Some History of Black Creek (adapted from the Black Creek Community Association’s 50th Anniversary program guide of Fall, 2008)
Even though our province was approximately 70 years old, the community called Black Creek was relatively uninhabited when the first settlers arrived. Logging had been the main activity for many years. The majority of early arrivals were Mennonites from the prairies during the 1930s. The land was cheap, winters were warm and there existed an abundance of deer, fish, grouse, and berries.
Some of the first arrivals, in October of 1932, were Henry and Elizabeth Schulz and their four children; Annie, Elsie, Henry, and Peter. They arrived at a landscape of charred stumps poking out through hay that had been planted by the logging company after the massive Merville fire that had blazed through the area in 1922. It was not long before many others followed the same pathway to the little community 13 miles north of Courtenay. Henry gave us our name along with the first post office, gas station, grocery store, and feed store. The community now needed a school and places of worship. By 1933 Mrs. Visser taught grades kindergarten to grade eight for 10 students in a tiny schoolhouse along the Oyster River. In 1935 the school was moved to a more central location on land donated by William Halbe for the school, a church, and a cemetery. The original schoolhouse still stands and is known as Halbe Hall.
In May of 1938, an enormous forest fire migrated toward Black Creek. Starting northeast of Campbell River from sparks created by a logging train, the fire consumed vast amounts of land that had been parched by a dry spring.
Many men joined the efforts to fight the fire, some working for days without rest. When the inferno crept closer to Black Creek, the navy was sent to evacuate the area. Trucks came in from Comox and families were taken to the Agricultural Hall and the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay. The families spent a week in these halls before they returned to their homes. The excitement tantalized the young people but horrified their parents. All that they had worked for would potentially be destroyed. By the time the fire had reached Macaulay Road, the men had dug a firebreak. At that time the wind shifted and the fire took a route up Constitution Road and bypassed Black Creek completely. None of the settler’s homes or land was burned. The rains came in August and the fire was put out.
For two months Black Creek existed with a blackened sky and charred leaves fell from soot-filled trees. Grateful settlers returned to everyday life. Forest fires did not seem to inhibit the desire for people to make Black Creek their homes.
Another pioneer, arriving in the early 1940s was Ben Ployart. Ben owned many properties in the area, cleared all the land at the old UBC farm, and ran the pack train from Campbell River to Sayward for many years. Ben’s first wife Jenny was “a little bit of a thing” that carried a lot of spunk. She could ride horses like nobody else and once when a bear got in her chicken house she just went in there and chased him out. Sadly, she came to an unfortunate ending when the gun above their door fell, fired, and killed her.
It was Ben Ployart that connected with the two Macaulay brothers at Schulz’s store in 1946 and led them to a property that was for sale up on the Oyster River. Jack and Don Macaulay, both Winnipeg boys, were living in Victoria with their wives Bea and Marg. Ben took the men up to the location on the old railway grades and when they reached the property, looking down into what Bea came to refer to as ‘stump valley’, they fell in love with it. They hurried back to Victoria and informed their wives to get packing as they were moving to Black Creek. The first home Jack and Bea built was located by the swimming hole on what is now James Crescent. There was no Macaulay Road back then, just railway grades and stump roads. Doyle Road was called Stump Road and it was just that. They would just cut the trees off low enough so the vehicles could travel over them!
The best access road to take to make your way from where the Macaulays lived to downtown Black Creek was Endal Road through Camp 3. This road had its downside as it had a large swampy area to pass through. It was tough going in an old Model A Ford, said Jack. It would take a whole day to go to Black Creek and back. Finally, when there were enough kids up that way – six being the minimum – the school bus would be required to pick them up and the road was slated to be developed. The early residents said goodbye to the doglegs, big holes, and log bridges at last.
More history of the Mennonites who settled in the area can be found on the websites of the two Mennonite churches in Black Creek.