knox United Church ladies group and worked in the St. Michaels All Angels thrift shop for 12 years.

She said, "It was a fun place to work. The ladies I worked with were great and the regular customers all became our friends. I remember the time a young girl came in looking for an outfit to wear to a job interview. We had such a great time outfitting her and we were pleased that she was happy and confident when she left the store.

"The thrift store opened in 1972 and it was a sad day when it closed in 2016."

Howard has been an active member of the Elks Lodge since 1954 and says his greatest projects were the annual Soap Box Derby and the May Day Parades.

Howard and Marg concluded by saying, "Prince George has always been a wonderful place to live, enjoy the outdoors and raise a family. We have many good friends and the support of a large family. We wouldn't trade that for anything."