H.R.

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Harvey Reginald MacMillan (1885-1976) is a pivotal figure in Canadian corporate history. Born into poverty in rural Ontario, he pursued education at Yale despite facing significant challenges, including tuberculosis. In 1912, he became the first chief forester in British Columbia, making a mark by exporting BC lumber internationally, significantly impacting the province's economy. By 1919, he transitioned to the private sector, founding the first locally owned lumber export company in BC, which evolved into MacMillan Bloedel, a leading global forestry corporation. MacMillan served in both World Wars and donated millions in his later years. His speeches and public policy arguments shaped the perspectives of Canada's business and political leaders for over fifty years, often advocating for progressive resource management policies ahead of his time. Known for his principled stance, he was also a reserved and complex individual. Drushka's portrayal, developed through extensive research and collaboration with MacMillan's family and associates, offers a nuanced view of H.R.: a passionate conservationist and shrewd businessman, a formal executive with a close bond to his unconventional cousin, Mazo de la Roche, and a modest gentleman described as an "elemental force of nature."