The government called these men criminals. The pulp and paper companies they had worked for called them "deserters." The 88 men knew they had broken the law. They argued that they had no choice. They did not think they had done anything really wrong. They did not understand why they were treated so badly. The oldest man, who was also the men's leader, was Captain William Courage from Garnish, Fortune Bay. He was 60 years old, and a respected fishing captain well known in Newfoundland. Captain Courage and the other men did not think of themselves as criminals. They thought they had good reasons for leaving the logging camps. Many Newfoundlanders agreed with them.

What led to this sad situation? Why were ordinary men forced to break the law? Why were conditions and wages so bad for the loggers? The answers aren't simple. Politics, greed, cover-ups, the Great Depression and the way workers were treated in the 1930s all played a part.

Credit: PANL A41-104.
Loggers on the Exploits River, circa 1900.