Historically the North Queens County, Nova Scotia area produces high quality Eastern White Pine. In the 18th and 19th centuries this pine became famous for its use in masts in the schooners and other sailing ships of the time. Today it is used for furniture, doors, windows, mouldings and other non-structural or ornamental applications.

N.F. Douglas Lumber Limited produces over eight million board feet of lumber per year and this lumber is almost exclusively our trademark “Caledonia Pine”—Eastern White
Pine.

Besides meeting the needs of the local lumber market, our company has established a wholesale green and dry market in Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes. In addition to Canadian markets, we ship quantities of premium pine lumber to the northeastern U.S. and to Great Britain for the furniture market.

Manufacturing the lumber is just the first step. A trimming plant and grading chain operation has resulted in faster and more efficient grading, sorting, and packaging of lumber; and our two dry kilns have been constructed especially adapted for drying of Eastern White Pine. This species presents unique drying challenges, and our staff have become knowledgeable and skilled in this technology.

Over the past number of years we have modernized our sawmill with a combination bull edger equipped with a guide system. This allows for increased efficiency and more accurate sizing of the lumber. A new saw filing facility was also developed. Early in 2006 we completed a stacker building which “stickers” bales of lumber automatically.