This old Huey St. Aubin Lumber truck is likely a 1942 model Dodge Power Wagon. It tells the tough story of Northern Ontario hauling. Photo: Jamie Bell
A Mid-Century Workhorse
This worn-out truck—with its rounded hood and sturdy cab—is a Dodge Power Wagon truck from around 1942. It’s a prime example of the heavy haulers that built Northern Ontario. These vehicles were simple, rugged, and built to endure, which they had to, working in the logging industry. This particular truck originally belonged to Huey St. Aubin Lumber in Ramore. Today it rests near the Dyment Museum in Melgund Township.
The paint is a faded olive green, now covered with rust and moss. That isn’t decoration—it’s the result of years spent outside after a hard life hauling lumber, a critical job in this part of the province.
The best detail is the hand-painted sign on the door: “Huey St. Aubin LUMBER Ramore.” Back then, business owners hired someone to paint their name directly on the truck. Ramore, where it came from is deep in a region where wood was everything, so Huey St. Aubin’s truck was a vital tool.
Now, it isn’t just a rusty old vehicle; it’s a marker of history. For truck enthusiasts and local historians, this kind of decay—the rust, the peeling paint, what collectors call “patina”—is what makes it compelling. It’s a tangible piece of the past, showing how business was done decades ago.
This old lumber rig quietly preserves the name of Huey St. Aubin and the history of Ramore, standing still as the forest slowly reclaims the land around it.
Titans of the Forest
The upcoming exhibition, “Titans of the Forest,” is the culmination of a powerful six-month interdisciplinary arts and capacity-building project spearheaded by the Art Borups Corners collective. This initiative, made possible by seed funding from the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program, represents a significant collaboration for our artists and programs. Working closely with key partners—the Dyment Museum, The Arts Incubator Winnipeg, and the Local Services Board of Melgund—the exhibition is set to debut a compelling series of photo and multimedia works. These pieces offer an artistic and historical look at the region, celebrating the history, and the powerful role of these industrial giants in shaping the local landscape and memory.
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